Adventures on July 8th, 2006

9:00 AM: I decided it wasn't in my best interest to try to onsight something when climbing with a stranger I meet on the Internet. So Sophie and I warmed up on Fingerlocks (5.5) and ran that into Northern Pillar (5.2). Since I've done both climbs before, it was pretty straightforward and uneventful. 12:00 PM: Things started getting interesting when we jumped on Funny Face (5.5-). The crux is right off the deck. You have to layback this left facing corner, then under-cling your way out left before you pull a roof. I tried to jam a #4 C4 into the under-cling but it didn't want to fit where I put it, so I had to struggle to get a #3 in. Since I placed the gear from such a crappy stance and clipped directly to the cam instead of putting a sling on it, I had to ask for a take. Can you believe it? I can onsight High E but I had to hang dog on Funny Face! Anyways, I added a sling then pulled the rest of the crux. Be careful not to deck when pulling the roof. The Williams guide failed to mention the long run out at the top of P1. I had to venture a good 15 feet right to sling a rappel anchor and traverse back with a tight squeeze between the rock and a cedar tree. P2 climbs a short left facing corner to it's crux roof. I get up to the roof and couldn't even find a piece of gear I was willing to hang on. My #3 C4 might have looked good but the crack was flaring so bad that I was even afraid to yank on it hard. The #11 nut in a horizontal was good for a downward pull but not the sideways pull it would have received. And I'm not even going to comment on the yellow alien I placed. So with 3 crappy pieces to protect me from decking on the belay ledge, I take a peak over the roof. Found one good hand hold, found another. Then nothing; blank face above and no feet below. I down climbed back under the roof. I noticed a small tree growing perpendicular to the rock face. It was a little too far left but I figured it would be my best piece if I could sling it. As I wrap my sling around it, the tree snapped! My last hope of protecting this move just broke in half. If you can't protect a move adequately, just don't fall. And that's what I did. I pulled the roof and found a sidepull out to the right, and went with it. It was a cross between Shockley's and the P2 roof on Disneyland but not nearly as classic as either. 3:30 PM: Williams upgraded Belly Roll (5.4) to 3 stars in his new guidebook so we decided to climb that next. I climbed it two seasons ago and didn't remember it being nearly that good but I figured maybe I was wrong since I had no idea what I was doing back then. Traditionally, the crux doesn't protect that well, but a #2 tricam placed passively can give you protection around your waist when you enter the crux. The crux is a left leaning crack that you have to "roll" your whole body into. It's really not fun at all but it's a ton of laughs for your belayer. I linked together both pitches then Sophie followed up trying to avoid getting sucked into the chimney at all costs. Eventually, she jumped in it like everyone else. Belly Roll really only had two good sections in it. I'd give it one start at best. 5:30 PM: We cooled down on P1 of Jackie (5.5) which was nothing new since it was my 5th time on it.