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charley
Aug 20, 2007, 10:56 PM
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Registered: Apr 13, 2002
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Three friends and I made a trip from w pa. to rrg in kentucky for the weekend. We left thur. evening and arrived at the gorge a bit after midnite. Having made res. at the state park campgroungs. We were set up and in the sack shortly after one am.
We got up, not too early on friday and drove 15 miles to beatyville for breakfast. By the time we got back the park person was on hand and we found out we could not keep the same site for the rest of the weekend so we got a new site and moved. We then took off for roadside crag. We thought it would be a good idea to go there on fri. since it could get busy on the weekend. We made the hike in and of course wanted to start on the next to the last climbs on the cliff.
My seventy one year young partner did a fine job of leading gumbyland and I followed and cleaned and we rapped down. The 90 something degree heat and high, did I say high humidity killin us. We took a break and ate and drank a little. In the meantime our younger but not especially young friends had done c sharp or be flat next to us. I tried c sharp and could not finish it. I could use the heat, humidity, lack of sleep, and hike in as acumulative excuses but climbers don't do that, right. Hank chose not to try it. As the afternoon went on Ann led Ledger line, all cows eat grass, and trouble cleff plus top roped strawberry shortcake. John followed her on ledger line, all cows and I think strawberry. We hiked out, lay in the grass and had our beer, chips, and salsa, went to the purple cow for dinner then back to camp for showers.
We got an earlier start the next day after breakfast at the purple cow again. We went to fortress wall. The walk was still tough for a cpl older fellows like Hank and I. I looked at american crack which I had beta calling it everything from 5.3 to 5.5 with up to a 5.7 start. It looked like a nice climb but too hard for me to lead. We looked at some of the other easier climbs and I decided on calypso three which I had info calling it 5.3 to 5.5. I lead up to 5.4 at seneca so this looked harder than a three but I'll give it a whirl.
I soloed up the ramp on the left and traversed over to the crack and got some gear in. I went on up the crack getting a few more pieces of gear in. I then came to a good sized ledge and stopped, put in a good mid sized hex. Ya know one of those that you could lower a jeep off the rock with. Standing on this ledge looking up the climb seemed to look a bit harder. I was sweating a lot from the heat and humidity and took some time to dry off a bit and look things over. The next ten or so feet looked pretty stiff. I finally talked myself into making the next move and maybe another, kinda tough, looks harder, back down to the ledge. I wipe the sweat, calm down, smile, relax, look around and check out these next moves. I remember reading in the warriors way about considering the fall potential. There is no way that if I can't make several moves to get to a higher stance to place gear that a fall would miss the ledge. After some more thought I decide to learn to down climb, at my lead level and clean the gear as I go. I get the gear and down to the last ledge and the guy on the climb next just got lowered by me so I asked and recieved a ride to the ground. A bit later my friend John came by and decided to lead the climb. He did a nice job of leading it although he said he got to the point where he would have backed off if he could. I then did the climb on toprope and was glad I decided to back off it. I don't remember what else John and Ann did that day but not enough.
After pizza at miguels, beer, showers, much discusion, early breakfast at dairy queen, we were back at fortress wall. Hank had decided his knees and legs did not care to make the walk again, he would read in the car. I belayed John on american crack, a good lead for him. I then started up myself but could only get three moves off the ground three times. This did not get me half way through the hard crack start. After coming off I watched Ann gracefully ascend the climb and then change the anchors and fight and fight with the hard start to the wall there. Thats when I packed up and decided to join Hank at the car. John and Ann stayed up and missed the planned two oclock finish by an hour or so. They were on cussin crack and what else I don't know. We took down our tents, packed up and started the long ride home. It was a fun weekend even though I had my butt handed to me a cpl. times. Hope to return.
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rudolphluciani
Sep 10, 2007, 4:45 PM
Post #2 of 10
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Registered: Nov 13, 2006
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State park campground?!? Beatyville?!? What were you thinking?!? Stay at Miguel's, eat at Miguel's! Miguel's is one of the things that makes ther Red fantastic. You don't have to deal with state park regulations or fat hillbilly party campers or gaggles of screaming children! What were you thinking?!?
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kostik
Sep 10, 2007, 7:11 PM
Post #3 of 10
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Registered: May 26, 2005
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Miguel's has style. No question about it. Still, I prefer to stay at Whittleton next door and go to Miguel's for pizza and schmoozing. Then go back to Whittleton for bathroom, showers, convenient parking and quiet night.
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charley
Sep 10, 2007, 7:54 PM
Post #4 of 10
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Registered: Apr 13, 2002
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kostik wrote: Miguel's has style. No question about it. Still, I prefer to stay at Whittleton next door and go to Miguel's for pizza and schmoozing. Then go back to Whittleton for bathroom, showers, convenient parking and quiet night.
Right, and I saw more kids at miguels.
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nivlac
Sep 10, 2007, 7:59 PM
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Registered: Dec 16, 2003
Posts: 141
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Nice little TR. I enjoyed reading it. We have an 80 year young guy who climbs at our gym and he's my hero. I hope I'm in half as good shape as he's in when I'm his age.
Stay wherever you want, and I suspect you slept better by not staying at Miguel's. Effing noisy til all hours of the morning anyway.
Hope you get a chance to go back soon.
C
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kostik
Sep 10, 2007, 8:02 PM
Post #6 of 10
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Registered: May 26, 2005
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charley wrote: Right, and I saw more kids at miguels.
Two of them were mine.
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microbarn
Sep 10, 2007, 8:23 PM
Post #7 of 10
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Registered: May 12, 2004
Posts: 5920
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I missed this TR earlier. It's a good read Bill. Thanks for writing it out.
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easton
Sep 10, 2007, 8:39 PM
Post #8 of 10
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Registered: Jan 27, 2004
Posts: 250
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Thanks for the write up. I started at the Red a few years back and it was my main spot until I moved out here to SoCal and the desert. I miss the Red, especially when it's 110 here and the black rock makes your hands sizzle. It is good to read about some of the routes that I did a lot of trad leading on, especially at Fortress.
Ah, the memories.
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olive
Sep 11, 2007, 4:23 AM
Post #9 of 10
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Registered: May 6, 2003
Posts: 599
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nivlac wrote: Effing noisy til all hours of the morning anyway. C
I sleep like a baby with my ear plugs :)
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flint
Sep 11, 2007, 5:25 AM
Post #10 of 10
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Registered: Jun 21, 2007
Posts: 543
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Ohh I do love the fortress. Colypso III finds a lot of people saying what the hell over the rating, so don't feel bad about your wise decision on that one. Keep leading, and next time you will get through that wide top section. Maybe then you can get on Where lizards dare for the second pitch and see how much a sandbagged route can make you cry for your mom.
The snake to the left is also a great route, with a nice diagonal off width 5.8 that makes you feel uncomfy, but is a great mod. lead.
Good luck with trad, and If you are getting down to RRG again after january, send me a message, would love to put some TR up for you, I personally enjoy climbing with people wiser in life than I am, gives me a chance to learn.
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