Sandbag - 5.10a

Ranga Vudukuru, a climber based in Hyderabad, took me to Orvakal Rock Garden for the first time. After seeing me leading L-i, 5.4, he suggested that I lead up this line as it seemed not much more difficult than L-i. I attempted this line after finish leading RV, 5.3. It was much harder than it looked. I backed off after getting over the first overhang. Santosh went up and placed two pros into the short vertical crack. However, he couldn't move up over the second overhang to the long crack on the left. I lowered him down on the two pros (one of them was clipped with a screamer). I went up again, this time, found a small hand hold just above the first overhang and used it to reach the short vertical crack in a slow and secured manner. However, I couldn't safely climb over the second overhang to the left vertical crack. Santosh tried again with no success.

We went to a restaurant at the entrance of the park for lunch, then come back. Ranga and Santosh tried again with no success. I noticed a tiny edge below the second overhang and decided to use it for my left foot for my last attempt. Success!

I climbed the route clean without resting on the rope. Considering that the two pros Santosh placed were in the system, I should say that I pinkpointed this route. However, this is an available choice when I filled this form. So I had to choose Redpoint.

This route is significantly more difficult and scary than a 5.9 route (White of Spring) I had trad led at Metcalfe Rock in Ontario, Canada. In the crux move, when my left hand reached to the long vertical crack above, I remembered the last move of a 5.10a route (Agitez Bien) at Metcalfe Rock. The crack was flared and smooth. It required a lot of commitment to trust the friction between my palm and the smooth rock. For the above reason, I rated this route at 5.10a.