Climbing at Summersville - Day 1 of 3
Went to the New River Gorge for some sport climbing this Veteran's Day weekend. I carpooled with Hung after work on Thursday, and we got to the Chestnut Creek campground at half past midnight.
Summersville Lake in summer and in winter
Friday morning, the few of us that were there went to Summersville Lake - Hung, Terence, Jeff, Abby, Nate, Steph, and myself. Hung warmed up on (5.10b) at Orange Oswald Wall, while Jeff led Orange Dihedral (5.9), and Terence led an Unnamed 5.6 trad route. While Abby, Steph, and Nate toproped these routes, Terence also led and cleaned Chunko Goes Bowling (5.9). My lead head was not in place that day, plus the fact that Abby, Nate, and Steph were all not experienced in cleaning anchors, so I volunteered to be the cleaning boy, and toprope both Orange Dihedral and the Unnamed 5.6 to clean the anchors.
By the time I finished cleaning Terence's 4-piece gear anchor, traversed over to a bolted belay, and rapped down ("Dude! Just clip the bolted anchor next time!"), Hung had redpointed Simple Minds (5.12a). Hung was cleaning the route when I walked over there, and he promptly talked me into trying it on toprope. The route followed the overhanging arete formed by a 45-degree overhang and a vertical face. The crux was getting to the second bolt, a very bouldery start. It was like working a V3 on a toprope. It took me many tries, but I finally managed to pull myself up to the second bolt, after that the route became a 5.10 according to Hung, but it was still technical and very balancy. I got rapidly pumped and fell off the face, and since all the draws above me have been cleaned, I swung out into space and was not able to get back on the wall. I got lowered, then Hung talked Terence and Nate into trying the route as well. Hung was very impressed when Terence demostrated how to clip the rope into the first draw with a stick clip.
Nate sticking the deadpoint on Simple Minds (5.12a)
While Terence and Nate worked on Simple Minds, Abby and Steph toproped Jeff's Bunny Hop (5.8). When Hung, Terence, and Nate pulled the rope so Terence can try Satisfaction Guaranteed (5.11b), I stayed behind to see if the others needed me to clean the anchor, it turned out that Abby made it to the top of Jeff's Bunny Hop nicely. After she cleaned the anchor, we walked over to Satisfaction Guaranteed and listened to Terence complain loadly from above, "You've got to be kidding me", "I have to pull on THAT?!" "There's no way, man!" But after much beta from Hung ("Go up!"), Terence made it up the thin slab, pulled the roof, and got to the anchor. When he was lowered, he said he is very satisfied. Awesome lead, Terence!
Nate was sent up to clean the route, I was feeling quite sub par for the day, so I just played around on the "bouldering start" of Satisfaction Guaranteed. It was actually a pretty cool bouldering problem by itself, I'd say V3-V4ish, requiring lots of body tension. I worked out the individual moves, but I'd like a pad to cover the pointy rock at the bottom before trying to link up all the moves.
After Nate cleaned the anchor, the sun was already touching the tree tops to our west. We packed up the gear and went back to camp. All in all, an ok day for me, a great day for most.
Friday morning, the few of us that were there went to Summersville Lake - Hung, Terence, Jeff, Abby, Nate, Steph, and myself. Hung warmed up on (5.10b) at Orange Oswald Wall, while Jeff led Orange Dihedral (5.9), and Terence led an Unnamed 5.6 trad route. While Abby, Steph, and Nate toproped these routes, Terence also led and cleaned Chunko Goes Bowling (5.9). My lead head was not in place that day, plus the fact that Abby, Nate, and Steph were all not experienced in cleaning anchors, so I volunteered to be the cleaning boy, and toprope both Orange Dihedral and the Unnamed 5.6 to clean the anchors.
By the time I finished cleaning Terence's 4-piece gear anchor, traversed over to a bolted belay, and rapped down ("Dude! Just clip the bolted anchor next time!"), Hung had redpointed Simple Minds (5.12a). Hung was cleaning the route when I walked over there, and he promptly talked me into trying it on toprope. The route followed the overhanging arete formed by a 45-degree overhang and a vertical face. The crux was getting to the second bolt, a very bouldery start. It was like working a V3 on a toprope. It took me many tries, but I finally managed to pull myself up to the second bolt, after that the route became a 5.10 according to Hung, but it was still technical and very balancy. I got rapidly pumped and fell off the face, and since all the draws above me have been cleaned, I swung out into space and was not able to get back on the wall. I got lowered, then Hung talked Terence and Nate into trying the route as well. Hung was very impressed when Terence demostrated how to clip the rope into the first draw with a stick clip.
While Terence and Nate worked on Simple Minds, Abby and Steph toproped Jeff's Bunny Hop (5.8). When Hung, Terence, and Nate pulled the rope so Terence can try Satisfaction Guaranteed (5.11b), I stayed behind to see if the others needed me to clean the anchor, it turned out that Abby made it to the top of Jeff's Bunny Hop nicely. After she cleaned the anchor, we walked over to Satisfaction Guaranteed and listened to Terence complain loadly from above, "You've got to be kidding me", "I have to pull on THAT?!" "There's no way, man!" But after much beta from Hung ("Go up!"), Terence made it up the thin slab, pulled the roof, and got to the anchor. When he was lowered, he said he is very satisfied. Awesome lead, Terence!
Nate was sent up to clean the route, I was feeling quite sub par for the day, so I just played around on the "bouldering start" of Satisfaction Guaranteed. It was actually a pretty cool bouldering problem by itself, I'd say V3-V4ish, requiring lots of body tension. I worked out the individual moves, but I'd like a pad to cover the pointy rock at the bottom before trying to link up all the moves.
After Nate cleaned the anchor, the sun was already touching the tree tops to our west. We packed up the gear and went back to camp. All in all, an ok day for me, a great day for most.
posted by Boer @ 11/11/2005
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