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Location: NC : Looking Glass Rock : South Side : Second Coming (5.7)
By: saxfiend When: Nov 22, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Joshua McDaniel wrote: I would suggest belaying just after the crux at the first ledge.
I agree, there's no good reason to climb higher to what would be a marginal anchor. I've always used this first ledge whenever I've led Second Coming; there's very solid placements for anchoring there (which is probably why the bolts were chopped), and I've never experienced any rope drag on the second pitch.
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Location: GA : Mount Yonah : Main Face : Latest Edition (5.8)
By: saxfiend When: Nov 8, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: I really enjoyed this route, one of the most interesting leads I've done at Yonah so far. The runout to the bolt (maybe 30') was a mental challenge but not real hard climbing. I think you might be able to get a 000 C3 in one of those seams before the bolt, but I didn't have mine with me, so I just ran it out. The bolt is well placed to protect the crux, which was the only real 5.8 moves on the route for me. The rest of the route is cool climbing and pretty well protected.
If someone's alrea... more >>
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Location: KY : Red River Gorge : Tower Rock : Salad Days (5.6)
By: saxfiend When: Nov 3, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Doug -- thanks for the update, I've included it in the route description.
It's funny, I'd hauled some of my big cams (#4 Camalot, #5 and #6 Tech Friends) with me this trip but hadn't used them, so I told my partner I was going to rack up with them on Salad Days just as a kind of joke. I was glad I did because I used all three on the onsight! Cool route.
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Location: KY : Red River Gorge
By: saxfiend When: Nov 2, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: I agree with Jeff's concerns about the layout of the RRG here, so I've done some major reorganization. If you have comments, let me know.
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Location: KY : Red River Gorge : Pebble Beach : Scabies (5.9+)
By: saxfiend When: Oct 29, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: This really is a super fun lead, very different from the typical RRG sport route. Good footwork is pretty crucial, but it's all there if you keep your eyes open.
The finish may feel desperate, especially if you try to clip while hanging from the very loose and dirty top ledge. I found a fist jam to clip the anchors.
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Location: KY : Red River Gorge : Tower Rock : Groundhog (5.3)
By: saxfiend When: Oct 27, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: I'd be interested in knowing where the second pitch goes on this route. I could see a squeeze chimney (not really a crack) that looked dirty and unprotectable; it didn't look like the way to go, so I pulled the overhang to the left and climbed up to some blank slab that seemed to be a dead end. So I downclimbed/downled back to the P1 ledge, hoping I'd be able to reverse my moves. At that point, we just bailed.
Not what I'd call a particularly worthwhile route, and laughably undergr... more >>
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Location: KY : Red River Gorge : Tower Rock : Caver's Route (5.3)
By: saxfiend When: Oct 27, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: This is a memorable adventure that anyone should thoroughly enjoy, no matter what your lead level! The chimney moves are tight and thought-provoking but fun, and the squeeze tunnel has to be seen to be believed.
As already mentioned, gear is pretty much superfluous; other than clipping the bolt on P2, I essentially free-soloed the route and felt safe doing so. I did place a solid nut for a belay anchor at the top of P1, and a black tricam performed the same function for the P3 belay... more >>
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Location: NC : Linville Gorge : Table Rock : Helmet Variation (5.8)
By: saxfiend When: Oct 27, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: The old Kelley Guide lists "Tom Howard et al" for the FA on this one.
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Location: KY : Red River Gorge : Phantasia : Lord of the Flies (5.8)
By: saxfiend When: Oct 23, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Nice warmup lead, though some of the pockets aren't as positive as they look.
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Location: KY : Red River Gorge : Phantasia : Attack of the Sand Shark (5.9-)
By: saxfiend When: Oct 23, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: This sure didn't feel like 5.7, so it all made sense when I later found out I'd led Sand Shark instead of St. Alfonso's, which is what I thought it was. Very nice climb, pumpy but never desperate. Getting the onsight was nice!
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Location: GA : Mount Yonah : Main Face : Three Cam Party (5.8)
By: saxfiend When: Oct 20, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: This bolt is inexcusable. I haven't led the route, but the pro is obvious even from the ground. Hopefully Jody and Michael will dispose of this very soon.
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Location: NY : The Gunks : The Trapps : Limelight (5.7) : Photo
By: saxfiend When: Oct 12, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Nice shot of a great climb. I was so stoked by the second pitch that I can't remember anything at all about P1, heh.
JL
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Location: GA : Mount Yonah : Main Face : Dihedral (5.6)
By: saxfiend When: Sep 7, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Fun route for the grade. Pro is thin on the start; I got my first piece in about 20' off the deck. After that, there's plenty of great placements on up to the anchors.
I don't know how most people start this route, but the namesake dihedral didn't have any nice crack to use down low, so I started on the slab to the right, which took me up to my first placement in the dihedral. The holds get more positive from there.
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Location: TN : Sunset Park : Sunset North : Ghost Dancers (5.8+)
By: saxfiend When: Aug 9, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: This is really a nice line, challenging without being outrageously scary. The climbing down low isn't that tough, making up for the thin protection, and excellent gear at the crux hand crack up top means a clean, well-protected fall if you miss the moves. Too bad it's not longer.
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Location: TN : Foster Falls : Main Wall : Tea and Strumpets (5.10a)
By: saxfiend When: Jul 23, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: It's way left of the climbing line. My buddy who led the route couldn't clip it til he was above the bolt.
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Location: TN : Foster Falls : Main Wall : Crawdaddy (5.10a)
By: saxfiend When: Jul 20, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Short but lots of fun! The crux for me (and the people who followed my lead) was the dicey moves around the second bolt. A lead fall before clipping that bolt would probably be a groundfall.
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Location: TN : Foster Falls : Main Wall : Twist and Shout (5.9+)
By: saxfiend When: Jul 20, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Actually, I thought starting on the left side of the arete was easier, and closer to the bolt line as well. Either way, it's a spicy start, so I'm not sorry I stickclipped the first bolt. Great lead!
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Location: TN : Foster Falls : Main Wall : Tea and Strumpets (5.10a)
By: saxfiend When: Jul 18, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: The start is pretty tough, so stickclipping the first bolt is a good idea.
The last bolt (just above the roof) is very poorly placed.
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Location: NC : Moore's Wall : Super Direct (5.8)
By: saxfiend When: Jul 6, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: The first pitch is great; the opening moves are hard and non-intuitive. I think the old Kelley guide's rating of 5.9 is right on.
I thought P2 was pretty crappy by comparison with the first pitch. The so-called "chimney" described in the Select guide is actually a wide crack choked with vegetation, which my partner and I avoided entirely.
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Location: NC : Moore's Wall : Raise Hell (5.8)
By: saxfiend When: Jul 6, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Great route, highly recommended!
Protecting the start is a good idea as the traverse is a little thin and a fall here would be nasty. I placed a cam before stepping off the big block, then back-cleaned it after getting a piece in the initial crack over to the left.
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Location: NC : Moore's Wall : Excellent Adventure (5.7)
By: saxfiend When: Jul 6, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Maybe I'm just spoiled by the other great routes in the Amphitheatre, but I found this one fairly uninspiring. Also, it seemed soft for 5.7. The description in the old Kelley guide doesn't seem to match the accompanying topo, and the actual climbing has only the vaguest relation to either the description or the topo. Though the Kelley guide doesn't say one way or the other, it doesn't look like you'd really want to top out on this route; the climbing above the rap station looks unap... more >>
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Location: NC : Looking Glass Rock : Nose Area : Sundial Crack (5.8-) : Photo
By: saxfiend When: Jun 28, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: So that's what the fourth pitch looks like in daylight! I was going by headlamp the time I led it.
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Location: TN : Sunset Park : Sunset South : Dodge City (5.9)
By: saxfiend When: Jun 28, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Really nice crack climb that's saves the hardest moves for the last 10' or so. Gotta get back on it for the redpoint.
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Location: TN : Sunset Park : Sunset South : Dodge City (5.9) : Photo
By: saxfiend When: Jun 28, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Wow, that's a pretty high first placement. Congratulations on the onsight!
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Location: TN : Sunset Park : Sunset South : Sinsophrenia (5.10a)
By: saxfiend When: Jun 28, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: This is a really stiff 10a; I had less trouble on Backstreet Revelations (toprope of course, I can't imagine leading either one).
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