Climbing and bouldering in Alabama - Nov 26-27
So my weekend of adventure with Super Hung and his sidekick Eric the Draw Monkey started on Wednesday night. I picked up Eric from DC around 7:30 pm and we made the long ass drive to Atlanta. Roughly ten hours later we arrived at Hung's brother in law's house, and crashed in their entertainment room. That house is huuuuge! I didn't know before but Hung's relatives are pretty wealthy. We woke up around 9 or 10, went to another one of Hung's in law's house for lunch (pho noodles), then left to go climbing at Boat Rock, which is an Atlanta urban bouldering area only 15 minutes away from Hung's in laws. I warmed up on a V1, flailed on a few different problems, sent a short powerful V4, and never quite getting this V3(?) with a slopey mantel topout. I blame it on the weather because it was in the 60s, and my palms were greasing off the mantel. The rock is granite, so our finger tips were already missing one layer of skin on the first day. That night we had a good Thanksgiving meal at Hung's in law's house.
Hung bouldering at Boat Rock, Atlanta
The next day we woke up at 5:30 to make the 2-hour drive to Horse Pen 40 in Alabama. When we got to HP40, the temperature was just hovering above freezing. We warmed up on some V1s, then we flailed on this "V2" called "Sandbox" (change the "ox" to "ag" then it's an appropriate name). Only Hung was able to sent it, and this was after he had failed two years ago. Terence had told me that "you gotta try Mortal Combat (V3) and Pope in a Cowboy Hat (V4)!", so we went over to check them out. One look and I decided that Terence was trying to get me killed. Mortal Combat was a sharp clean arete that's about 15 feet high with bad landing, and Pope in a Cowboy Hat was a high slab with no hand holds and equally bad landing. I decided to try a lowball V2 double arete next to them instead, and sent it after a few tries. Meanwhile an army of boulderers showed up to try Mortal Combat, with lots of pads and spotters, Hung and Eric both gave Mortal Combat a try, Eric was only able to get two moves off the ground. Hung got half way up the arete before he was sketched and jumped down.
I think Terence earned penalty slack next time I climb with him.
We moved to Turtle Head area and had a lunch break. Hung tried a V7 and Eric tried a V5, but neither got very far. I flashed Turtle Head (V2, which is on this rock formation that looked like - surprise - a turtle head) after getting some beta on where the route REALLY went (I was going in the wrong direction and making it way too hard). We then tried what we dubbed Turtle Neck (not in the guidebook, probably V3), the route stayed underneath the turtle head formation, hugging the turtle's neck, move both hands in turtle's mouth, then slap for the top of turtle's head for a mantle top out. I never did manage the top out, but I came really close. It was a really fun route, I'm surprised that it was not in the guidebook.
Doing what I do best: making a V2 into a V4
Photo: Eric Stemer
In another area, we tried Crisifix (apt named V5), a low roof that involved a long reach behind you for a gaston, crossing over hands, then throw for crimpers over the lip and mantel top out. It was painful and terrible on the shoulders, only Eric was able to sent it with his longer reach. We went to another area so Hung could work on one of his projects, Hammer Head (V5), which climbs an overhang with a thin flake and some big pockets on the side. The first move was a left hand/heelhook match, a hell of a move, neither Eric and I were even able to make that heelhook stay. Hung was the only one who sent it. That was the end of the day for us, my record was one V1 and two V2s, not really good.
Eric feeling the pain on Crisifix
That night we went with Hung's in laws to a sushi restaurant some of their relatives co-owned. Hung said it was one of the best sushi restaurant in Atlanta, and it was very very good. Both Eric and I stuffed ourselves, and later when I found out how expensive the whole meal was ($900!! for 14 adults) I almost had a heart attack. It was Hung's in law's treat, but I felt kind of bad (I think Eric and I ate a third of the food).
On Saturday we woke up at 5:30 again for the 2-hour drive to Sandrock, Alabama. But we had some problems with starting the car (an almost empty gas tank and highly inclined driveway do not mix very well), so we arrived about half an hour late. David from DC and his sister Stephanie were already there waiting for us. We started in an area called Holiday Blocks to warm up on some easier routes. The temperature was just as cold as on Saturday, so we were all reluctant to get on a route. Eventually we talked Eric into hanging up all the draws on a 5.8, I lead it after Eric, and David toproped it. Meanwhile Hung warmed up on a route next to us with unknown rating (we didn't have a guidebook, only some vague online printouts). He onsighted it, but he did have some trouble getting to the fourth bolt. Stephanie tried to toprope it, but since she's a pretty new climber, she didn't get very far. Eric then led it, he also had some trouble getting to the fourth bolt, but with his reach he was able to grap a higher hold. I tried to lead it as well, and was totally shut down by the move getting to the fourth bolt. The moves were very sequency and felt like 5.10 moves, but some other guy in the same area were telling us that it was a 5.9 route. I tried a few times to pull the move using the sequence Eric was shouting up to me (laybacking on a very bad crimper), but just couldn't do it. It wasn't possible to layback on a rounded crimper you can barely get the first joint of three fingers on it. I got fed up and asked to be lowered. Hung went up to clean the route, and he also couldn't do the move using the sequence I was trying (now I don't feel so bad). We decided that Eric was giving me wrong beta, so from now on I will never listen to his beta anymore. But we still don't think that route is a 5.9 though.
While I was trying that "5.9", David led his first 5.8 on the warm up we did. He set up to let Stephanie to toprope it, and we walked around the corner to an overhanging line that looked very good. We didn't know the rating, so we convinced Eric to climb it. He did it with a few falls and a few takes, and he thought it was a 5.11d. But some locals said it was a 5.11b. It looked overhanging and juggy, with safe falls except the first three bolts. I decided to give it a shot, but I was a bit nervous. The start was quite bouldery and a little reachy, I had to do a deadpoint between the first and second bolt, another deadpoint between the second and third, then a third deadpoint pulling over the small roof at the third bolt. I hangdogged the route to the maximum, hanging off the first three bolts. But eventually I made it to the top. The only thing was that I asked for a lot more takes on this route than I should have, since most of the falls are pretty clean. Oh well, my first 5.11 on lead, can't ask too much. Hung went up after me and flashed the route without much trouble.
After Hung cleaned and we had a bit to eat, we moved over to the Sun Wall, and talked Eric into leading another unknown route. This route goes up a slightly overhanging orange face, and there was a quicklink on the third bolt. Eric got to the third bolt without much trouble, then he took and fell a few times trying to get to the fourth bolt. Finally he gave up because his strength is waning and his hands were all teared up. I went up for a try, got to the third bolt, took a bunch of times, going above it involved a long throw for a sloper from a bad knob and a small crimper and bad feet. It was beyond me. So I got lowered, and Hung went up. He had the same problem: couldn't reach the next sloper. He tried a few times, finally he gave up as well, and bailed from the same quicklink. I guess that was there for a good reason.
The route we had to bail from: Super Grover (5.11c)
Eric was pretty much done with climbing by now. I had the choice of lead some routes, or try some Sandrock bouldering. I saw a big cave on the way to the Sun Wall that I wanted to play in, so I put on my beanie (actually I never took it off) and took out the crashpad, and did some monkey bar type of stuff in the cave. Hung and Eric weren't as fond of caves as I was, so they did a V1 slab and worked on this V3 arete. Hung came really close to sending it, but the sun was getting low in the sky, and we were all missing two layers of skin on our finger tips by now. We decided to call it a day, said goodbye to David and Stephanie, and drove back to Atlanta.
That night we made summer rolls for dinner, which was unfortunate for Eric, whose hands were in the worst condition out of the three of us. It was painful for us to roll the summer rolls, but it was a good meal nontheless.
The next day we woke up at 5:30 to make the 2-hour drive to Horse Pen 40 in Alabama. When we got to HP40, the temperature was just hovering above freezing. We warmed up on some V1s, then we flailed on this "V2" called "Sandbox" (change the "ox" to "ag" then it's an appropriate name). Only Hung was able to sent it, and this was after he had failed two years ago. Terence had told me that "you gotta try Mortal Combat (V3) and Pope in a Cowboy Hat (V4)!", so we went over to check them out. One look and I decided that Terence was trying to get me killed. Mortal Combat was a sharp clean arete that's about 15 feet high with bad landing, and Pope in a Cowboy Hat was a high slab with no hand holds and equally bad landing. I decided to try a lowball V2 double arete next to them instead, and sent it after a few tries. Meanwhile an army of boulderers showed up to try Mortal Combat, with lots of pads and spotters, Hung and Eric both gave Mortal Combat a try, Eric was only able to get two moves off the ground. Hung got half way up the arete before he was sketched and jumped down.
I think Terence earned penalty slack next time I climb with him.
We moved to Turtle Head area and had a lunch break. Hung tried a V7 and Eric tried a V5, but neither got very far. I flashed Turtle Head (V2, which is on this rock formation that looked like - surprise - a turtle head) after getting some beta on where the route REALLY went (I was going in the wrong direction and making it way too hard). We then tried what we dubbed Turtle Neck (not in the guidebook, probably V3), the route stayed underneath the turtle head formation, hugging the turtle's neck, move both hands in turtle's mouth, then slap for the top of turtle's head for a mantle top out. I never did manage the top out, but I came really close. It was a really fun route, I'm surprised that it was not in the guidebook.
In another area, we tried Crisifix (apt named V5), a low roof that involved a long reach behind you for a gaston, crossing over hands, then throw for crimpers over the lip and mantel top out. It was painful and terrible on the shoulders, only Eric was able to sent it with his longer reach. We went to another area so Hung could work on one of his projects, Hammer Head (V5), which climbs an overhang with a thin flake and some big pockets on the side. The first move was a left hand/heelhook match, a hell of a move, neither Eric and I were even able to make that heelhook stay. Hung was the only one who sent it. That was the end of the day for us, my record was one V1 and two V2s, not really good.
That night we went with Hung's in laws to a sushi restaurant some of their relatives co-owned. Hung said it was one of the best sushi restaurant in Atlanta, and it was very very good. Both Eric and I stuffed ourselves, and later when I found out how expensive the whole meal was ($900!! for 14 adults) I almost had a heart attack. It was Hung's in law's treat, but I felt kind of bad (I think Eric and I ate a third of the food).
On Saturday we woke up at 5:30 again for the 2-hour drive to Sandrock, Alabama. But we had some problems with starting the car (an almost empty gas tank and highly inclined driveway do not mix very well), so we arrived about half an hour late. David from DC and his sister Stephanie were already there waiting for us. We started in an area called Holiday Blocks to warm up on some easier routes. The temperature was just as cold as on Saturday, so we were all reluctant to get on a route. Eventually we talked Eric into hanging up all the draws on a 5.8, I lead it after Eric, and David toproped it. Meanwhile Hung warmed up on a route next to us with unknown rating (we didn't have a guidebook, only some vague online printouts). He onsighted it, but he did have some trouble getting to the fourth bolt. Stephanie tried to toprope it, but since she's a pretty new climber, she didn't get very far. Eric then led it, he also had some trouble getting to the fourth bolt, but with his reach he was able to grap a higher hold. I tried to lead it as well, and was totally shut down by the move getting to the fourth bolt. The moves were very sequency and felt like 5.10 moves, but some other guy in the same area were telling us that it was a 5.9 route. I tried a few times to pull the move using the sequence Eric was shouting up to me (laybacking on a very bad crimper), but just couldn't do it. It wasn't possible to layback on a rounded crimper you can barely get the first joint of three fingers on it. I got fed up and asked to be lowered. Hung went up to clean the route, and he also couldn't do the move using the sequence I was trying (now I don't feel so bad). We decided that Eric was giving me wrong beta, so from now on I will never listen to his beta anymore. But we still don't think that route is a 5.9 though.
While I was trying that "5.9", David led his first 5.8 on the warm up we did. He set up to let Stephanie to toprope it, and we walked around the corner to an overhanging line that looked very good. We didn't know the rating, so we convinced Eric to climb it. He did it with a few falls and a few takes, and he thought it was a 5.11d. But some locals said it was a 5.11b. It looked overhanging and juggy, with safe falls except the first three bolts. I decided to give it a shot, but I was a bit nervous. The start was quite bouldery and a little reachy, I had to do a deadpoint between the first and second bolt, another deadpoint between the second and third, then a third deadpoint pulling over the small roof at the third bolt. I hangdogged the route to the maximum, hanging off the first three bolts. But eventually I made it to the top. The only thing was that I asked for a lot more takes on this route than I should have, since most of the falls are pretty clean. Oh well, my first 5.11 on lead, can't ask too much. Hung went up after me and flashed the route without much trouble.
After Hung cleaned and we had a bit to eat, we moved over to the Sun Wall, and talked Eric into leading another unknown route. This route goes up a slightly overhanging orange face, and there was a quicklink on the third bolt. Eric got to the third bolt without much trouble, then he took and fell a few times trying to get to the fourth bolt. Finally he gave up because his strength is waning and his hands were all teared up. I went up for a try, got to the third bolt, took a bunch of times, going above it involved a long throw for a sloper from a bad knob and a small crimper and bad feet. It was beyond me. So I got lowered, and Hung went up. He had the same problem: couldn't reach the next sloper. He tried a few times, finally he gave up as well, and bailed from the same quicklink. I guess that was there for a good reason.
Eric was pretty much done with climbing by now. I had the choice of lead some routes, or try some Sandrock bouldering. I saw a big cave on the way to the Sun Wall that I wanted to play in, so I put on my beanie (actually I never took it off) and took out the crashpad, and did some monkey bar type of stuff in the cave. Hung and Eric weren't as fond of caves as I was, so they did a V1 slab and worked on this V3 arete. Hung came really close to sending it, but the sun was getting low in the sky, and we were all missing two layers of skin on our finger tips by now. We decided to call it a day, said goodbye to David and Stephanie, and drove back to Atlanta.
That night we made summer rolls for dinner, which was unfortunate for Eric, whose hands were in the worst condition out of the three of us. It was painful for us to roll the summer rolls, but it was a good meal nontheless.
posted by Boer @ 11/27/2005
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