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enigma
Jan 20, 2011, 6:04 AM
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Tonight being a full moon , you should be able to climb at night. No headlamps needed.
Generally You don't intend to be climbing at night in darkness but it happens.
Or climb with moonlight or headlamps on purpose.
Sometimes its harder being stuck in a chimmey at Josh, or in complete darkness once at LoversLeap, dehydrated, and cold we didn't get back until 1 AM.
Have you ever climbed at night?
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leapinlizard
Jan 20, 2011, 6:08 AM
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I always used to push grades at night, for some reason the globe of the light that I was climbing in helped me focus.
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enigma
Jan 20, 2011, 6:24 AM
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leapinlizard wrote: I always used to push grades at night, for some reason the globe of the light that I was climbing in helped me focus.
Tonight would be perfect. I've climbed at Mt. Lemmon. Thats a wonderful place. Have you ever climbed there?
I've seen climber friends of mine free climb on intersection rock with no headlamp. Its amazing.
Even a blind climber, it was always night for him. He lead a 5.10b .
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coastal_climber
Jan 20, 2011, 6:55 AM
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Yep. One memorable time was finishing a new multipitch aid line. My partner finished the last pitch in the dark and I cleaned, and the rock was sulphuric or something cause whenever I cleaned a pin I would get sparks. Pretty cool when the moon is the only source of light.
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airscape
Jan 20, 2011, 2:43 PM
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We once sat on top of a climb watching the sunset after a full day of climbing.
THe sun went down and we realised that no one brought a flashlight.
It was the worst walk off that I ever experienced. We were so happy to be alive, especially when we did it in daylight the next day.
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potreroed
Jan 20, 2011, 3:12 PM
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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.
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johnwesely
Jan 20, 2011, 3:19 PM
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GMBurns and I did High Exposure at night and it was definitely one of the most memorable experiences of my life, a perfect climb.
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roninthorne
Jan 20, 2011, 3:42 PM
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Green Wall, at Seneca, all pitches led with no headlamp, after arriving at the rock at 10:30 on a full moon light, only to realize that- DOH!- the moom wouldn't shine on the W side of the formation for about another 4 hours. A perfect lead and a perfect night combined for a memorable climb.
Ten years later, climbed the third tower in Judy Gap under much the same conditions, but with better light since the route sits on the S end of the formation. Still, nothing like the feeling of onsighting a route, slinging chickenheads, with nothing but moonlight under your toes!
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kappydane
Jan 20, 2011, 3:57 PM
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5 years in a row I have done the 24 hours of Horseshoe Hell in Jasper Arkansas. about 12 hours or so of night climbing each year. It's not as hard as you think, especially on routes you are familiar with. It got to the point where we would show up at HCR after dark on other climbing trips and go climbing until midnight or so.
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ClimbSoHigh
Jan 20, 2011, 4:58 PM
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Local TR at night and blind folded, having tried it completely blindfolded, props to the guy who is blind leading 5.10. That must be scary, but then again, the exposure would never bother you! 
Done some drunk high ball V0 bouldering at 2AM on a cloudy night at HP 40 sans headlamps. Really fun time.
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summerprophet
Jan 20, 2011, 6:07 PM
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Climbed Diedre in Squamish at night in the late 1990's.
You loose perspective in the dark.... about the time I was thinking about placing a second piece, I arrived at the anchors..... This was repeated throughout the climb.
We also got a ride back to the car by the local RCMP. Someone called in a rescue for us, thankfully the cop who took the call noticed we were moving fast.... really fast, so he just hung out and gave us a ride back to the parking lot.
Also finished Washington Column's Prow at night..... and had my first encounter with a Yosemite ringtail. Nearly shit my pants.... hanging from hooks and having these glowing eyes descending upon me.
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kachoong
Jan 20, 2011, 8:51 PM
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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!
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enigma
Jan 21, 2011, 8:56 AM
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kachoong wrote: 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!
Pictures of Night Climbing Would be nice, Anyone???????
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enigma
Jan 21, 2011, 9:00 AM
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potreroed wrote: 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.
Nice Visual Writing, Photos, I guess you have to have a very slow speed and be an excellent photographer to get those shots.
"Toto I don't think we are in Kansas,....theres no place like home"
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enigma
Jan 21, 2011, 9:05 AM
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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
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blueeyedclimber
Jan 21, 2011, 5:13 PM
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potreroed wrote: 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.
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
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darkgift06
Jan 21, 2011, 5:14 PM
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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.
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blueeyedclimber
Jan 21, 2011, 5:28 PM
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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
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rock_fencer
Jan 21, 2011, 5:43 PM
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the last time i climbed at night was after a day of aid at looking glass. It had rained in the afternoon w/ lightning so we came down early. Went to do the nose by headlamp. Got to the parking lot before the skies opened up again with heavy rain and lightening. Quickly retreated back to camp.
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cracklover
Jan 21, 2011, 6:25 PM
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blueeyedclimber wrote: 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
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spikeddem
Jan 21, 2011, 6:28 PM
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cracklover wrote: blueeyedclimber wrote: 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
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bandycoot
Jan 21, 2011, 6:31 PM
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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
(This post was edited by bandycoot on Jan 21, 2011, 6:31 PM)
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jolery
Jan 21, 2011, 6:55 PM
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+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.
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