If I knew what was to come on the wall above me, I would not have climbed this stellar route. Rik lead it before me and casually reminded me to stay focused and relaxed when I reached the slab. Sonja: Run out - eh?
Rik: Yeah, a bit.
I was so excited to be climbing on such a beautiful day and was oblivious to the mental aerobics I was about to endure. Tim and Tanya, the tango twosome, arrived just in time to snap some photos (gracias Tanya :).
Luckily the runouts grew progressively longer. The first sketchy one (about 12 feet) prompted me to grab hold of the quickdraw. I know it was poor form but the thought of falling about 25+ feet down a slab made the "handle" look ever so appealing.
A little embarrased by my draw snatch, I moved on. I pulled up over a little roof and was greated with the grandest runout of all (over 20 feet for sure). I was ready to fold my hand.
Sonja: Tell me this is a super easy 5.5.
Rik: Yeah, it's like 5.5.
I assessed the rock and picked my line to the anchor. Physically, it was a breeze - but it was a mental maelstrom.
The descent was equally exciting. The guide book overlooked the fact that you need a 70m rope to lower safely to the ground. Rik climbed up, secured himself to the first bolt and Tim caught me (thanks again:).
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