Team JD’s Climb of Rock On and the Events that Came After
I woke up earlier than I needed to and decided that I would start drinking JD at 5:00 AM I bid Paco and his partner a good climb and expect ed to not see them till we hit the brew pub. After originally planning on climbing with someone else, Paco drove up to the ‘buck’s parking lot and said his partner forgot their shoes. This was the start of team JD. Team JD then decided to climb rock on and climbed that without much fuss. When we got to the top, the sun still had not hit the rock and we were trying to think of something else to do. Another couple topping out on memorial crack, said they were doing ultimate everything. Having heard of this climb, we said “what the hell lets just fucking climb it.” So, without a topo, Team JD makes its way up to the base of the climb and start climbing. After the first 5.9 pitch, Team JD simulclimb the rest of the easy climbing with 5.8-5.9 moves tossed in for spice and are really hauling. They pass 8 people in about 3-4 pitches while simulclimbing. Then, Team JD get to the next pitch which looks harder, so they decide to belay. Team JD get up onto the pedestal and what do they see? A pretty stiff fucking 5.9! So, there is some dood flailing on this like crazy and he has 5 pieces within 2-3 feet and is sketched, swearing up a storm. Despite the encouragement of his ropemates, he lowers and they let Team JD climb through. Still sweating form simulclimbing, I tie in and start up the climb and learn that it is not Ultimate Everything, but Squamish Buttress. I am tired as hell as I had only had a pop-tart for the whole climb (cause we were just doing rock on and the simulclimbing), but decide to give it a shot any way. I get to just below the big fixed pin and peel and know that I am too tired to hop back on and let Paco take a stab at it. Paco gets a little higher than me and peels after clipping the fixed pin, but hops back on and gets up that climb. I second and we see the hombre down below who professed to be a “solid 10c climber” taking on every piece which he placed every 2 feet. After having a laugh about that, I lead up the last little catwalk section with one airy move and Team JD is done for the day (until we hit the brew pub that is). We start hiking down and I start a slow murder of my feet by wearing flip-flops down the backside of the chief (we didn’t think we were going above the top of rock on). On the way down, We met some interesting people. Three girls were right in front of us and one turns around to me “you have a whole lotta carabiners.” Under my breath I say you should see alla my nuts. On the way down, we hit the stream do soak our heads in and got down around 2:00 or so. We realize that Paco’s partner has all our shit so we hitch a ride back to the bluffs hoping to find her and then walk back into town and eventually to the brew pub. Problem!!! Our wallets are in the car! So, we wait until 6:30 for Paco’s partner to show up while we were laying in the middle of the sidewalk and thinking of ways to scam free beer. When the partner comes, we commence drinking. I start with a lil JD to get started in the car then we go inside to get some beer, out to the car for JD/beer/JD and so on till closing time. Then we went to our campspot until someone got sick and called it a night. Not a bad day all in all.
