Climbing Panic Story and Barn Bluff, Red Wing Again

We were going to go climbing in Southern Illinois from Chicago but again it was predicted to rain and the weather looked perfect in Minnesota, so off we went to Barn Bluff.  Six of us this time, mostly friends and friends of friends from the gym, all climbers and into it, but mostly indoors climbers looking to get outside.  They were all really pumped, some of them their first time climbing outdoors, ever.  Two of them had never lead before, which in rock climbing is a major deal, really taking you to the next level mentally, physically, and I’d say emotionally.  It can be really scary when you are ten feet above your last bolt and your arms are burning and the fall isn’t clean and you’re having a hard time hanging on to the rock, desperately trying to clip in to the next protection that’s just out of your reach so you put the draw back on your harness quickly, fumbling a little in your haste.  You start to breathe faster, your leg begins to go into minor spasms as the fear grips it.  Feeling around blindly on the rock over your head, running your hand back and forth across the rock feeling for a good hold.  Finally you feel a tiny crimper that MUST hold, you crank down on it with your right fingers, and ahhhh – it’s a little better than it felt.  The bolt is off to your right though so you grab a draw with your left hand and awkwardly reach over your head as you feel your right arm burning from the exertion, you swear you can only hold on another second…. barely get the draw clipped to the bolt, and brief relief.  You then reach down and grab the rope, panic rising in your chest and taking over your brain, pull the rope up, your belayer pays you out a bunch of slack and your hand is right by the carabiener, about to get it to go in YOUR RIGHT HAND SLIPS AND YOU FALL!  “FALLING!!!!” you yell and then the rock quickly becomes a blur in front of you and your mind goes blank, and you’re falling, then you feel the rope rapidly come tight, twenty feet later you swing into the wall hard but not painfully, heart pounding in your chest.  Breathing hard and deep for the first time in three minutes.   Look down at your belayer thirty feet below, say “Whoa!” with a grin slowly lighting up your face and then you begin to laugh, relief and joy washing over you as you feel the adrenaline begin to drain out of you.  After a moment you grab the rope and say – “I’m batmanning back up!” and horse yourself back up the rope to the last clip you had bolted to give it another go.

Good stuff! 

Below are some pics – three great guys and three great girls, was a really fun trip with a great vibe amongst us and a high level of excitement as we were all pumped to be on real rock, outside the plastic of the gym.

Intense Focus at Barn Bluff

Drove up 380 miles from Chicago Friday night, stayed at the Best Western in town, then in the morning had the free continental breakfast there and headed to the crag, only five minutes from the hotel.  There we proceeded to get shut down by a 5.8 which was crazy as we were easily able to do 5.10s and gave an 11 a solid shot.  I swear the 8’s and 9’s were sometimes harder, maybe it was just me.  Got on probably 7 or 8 great climbs, got the girls leading for the first time, and generally had a blast as the weather was perfect for climbing, cool yet warm.  Then headed back that night, home at around 2 am after a nice dinner at a ratty bar – nice in terms of time together, not nice in terms of fancy food.

One minor yet major plus about Barn Bluff is there are carabieners or clips at the top of every climb – so at the top, you simply clip the rope in and zip down, it’s so convenient and saves so much time from clipping in at the top, going in direct with two draws, untying the rope, feeding it through, retying, and then belaying or even rapelling down.

Meredith heading up the rock on her first lead. Barn Bluff, Red Wing, MN

 

Alan and I climbing near "Into the Sun" at Barn Bluff

Bouldering (Climbing) at Hidden Peak in Chicago

Went bouldering again at Hidden Peak over the weekend.  I’ve never really gotten into bouldering but really enjoyed myself there.  There was a great vibe, lots of guys helping each other out, encouraging one another, and working out boudering problems together.  Picture three or five guys standing around and taking turns working out the same sequence of moves up a short rock climbing wall, each one falling off at the same spot, then gradually trying different ways of doing the hard move, and each one doing it better and better until it finally goes. 

“I toed in with my left foot”

“Crimp hard with your right”

“Set your feet after the dyno, then drop knee and reach up right for the sloper”

“Pinch with your right, cut your feet, right foot on the chip, left hand into the hueco”

Very fun with a great feeling of accomplishment after it’s done.  A decent workout with sweat and sore back and arms the next day.  I’ll be going back.  Bouldering works your core, and the climbs are much shorter, no ropes are used.  You simply jump off and land on the padded floor when you’ve finished a climb.   Density of holds is much thicker.  Means you can get in many more climbs, and typically the moves are more difficult and acrobatic in a more condensed fashion than a typical route.  Endurance isn’t key but core strength and crimp/grip power are.  It seems most of the great climbers are also accomplished boulderers.

I’d love to get a bouldering wall built in the first floor parking of Park Community Church, working on it.

Boulderers at Hidden Peak, Chicago

To get to Hidden Peak and info on climbing there:

937 W. Chestnut St., Chicago(312) 563-9400 CTA – Take the Blue Line to the Chicago stop. Cross Chicago and go north on Ogden. You will walk under a bridge and turn right onto Chestnut. Driving – 90/94 from downtown. Exit at Augusta/ Milwaukee. Turn left at the light onto Milwaukee. Follow to Chicago Ave. Turn left onto Chicago. Cross light at Ogden and turn left at Sangamon. Continue on to the end of Sangamon, and turn right onto Chestnut. 90/94 from the North – Exit at Ogden. Turn left on Ogden and follow it to the end. Turn right onto Chestnut. Head through stop sign at Sangamon. LakeShore Academy is on the right.  Has eight rope routes and 2,200 feet of climbing surface mostly for bouldering. Hours Monday-Friday 12 noon -2 p.m., 5 p.m. – 8:45 p.m. Saturday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sundays 12-4 p.m. Fees Annual pass – $375 Day pass – $10 Lunch pass – $7 Children’s pass – $7 Shoes – $5 Harness – $2 Full gear – $6 Monthly pass – $55 10, gear punch pass – $40 10, punch pass – $80 Weights – $29 Please note – Hidden Peak is located inside Lakeshore Academy.

Fishing and the Beach in Wilmington, NC

Drove out onto the Beach in Wilmington NC

We went to Wilmington North Carolina a couple weekends ago to visit my old buddy from age five and his family.  We had a blast and they were stellar hosts as always.  Did a bunch of fishing, one day hired a guide and fished up and down the Cape Fear River.  We caught three or four fish at the very first spot in the morning, but then managed to get skunked the whole rest of the day.  Still fun.  Next day we got up early and went fishing in the ocean with Spencer’s neighbor, very kind of him to take us.  Caught a bunch of Spanish Mackerel.  It was an interesting scene with tons of boats cruising around back and forth over this big man-made reef formed from old train cars and boats and such intentionally sunk there.   We learned the trick of holding the fish away from you at arms length towards the camera so they look much larger.

Spence and an enormous Mackerel

Went out to some very nice meals, explored the town, hung out on some riverside patios drinking beer and eating oysters.  

I was shocked by the general lack of sailboats – everybody had powerboats and few people had sailboats, and the ones we did see weren’t in use.  Very curious as just an hour or so

Lisa loves sushi

 north is Beaufort which is a huge sailing community.  Interesting.  My buddy who I grew up sailing with is getting a powerboat – very distressing!

We rented a boat another day and tooled up and down the ICW – was reminiscent of the trip my father and I took last summer for five days, from Virginia stopping in Beaufort.   It was fun to take the powerboat out to an uninhabited barrier island and picnic and play in the surf.  Big surfing community I discovered as well.

Sue on the barrier island

Me and Daley

Another day we drove out onto a beach nearby.  Was very fun – bouncing through the sand in the truck.  Hundreds of other cars were lined up all up and down the beach.  Cool scene if not a bit red-neckish.

 

And the last day we got to go visit a WWII battleship they have docked there.  Incredible to be able to explore it and read about and see and experience life on the enormous ship.

 

In Front of the USS North Carolina