Crack Climbing at Mt. Woodson

Long took a picture of me climbing!

View from the Top

Me and 5 friends went out to an all day mount woodson trip on Sunday. Our plan was to bite the bullet and summit mount woodson to hit The Crucible (5.10c) early on in the day and plan other climbs on the way back. We had no idea that we'd be climbing cracks all day, and my hands are paying for it now.

I took a lot more pictures that normal!

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Cell phone towers on top of mount woodson.

The Crucible (5.10c)

The Crucible is a pretty good problem. My only gripe was that the crucible is extremely close to the potato chip. The potato chip is like disney land. There were crowds gawking and laughing, playing music, standing in line even. While I don't tend to be one of those despicable people that look down on crowds, I felt like this portion of our outing lacked the gravitas of serenity that normally over shadows our climbing.

Look how many people there are at the potato chip!!!!

Long, Scott, Nick, and Jason setting up our sport climb

Long did really well. He got all the way to the top after a lot of huffing and puffing.

Long on the Crucible. Our friend Scott is belaying him.

I really tried hard on this one. Being the photographer means that you usually don't get many photos of yourself. It would have been nice to have one of me doing this one, because I left a ton of skin and blood on the rock. It took me about half an hour and probably worked harder than I should have. I made it about 80 percent of the way, right up to the crux of the climb. I was hyperventilating and found it really difficult just to stay in one position, let alone advance. It got to the point where I couldn't even keep my fists closed in the holds. I would step up but my feet kept slipping. Potato chip visitors started crowding around, cheering me on, making me feel rather pressured to succeed. I begged for my belayer to lower me, and for the first few pleads, he refused. I was on the verge of tears by the time he actually had mercy. I suppose this one of those unfortunate things about top rope. I was completely at the mercy of my belayer. My belayer just happened to think in that moment that I could keep going. I have to hand it to him, he was right the first time. Everyone was impressed that I got so far on my first attempt at this problem. I am disappointed that I didn't have the fuel to go the last two moves.

Update! Long took a picture of me climbing! what an amazing fellow that one is.

Me two moves away from making it!!!!!!

Anyway, that took 4 hours.

One good crack deserves another so we sauntered over to Elsies Crack (5.7) and its associated face climb (5.10a) which I think I'll dub Elsies Face.

Heading over to set up the anchor.

It was breath taking up there. I helped set up the anchor.

Scott and I setting up the Anchor.

The anchor I helped Set.

I can't wait to get out my new approach shoes because I was terrified setting up that anchor so close to the ledge in my old asics running shoes. At least everyone else was wearing sweet hiking shoes with gore-tex. I doubt I'll regret that purchase at all.

The cool kids on Elsies Crack (5.7) and Elsies Face (5.10a)

Elsies crack (5.7) was a breeze. I walked up in 3 moves. I had to clean up after the elsies crack lead climb because we almost lost a cam. I was so dead after the crucible at this point that I was really complaining by the time I got to the first cam.

I was so tired I couldn't even finish that 5.10a on elsies face. I am realizing today just how tired I was then as I sit aching now. It was a really emotional crush because I was thinking that I was doing so well, climbing 5.10's outdoors like a boss. I think I am going to work on my pushups and pull ups so I can back to that place.

I started feeling pretty bad and acted tired and stuff, prompting that we go home. We saw the super accessible hamburgers crack on the way back and threw down the crash pad to try it. Again, I was noodle arms so I couldn't top out on it. Long always looks cool doing these things so his picture is here.

Long on Hamburger crack

Then we went to Silk Banana like Long Always likes to do. As someone who has healing shoulder cartiledge, that sounded absolutely not fun. We got some cool pictures, and Scott got a new personal best.

Jason on Silk Banana.

Poor long got an awful hand injury though. I've never seen a mudflap come off and bleed like that before. Okay, by awful I mean that it is going to inhibit at the least 4 full days of climbing. I don't mean awful like never climb again, which is how bad some injuries are. Long gave me a nice picture to commemorate the moment.