Dec 11-14: King's Bluff, TN

The big road trip won't begin until after the holidays, but I was able to get out for a short and jam-packed trip this past week to King's Bluff in Tennessee to climb with R, a woman M and I met this summer at climbing camp in Arkansas. The weather was perfect for climbing, highs in the 40's and 50's with the rock facing the sun, so we took full advantage. The Bluff is about 30 minutes from R's house; I have to drive more than that just to get to a gym here in Chicago! Of course, to get to King's Bluff, I first had to drive the 470 miles from my house to R's, but I had nothing else to do on Monday, so why not.

I hadn't climbed outside since the climbing camp at Horseshoe Canyon Ranch in July, but was eager to get back on the sharp end and lead. We started with Anchors Away (5.7), which I led with a couple of takes, then successfully top-roped. Not a bad way to get back in the saddle! Next, I led two 5.4's cleanly, and one of them I didn't even need to stick clip the first bolt. Try not to be too impressed. I led another 5.7 with a take or two to end the day. The fun continued with a holiday party with R's tennis friends; good times, great people and fabulous food.

More pix

After a good night's sleep, we were back at the bluff for an afternoon of climbing. R's friend and fellow tennis player J joined us. I led three more routes, two of them cleanly, and top-roped a fourth. As the sun set, we drove to Climb Nashville for R's lesson and more climbing. It was fun to get on some harder stuff and just climb. Afterward, we went to a birthday party for another one of R's friends (mmm, chocolate cake), which was followed by a bonfire in the birthday girl's back yard. 

We eventually crawled out of bed, fueled up with a good breakfast and headed back to the bluff for more climbing on Thursday afternoon. We kicked it up a notch and started with a 5.7 (Beginner's Luck) which I led cleanly. It was my last clean lead of the day, as I had to work the 8's that followed, but got to the top. The climbing continued that evening back at Climb Nashville. Was bummed I wasn't able to do the 11c/d I had started the night before cleanly, falling at the same place twice, but given how much I had been climbing, I wasn't too displeased.

We continued our trend of starting each day later and later, but we still managed to get up early enough to make another afternoon trip to the bluff with R's friend M. It was a high gravity day for me, but it was still fun. Well, except maybe for Jurassic Raccoon; none of us found that enjoyable. R worked her 5.9 lead project Wired for Sound and got to the top. Yay! 

There were no parties or gym climbing on Friday night. We headed back to R's, ate dinner and hung out in the living room reading.

Food Find - Herr's Horseradish and Cheddar potato chips. Lots of horseradish. Not for wimps.

The Climbs

Dec 11

Anchors Away 5.7 b lead proj, tr
Sporting Doylies 5.4 osl
Learning to Crawl 5.4 osl
Unnamed 5.7 lead proj

Dec 12

Seismic Activity 5.5 osl
Demolition Zone 5.5 top
Captain Hook 5.7 osl
Blanket Party 5.8 lead proj

Dec 13

Beginners Luck 5.7 osl
Community Effort 5.8 lead proj
Mr Green Jeans 5.8 lead proj, tr1f

Dec 14

Little Fox 5.5 proj
Jurassic Racoon 5.7 proj
Wired for Sound 5.9 proj

Beta Test: New Tent

Picked up tent more suitable for cold-weather camping from REI. Decided to do a test setup last night and it did not go well. After much struggle, I was finally able to get the tent fully assembled. It was very, very hard to get one of the tent poles in the last grommet and I strained my left thumb and wrist a bit doing it. Disassembly wasn't much easier. It's a very nice tent and it looks like it would keep out the rain, snow and blowing sand, but if it takes that much effort to put up and take down, it's not going on the trip. I'm going to see if it's just a particularly tight one or if there is some trick I am missing, but if that's the way it is, it's going back. More later.

15 Nov 2012 Update: The good folks at REI suggested getting the tent wet, then setting it up. The fabric is stretchier when it's wet (hence the two grommets for the tent poles), so it's easier to put together, then it can stretch while drying. Fortunately, the condo basement has plenty of space and a handy utility sink. It was indeed much easier to set up the tent wet, and now that it's been up for some time, seems to be much easier to assemble dry. Yay!

This is Just a Test

Six weeks to go until I head out in the car for many month of travel, climbing, visiting friends and, as Tim Riggins would say, making memories.

Climbing Destinations
The Obed
Stone Fort
Rocktown
HP40
HCR
Hueco Tanks
J-Tree
Bishop
Red Rocks
And many more! (This is, after all, just a test post to work on layout and design. The real posts won't happen until the road trip begins.)

Non-Climbing Plans
Visit friend in Scotland
Visit friends throughout the US
Maybe run a marathon with another friend, in Paris!
Eat at many Waffle Houses