Ok, so here to the MEGA STOKE! I was delighted to finally climb with Jo. She is at least, if not more, physically and mentally as strong as me. It made for an easy partnership climbing. We decided we need our own epic without the security of our boyfriends taking over the hardest pitches. We chose Tantalus Wall. I spent the week being excited-nervous about the 8 pitches with 5 of them being 5.11- and a 10a offwidth thrown in at the bottom. You can totally avoid the offwidth and climb the upper 5.11 pitches but neither of us wanted to back down from the challenges of the direct route. We also didn't take a tag line or second rope because we had no doubts we would make it to the top by any means.
Tantalus Wall follows a system of cracks that mostly go straight up the middle of this picture. As a reference point, the tree in the middle of the long horizontal roof 3/4 way up is one of the belay spots.
We rock-paper-scissored and the winner got the first lead. We swung leads thereafter. At the start of our day I was stoked to onsight my first 11- crack. I took up only singles of everything so I didn't have lots of gear and just went for it. Wastes less energy too I guess.
Jo got the offwidth pitch lead. She never climbed an offwidth before and I never applied proper technique before, so I watched this and told Jo what I learned in the parking lot. (You don't have to watch this, unless you want to learn about offwidth techniques.)
This is Jo at the bottom of the offwidth: "Only one piece of gear we have will fit the whole way!"
Bam, she onsighted it and nailed the 'knee jam and toe opposition rests'. I followed less elegantly and heavily bruised my knees and shins. Jo lowered down to retrieve some cams I couldn't get and she cruised it up the second time. I think I need to wear carhartts again and start taping my hands.
"FUUUUUUUUUCK, another offwidth". Jo was not stoked to climb the first 11b pitch above the Tantalus ledge. I fell trying to climb it offwidth style. It was a monstrous layback all the way up and then above a lip onto pin-scarred thin crack.
My shoes completely died just as I started climbing this pitch. They had holes in them and I couldn't smear or edge with my front toe anymore. The second half of this pitch was rated 11b and was tricky with slabby feet so I gave up the fight and just aided the rest up.
This was one of the coolest belay spots. We sat on this massive tree growing horizontally out from under a roof 200m up on a rock face. This is a crotch shot of Jo. I had no better shot, but anyhow, you had to use the tree to climb over the roof. Very cool.
Jo, after the bolted traverse and tension in to another 11a crack. This crack felt nicer than the two before.
I lead the last pitch of the day and did a bunch of C0 climbing because it was another 11b crack. Since I was shut down by my shoes I didn't even think twice about aiding, and actually really had fun aiding fast and efficiently. It felt like a useful skill to practice. Jo said she wanted to practice aiding as well
It took us 11 hours to finish this climb. We both shredded our skin and today woke up feeling like a truck hit us. There is definitely something wrong with me thinking this is ok if its from climbing, but I met another girl who tries just as hard as I do and thinks it's ok too
THANKS JO! I really hope to get just one more day with you this season.I'm excited and looking forward to Sky's visit on Friday!!!! Sorry climbing friends if I ditch you for my favourite hombre.
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