Rock Climbing --- 11/10/2011 - 11/14/2011 --- Red River Gorge
Emily, Tammy and I depart Ithaca Thursday afternoon and arrive at Miguels very late at night. We set tents and immediately go to sleep in temperatures well below freezing.
In honor of corduroy day, I think we should climb eleven 5.11 routes. But that just isn't happening. We are tired from the long drive and the rock is still frigid cold. Amy and Justin join us for a trip to Muir Valley where we head to Great Arch and climb Dyn-o-mite (5.9) and Black Powder (5.10a). Then we walk across the valley to The Great Wall where we climb Glory and Consequence (5.7+), Legends of Limonite (5.8) and Touch of Grey (5.11a). Lots of gnocchi, brownies and hot chocolate fuel us to stay warm in the tent. A few episodes of Walking Dead fear us to stay nervous in the tent.
Weather is starting to warm up. A little. We meet up with Guy, Jenny, Ross, Bobby, Amy and Joe and all head to Eastern Sky Bridge. I start the day groveling up Good Times (5.8+) one of my two trad leads of the trip. After that we head down to Drop The Anchor (5.8+) and I get a second lap on toprope to clean it. Next we go to Jack In The Pulpit (5.10d) and I am really psyched to get the onsight. I've onsighted harder climbs, but can't think of any which were this sustained. Beat after that effort, I climb Super Dario (5.11a) on toprope (with two hangs) to clean it as the sun sets.
We start the morning with banana pancakes! Then off to Funk Rock City (with the goal of climbing before noon). We start the day with two really good slab climbs: Funkadelic (5.10b) and Manic Impression (5.10a). Then I follow Guy's stellar redpoint of the trad finger crack Goodstone (5.10d). I lead my second trad line of the trip, Rite Of Passage (5.9+). Finally finish the day with a toprope run up Eye Of The Needle (5.11b). Feeling pretty strong to not have weighted the rope for an entire day!
Final day of a this short trip. Emily, Tammy and I are on our own and want to be on the road by 2pm. We get an early start and head to The Gallery. Temperatures have warmed and we are wearing t-shirts all day. Ahhh! We start on 27 Years Of Climbing (5.8) and then I jump on Johnny B. Good (5.11a) but am too tired to get the redpoint. We finish the day with runs up A Brief History Of Climb (5.10c) and Murano (5.10b). All in all, probably four of the best climbs in RRG, and all within 50' of each other. Tired and ready to head home, we drive 12 hours back to Ithaca where showers and warm(ish) beds await.
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Amy leading Black Powder. Red River Gorge -- 11/11/11 |
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Amy leading Black Powder. Red River Gorge -- 11/11/11 |
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Me leading Dyn-o-mite. Red River Gorge -- 11/11/11 |
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Emily and Justin on Dyn-o-mite and Black Powder. Red River Gorge -- 11/11/11 |
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Emily Red River Gorge -- 11/11/11 |
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Me leading the start of Black Powder. Red River Gorge -- 11/11/11 |
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Tammy at the start of Black Powder. Red River Gorge -- 11/11/11 |
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Amy on Lip Service. Red River Gorge -- 11/11/11 |
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Tammy on Black Powder. Red River Gorge -- 11/11/11 |
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Emily leading the 5.9 start to the 5.7 climb Glory and Consequence. Red River Gorge -- 11/11/11 |
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Emily Glory and Consequence. Red River Gorge -- 11/11/11 |
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Emily cleaning Legends of Limonite. Red River Gorge -- 11/11/11 |
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Me starting up Good Times. Red River Gorge -- 11/12/2011 |
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On Good Times. Placing gear from a... stance? Red River Gorge -- 11/12/2011 |
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Leading Good Times. I would not say the name was apropos. Red River Gorge -- 11/12/2011 |
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Tammy cleaning Good Times. Red River Gorge -- 11/12/2011 |
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Tammy cleaning Good Times. Red River Gorge -- 11/12/2011 |
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Jenny belaying Ross on Manic Impression. Red River Gorge -- 11/13/2011 |
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Stella II Red River Gorge -- 11/13/2011 |
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Bobby's American flag rope. Red River Gorge -- 11/13/2011 |
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Ross on Eye Of The Needle. Red River Gorge -- 11/13/2011 |
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Guy after redpointing Goodstone. Red River Gorge -- 11/13/2011 |
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Emily on Rite of Passage. Red River Gorge -- 11/13/2011 |
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Jenny on Eye Of The Needle. Red River Gorge -- 11/13/2011 |
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Me belaying Tammy on 27 Years Of Climbing. Red River Gorge -- 11/14/2011 |
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Tammy leading 27 Years Of Climbing. Red River Gorge -- 11/14/2011 |
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Tammy leading 27 Years Of Climbing. Red River Gorge -- 11/14/2011 |
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Emily leading 27 Years Of Climbing. Red River Gorge -- 11/14/2011 |
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Emily leading 27 Years Of Climbing. Red River Gorge -- 11/14/2011 |
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Emily belaying me on Johnny B. Good. Red River Gorge -- 11/14/2011 |
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Emily following Johnny B. Good. Red River Gorge -- 11/14/2011 |
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Emily following Johnny B. Good. Red River Gorge -- 11/14/2011 |
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Emily following Johnny B. Good. Red River Gorge -- 11/14/2011 |
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Emily on A Brief History Of Climb. Red River Gorge -- 11/14/2011 |
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Tammy on A Brief History Of Climb. Red River Gorge -- 11/14/2011 |
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Tammy on A Brief History Of Climb. Red River Gorge -- 11/14/2011 |
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Fade out on a great trip. Red River Gorge -- 11/14/2011 |