Rock Climbing --- 10/8/2011 - 10/10/2011 --- Adirondacks

Occupy Wallface!

Fall Break! And the weather forecast is out of this world! Yeah, I just got back from three days at the Gunks, but so what? Off again to climb!

Early in the morning we all pile into Alex's minivan (except Emily who is driving from Boston). We drive to I-87 where we meet up with Emily and caravan to the Upper Works trailhead. It is absolutely packed with cars. We park on the side of the road nearly a quarter mile from the actual trailhead. Peak leaf season + Columbus Day weekend + Canadian Thanksgiving + an AMAZING forecast has the Dacks packed with people.

We load up outrageously heavy packs (climbing gear, backpacking gear, bear canisters and a bunch of luxuries) for the four mile hike to Wallface. The trail is muddy, but the hike is level and easy to follow. We reach the point where the southern Diagonal approach trail branches off and set our tents. Dinner is pasta with homemade herb bread and lots of wine, followed by hot chocolate with whipped cream.

Awake and out of camp relatively early. We all hike to the base of Wallface and find... lots of other parties. There are three parties ahead of us. Party #1 hiked in by headlamp and got on the climb before party #2 who had bivied at the base. Party #3 has been waiting for at least an hour and hasn't started climbing yet. Sigh. We aren't able to start climbing until 11am. Gonna be a long day. I am antsy. I don't particularly like being behind other parties and it is pretty clear that things won't be moving very fast. We make sure we have our headlamps. I will say this, while none of the parties moved very fast, none were outrageously slow either. So in the end... it was fine. I've been wanting to climb The Diagonal on Wallface since learning about New York's tallest cliff back when I first started climbing. We will wait.

I start climbing with Emily and Carolyn following. The first two pitches are blocky and wander. Not much good climbing. Pitches 3 and 4 go up the namesake ramp. It is fun! Feels more like fourth class than technical climbing. Pitch 5 involves relocating the belay along second class terrain to the base of Pitch 6. We eat our lunch and relax on this ledge. Party #1 is just starting to lead pitch 6. Everyone else is on the ledge. Eventually we get to climb the final two pitches which are the technical crux but are accurately graded at 5.8 and well protected. Then we do four double rope rappels to the ground. Final rappel is by headlamp. The hike back to camp is tedious and somewhat difficult in the dark. The full moon helps a bit, but it still takes a long time. We finish the day with chili, wine, and the rest of the whipped cream and hot chocolate.

Monday morning we sleep a bit late. Get up and set a toprope on James And The Giant Boulder (5.11b) which is only a few hundred yards from camp. The climb is in the guidebook, but apparently hasn't been climbed for years. Quite a few of the holds crumble when I touch them and one significant chunk breaks off with a gentle tug. My guess is that the route has seen more freeze/thaw cycles than ascents in the past decade.

After everyone has a turn at the route. We pack our stuff and hike out. The hike out is easy as pie. Except for the stream crossing, which goes poorly (don't worry, an SCA crew was installing a bridge as we boulder hopped, so it will be easier in the future). Back at the car we change into clean clothes and drive to the Moe's in Albany for dinner. Then Emily departs for Boston and the rest of us minivan it back to Ithaca.

The weather was just amazing. For a solid week. I had stunning weather in the Gunks, then drove to the Dacks and it only got better. Not a cloud in the sky, calm winds, highs near 80, lows around 40, moderate humidity. And because it is October, the bane of the Adirondacks -- the horrific bugs -- were completely absent. This is once in a decade kind of weather. One year ago Emily and I went to the Dacks around Fall Break. We setup our tent in 3" of slush and hiked through snow up to our knees on the top of Giant Mountain. This year, we almost ran out of sunscreen.

Tara sleeping. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Tara sleeping. I had three hours of sleep the night before we left Ithaca, and I think that was more than anyone else in the minivan.    Adirondacks -- 10/8/2011

Carolyn and me. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Carolyn and me.    Adirondacks -- 10/8/2011

Packing gear. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Packing gear.    Adirondacks -- 10/8/2011

My Bora 95 loaded to the gills. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

My Bora 95 loaded to the gills. 2 ropes + full rack + 2 day packs + personal climbing gear + 2 person tent + 0F sleeping bag + sleeping pad + stove + 2 fuel bottles + 2 pots + bunch of food + guidebook + water = heavy!    Adirondacks -- 10/8/2011

Me, Alex, Katie, Tara, Carolyn and Emily ready to start hiking. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Me, Alex, Katie, Tara, Carolyn and Emily ready to start hiking.    Adirondacks -- 10/8/2011

Hiking (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Hiking    Adirondacks -- 10/8/2011

Carolyn and Emily (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Carolyn and Emily    Adirondacks -- 10/8/2011

Katie (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Katie    Adirondacks -- 10/8/2011

Almost to Indian Pass. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Almost to Indian Pass.    Adirondacks -- 10/8/2011

Hiking (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Hiking    Adirondacks -- 10/8/2011

Carolyn, isn't the foilage beautiful? (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Carolyn, isn't the foilage beautiful?    Adirondacks -- 10/8/2011

Foiled again! (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Foiled again!    Adirondacks -- 10/8/2011

Foliage?  What's that?  Oh, you mean foilage! (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Foliage? What's that? Oh, you mean foilage!    Adirondacks -- 10/8/2011

Passing packs down to the stream crossing. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Passing packs down to the stream crossing.    Adirondacks -- 10/8/2011

Katie crossing. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Katie crossing.    Adirondacks -- 10/8/2011

Alex crossing. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Alex crossing.    Adirondacks -- 10/8/2011

Tara discovers quicksand! (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Tara discovers quicksand!    Adirondacks -- 10/8/2011

Extracting (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Extracting    Adirondacks -- 10/8/2011

Extracting (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Extracting    Adirondacks -- 10/8/2011

The aftermath. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

The aftermath.    Adirondacks -- 10/8/2011

I brought 80 servings of whipped cream and Emily brought 3L of wine.  That's 7 pounds added to her already heavy pack! (Category:  Rock Climbing)

I brought 80 servings of whipped cream and Emily brought 3L of wine. That's 7 pounds added to her already heavy pack!    Adirondacks -- 10/8/2011

Cheers! (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Cheers!    Adirondacks -- 10/8/2011

Good morning Mr. Snake! (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Good morning Mr. Snake!    Adirondacks -- 10/9/2011

Me and Carolyn waiting to climb. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Me and Carolyn waiting to climb.    Adirondacks -- 10/9/2011

Wallface! (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Wallface!    Adirondacks -- 10/9/2011

Carolyn finishing pitch 1. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Carolyn finishing pitch 1.    Adirondacks -- 10/9/2011

Emily and Carolyn (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Emily and Carolyn    Adirondacks -- 10/9/2011

Emily (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Emily    Adirondacks -- 10/9/2011

Emily and Carolyn at the first belay. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Emily and Carolyn at the first belay.    Adirondacks -- 10/9/2011

The first pitch of the big ramp. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

The first pitch of the big ramp.    Adirondacks -- 10/9/2011

Emily and Carolyn coming up the ramp. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Emily and Carolyn coming up the ramp.    Adirondacks -- 10/9/2011

Emily and Carolyn coming up the ramp. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Emily and Carolyn coming up the ramp.    Adirondacks -- 10/9/2011

Emily and Carolyn on the lunch ledge. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Emily and Carolyn on the lunch ledge.    Adirondacks -- 10/9/2011

Emily (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Emily    Adirondacks -- 10/9/2011

Emily (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Emily    Adirondacks -- 10/9/2011

Que? (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Que?    Adirondacks -- 10/9/2011

Adirondacks southern high peaks region. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Adirondacks southern high peaks region.    Adirondacks -- 10/9/2011

Me getting ready to lead the final pitch. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Me getting ready to lead the final pitch.    Adirondacks -- 10/9/2011

Me leading the final pitch. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Me leading the final pitch.    Adirondacks -- 10/9/2011

Emily at the last belay. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Emily at the last belay.    Adirondacks -- 10/9/2011

Emily at the last belay. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Emily at the last belay.    Adirondacks -- 10/9/2011

Emily at the last belay. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Emily at the last belay.    Adirondacks -- 10/9/2011

Summit shot! (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Summit shot!    Adirondacks -- 10/9/2011

Carolyn rappelling. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Carolyn rappelling.    Adirondacks -- 10/9/2011

Emily's sunset shot.  Gorgeous! (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Emily's sunset shot. Gorgeous!    Adirondacks -- 10/9/2011

Me climbing James and the Giant Boulder. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Me climbing James and the Giant Boulder.    Adirondacks -- 10/10/2011

Me climbing James and the Giant Boulder. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Me climbing James and the Giant Boulder.    Adirondacks -- 10/10/2011

Me climbing James and the Giant Boulder. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Me climbing James and the Giant Boulder.    Adirondacks -- 10/10/2011

Alex rocking the tights! (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Alex rocking the tights!    Adirondacks -- 10/10/2011

Alex tightly clinging to the rock! (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Alex tightly clinging to the rock!    Adirondacks -- 10/10/2011

Emily flashing the start of James and the Giant Boulder. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Emily flashing the start of James and the Giant Boulder.    Adirondacks -- 10/10/2011

Emily flashing the start of James and the Giant Boulder. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Emily flashing the start of James and the Giant Boulder.    Adirondacks -- 10/10/2011

Emily at the crux of James and the Giant Boulder. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Emily at the crux of James and the Giant Boulder.    Adirondacks -- 10/10/2011

Emily at the crux of James and the Giant Boulder. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Emily at the crux of James and the Giant Boulder.    Adirondacks -- 10/10/2011

Katie starting James and the Giant Boulder. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Katie starting James and the Giant Boulder.    Adirondacks -- 10/10/2011

Katie crimping hard at the start of James and the Giant Boulder. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Katie crimping hard at the start of James and the Giant Boulder.    Adirondacks -- 10/10/2011

Tara starting James and the Giant Boulder. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Tara starting James and the Giant Boulder.    Adirondacks -- 10/10/2011

Tara starting James and the Giant Boulder. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Tara starting James and the Giant Boulder.    Adirondacks -- 10/10/2011

Six different Odyssey shirts! (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Odyssey!

Six different Odyssey shirts!    Adirondacks -- 10/10/2011

Alex and Carolyn (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Alex and Carolyn    Adirondacks -- 10/10/2011

Tara's frog. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Tara's frog.    Adirondacks -- 10/10/2011

Tara's frog. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Tara's frog.    Adirondacks -- 10/10/2011

Tara and her frog. (Category:  Rock Climbing)

Tara and her frog.    Adirondacks -- 10/10/2011