Jackson Falls - Day Trip, Sept 19, 2008

Thursday, Sept 19 - posted by Saucisson #3

Climbers: Tony, Sophie, Calvin and Catherine

Another fun day at the falls! Today will be a short post.

This time, Team Saucisson arrived with all members, along with Catherine, our resident plastic surgeon. Catherine was a pleasant addition, considering we'd never been able to climb with her outdoors before, and we were happy to have her with us. Yusuf was *supposed* to come... but oh well.

And nevermind Burke. I know it's probably illegal to talk about this on a public blog, but when you're a member of MI-6 in Her Majesty's Service, duty sometimes calls.

We got an early start, and made it to the rock by 9am. Warmed up at the Gallery on Earthbound Misfits 10a and our favorite 10c, Group Therapy. Then it was off to the Starr Wall.

Soph and Catherine decided on a couple other climbs - Birthday route 10a, the 10b to the right of it and the 10c to the left. Soph will have to fill in the names, I don't own a Jackson Falls guidebook. Fun, classic 'bulgy' style Jackson Falls routes.

Tony and I decided on Gobble Juice 12c, around the corner. Gobble Juice and its brother, Working Class, are two of the best 12c's in the Falls. Both are cruxy, long and powerful. Gotta give credit to Chris Schmick for finding this line and bolting it.

Gobble starts on moderate, if sandy terrain; you work your way up from left to right as you climb the first 30 feet. I call this the 5.10 part, with a nice slot for your whole leg to rest in (of course you curse the damn slot when you have to negotiate it first).

Rest. Breathe. Power up. You then climb directly under the corner of a massive, slightly detached flake, make the clip, then work into a horizontal lever locking off both arms. Thank God there're good feet. Struggle up the outside of the flake, make a very strenuous clip, then move to the top of the flake (this thing is probably the size of a small fridge) and try to shake out a little. Bad feet. This part was probably in 12 territory.

A couple of more powerful moves, then you're in a good right handed sloper to make the last clip before the last headwall. No time to rest, step up, stretch up high left to find a blind hold, get your right hand over to the same area, high step left to the edge of the mini-roof and pull hard to a micro-crimp. If you're flexible, you can lock off your right hand and get your right foot up from under the roof. If you're not, you might squeal a little trying to make the move. I squealed. Loudly. Also, if you don't use a long enough draw right under the roof, your squeal is commensurately louder b/c of the effing ropedrag as you contemplate the tree which you will fall into under the roof.

After that, all you have is some technical 11 face climbing. Oh, with a nice little crux and some sidepull slapping at the end to keep you honest. Or to slap you in the face when you're trying to redpoint the thing.

Tony got it down to 2 falls (really 1) on his last go, I had 3 takes, 2 of them trying to remember the beta for the last crux. I'm sure it'll go soon (yeah right). Actually , it's well within the realm of possibility even with my current climbing ability, so I'm excited to go back and try again. I'll admit the damn thing is scary though - Tony and I both commented on how nerve racking it was to try pulling the mini-roof. Something about blind holds, not being able to see your draws anymore, that sort of thing.

Soph's also been working Mary's Cookies (is that right Soph?) 11d - a wicked slab climb that has a few cruxes right away and what looks like easier terrain after 40 feet. I say looks like b/c I never made it up that high. There's a nasty crux right above bolt #2 that Soph's been working on. I tried it (even though slab isn't my thing) and oh yes, it's nasty. I give full props to Soph for working on it. I'm going to pass.

As a final fun route, Tony and I worked on Russia 12a once each. Russia is superfun, super-exciting and super-rad. More about that on a later day. We're both committed to getting that the next time we go to the Falls.

On the way back, we enjoyed great Mexican in Mt. Vernon and had a group-reading session of a facial muscle/nerve/bone book that Catherine is studying. Those pictures are gross. I mean, fascinatingly gross. Pictures of people with their eyelids pushed up, eyeballs removed (cadaver pics), lots of clamps, sutures and descriptions of how to fix this, that and the other. Yuck. :)