Creepy Cowboy (5.7) - Multi pitch Rock Climb

Swapped leads with Nuno on a new route on Whitehorse Ledge in North Conway, NH. Fun 2-pitch, slabalicious route called Creepy Cowboy (5.7).

September Weekend Climbing

Farley Ledge
Met up with Iskuhi, Danica, and Jen at Farley Ledge. A bit crowded (a group of 13 at one area!) and managed to get in a lead and some climbs. Also met a bunch of really nice climbers (and dogs) as well. Super fun day! 

Thin Air, Cathedral Ledge
Jackie and I met up in the Cathedral Ledge parking lot. At the base of Thin Air. Jackie lead the first pitch and brought me up. I hemmed and hawed and finally decided to lead the second pitch. Everything was going great until I reached a really sketchy section and realized I didn't have the cam I needed. I knew right off the bat..." that crack was a #2 because that's my hand jam size." The feet at this particular section was sketchy, but I had to make sure. So I tried a #0.75 and #1, but both were too small. And the #3 and it was too big. I came back down to the little ledge and looked back at Jackie at the belay. I had both number 2's already placed. And why the hell did I place that #1 so closely to the second #2.......WTF Lovena? With no #2 to place, I had two choices. Climb through the section that sketched me out or bail. I bailed and back climbed to Jackie at the belay and she finished up leading the traverse. We rapped after the second pitch. Back down on the ground, I had a really good cry to get it out of my system. I don't know why, but I was really off today and crying was out of frustration and to vent. It felt good - time to move on! 

Beginner's Easy Variation - Multi Pitch Rock Climbing

Belaying Nuno up P2 

Congratulations Nancy! It was Nancy's first time on a multi pitch rock climb, and it was a lot of fun to be included on her special day! It was also gratifying to help her experience her first multi pitch rock climb. We climbed Beginner's Easy Variation on Whitehorse Ledge. After we got to the P2 belay at the tree, it started to snow light flurries - and then it just colder! In the middle of P2 I ran into a bit of trouble. 15 feet above my last piece of protection the rope wouldn't budge - it was stuck and I couldn't climb any further. Nuno had slack on his end and said it looked like the ropes were stuck around the corner. I had no choice but to downclimb to my last piece of protection. Then Nuno lowered me to the corner where I removed the pro, unstuck the ropes and flipped them onto the top of the corner. It was fine from then on. But it just kept colder so we bailed after completing P3. We used my 70m double ropes and rapped down in 2. Thanks Nuno for the lead belays and for including me. We'll be back to finish up the route when the temps are warmer.

Belaying Nancy up P1

Belaying Nancy up P2

Nuno at the tree belay

Nancy making her way up P3

Nancy rappelling 

Square & Whitehorse Ledges – Rock Climbing

Square Ledge

Beautiful day for climbing! Geoff and I headed out to Square Ledge, Pinkham Notch’s local crag. You can see this cliff from the AMC Pinkham parking lot. Access is easy from the AMC Pinkham Visitor Center – just park and cross the street (Route 16) to the Lost Pond trailhead. Cross over the wooden bridge, then turn left onto the Square Ledge Trail. Lots of tourists also headed to the top of the ledge to photograph the Ravines, Washington, Adams and Madison.  Afterwards we headed to Whitehorse Ledge where I got to lead the 2^nd pitch of Sea Of Holes. Thanks for a great climbing day Geoff! Enjoy some photos taken of our day!

Hangover Rock

The face of Square Ledge

Thanks for the belay!

Gorgeous views of Pinkham Notch from 

the top of Square Ledge

Checking out Thriller Arete

At Whitehorse Ledge I got to lead the second pitch of Sea Of Holes. I gotta get used to climbing slab with all the gear hanging off me. Didn't even need it all considering I clipped into a piton and then I placed a .50 cam and then a #1 micro cam to the anchors.

At the anchor of P2 Sea Of Holes 

(I actually couldn't find the anchor at first. Started up to the tree on the

left as it had a sling and biner around it. Then I traversed back to the right

and after figuring out where to put my 3rd piece of pro, I spotted the anchors.)

Looking over to Cathedral Ledge

Thin Air - Multi Pitch Rock Climb

Thin Air (5.6)

360 feet, 5 Pitches

Cathedral Ledge

North Conway, NH

We did this route in 3 instead of 5 pitches. My leader Geoff combined P1 & P2. And P4 & P5. The traverse section is my fave section of this route. On our last pitch, the area between the two flakes were really reachy for me, and on my first attempt I slipped. But I found the very top section of the flake on the right to be a bomber hold. It was plenty enough so that I could get my feet up and onto the bulgy flake on the left. I would def do this route again! Enjoy some photos I took  while on the route.

At the base of Thin Air

Anchor at a small ledge

Getting set to do the fun traverse!!!!!!

Geoff at our 2nd belay station

At our 2nd belay station

Geoff pointing out the Cranmore Ski slopes

At our 2nd belay station

Pat on "The Missing Link"

Our 2nd pitch

Gorgeous view!

Ledge

Looking down from our 3rd belay station

Geoff and I end along the same route so we 

followed Pat and his partner to finish up on our last pitch.

The Gunks – Multi pitch rock climb

Belly Roll (5.4)

120 ft, 2 pitches

Jackie and Friends

Betty (5.3)

150 ft, 2 pitches

Jackie and Friends

Twin Oaks (5.3)

190 ft, 2 pitches

The Guides Wall

This weekend was a meetup event with the Mountaineering, Climbing & Backpacking of New England Meetup group! The newly opened Shawangunks Gateway Campground opened for business just weeks before and everything was shiny and new! We pulled into camp Friday night and expected to climb both Saturday and Sunday. But Sunday was a washout so we packed up and headed out in the morning. As for climbing at the Gunks, Saturday was a fun day climbing with Geoff. A sunny, warm day with windy finishes at the tops.

Geoff and I started off with Belly Roll and that “squeeze” through the large crack was, I felt, pretty awkward as well as comical. I slipped and fell on my bad knee on the first pitch of Betty. It was a pretty hard fall on my knee, I wanted to cry but forced myself not to. I had to figure out how to get up that slick section without hurting my knee again, and eventually I did. I loved the second pitch. There was a family of 4 on this climb ahead of us. They went straight up from the belay station. Geoff chose the right side and I’m glad he did. That chimney, to the deck, to the traverse up to the face climb was so fun! Unfortunately, my knee was hurting bad at the end of Betty. So Geoff and I finished the day off on just the first pitch of Twin Oaks (~50 ft).

Enjoy some photos taken of our day at The Gunks. 

Looking up the 1st pitch of Belly Roll

Brian on Dennis route and me on Belly Roll

At the belay station of Belly Roll

Brian and Gabe on the belay station of Dennis

 Geoff at the belay station of Belly Roll

From the top of Belly Roll

Some guy (Peter) solo climbing Betty

(Geoff is already at the belay station)

Coming up P1 of Betty

Gary and Scott at the belay station of RMC

Gary and I at the belay station

Geoff at the belay station of Betty

That fun chimney to start off P2 of Betty

P1 of Twin Oaks

Rappelling

At the Shawangunks Gateway Campground

Footpath along our tent sites

Community Campfire

Main Office

Water isn't free