leinosaur's Logbook (313 ascents)

crux is getting to the upper section where it changes from a dihedral to a facey climb with a pair of opposed shallow cracks - way fun stemming in the bottom bowl-hedral leading to the diving board & fun opposition in the finger/toe-cracks.

update Mon. 5/10/4
Dummy-led this route last Fri. after warming up by leading Taco Time (for the first time) - it was a fun dummy, plenty of places for stoppers of all sizes - I left in the top one as a directional for Cat (Wildhare) to toprope on - then later added another couple of directionals so I could toprope Atomic Cafe without so dang much swing! Good that I did, too, 'cause even though I nailed the start and got around the arete ok, I eventually just lost grip & came off. Got the feet pointed in the right direction, though, & all was very well. So after the swing I just stayed on Interceptor, cleaned the directionals, topped out & scrambled down around the back. There was one Indian Blanket flower up there that I hadn't noticed when I set the anchor - a nice touch that helped make up for the clouds that obviated our seeing the comet that was supposed to be visible to the left of Venus that evening.

It was so cool to have finished a whole school day and still had time to go climb in the Wichitas - thanks, thanks to the turbodiesel!

(original follows) This was my second route ever, way back in December '03 - that was on top-rope with a cam on it as a directional. Hella fun dicrackonal/face combo climb. Today I was cleaning a nice variety of pro behind Spivey's first trad lead in a while - he was onsighting it, as a backup plan to working the harder Meadows routes on toprope (obviated by the high water and manky rap-station bolts which I will report to the WMCC straight away). A fun clean on a fun route - the cleaning's good prep for my impending first trad lead, as I can test the pro for both bombproofitude and cleanability.

Some soldiers from Ft. Sill were leaving just as we arrived. One was probably as new as I and was having a great time on some gear he got cheap off a buddy who was headed to Korea & needed the dosh (in spite of there being some good climbing in Korea, according to the one that didn't smoke a Marlboro Light & was referred to by the other as "his guide" before he appeared.

Not as cheap as my donated harness & sierra trading post closeout La Sportivas, though, which I didn't point out at the time. B'lieve I'll be spendin' the money on brand spankin' new pro, though. Then I'll come lead this easy bee-atch!

came back and led this, I think

cruxy but fulfilling