Sunshine in November

So the weather has been really really really...really good the past few days. Like, it's unbelievable how nice it is outside. I think I'm going to try and keep my car running all the time so that I can contribute more to global warming. I like this extended climbing season.

I got out to the C Chimney cliff with my buddy Grant to do some cragging yesterday. I was driving up from New Paltz and got back to Wilmington around 11:30. I drove out to the parking lot and met up with Grant a little after that and we headed to the cliff. Grant had only seen Potter Mountain, so this we a cool little trip for him.

We got up there and I immediately took my (soaking wet) shirt off. Then Grant got on Bearded Munchkin which he crushed. Then we did Seeking Enlightenment which is also a good time. Last week when Colin and Joe were up there, Joe led Seeking and forgot his rack, which he realized 40 feet off the deck when he needed the placement. (Similar shenanigans have ensued at Never Never Land.) And when I led it, I did the same exact thing. Haha, oops. I ended up just skipping the gear and going to the anchors. It felt ok because I had the moves pretty wired, but I would imagine an onsight without gear would be exciting. Just cause there are bolts on a route, doesn't mean you don't need gear!

After that we scrambled up to the top of the cliff and rapped onto Jenga. That thing is hard! There was a bail biner on the third bolt when I got there, so I was excited about booty. But, after trying it a couple of times and getting totally shut down, that booty is still up there. The thing about Jenga is not that the moves are all that hard. It's the insecurity. Every move you make after you leave the ledge is delicate. You feel like you could slip off at any moment. It's a crack climb, but you can't really jam it and the gear is rattly and questionable. It's a slab, but the smears aren't that good. And you can never really relax. There are no breaks or rests. No moment to take a deep breath. It's probably 5.8 on top rope, but on lead it feels like 5.12, and after 5 different people have tried it, I'd say it's a tough one.

If anyone wants to try it, there is a bail biner up there, so go for it.