The day started much too early, 6:15am wake up, which was amplified by a much too late bed time. :( I got some much needed rest on the drive though. Once there, two others and I quickly broke off to explore some trad. We first hit up a short 5.7/5.8 crack. However, either the leader climbed too high or the anchor was elusive. He improvised with a some gear placements and a bolt, and we all got to climb it. It was ok - maybe not worth the long hike and time though.
I then joined the rest of the group at Image Wall while the two other guys jumped on a 5.10c. Over there, I climbed a steep 10 after much hang-doggin. Then, I led a stiff 5.7 sport. The group then migrated over to the balcony area. Along the way we saw some sick roofs.
I spotted a 5.6 trad climb in the guidebook that I wanted to lead, so I went over there with another guy. After about 20ft and two nuts, I came to a little roof and hand traverse which seemed pretty tough. I was doubting my ability and my gear selection, so I down-climbed and cleaned the two stoppers. I got an experienced friend to come over with hopes of giving it another go. He went ahead to lead it first. He said it was definitely not a 5.6, and after further research, we discovered it was actually a 5.9 - good thing I had come down. I went ahead and climbed it and enjoyed it.
Finally, I headed over to the balcony where the group had some 10s set up. I decided to do a 5.8 crack variation. It was a blast. Most of the crack was about fist-jam/foot jam size with some stemming/dihedral action as well. It was fairly tall and great practice. That is my niche. I may not be great at it, but I would prefer a crack over a face anyday.
We finally got outta there after sunset. All in all, it was a 16hr trip but a lot of fun! I'm sure I'll check out more of the Obed within the next year.
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