Dcramer is right. I was just using City Park as a warm up to Bobcat Cringe which is a warm up for Bobcat Reality. Someday I'll venture away from the lower wall....
I really do wish I could spend the rest of the summer there but the tickets to Pakistan are purchased. Index might not have the best long routes but it sure can't be beat for super-high quality cragging. I am in Yosemite right now just dreaming of Index. I can't wait till I am home next fall.
As far as the rating goes for City Park I think 13c is fair for me. It sure wasn’t any harder than that. For somebody that wasn’t a midget though I could see it getting really close to the 5.14 range. I guess we’ll just wait and see if it ever gets a non yo-yoed, non amputee, non midget ascent…I would put money on Beth to onsight it and pay to watch.
The route did take me a little while to do. I probably stuck my fingers in it for the first time 8 years ago. I never really thought I was going to be able to do it until a little over a year ago. It was the end of January and I hadn’t climbed in a few months but I decided to give it a toprope burn. I amazingly got it with only one brief hang due to some wetness. I then tried to lead it the next day but that was total joke. I took one pretty big whipper and that was enough. I finally got serious about doing it this spring. I had the time and the weather seemed to be cooperating. Once again I hadn’t climbed in few months so it took a couple of weeks to get in shape. I toproped it sport style hanging on each move figuring out the best sequence. I had to due a bunch of ticking on the route which totally sucks because I am always the one bitching about ticks. I did figure they would all just wash away though. I probably worked on it for a total of 6 sessions before giving it lead attempt. I almost sent on my first attempt during a light rain storm. I was so ampted up that I just had to go for it. One small slip kept me from sending that day. After a few days rest the swelling in my fingers had resided enough to try again. I figured I wouldn’t get another chance this spring due to already being a week late for my job in Yosemite. Anxiety got the better of me on first attempt of the day but a double shot espresso and a corn dog cured that up. I just wanted to send so I could stop worrying about it and drink beer. The send was somewhat anti-climatic for me. I expected more of a fight but it didn’t happen. Oh well. A couple guys at the anchors did get a good show though.
As far as pictures go I have totally whored myself out and sold my body and soul to climbing so the pictures I have probably wont be posted here.
Thanks to all of the folks who gave me incredible encouragement while working on it. It really helped.
Though, if it wasn’t for the radiating beauty and energy emanating from index I never would have had a shot. For a brief second I thought I was directly communicating with the rock, it was so magical, most will never understand. Oh wait that was just the
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