I always used to push grades at night, for some reason the globe of the light that I was climbing in helped me focus.

Many, both intentionally and unintentionally. A few of the intentional ones have provided the most fun, including a new years eve ascent of The Bard at Arapiles. Usually the unintentional night ascents, due to starting late and/or forgetting a headlamp, have been the most "memorable" ones, including a late start on Bridalveil Falls, which had us climbing two pitches of ice by almost full moonlight. Ice is white, rock is dark... so hit the white. The avalanche-prone descent was the scary part!

One full moon Jim Erickson and I decided to climb the 3rd Flatiron. While we waited at The Sink for the moon to rise a couple other guys decided to join us. Then we met four chicks who had just arrived from Kansas and had never seen a mountain so we talked them into coming with us. We had a fabulous time pretending we were hobbitts on a mission.

A few times.

Sometimes out of necessity, the worst of which have been total nightmares.

Sometimes for fun. All of which have been magical. Here's a TR from one such time:

http://www.rockclimbing.com/...ew_flat;post=1167425

GO

Ok, That was a great climbing experience and the best photos. You win hands down. Such cute guys with such nice racks. You made my night.
THANKS

One full moon Jim Erickson and I decided to climb the 3rd Flatiron. While we waited at The Sink for the moon to rise a couple other guys decided to join us. Then we met four chicks who had just arrived from Kansas and had never seen a mountain so we talked them into coming with us. We had a fabulous time pretending we were hobbitts on a mission.

A few times.

Sometimes out of necessity, the worst of which have been total nightmares.

Sometimes for fun. All of which have been magical. Here's a TR from one such time:

http://www.rockclimbing.com/...ew_flat;post=1167425

GO

Nice, Gabe! Although I was aware of you doing it, i never heard the full story. Bravo!

BTW, It sounded a lot more fun then our epic descent in the dark

Josh

Yeah, that descent you and I did i Red Rocks was pretty sucky. Especially the embarrassing phone calls that preceded it. Not the worst for me, though. That distinction belongs to a major screw-up in J-Tree (aided by a bad topo) that was about the most scared I've been climbing in any condition, though this was in deepening darkness.

GO

I've done a bit of night climbing. Two most memorable that come to mind was doing NIAD and starting at around 4:30pm and climbing for 22 hours straight, and when my buddy tried to onsight The Vampire at Tahquitz under full moon. Here's a link to the writeup about The Vampire:

http://pullharder.org/...cent-of-the-vampire/

Both were amazing surreal adventures that I'm glad that I went on. Climbing is inherently slow, and climbing at night isn't actually all that much more difficult than climbing during the day, provided you have the skill and confidence required.

Josh

Let's see if I got this straight. You met 4 chicks, and then pretended you were hobbits on a mission. I can't keep a straight face when I picture this.

Did it work?

Josh

GMBurns and I did High Exposure at night and it was definitely one of the most memorable experiences of my life, a perfect climb.

+1 for 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell. The first time I heard about this 24 hour climbing competition, I thought it was ridiculous and stupid. A year later I was competing in it. Night climbing is really sweet. Ever since Horseshoe Hell, I don't worry about the onset of darkness as long as I have my headlamp. Since then I have put up routes in the dark, bouldered in the dark, and enjoyed some easy trad lines in the dark.

I've done a bit of night climbing. Two most memorable that come to mind was doing NIAD and starting at around 4:30pm and climbing for 22 hours straight, and when my buddy tried to onsight The Vampire at Tahquitz under full moon. Here's a link to the writeup about The Vampire:

http://pullharder.org/...cent-of-the-vampire/

Both were amazing surreal adventures that I'm glad that I went on. Climbing is inherently slow, and climbing at night isn't actually all that much more difficult than climbing during the day, provided you have the skill and confidence required.

Josh

24 hours of a climbing competition, Horseshoe Hell, Tell us more, So you climb without taking a break? Wow.

Yep, that's the idea - 24 hours of climbing, starts at 10 a.m. Some make it the full 24, some don't, some plan on just having a good time. Many competitors try to do at least one route per hour, every hour of the comp, which gets you bonus points, a guaranteed spot in the next year's comp, and a little prize. The maximum number of routes goes up every year - 2010 I think it was around 160 - but that guy had a belay slave as opposed to a climber team. There's all sorts of categories to compete in, from number of routes, to team points. Harder routes get more points, trad routes get bonus points, etc. Two laps per route per person are allowed, which drives the route total up.

All routes must be led, many of the routes have biners on the anchors to just clip and lower for safety and speed.

As far as climbing for a full day, it is brutal but amazing. This year I had some issues with my forearm seizing in a flexed position, but that was temporary. It does get difficult to stay motivated once you start getting exhausted and sleepy. The hardest part for me was belaying. The climbing was stimulating as hell, and I had no problems getting groggy or doing stupid shit on lead. Belaying was boring, and exhausting, and scarier to me than climbing.

Really the best part of the competition is the camaraderie amongst the climbers. Everyone is supportive, and I haven’t seen any fighting over routes – there are definitely lines on many of the routes. I think most of the climbers are there just to push themselves to their personal limit. It’s pretty awesome seeing that many people pushing themselves hard. My partner and I were shooting for 100 routes each – he got 97, I got about 87. We hit a wall around 5:30 a.m., but the arrival of daylight kept us going. We took one fifteen minute nap waiting for a route, but that was it.

Here's the current website on the event:
http://www.twofourhell.com/Home.html
And an older one for <2009:
http://www.24hoursofhorseshoe.com/

[image]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2580/59/74/536168059/n536168059_2358741_2598695.jpg[/image]

[image]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2580/59/74/536168059/n536168059_2358740_118833.jpg[/image]

[image]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2382/59/74/536168059/n536168059_2247851_1790.jpg[/image]

Here is me climbing the Eiger at night:

[image]http://www.jepolish.com/images/D116black.gif[/image]

I like the way the dark bounces of the one of the faces.

The matterhorn the following night:
[image]http://www.jepolish.com/images/D116black.gif[/image]

THere where some owls attacking us, if you look left and a little up you will spot them.

Thanks for the Vampire. It was very creative!!!!!


Cracklover
Yes I remember the climbing in Red Rocks, it was fun.
Sandstone is alot gentler on your hands then sharp choss

I grew up going on snow shoe trips, & cross country ski adventures under the light of a full moon. So this summer I decided to bring up the idea with my climbing buddies to do a night climb of a classic 5.10a Plumb Line.
Well it took a few months of cloudy full moons & trying to convince a partner to come out at mid night on a work night. But finally my friend Shane & I set out on our adventure, we were both pumped even if we got to the cliff & turned around it was worth it to be out & alive. I had bought a dozen or so glow sticks from a dollar store in town & as we un-loaded our packs I started taping the glow sticks to our quick draws. It was fantastic Shane lead the climb & found the moon so bright he didn't turn on his head lamp. I followed up cleaning the glowing draws as I went. We both hiked out that night with a new understanding of what climbing is, & how we had just done something great that few people will get the chance to do.

If we camped in Ryan, it was expected to climb the SW corner on Headstone after dinner. Use of headlamps was frowned upon. Michael Reardon called it cheating as the route is only 5.6. JK! Full moon ascents were also suspect and garnered an *. JK. This was usually the most terrifying time of the weekend. hehe! I only led this once in the dark and I will never do this again. :)
Wes

I always used to push grades at night, for some reason the globe of the light that I was climbing in helped me focus.