Jackson Falls, Promised Land Aug 15, 2009

Climbers - Tony, Calvin
Weather - Sultry

In other news, as promised, Craig is back from Yosemite and will be posting soon. I've set him up with an account. Meanwhile, here's a TR from our last trip:

Sorry for the late post, but here's a quick update. Tony and I got up early to head down to the Falls on Saturday. We knew it was going to be hot and it was. After warming up at the Gallery (Group and Psychotherapy, .10c & b), it was off to the Promised Land.

I'd thought to maybe get back on Balance of Power, but it was pretty smarmy so Tony and I got on Team Honda .12a. TH is a great climb that begins on mostly vertical terrain for about 3 clips, then gets busy for the final 3. You move through good pockets/crimps and slopers with some high-stepping to start, then at bolt 2 use a left undercling, hike your feet high to fully extend to a good sloper. More dynamic movement to the next bolt finds your right hand on a good diagonal rail, a slightly awkward clip, then a left handed pinch. You hike your feet high again, and fully extend again to another sloper. This one is a bit more intimidating because you can't see the sloper and it's at least 5 feet away, but the move isn't as hard as you think it's going to be. Another sloper and you're recovering somewhat.

From here, it's game on. After a few shakeouts, you notice the rock begins to incline as you move up some moderate terrain to your final finger rail. This clip is also fairly easy. You shake again, knowing the first hard move is coming: right leg extended far right, right hand up to a decent crimp, left foot up and stab hard to a left handed crimp. Again, decent holds, but you're getting pumped; continue reaching up right to a vertical rail, move feet and reach hard to a left-hand sloper. One more lock-off/hard stab to a right handed sloper/pinch and your left hand has a complimentary sloper. I was really pumped here - and I knew I was a good 10+ feet above the last draw. Perfectly safe, but a bit airy.

From here, a final big move to a right handed jug, then you're at a roof traverse moving left, moving horizontally on massive iron flakes. If you can make it here, you can heelhook your way to the chains. Great climb. I put up the draws, cleaned it and shared beta; Tony then flashed it and looked quite comfy doing it. My redpoint attempt, I fell on the last big move at the traverse; I literally slipped off the bad part of the jug. Frustrating. I sent next try feeling worse, but realized I'd just hit the bad part of the rail and probably would have sent the prior try but for a stupid mistake.

Tony put the draws up on Hubba, Hubba .12a/b - a climb by some bolted projects to the right of Remove LaRopa. BTW, the climbs at the PL feel tough. TH felt .12b hard, and HH felt a good .12c. Pumpy bugger, and it's deceptively overhung. You aid start the first bolt (which goes at .13a if you can do the move), then climb three bolts before trending right. Climbing straight up is Ooh La La, another .12a/b. HH is characterized by slopey and crimpy power climbing, with a nice hard crux at bolt 3 traversing right, then another crux right at bolt 4, with another redpoint crux at bolt 5. There are two cruelly slopey finger holds right below clip 6; you have to remember to move one more move to a jug or have more endurance than I did to make the clip.

Tony refined his beta hanging the draws and almost made it past clip 5 on his redpoint burn. Right at the crux past clip 4, a telling but familiar grunt emerged. Immediately following came a less familiar grunt cum scream... with a breathless, "Please don't let me fall." I immediately reassured Tony that I had his belay, but later he told me he was saying that to himself. :) I gave it a burn, cursed my lack of endurance (TH beat me up) and Tony gave it another try but fell at around the same spot.

HH is a great climb and will probably fall soon, but it's definitely hard. Slopey, and moves diagonally right, which makes the movement atypical, difficult yet fun. Sorry I don't have pics, but you can't take any pics when you're either climbing or belaying.