SkiSickness

Even though I had to work on a Saturday yesterday, it's been another stellar weekend in northern New Mexico. My mom and sister and her boyfriend came to visit and it was good to see them. Then Doug made some mean BBQ last night. Thanks for the fish tacos! Today, where to climb? Doug and Florian made a plan to hit Tres Piedras (Three Stones), a beautiful granite cragging area in a pine forest on the side of some gentle mountains at an altitude of about 8,000 ft. I agreed to join them after breakfast with my family.

So I got to the parking lot and there was a friendly fella named Chad looking for a partner. Why not? I grabbed my rack, he grabbed his rope and we walked through the woods toward some climbs.

We got to the base of some bolted slabby stuff and he said, "This is Danger Mouse. It should be a good warmup."

So I jumped on it and cruised it. I don't think it could be Danger Mouse because I don't consider myself good enough at friction to just cruise that. Maybe it was Thunder Toad. Either way, it was fun for faith-based climbing.


Chad had never climbed the crack up The Alien so I suggested that next, especially since Doug and Florian left a note saying they were headed there. Chad hasn't been climbing on gear too much but I suggested that it would be a good lead for him, gave him beta and told him to take as much of my rack up there as he'd like.

Here's a picture of The Alien.


He got up there and plugged a whole mess of gear into the crack below the overhanging bit at the top. He took a good fall off it, then jumped on it again and cruised through it. Bravo! That was fun to watch and I'm sure it was fun for him.

Chad cranks through the crux on The Alien.


I had him pull the gear and enjoyed leading this fun little crack climb again.

Meanwhile, Doug and Florian had been making a small production on Cowboy Bob's Chicken Head Delight. Here is Florian in Chicken Head Deight land after the funk sauce start.


Florian did some impressive Euro-steeze moves at the top too.


That looked like way too much fun and I had to lead it. No pictures of my lead, but it's an exciting climb and I'll sketch it. Start with 20 m of 4^th-classing up a slab to a diagonal crack and an overlap. The slab must be 4^th-classed because there's no protection on it either way. There's a more substantial crack under the overlap, but that seemed like it would make rope drag. I found a small crack above the overlap and threw a TCU and an offset in there. It's a face move up the overlap then a series of slab and friction face moves to the first chicken head. The chicken head doesn't come until an ugly splat onto the slab would be the inevitable consequence of a fall, unless you wrangle an RP and it holds. I was too chicken fried and ready to grab 'em by the neck to pay attention and fidget with that pinner stuff. Then it's a dance from chicken head to chicken head across and up the steep wall, with a couple options for gear and a couple options to sling chicken heads. The top of the rock formation comes after 150+ ft of good times.

WOW THAT WAS A FUN CLIMB!

My new friend Chad was stoked to follow it. Then there was a torrential thunderstorm and I drove home fully psyched. Good luck with your lady and Slovakia, Chad!

Still on a roll when I got home, I just had to shave the fuzz off my neck. I got some masking tape and aligned it by using the bottoms of my ears in the mirror, then pulled it tight over the hair on the back of my head and the sides of my neck. Then I shaved everything clean below the masking tape. My neck looks good now! This technique works very well and I highly recommend it. But remember, it's good if your hair's a little greasy so the tape doesn't stick painfully.

PEACE

Is this granite you're climbing? Or the aforementioned basalt?

I tried your masking tape technique on my bikini line with minimal success. I now have to see a professional.

Very nice. We were also climbing up at 8k yesterday here in Idaho. The only way to stay cool. It's hotter than a three balled cat here in town!

Gotta love that faith based climbing!


It was easily 20 degrees cooler up here than in town. The family was stoked!


So is the tape trick an adaptation of this technique?

Basalt just doesn't look like that. As indicated in the text, Tres Piedras is granite.

Diamond Dachshund wrote:Is this granite you're climbing? Or the aforementioned basalt?

I tried your masking tape technique on my bikini line with minimal success. I now have to see a professional.

Here's an example of some basalt:

It's always columns and cracks and angles and sharp edges.

So did you two cross paths up there? Maybe the City is extensive.

skykilo wrote:
So did you two cross paths up there? Maybe the City is extensive.

We were up at an alpine crag north of town, not at the City. But the City IS extensive!