The Atlanta Climbing Club November trip to Looking Glass, NC, was this past weekend. Most carpooled individually and made their way up Friday night and one tried Saturday morning, but more on that later. The weather was a perfect fall day, sunny and cool. Many leaves were down but the forest was still colorful and beautiful.
On the South Side wall Alex led Good Intentions 5.6 and set up a top rope on Left Up 5.7. Denmark led Short Man’s Sorrow 5.6 and set up a top rope on Bloody Crack 5.8. Kevin led the direct approach to First Return and Sentry Box ledge for others to top rope. He rated it 5.6/5.7. Denmark led an unnamed route right of Short Man’s Sorrow, which folks said had a couple of 5.10 moves on it.
Russ had his cast off and a splint on his broken arm. Nevertheless he aided Good Intentions and climbed Short Man’s Sorrow before he declared he was not going to overdo it. Gene climbed First Return Approach, Left Up, half of Bloody Crack, and onsited (or should we say blindsited) Short Man’s Sorrow. Linnea smoked all the climbs and cleaning the gear. She even cleaned two of Fox Mountain head guide Ron’s cams by mistake. Bindal had no problem with the polished starts given his bouldering expertise. Ian onsighted (his first?) 5.10.
Kevin led the first pitch and Alex the combined second and third pitches of Rat’s Ass 5.8 with Bindal in the middle. Ask Kevin for the story about dropping six nuts. The sun set and we packed up and hiked out in the dusk and dark, some with headlamps. Susan slipped and caught herself but smacked her wrist on a rock – radial fracture. Many went to The Square Root for dinner and celebrated Russ’s birthday a few days early.
But where were the others? Jim went to the park-n-ride at 6:00am in his all electric Leaf only to find no one else there. With only 80 miles per charge he could not make North Carolina and he turned around and went back home. Later he climbed with Tim and Greg at Jamestown. Harry, Josh, and Kevin climbed The Nose and returned to that area the next day. JP and friend were supposed to meet us at the South Side but went there on Sunday instead of Saturday.
Folks went their separate ways on Sunday and several stayed at Looking Glass. Jodi led pitches 1 and 4 on The Nose 5.8 while Jennifer led pitch 4 on Sundial Crack 5.8. Chuck redpointed all 5 pitches on Tits and Beer 5.9 (aka world’s hardest 5.8), finishing just after sunset. The rap tree was dead and had fallen over. In the dark Chuck built a new rap station on an evergreen tree and rapped and hiked out by headlamp.
Climb On!-Denmark Blount
