At 7:30am, Jen swung by and I hopped in her white VW (Golf?). Like Speedracer, she maneuvered her little German car expertly on the highway. In 40 minutes we were at Chautauqua parking lot staring at the Flatirons. What was the climbing going to be like? Would we be successful?
The Victors of White Punks on Dope (5.9)
On Thursday night, we left Inyokern around 8pm. The drive to the Needles wasn’t bad, we listened to music on my shuffle and Walter was wide awake giving me directions. We got to the pullout at 10pm and quickly got to sorting gear for the next day. With the packs all set for the next morning, I ate a snack, braided my hair, and got my outfit all set for the early morning wake-up at 4:40am.
I was super excited about the climb the next day, so I read a little to calm my nerves. (more…)
On Sunday, I picked Walter up at 6:15am. It was already hot (85!) in Ridgecrest by then, so I was happy to be going into the mountains. Walter drove us up to the last hairpin turn approaching Whitney Portals while I tried to catch up on some sleep. (more…)
Last Wednesday night, I made a grand defensive play on the Ultimate field resulting in a very bruised and battered index finger. Since it is my right index finger, I decided to forgoe the “Premier Buttress” route Walter and I had planned to do over by Mt. Whitney. It would be very painfull for me to place gear with my finger in it’s current state. SO, we headed up to The Needles-a popular summer destination for climbers everywhere. Thanks to Walter we have pics from the hike as I didn’t have a camera! (more…)
Last year, when I did Triplett with Walter, I didn’t imagine myself ever heading back to Owens Ridge. The trek to the wall is drudgery, taking nearly an hour (unless you’re a stealthy hiker). By the time I get to the wall, my legs are tired and I’m out of breath and I’m hot and I’m miserable. What can I say, I’m a typical lazy climber. Ideally, I’d drive up to the base of the wall, start the climb from the hood of the car and be on my way! (more…)