Sherri Posted November 26, 2007 Posted November 26, 2007 The 5.7 variation, up the chimney on the right, of this route at Children's Crag gave me a spanking. It's not that I don't know HOW to chimney; I could not figure out how the hell you're supposed to get INTO that chimney! The picture makes it look like there's a big ledge from which to launch, but the ledge is at least two moves below the actual chimney. When you get to it, from an awkward stance to its left, there are no positive holds on the face or in the crack which you could use to pull into it. I tried a couple lieback moves on it's edge, then decided that was a bad idea(I was on lead) and so reversed the moves and downclimbed to finish further right on the 5.5 variation. I'd like to take another stab at this one next time I'm down there, but I'm still stumped about it. Anyone else done this move lately? I'd like to know what I was missing. Quote
billcoe Posted November 26, 2007 Posted November 26, 2007 The 5.7 variation, up the chimney on the right, of this route at Children's Crag gave me a spanking. Well thats a pleasant visual:-) Great Red Rocks pic too! I didn't do that one, but have a good story about Tunnel Vision last week I'll lay down later. Quote
lancegranite Posted November 26, 2007 Posted November 26, 2007 Peaches is really close to that NA rock art, thought it was closed because of that reason?... Oh yeah, the left line is the unrepeated 5.12+ variation. Best not to worry about it, move on to another of the other 2499 climbs at RR. Quote
Sherri Posted November 26, 2007 Author Posted November 26, 2007 (edited) Peaches is really close to that NA rock art, thought it was closed because of that reason?... Oh yeah, the left line is the unrepeated 5.12+ variation. Best not to worry about it, move on to another of the other 2499 climbs at RR. So I can blame my struggles on bad karma because I was climbing all over sacred art and stuff? Though I could use the "out," Peaches is not near the off-limits area of Children's Crag--that section is clearly marked with graffiti-covered informative plaques, broken fences, trampled brush, and tourist garbage. Also, you can't miss the bolt hanger which is a few feet above one of the rock drawings. Apparently, the natives were sport climbers, too. Thanks, anyway. The pic is linked from another site. Hey Bill, did you have some bad ju-ju's over at Tunnel Vision? From the beta I read, that area is like off-width hell. Haven't been to that one yet, but I'm looking forward to my punishment.... Edited November 26, 2007 by Sherri Quote
billcoe Posted November 26, 2007 Posted November 26, 2007 Hey Bill, did you have some bad ju-ju's over at Tunnel Vision? From the beta I read, that area is like off-width hell. Haven't been to that one yet, but I'm looking forward to my punishment.... Hi Sherri: No that Tunnel Vision route is awesome, and not difficult at all, you'll like it. BUT, my bad ju-ju story is a fleshing out of that. Like many long routes that have multiple pitches, with a 60 meter rope you can miss the belaying points or "official" belay points anyway and wind up somewhere else. So Ujahn gets up there in the middle of the line, not a real good spot for him to be hanging out, but the pro is good and he gets 3 pieces in and equalized and brings me up. My lead next, I get up 40-50 feet of great climbing to the (what must be the obvious belay) ledge that starts the tunnel. I call down to Ujahn, "Hey dude: I think your pitch ends here, on this ledge. " I climb up off the ledge into the tunnel (not having a topo makes you come to grips which your eye-brain connection, something I often like to do, and that was the case here - no topo). It looks to me like the real route wusses out left soon from the tunnel, but that if you climb straight up, you'll get lots more, maybe 60-90 feet of relatively hard and good tunnel chimney climbing. So I eyeball it and think maybe I'll head up into the wild blue yonder instead of following the obvious line which has chalk on it that heads out left. There is no chalk or indication that any human has been here before and gone straight up like I'm doing, the pro is minimal or non-existent and also as I'm older now, my eyes aren't seeing particularly well either in the darkened tunnel. I can see that there is a spot the tunnel closes and touches @ 5 feet above me and left, and I decide I can make that and runner it for a piece of pro, and it may be good enough. Then I can crank the spot and try for the top and maybe get something else higher up. At this point, I have a single piece in: but may be looking at hitting the ledge after bouncing around in the chimney, not a pleasant prospect, so I do not want to boff it. I'm feeling a bit sketch too as the rock gets smooth and slippery as well, and my shoes are greasing around, and I'm mentally musing if belaying off the ledge wouldn't be better for Ujahn as he's most likely uncomfortable down there hanging on the belay. I'm also wondering what the effects on a fall would be if he belays me from there and I head straight up again instead of where he's currently belaying at.... Ruminating on all of this, I made the mistake and violated the cardinal rule of climbing: I pause and said (out loud) to Ujahn: "Hey, should I belay from the ledge or head up". I cannot see him, nor hear well as I'm in the tunnel, he's down and out of sight. The stupidity and enormity of my error comes to me soon as I make the first moves up after choosing to just go for it straight up into the wild unknown then: OFF BELAY wafts up from below..... "HOLY FU*K DUDE - HEY, WHAT THE FU*K ARE YOU DOING, PUT ME ON, CLIMBING.... CLIMBING..... PUT ME ON BELAY" I scream down. "Dohhh, sorry dude, ON Belay" I soon hear from below. Tail firmly between my legs, I quietly and quickly downclimbed and followed the obvious and easy path towards the light coming into the tunnel from climbers left where I should have gone to begin with. Ujahns was pretty embarrassed as he gets to to my anchor (which was on the correct line of the route), after sharing with him how insecure the position I was in as he yelled up "Off Belay", (trying to rationalize my earlier screams of terror) I'm letting him know: "Hey, no worries - this ones on me bra"... Sh*t, you think I'd know better too.....35 years climbing and just boff it like that on an easy route....DOHHH! Quote
high_on_rock Posted November 26, 2007 Posted November 26, 2007 Nice story Bill. I love the tunnel vision climb, except for one small area. There is a friction area about the top of the second pitch or mid third pitch, depending on how you link them up. Short friction area that I have not been able to protect well. Last time up I was on follow and found myself mid air off the friction, without any warning that I was going to fall. I imagined how that fall would have been had I been on lead, and pictured myself bouncing around a bunch. The climb has held my Zen hostage since. Eric Quote
billcoe Posted November 26, 2007 Posted November 26, 2007 Yeah thats right High: I almost forgot, Ujahn led that section, and I thought he ran it out further than normal: needlessly I was thinking, but it was his lead and thinking it was easy. Might have to change my recommendation Sherri! We'd already climbed Dream of Wild Turkeys and Epinphrine at a few other harder routes at this point of the trip, so this seemed easy, but if you're pushing 5.7-5.8, or are kicking ass anyway but just have a moment of inattention: might be dicy or ugly. Quote
Sherri Posted November 26, 2007 Author Posted November 26, 2007 (edited) Great story, Bill! Excellent reminder about communication. I've caught myself "thinking out loud" a couple times on lead, and thankfully my belayer didn't hear enough of any of it to assume I was shouting a signal. Thanks for the info about Tunnel Vision, too. Not that it doesn't sounds like good times and all, but I think I'll hold off a bit before tackling that one. Hey Eric! Are we going to see you at the RRR this year? I hope! Edited November 26, 2007 by Sherri Quote
G-spotter Posted November 26, 2007 Posted November 26, 2007 Tunnel Vis, Stilgar's, Healy's Haunted House and Group Therapy are great wide climbing. Bring a #3 Big Bro for the latter 3 and you'll be laughing. Quote
high_on_rock Posted November 26, 2007 Posted November 26, 2007 Well Sherri-doll, Red Rocks is my favorite place in the world, and the Mgear event is a beautiful thing... Regretfully, I have sold my soul to the 9-5 working world for one year and cannot make it. I get two weeks vacation this year, and have two babies to spend them with over the summer. Know that it will be killing me to hear the RR stories as I set here doing jail visits and spending afternoons in windowless court rooms. love to you! e Quote
spotly Posted November 26, 2007 Posted November 26, 2007 Great story Bill. I've caught myself mumbling too loud a few times too. Quote
mythosgrl Posted November 26, 2007 Posted November 26, 2007 Saw that climb and I thought the top looked harder than 5.7. Didn't attempt it though, because it started snowing on us (it was March). Quote
Jason_Martin Posted November 26, 2007 Posted November 26, 2007 (edited) Peaches is really close to that NA rock art, thought it was closed because of that reason?... Oh yeah, the left line is the unrepeated 5.12+ variation. Best not to worry about it, move on to another of the other 2499 climbs at RR. The 5.12 variation is way left. It cuts up left of the widening crack that can be seen in Sherri's picture. When you rappel the route you can see the chains above the 12. That widening crack is 5.9 and the chimney is 5.7. Most people don't climb the chimney. The route is listed as 5.5 and so most people go the way that is 5.5 which traverses below the chimney. Peaches is currently open to climbing. But it may be "threatened". The rock art is close enough that when it gets damaged by people who like to damage rock art (i.e. dumb-asses with nothing better to do), it somehow comes back to haunt climbers. There are a number of routes to the right of Peaches which are closed... Re: Tunnel Vision If you go straight up from the Tunnel Pitch, you're on Stilgar's Wild Ride (5.8). It's a pretty good route! There is a new route on the Angel Food Wall -- which is in the new book and on Mountainproject.com -- called Purblind Pillar. It is by far the best route on the wall. And I would highly recommend it to everybody here! Jason Edited November 26, 2007 by Jason_Martin Quote
billcoe Posted November 26, 2007 Posted November 26, 2007 Cool stuff Jason, thanks for the heads up! Quote
Sherri Posted November 26, 2007 Author Posted November 26, 2007 (edited) The 5.12 variation is way left. It cuts up left of the widening crack that can be seen in Sherri's picture. When you rappel the route you can see the chains above the 12. That widening crack is 5.9 and the chimney is 5.7. Most people don't climb the chimney. The route is listed as 5.5 and so most people go the way that is 5.5 which traverses below the chimney. Jason Thanks Jason. Interesting and helpful. The new guidebook made it sound like the 5.7 line was the primary route and the 5.5 was the variation. But having done it now, I concur with your take on it. I remember when I peered into the opening of the chimney, part of my trepidation stemmed from the "virgin" look of the rock in there: dirt, spiderwebs, no trace of recent traffic in the way of chalkmarks, etc. Although I wanted to send it, I couldn't see my way into it and with the prospect of an ugly pendulum fall heavy on my mind, the bad vibes got the better of me. I hate backing off a climb, especially if my inability to send it was due to simple oversight of an obvious hold or move. That's why I was sniffing around for beta on this one. Didn't want IT to have the last say. Edited November 27, 2007 by Sherri Quote
Sherri Posted November 26, 2007 Author Posted November 26, 2007 Well Sherri-doll, Red Rocks is my favorite place in the world, and the Mgear event is a beautiful thing... Regretfully, I have sold my soul to the 9-5 working world for one year and cannot make it. I get two weeks vacation this year, and have two babies to spend them with over the summer. Know that it will be killing me to hear the RR stories as I set here doing jail visits and spending afternoons in windowless court rooms. love to you! e I won't be the same without you. love to you too, Sweetcakes! :kisss: Quote
Blake Posted December 3, 2007 Posted December 3, 2007 Wasn't there a cool overhsnging boulder problem start at the base of that thing? Quote
Sherri Posted December 3, 2007 Author Posted December 3, 2007 Not that I recall, but it seemed like the arete to the left of the start would have fit that description. Did you have a go at that? Quote
pink Posted December 3, 2007 Posted December 3, 2007 (edited) 19McuaPKjI8 Edited December 3, 2007 by pink Quote
Jason_Martin Posted December 3, 2007 Posted December 3, 2007 Wasn't there a cool overhsnging boulder problem start at the base of that thing? There's a steep roof with a crack splitting it just a few feet to the right that looks a lot harder than it is. The roof goes at 5.8. Jason Quote
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