The Ghost Sunday
Sunday finds me in Ghost again except now in the South Ghost. It is very windy and it feels colder. With me are Colin and Tom. That last time we climbed together was in May, The Fold on Mt Kidd. Colin and Tom hooked up in the summer to be the 7th party to complete the Evolution Traverse. Their climb seemed like a lesson in suffering to me. This day is not supposed to be a suffering event but some fun climbing.
We begin our approach up to Wicked Wanda. I am excited to climb this as it is listed as a classic. The approach wasn't too bad according to our Rockies Standards. From Tom's point of view it was long considering he had recently come back from Switzerland where the approaches were only about 15 - 30 min from the car.
Wicked Wanda looked amazing and I felt the urge to lead once I saw the pitch. However my pattern has been to second a climb, amass my own personal beta and go back another time to lead. I didn't see the need to change that!
The cave at the top of the first pitch is perhaps the most beautiful I have seen yet. I understood why this climb was rated so highly among other ice climbers. The climb was somewhat chopped out but there was still opportunity to swing the sticks and renew myself with my ice climbing technique.
The movement on ice is hard to describe to a non climber. The ice has a distinct personality inch to inch. Assuming the ice will be the same on the same pitch is not reality. I am often struck with the different style between seconding and leading. I have typically seconded like I would lead which involves bomber placements and big swings. But I am also exploring the finess side of ice and having more of a mixed climbing mind set. Apples and Oranges. I experience the worst case of the Screaming Barfies I have had in a long time. I thought I might just throw up, but I didn't.
We rapped down our climb and I knew we were only half done as Colin also wanted to climb Wuthering Heights. Now the fun begins. My understanding was that Wuthering Heights was not that FAR. I had been expecting a more casual day. Instead I found myself going up the Planters Valley and feeling annoyed when I realized how far up we were going to go. I had been up this valley rock climbing with Tom this summer. However now I had a heavy pack on and was slipping and sliding over boulders covered in a thin amount of snow. Fatigue set in and my legs began to feel heavy and I was keenly aware of the wieght of my pack. Combined with my annoyance at my climbing partner for not being more clear about the approach. However this turns out to be an opportunity to change my attitude and approach and stay in the moment. When I ditch my shitty attitude I realize that I am not *that* tired and there is still gas left in the tank. But I slow down my pace falling behind Tom and Colin but I know that I need to be more deliberate with my steps and avoid the loss of energy from slipping and thrashing around on the rocks.
We come up to the climb and my heart sinks. It looks intimidating to me. I really don't want to climb and it is already 4pm. We pass by a group of climbers who are already done. My thoughts of an *easy* climbing day are dashed when I do the mental math of the time needed to climb this bad-boy and do the long descent out.
So I sit down on my pack, eat the rest of my bagel as I had been ignoring my hunger pains. I take some long drinks, suck back a gel and wait for my energy to be replenished and my attitude to improve. I know that once the food and water start to enter my system my world will look much brighter and it did.
Once on the climb I realize it is a hook-fest and I relax into the rhythm of the climb. Indeed I have plenty of strength left and I enjoy myself. I begin to explore just how little effort I have to do to keep moving upwards.
The second pitch is less of a hookfest and I have to work more for my vertical. I love this though, the swinging, the foot placements and the power and commitment needed to trust a hold and to trust my feet. I work hard on a pitch, I don't like to rest if i can avoid it, I find it breaks up the rhythm of my climbing.
After a problem pulling our rappel ropes and Colin having to reclimb the pitch in the dark to figure out the problem, we descent back down the valley. I love walking under the glow of the headlamp and there is no exposure or risk in this descent so I relax into the rhythm of walking. I am tired but not nearly as fatigued as I have been at other times. I take satisfaction in knowing that my brutal workouts with my trainer are paying off in my fitness.
I completed my first so-called Link-up and I feel good about that even though I know I was getting pissy in a couple spots. I realize that I dislike when parameters of my climb change and I'm not expecting them to. There is so much to learn, some of it in my physical abilities but in my mental toughness as well.
We begin our approach up to Wicked Wanda. I am excited to climb this as it is listed as a classic. The approach wasn't too bad according to our Rockies Standards. From Tom's point of view it was long considering he had recently come back from Switzerland where the approaches were only about 15 - 30 min from the car.
Wicked Wanda looked amazing and I felt the urge to lead once I saw the pitch. However my pattern has been to second a climb, amass my own personal beta and go back another time to lead. I didn't see the need to change that!
The cave at the top of the first pitch is perhaps the most beautiful I have seen yet. I understood why this climb was rated so highly among other ice climbers. The climb was somewhat chopped out but there was still opportunity to swing the sticks and renew myself with my ice climbing technique.
The movement on ice is hard to describe to a non climber. The ice has a distinct personality inch to inch. Assuming the ice will be the same on the same pitch is not reality. I am often struck with the different style between seconding and leading. I have typically seconded like I would lead which involves bomber placements and big swings. But I am also exploring the finess side of ice and having more of a mixed climbing mind set. Apples and Oranges. I experience the worst case of the Screaming Barfies I have had in a long time. I thought I might just throw up, but I didn't.
We rapped down our climb and I knew we were only half done as Colin also wanted to climb Wuthering Heights. Now the fun begins. My understanding was that Wuthering Heights was not that FAR. I had been expecting a more casual day. Instead I found myself going up the Planters Valley and feeling annoyed when I realized how far up we were going to go. I had been up this valley rock climbing with Tom this summer. However now I had a heavy pack on and was slipping and sliding over boulders covered in a thin amount of snow. Fatigue set in and my legs began to feel heavy and I was keenly aware of the wieght of my pack. Combined with my annoyance at my climbing partner for not being more clear about the approach. However this turns out to be an opportunity to change my attitude and approach and stay in the moment. When I ditch my shitty attitude I realize that I am not *that* tired and there is still gas left in the tank. But I slow down my pace falling behind Tom and Colin but I know that I need to be more deliberate with my steps and avoid the loss of energy from slipping and thrashing around on the rocks.
We come up to the climb and my heart sinks. It looks intimidating to me. I really don't want to climb and it is already 4pm. We pass by a group of climbers who are already done. My thoughts of an *easy* climbing day are dashed when I do the mental math of the time needed to climb this bad-boy and do the long descent out.
So I sit down on my pack, eat the rest of my bagel as I had been ignoring my hunger pains. I take some long drinks, suck back a gel and wait for my energy to be replenished and my attitude to improve. I know that once the food and water start to enter my system my world will look much brighter and it did.
Once on the climb I realize it is a hook-fest and I relax into the rhythm of the climb. Indeed I have plenty of strength left and I enjoy myself. I begin to explore just how little effort I have to do to keep moving upwards.
The second pitch is less of a hookfest and I have to work more for my vertical. I love this though, the swinging, the foot placements and the power and commitment needed to trust a hold and to trust my feet. I work hard on a pitch, I don't like to rest if i can avoid it, I find it breaks up the rhythm of my climbing.
After a problem pulling our rappel ropes and Colin having to reclimb the pitch in the dark to figure out the problem, we descent back down the valley. I love walking under the glow of the headlamp and there is no exposure or risk in this descent so I relax into the rhythm of walking. I am tired but not nearly as fatigued as I have been at other times. I take satisfaction in knowing that my brutal workouts with my trainer are paying off in my fitness.
I completed my first so-called Link-up and I feel good about that even though I know I was getting pissy in a couple spots. I realize that I dislike when parameters of my climb change and I'm not expecting them to. There is so much to learn, some of it in my physical abilities but in my mental toughness as well.
posted by Lise B at Monday, February 20, 2006
1 Comments:
Wow, your climb sounds outrageous! Good for you for sticking through it even though you were tired. I need to get in shape....
Love Samantha
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