Yeah, we're talking swamis, and is he belaying off the big hole on a figure 8 or just a big belay ring?

Infidel referred to my other love - climbing. Or was it the other way around?

Hey, Allen,
What route is this?

Maybe Lenas on Swan Slab? Maybe Lean Years on the Apron? Something on the Cookie? I didn't write anything on the slide. I do know we all had just come off walls the week before. You guys the Dihedral and I just down off The Prow. I was driving down south Broadway the other day near your parents house and thought of your Gremlin with the plywood hatch.

I thought it might be on the Cookie. We didn't TR a lot in those days, so I wondered if it was either really hard or if one of us led and then lowered to belay? Weird how the memory works - I swear I remember those first thin finger locks, but I can't place the route. I loved those thin routes. Funny you mention the Grems - I just came across a picture of me and the Grems in my mom's drive way. Must be right at 30 years ago. I wanted to be able to lock the glass hatch, so I went for it and drilled a hole right in the glass. To my amazement it worked - it got like red hot, but it drilled through. I walked three steps away and, poof! The whole thing blew out! Glass everywhere. Pretty much what one should expect.

Come to think of it... there was a sort of obscure cliff up and past the base of Astroman that had a few routes including a pretty thin aid climb – this could be the start of the aid climb. I remember freeing it on TR at 10+. It could be that?? Did you head up there with us? Can’t remember how we found out about that little area but it was great. To the left of the aid climb was an ankle buster of a 5.9 route. Steep slab for about 15+ feet off the deck to a nice crack. Remember that one?

I know, we never top roped. Maybe it's one of those TRs up under Staircase Falls? It was a rainy season as I recall, and I remember only getting up maybe three significant climbs before having to go home and work for my father the rest of the summer!

TR in Camp Four area?

With all that chalk on it, one would think that's a good guess.