What the hell?? I have been to TM maybe 3-4 times over the last few years, and I just seem to SUCK on this rock!!! (more than usual) Anyone else have an area where the rock just seems harder to climb? Looks like I'll be climbing TM regularly for awhile.

I would imagine table is pretty warm today.

Have you treated the 2nd degree burns on your hands, you don't want them to get infected.

In cooler temps, table is a little more intuitive but once you get the hang of it, it's rather easy.

HAHA, I wish I had something to blame it on..Other than being a total sissy!

Ryan, there has always been something about Table that has really vexed me. I think it is the lack of sharpness on the edges, regardless of how big they are. I always have a nagging thought bugging me bout greasing off.

I do much better on pockets and true crimper edges.
When are you going to join us at the new spot anyway? Judging by your posts, you'd enjoy hooking up w/ Tom for a trad FA.

"Anyone else have an area where the rock just seems harder to climb?"

The Dome in Boulder canyon always seems to hand it to me; so yeah, I get the feeling. I'm pretty sure its not the rocks fault in my case.

Evan

I know the feeling...climbing at Table Mtn and on Touch N Go makes me regret not doing weighted pullups.

Climbing at Sinks makes me regret not doing weighted pullups on a hang board.

That is definitely an interesting question. Over the years I've had that same discussion w/ climbing friends. There seems to be places that you always climb well and other that no matter how fit you think you are you get spanked. I love climbing at Wild Iris but for some reason I struggle more with routes there than other areas.

no worries ryan, chalky-greasy basalt kicks my bootie too

My buddy and I went to Jurassic Park (South of Estes) yesterday for the first time. It was humbling.

On one particular 8 that we warmed up on, it felt as if it had a 10a crux to us.

Maybe we'll get the hang of this slabby stuff, but we were definitely not feeling on top of our game. We had fun in spite of ourselves, however ... once we lowered our expectations.

Cheers,
Thom

Well, I went back today around 6am, and found that the rock is better before it gets hot, but it still slaps me around, calls me a nancy-boy, and sends me home sniveling like a school-girl. Guess I gotta go back again soon. Anyone need a new TM partner?

I'm with Jared. I hate North Table Mountain. It's always way hotter there than anywhere else nearby. It's always crowded. I can never find where I am in the guidebook, unless I'm at Deck Chairs or Mr. Squirrel. The routes are too short. The views aren't that great, relatively speaking. It kinda smells up there, too.

I'd rather be in Clear Creek Canyon, which is right next-door. Or Eldo, or Boulder Canyon, or Monastery, or....

FNTM.

N Table is an awesome place. I think it is hard for many in Colorado since we do not have much of this basalt to play on. I had a friend from Oregon come over and she crushed on the stuff!! Pretty much an outdoor gym or the site of a bolt gun explosion, I think this place is still pretty neat. Great for early in the morn or after work to get in a few laps. Even climbable in the winter!! I have to agree with others though, this time of the year I would be in CCC, far better rock quality and more challenging.

As for the being lost issue, there is a new guide due out this fall. Should be similar to the new CCC guide.

Whether you like or dislike Table, the beauty of the Front Range is that there is something for everyone.

I also, hate Table Mountain. I find myself looking at it a little differently lately for 2 reasons.
1- I get cell phone service there, and when I'm on call, it's better than nothing.
2-Do I dislike it because I suck at it? I think maybe I do, and what a great oppertunity to make myself a better climber!

I think the overall NTM experience is generally crappy:

• That yeast smell

• The constant hummmmm

• The fine dust

• The snake gauntlet section of the trail (I had one in front of me and another blocking my retreat once).

• Rockfall from Noobs up top setting up ropes

• Those damn little sticky flower/pod things that adhere to everything

Table is probably my least favorite place to go as well, the routes are short, the hike up is steep - and you bake in the sun.... I'm not crazy about the rock, it seems slick and polished - maybe thats just the nature of this particular basalt. It always seems like the routes are very sequence oriented as well - kinda like gym problems.

But, I still go there - my buddies and i treat it as a place to go get worked on topropes climbing at or above our meager limits - midweek after work. But on outings where I'm just going to have a casual good time, I'll go to Eldo, Boulder Canyon or Lumpy before I'd even think about Table Mtn.

I find N Table is one of acquired taste; straight up vertical to overhanging forcing me to focus on footwork, though I'm not that good at it.

I can go there and find anything. If it's too crowded or hot, then go there other times. I've been there and had the pick of the lot to run laps on a-plenty. The same can be said about the Wood also, go to where people aren't que'd up & have a blast.

If N Table or the Wood were easy, nobody would go there and put routes up.

The secret to enjoyable NTM climbing is to only climb the harder stuff. The stuff under hard 10 gets really polished from so many feet and fingers. The harder stuff sees fewer ascents, and also tends to have more incuts and sharp flakes, etc. I think you may find that climbing some of the better 10s is actually easier than the super slick polished 5.9s like Deck Chairs. At least that's been my experience there. Also, as others have said, climb when its cool - mornings in summer, and steer clear of the place in the middle of the day.

To answer your larger question - I find the smooth granite of Lumpy Ridge and the South Platte more difficult and intimidating than the incuts, flakes, and cracks of Eldo.

Table sucks big hairy donkey balls. By the time you finish the lame-ass hike you could be in CCC climbing on non-volcanic non-crap. Boo!

Personally, I think every climber has one rock (or area) that they just get the "hibby jibbies" on. For me it's Bihedral in Boulder canyon. I have a freaking mental breakdown as soon as I touch it. I usually do 5.9s pretty well, but I practically freak out on a 5.7 there.
There are so many more fun places to climb! Just forget about it.