Ragged's best and worst.

Sunday morning I managed to get out to the cliff for a bit of a climb. Many of the CCMers were going to be there so I figured I could beg a belay when they go there. I arrived at the cliff, and talked to a few people who were already there, none of the CCM. There was a party of three and one of them seemed cheerful about seconding for me. They led up wet wall, the seconds following, so I headed up to the top of the cliff to set a TR on Netherlands.

After a bit of a struggle setting the anchor I rappelled down. An older gentleman was climbing up Bushy Grove to my left, the top of which supplies the leader with a 20 foot run-out. I was soon at the bottom. I waited for some time for my friends to arrive and got bored. I decided to rope-solo Netherlands. Anchoring one end of my rope to a tree, I set my cinch and prussik for a backup and started up, testing an early fall, it held.

Netherlands is a beautiful face climb with absolutely no protection, so it makes for a good top rope. There are two crux sequences to work out, and last time I had 3-falled it. I would rate it at about 5.10a. Needless to say, I was a bit dubious about my solo rig, so I played it conservative and tried not to fall.

Soon I was 60 feet off the deck. Moving up on quater-sized holds I held fast to the face, and managed to find a break before the first sequence. I had to switch hands while I shook one out. I moved up until finally there was a bit of a break. I had solved the puzzle and I was standing on a 2 inch ledge that felt like the GT ledge at the gunks. My heart was moving, I slid my cinch up.

To my left a second was toying with a red camalot that was thoroughly entrenched. I continued. The top section has a bulge that makes it feel overhanging, and if you head in the wrong direction you are looking at a dead end. I headed left, which looked harder but I knew it was the key to the route. Soon the intricate face holds turned seemingly to jugs and I was at my anchor. I lowered down on my trusty cinch.

Jim and his partner had arrived, and set up the mega-classic 5.8 Broadway. I begged a belay by tying myself in, cutting in line so I made it a speed climb. Jim yelled at me for being too slow at the first crux. I did not hesitate through the lie-back section. I was soon at the top, and lowered. Jim's partner had a go, and then they wanted to pull-rope and move over to ymc. I offered to take a rope up to Netherlands for them since my TR was there but my dynamic had been dropped for the possibility of a lead. Climbing with the rope on my back was a bit slower, but I moved well was soon rapping down Netherlands for the 3rd time that day.

On the way down I spied a party of three, and they waited at the bottom while I wrestled with my autoblock backup. I was to have a lead climb today after all.

(cont.)

Another friend of mine named Jim strolled in with his partner Matt. They looked determined, and we did not chat long.

I stole one member out of the three (he had a mohawk) and we started down the cliff. Climbers have this way of interviewing each other while getting to know one-another, and Matt was passing the test. I felt a bit relieved because it appeared from talking to him that he would make a good second.

Soon I plugged my first cam into Juniper Wall (5.7) and headed up to the slanting ledge before the tree. I placed one more piece of protection, skirted the tree (nice exposure!) and was soon on the large ledge. I looked up to see the crux.

Some commotion was going on to the left, as I heard a climber say TAKE! and then, "Lower me down!" Sounded to me like someone was having a bad lead fall. I spied the ledge above the south slab and could see someone sitting there. I plugged two cams in for the crux. The crux was a reach to a hand-sized crack. It took a nut placement, but was strenuous to protect. I clipped and down climbed. I let Matt know that I would need him to keep me tight for the crux to make sure the rope-stretch would not provide me with a ledge fall should I blow it. He obliged and I moved up. Working through the crux someone came to talk to my belayer and I barked down to pay attention. Probably should have chilled a bit, but leading is still a bit scary for me. I pulled the awkward mantle to find a slightly overhanging wall above. There was but a little shrub for protection and I slung it. I pulled the last few moves and set an anchor.

"On belay, climb when ready" I voiced down to my second. Matt quickly seconded the route, raving about it's quality. We both stared at the top of the south slab when he arrived at the anchor. There was quite and assembly of people forming there. Cleaned up and topped out, it was time for me to exit stage right. On the way out I ran into none-other-than Bob Clark. Our meeting was brief as I advised him on the seemingly broken ankled victim down below and he scurried off.

On my way out I saw the fire-people hauling in the stretcher. Later in the day it dawned on me that it could have been my friend Jim (with his partner also named Matt) who could have taken the fall. I verified this with a check of the CCM website. He is doing OK though, broke both bones in his lower leg and had to have some surgery. He should be out by Wednesday. Climbing is dangerous! Kind of a bitter sweet ending for me. A great onsite, and solo, but a hurt friend. Please be careful out there in the dawn of this new season!

-percious