Saturday, September 09, 2006
Notes from the climbing trip:
After driving eight hours or so from Austin to El Potrero Chico, we lead and top-roped a pitch before going to dinner. We did the same the next morning on two more pitches and then in the afternoon, two of us did a three pitch climb in the hot sun while some others came bouldering with me in the shade in the mouth of a cave. The next day, we did a two pitch route up a rather skinny spire around 200 feet tall.
A couple things were significant for me:
First, it took me a while to get my head ready for a multi-pitch climb. I hadn't been any higher off the ground than something on top rope for fifteen years. That and the hot sun explains me opting out of the multi-pitch climb that first full day. By the time we did the Spires the next day, my head was better. Both pitches are rated medium 5.10 and I was very happy with how I climbed. I was able to puzzle out the sequence, execute well, and never came close to falling off. I was relaxed as well, especially on the second pitch where the moves were straight forward face moves, in contrast to the first pitch crux which was half in what to me was an awkward dihedral, something I'm not especially good at.
Secondly, in bouldering on that first day, we had a nice group working on some problems, and had a nice time working out sequences and having a go at things. All in all, a very congenial gathering. Again, I feel good about my performance, being reasonably strong with reasonable endurance given my age and lifestyle of the last 15 years.
So, to summarize, the training of the prior month payed off and I was able to have a lot of fun and notch a significant personal victory in managing my fear about that multi-pitch -- even though it was only two.
On a different aspect of the trip, the other climbers there were all friendly as usual. The Mexicans in the area were very nice people and make me want to learn Spanish. The little hotels that cater to the climbers are very pleasant, run by, again, very nice people: Friendly, good sense of humor.
I want to put together a sequence of pictures for in here but I have a fair number to sort through and size down; I'll try to get them assembled soon.
After driving eight hours or so from Austin to El Potrero Chico, we lead and top-roped a pitch before going to dinner. We did the same the next morning on two more pitches and then in the afternoon, two of us did a three pitch climb in the hot sun while some others came bouldering with me in the shade in the mouth of a cave. The next day, we did a two pitch route up a rather skinny spire around 200 feet tall.
A couple things were significant for me:
First, it took me a while to get my head ready for a multi-pitch climb. I hadn't been any higher off the ground than something on top rope for fifteen years. That and the hot sun explains me opting out of the multi-pitch climb that first full day. By the time we did the Spires the next day, my head was better. Both pitches are rated medium 5.10 and I was very happy with how I climbed. I was able to puzzle out the sequence, execute well, and never came close to falling off. I was relaxed as well, especially on the second pitch where the moves were straight forward face moves, in contrast to the first pitch crux which was half in what to me was an awkward dihedral, something I'm not especially good at.
Secondly, in bouldering on that first day, we had a nice group working on some problems, and had a nice time working out sequences and having a go at things. All in all, a very congenial gathering. Again, I feel good about my performance, being reasonably strong with reasonable endurance given my age and lifestyle of the last 15 years.
So, to summarize, the training of the prior month payed off and I was able to have a lot of fun and notch a significant personal victory in managing my fear about that multi-pitch -- even though it was only two.
On a different aspect of the trip, the other climbers there were all friendly as usual. The Mexicans in the area were very nice people and make me want to learn Spanish. The little hotels that cater to the climbers are very pleasant, run by, again, very nice people: Friendly, good sense of humor.
I want to put together a sequence of pictures for in here but I have a fair number to sort through and size down; I'll try to get them assembled soon.
# posted by goldpython @ 6:20 PM 
