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The Mace

Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2013 5:05 am
by skykilo
I met Layton in Sedona, Arizona for an end of the year exploratory mission to a new desert tower zone.

First on the agenda was the über-classic The Mace.
the-mace, themace

Mike leads the first pitch. I got happy with the red knob.
the-mace, p1

My first lead had me quaking. The book recommended gear to a #5; our #5 was a C4 and this crack was bigger than that -- the SS recommendation is an old skool camalot #5.
the-mace, p2

Mike leads a sweet traverse.
the-mace, p3

The crux pitch is bizarre. Weirdness, wideness, awkwardness. Possibly the proudest 5.9+ OS of my career?
the-mace, cruxlead

The step-across is cool.
the-mace, p5

Cathedral Spires
the-mace, cathedralspires

THE AFTERMATH
*******************
I made our dinner at camp. Then I spent a freezing night puking in my tent, just barely managing to keep it clean inside. The next morning I had nothing left in me to climb, so we packed camp and headed home. I could only manage half of the seven-hour drive home in my state. I got a hotel room and slept nearly 16 hours. I finally made it home the following afternoon just in time to develop the worst case of diarrhea I've ever had. Despite being very fatigued, I stayed awake past 2 am until it seemed like the worst was passing. A couple hours later I was awake, rushing to the bathroom to prevent the unthinkable -- nevermind, nothing was prevented. I was too dead to do anything but go back to sleep and pretend nothing had happened.

Good times! I can't recall ever doing such a thing since being a toddler before last year, but during the second half of 2012 I shit myself twice, once while in bed. My resolution: a shit-stain free oh-one-three!

Re: The Mace

Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2013 7:12 pm
by teleross
...and plastic sheets!

Re: The Mace

Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 4:59 am
by Hannah
Good lord! I laughed.

Re: The Mace

Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 5:36 am
by huevón
My first lead had me quaking. The book recommended gear to a #5; our #5 was a C4 and this crack was bigger than that -- the SS recommendation is an old skool camalot #5.
Heh.. I did the same thing on Backbone

Re: The Mace

Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 4:24 pm
by PeteH
I had food poisoning last year and it was brutal, so I can relate. Never experienced anything like that before and hopefully won't again. Climb looks great though!

Re: The Mace

Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2013 1:39 am
by E_$
ugh. wonder which foodstuff was the culprit. any ideas there, poopypants--what food makes you feel sick when you think of it?

neat rock and features. that crux pitch looks wild!

Re: The Mace

Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2013 8:54 am
by Diamond Dachshund
Did you lick the guano on the cracks? I'm always worried about contracting radioactive poospray from that.

Looks nice out there. Way to ring in the new year.

Re: The Mace

Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2013 1:50 am
by Atraslin
Cool features.