Posted by Saucisson #3
Climbers - Tony, Calvin
Supporters - lots of people from St. Louis
We're back! I feel much better today, after a full night's sleep (and a long, hot shower). First off, big thanks go to Soph (Saucisson #1), who came down to support us and drove us in her car. Also, I have to thank the hordes of volunteers who signed up to help out and others who just came down to cheer everyone on - Angie, Sarah, Jon, Gambletron and others from our gym especially.
Second - pictures. Soph entered the photo comp but is on a business trip to Florida for a couple days, so it may be a few days before you see more pics. We'll try to include a link to a comprehensive album of shots.
There it is!
HCR Hell photos
Here's the recap from Team Breakin' Wind Beneath the Sheets (no, we didn't win the 'best team name' award).
Tony and I managed a total of 40 climbs each over the 24 hours of the comp. In actuality, it was probably more like 23.5 hours, as the pre-comp meeting ran a few minutes long and the shotgun ending the comp fired at 9:45am the next day. 23.5 or 24, it felt like 55 hours around 5am. I wasn't doing too well at various times of the night. Tony, as befits his overall fitness, tore it up and kept us going at the tough times of the night.
We started the day at the North Forty, having scouted some of the routes the day before and debating our plan a few times. We eventually figured that our plan would largely be dictated by the number of climbers crowding each area - so we decided to play it by ear and headed to the North Forty.
Climb 1 was Sour Girl 10a, a climb on a detached block right before the stream crossing at the North Forty. Never'd done it before, but it went well. Of course, there were no pre-placed biners on the anchors (as there were on most other climbs), so we had to clean it. Next, we headed to the narrow corridor that starts the North Forty and bounced up Around the Fur .8 to continue our warm-up and then tried Horny Goatweed .11a. It has a reachy crux, talked up a little by Soph and confirmed by climbers in the area, so I was a bit nervous in case it was too hard - I didn't want to expend too much energy battling an 11a. However, it went fine.
The next few hours went well - we climbed Love Slave .12a and Mine, Mine, Mine .12a twice each, Season of the Storm .10a once (stupid route), Big Top .11b and Fat Hand .12a/b, a climb which had given me trouble on a trip long ago. Given that history, you'd think I would biff it (it was our 11th or 12th climb by then) but it went great. Tony provided great beta after flashing it. Effing beast, that O'Connor.
Fast forward to Check-in #1 at 10pm, 12 hours after the start. By that time, Tony had climbed 20 routes and I had climbed 19. This was to cause us a little consternation later on, but so far so good. The difference was Spine Tingler 12a, a beautiful but stiff arete climb that I had struggled on previously and decided not to climb. Tony got up it, but really struggled for the first time. I thought this might be the start of the downhill slope of our energy, and I wasn't far off. I opted for Filthy Sanchez .12a/b, a technical, but much easier arete climb than Spine Tingler. Tony climbed it twice as well.
We trudged through the morning hours - I won't lie, it Sucked with a capital SUCK from 1-3am. Tony had great energy throughout the night though, I probably wouldn't have gotten on some climbs without his help (nor will I forgive him for being so friggin' energetic). The highlight was climbing Comotus 10a, the scariest arete climb I've ever gotten on, and doing it by headlamp. Rad. Tightened my sphincter for sure.
We then hiked back to the North Forty at 3am and climbed 5.9s and .8s until about 6am, when the sky started to lighten again. Man, what a boost! By 5am, I'd resorted to silly antics to keep myself energized, like cracking racial jokes about Koreans (yes, I'm Korean, it's allowed), so the first rays of sunlight were more than welcomed.
We got a boost of energy by 7am, and after reviewing our list (about 30 climbs), we decided to go for 10 more climbs in the last 2.5 hours. That led to some frantic, energetic climbing, but we made it - the last climb a 5.9 that I sort of hurried up at the last minute, but we beat the shotgun blast with time to spare.
Pics to come, I promise.
Here's the complete list (unless otherwise noted, each climb was climbed twice):
Sour Girl - 10a
Horney Goatweed - 11a
Around the Fur - 5.8 (once)
Love Slave - 5.12a
Mine, Mine, Mine - 5.12a
Season of the Storm 10a (once)
1st Normal Form - 5.9
Green Goblin - 5.8
Big Top - 5.11b
Fat Hand - 5.12a/b (once)
The Controversy - 5.9
Lion Tamer - 5.9
Frankenberry - 5.9 (once)
Count Chalkula - 10a
African Herbman - 5.8
Road Hog - 10a (once)
Comotus - 10a
Sybarite - 5.9
Centurion - 10a
Aphrodite - 5.7 (once)
Here's the recap from Team Breakin' Wind Beneath the Sheets (no, we didn't win the 'best team name' award).
Tony and I managed a total of 40 climbs each over the 24 hours of the comp. In actuality, it was probably more like 23.5 hours, as the pre-comp meeting ran a few minutes long and the shotgun ending the comp fired at 9:45am the next day. 23.5 or 24, it felt like 55 hours around 5am. I wasn't doing too well at various times of the night. Tony, as befits his overall fitness, tore it up and kept us going at the tough times of the night.
We started the day at the North Forty, having scouted some of the routes the day before and debating our plan a few times. We eventually figured that our plan would largely be dictated by the number of climbers crowding each area - so we decided to play it by ear and headed to the North Forty.
Climb 1 was Sour Girl 10a, a climb on a detached block right before the stream crossing at the North Forty. Never'd done it before, but it went well. Of course, there were no pre-placed biners on the anchors (as there were on most other climbs), so we had to clean it. Next, we headed to the narrow corridor that starts the North Forty and bounced up Around the Fur .8 to continue our warm-up and then tried Horny Goatweed .11a. It has a reachy crux, talked up a little by Soph and confirmed by climbers in the area, so I was a bit nervous in case it was too hard - I didn't want to expend too much energy battling an 11a. However, it went fine.
The next few hours went well - we climbed Love Slave .12a and Mine, Mine, Mine .12a twice each, Season of the Storm .10a once (stupid route), Big Top .11b and Fat Hand .12a/b, a climb which had given me trouble on a trip long ago. Given that history, you'd think I would biff it (it was our 11th or 12th climb by then) but it went great. Tony provided great beta after flashing it. Effing beast, that O'Connor.
Fast forward to Check-in #1 at 10pm, 12 hours after the start. By that time, Tony had climbed 20 routes and I had climbed 19. This was to cause us a little consternation later on, but so far so good. The difference was Spine Tingler 12a, a beautiful but stiff arete climb that I had struggled on previously and decided not to climb. Tony got up it, but really struggled for the first time. I thought this might be the start of the downhill slope of our energy, and I wasn't far off. I opted for Filthy Sanchez .12a/b, a technical, but much easier arete climb than Spine Tingler. Tony climbed it twice as well.
We trudged through the morning hours - I won't lie, it Sucked with a capital SUCK from 1-3am. Tony had great energy throughout the night though, I probably wouldn't have gotten on some climbs without his help (nor will I forgive him for being so friggin' energetic). The highlight was climbing Comotus 10a, the scariest arete climb I've ever gotten on, and doing it by headlamp. Rad. Tightened my sphincter for sure.
We then hiked back to the North Forty at 3am and climbed 5.9s and .8s until about 6am, when the sky started to lighten again. Man, what a boost! By 5am, I'd resorted to silly antics to keep myself energized, like cracking racial jokes about Koreans (yes, I'm Korean, it's allowed), so the first rays of sunlight were more than welcomed.
We got a boost of energy by 7am, and after reviewing our list (about 30 climbs), we decided to go for 10 more climbs in the last 2.5 hours. That led to some frantic, energetic climbing, but we made it - the last climb a 5.9 that I sort of hurried up at the last minute, but we beat the shotgun blast with time to spare.
Pics to come, I promise.
Here's the complete list (unless otherwise noted, each climb was climbed twice):
Sour Girl - 10a
Horney Goatweed - 11a
Around the Fur - 5.8 (once)
Love Slave - 5.12a
Mine, Mine, Mine - 5.12a
Season of the Storm 10a (once)
1st Normal Form - 5.9
Green Goblin - 5.8
Big Top - 5.11b
Fat Hand - 5.12a/b (once)
The Controversy - 5.9
Lion Tamer - 5.9
Frankenberry - 5.9 (once)
Count Chalkula - 10a
African Herbman - 5.8
Road Hog - 10a (once)
Comotus - 10a
Sybarite - 5.9
Centurion - 10a
Aphrodite - 5.7 (once)
Spine Tingler - 5.12a/b (once T)
Filthy Sanchez - 5.12a/b
Montezuma's Toe - 5.8
September Hero - 10b
Filthy Sanchez - 5.12a/b
Montezuma's Toe - 5.8
September Hero - 10b
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2 comments:
WTF, this sounds sweet! Good job guys!
Yes I was honored to be a little part of, and a witness to this crazy 24 hours. These two are animals. Inspirational it was. Might think of doing this sort of "out of body experience" next year even if they try to talk me out of it! Photos (and drawings!) to come when I make it back from FL. This was one for the ages.
BRAVO
Sophie
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