Climbing
Stories Archives 
Every
so often we feature a climbing story from one of our members.
Tell us about your favorite, scariest, hardest, easiest, most
adventurous climb in the Park and FOP will share it with our readers.
Archived Stories: Armed With Madness
Burnette Bolt Variation
When Love Comes Calling
Three Generations - One Amazing Day
The Madness of Armed
With Madness
by Eric Strom
It always seems to take at least 2 trips to the Pinnacles before I get my head about me. I struggled on the last trip down so this time I am hoping things will come together and let me pull down a first ascent that I had unsuccessfully tried before.
Pulling
into the upper east side parking lot there is one car there. Hmm,
bummer I always like to be the first car. Oh well maybe next time
the designated driver wont sleep in. We pile out of the car sort
the racks pack up and race for Wet Kiss. I'm hoping the other
group isn't on it. This route has been a standard warm up for
quite awhile.
As we approach Wet Kiss I here voices. Shoot but where are they? A bit further up the trail and I can tell they are over by Ordeal. Yes now just please stay there. Five minutes more and we are at the base. A dozen draws and I'm off. I feel real solid but a bit shaky. Volcanic crud is always a bit of a change over, after a summer of Granite. Soon I am up in the sun and setting up the T.R. Robert and Matt take their warm up laps and then we pack up.
Next up Richnaks. This route thwarted me for years. Finally one day I found the mud rail and it just seemed to come together after that. It sort of unlocked the door leading down the path to a number of other 5.11 redpoints. Again a few draws and I am off. The route is steep but fairly short. I clip the third draw, grab the mud rail, pop for the knob, my feet cut loose and instead of falling I dangle. I get my feet back on the rock pull up and over lip. Wahoo! Up above I set up the top rope. Back on the ground we all take turns on the routes above. Loadstone, Baby Blues, and Richnaks.
Well
we figure were all warmed up and head on up to the new crag. We
hike up past the reservoir, then just past the turn off for the
Yaks, on the right is a small cliff with a large gash across it.
Our Destination. Along the way we met up with Erik and Michelle.
I rack up for the crack above borrowing a few pieces from Robert
and they head off to find something new up the hill.
At the base I stand before the first crux, getting off the ground. This routes starts with a nice little boulder problem. After messing around for awhile I finally figure it out and am soon climbing up past the bush to stand on the ledge. Before me is the next crux. Getting off the ledge. Yes another boulder problem to get started. I remember the blocky hold and the rattly jam but the feet thwart me. Then what to do, when I do get my butt off the ledge, none of the holds seem to work. I move my gear all over and have 2 small pieces in. Finally I see the hold and pop for it. Yes that is it.
A couple awkward moves and I want a piece real bad. Clumsily I stuff in a red alien, it isn't great but it works. I grunt and thrash for some time, pumping out. Finally I have to rest. I call for tension then weight the piece. Fully hoping, half believing it will hold. In my haste it went in half sideways and is resting on a muddy pebble. Gently please and yes, body weight. Depumping I take it all in. I remember the next piece is #2 or #3 Lowe Ball. I figure out the foot work, reset the Alien, rest, then I see it, the key. A real good #0 tcu placement. I stuff it in set up and set off, clip the piece and go.
Next up the #3 Lowe ball then the junk #2 tcu. Now I am up off the ledge a bit, just below where the crack gets wide and if a person had a #4 Camelot he could get a bomber placement. But that is 20 minutes and 2 feet away and I have a #3 Camelot. I hang out up there for what seems an eternity. My calves are burning bad finally I work out a sequence to get a foot higher and get in a fairly good little green alien. I'm fairly sure it is good since I stuffed it in till I couldn't see the cams anymore. I don't really want to look at it, sometimes not knowing feels better.
Another
foot and I can place the #3 Camelot in the back of the groove
down low where it flares a lot. Two of the cams seem to actually
be on the rock fairly well. At this time the pain thresh hold
is approaching terminal. I reset the Camelot, frick and dang its
worse, more messing around and I get it back. To heck with it,
Tension! I sit on it, it holds, yes sir life is good. I look around
my left foot hold is breaking off and my left hand hold is loose.
But I see that if I get a bit higher there is a good pod for the
#3. I rest a bit then set off again after much thrutching I successfully
gain my foot of ground move the #3 into the pod. Oh yes, quality
gear placements feeeel so gooood. I move up a hair, pop in the
arm bar, cut loose both feet and wave at my belayer. I get a cheer
from both Robert and Matt and the rush of blood into my lower
legs and left arm just about drowns it out. I put my feet back
on, step my left foot up on the loose hand hold and break it off.
Oh well at this point I just want off and motor up the groove
to the top. Matt comes up with a few hangs.
Back on the ground we decide I have just enough time for redpoint. This time I take only the gear I need plus an extra #2 Lowe Ball and yellow tcu just on case. And thankfully I do not need the extra gear. I place only what I need. Having the gear placements and the moves down, the redpoint come easy. The gear placements fall into place and soon I am back hangin at the armbar chalking up. Then quickly to the top. This time Robert also comes up, He gets stymied at the boulder problem off the ledge for about 5 minutes then floats the route. Shoot I was hoping he would at least make it look a little difficult. Armed with Madness 10d.
Once again on the ground, the sun is down, we pack up in twilight and hike out by the moon. Which is very bright. Bear gulch is quiet. A long enjoyable day comes to an end.
erik
