A Day in the 'Gunks
Saturday Yilin and I went up to the Shawangunks (aka the 'Gunks) with Rob and Claire, where we met up with Scott. We broke into two teams: Rob, Claire, and Scott went off in search of some fun, while Yilin and I went to the Uberfall.
I wanted to take her up a very short, very easy climb as her first foray into climbing. In the guidebook I saw "The Flake 5.1 G". Excellent. It doesn't get much easier than a 5.1 only 25 feet tall. The description is a single straightforward sentence along the lines of 'climb the flake.'
For you non-climbers, a flake is what it sounds like: a big thin slab of rock that does not make continuous contact with the main rock face. You normally climb flakes by holding onto the back side (where the flake and the main face oppose each other) and walking your feet up, then readjusting your hands higher. Obviously it is easier if there are big footholds.
Well, I want someone to show me the 5.1 way to climb this thing. This flake is about 3-4 inches thick at the 'knife edge' and is very large for the Gunks, at about 20 feet tall. At one point the eponymous flake is slightly overhanging and has one very small foothold, while the other foot must smear. 5.1? Hmmm... Perhaps I am not supposed to climb the knife edge of the flake, but rather the face?
Of course, there is NO gear if you climb the face, which IS easier than climbing up the edge. I ended up doing mostly a lieback the whole way up so that I could place gear on the main rock wall. Climbing the face of the flake means no gear. G rated? Hmmm...
After reaching the top and setting up a top rope anchor, I rappelled down and put Yilin on belay. I am sure she was nervous as I took my time reaching the top, hesitating several times to find the '5.1 way' up. She got up about 10 feet and decided she had enough. She doesn't like heights. Actually, she is afraid of them, and I am surprised that she was willing to try a climb that was not straightforward and much harder than 'first-timer'. I was impressed at her attempt. I also felt very bad that I took her to such a difficult climb right off the bat; but I didn't know it would be like that.
She down-climbed, I ran up and took everything apart, walking off from the top of the cliff. We packed up and made a brief effort to find Rob, Claire, and Scott. After having been unsuccessful in locating them, I took her on a hike along the Overcliff Trail, all the way to the far end of the Trapps where it meets up with the Carriage Road/Undercliff Trail, and hiked back to the Uberfall. Rob, Claire, and Scott showed up, and we traded stories about our day.
Rob and Scott were willing to follow me up a short easy climb (the sun was about to set) as I didn't get much climbing done. So I ran up the first pitch of Betty (5.3), which was so much easier than The Flake that I can't describe it. Ridiculously easier. Claire and Scott both took rides on Betty before we headed out and had dinner at Anatoli in New Paltz.
I think for Yilin's next foray (she said she was willing to try again, and i did not ask her to), we will try the indoor gym. There are guaranteed easy short climbs that are the equivalent of ladders. Plus, she will be able to watch people fall and see that it is safe. Regardless, I am glad that she was willing to at least watch and see what climbing is about, as well as give it a shot.
Photo slide show here.
I wanted to take her up a very short, very easy climb as her first foray into climbing. In the guidebook I saw "The Flake 5.1 G". Excellent. It doesn't get much easier than a 5.1 only 25 feet tall. The description is a single straightforward sentence along the lines of 'climb the flake.'
For you non-climbers, a flake is what it sounds like: a big thin slab of rock that does not make continuous contact with the main rock face. You normally climb flakes by holding onto the back side (where the flake and the main face oppose each other) and walking your feet up, then readjusting your hands higher. Obviously it is easier if there are big footholds.
Well, I want someone to show me the 5.1 way to climb this thing. This flake is about 3-4 inches thick at the 'knife edge' and is very large for the Gunks, at about 20 feet tall. At one point the eponymous flake is slightly overhanging and has one very small foothold, while the other foot must smear. 5.1? Hmmm... Perhaps I am not supposed to climb the knife edge of the flake, but rather the face?
Of course, there is NO gear if you climb the face, which IS easier than climbing up the edge. I ended up doing mostly a lieback the whole way up so that I could place gear on the main rock wall. Climbing the face of the flake means no gear. G rated? Hmmm...
After reaching the top and setting up a top rope anchor, I rappelled down and put Yilin on belay. I am sure she was nervous as I took my time reaching the top, hesitating several times to find the '5.1 way' up. She got up about 10 feet and decided she had enough. She doesn't like heights. Actually, she is afraid of them, and I am surprised that she was willing to try a climb that was not straightforward and much harder than 'first-timer'. I was impressed at her attempt. I also felt very bad that I took her to such a difficult climb right off the bat; but I didn't know it would be like that.
She down-climbed, I ran up and took everything apart, walking off from the top of the cliff. We packed up and made a brief effort to find Rob, Claire, and Scott. After having been unsuccessful in locating them, I took her on a hike along the Overcliff Trail, all the way to the far end of the Trapps where it meets up with the Carriage Road/Undercliff Trail, and hiked back to the Uberfall. Rob, Claire, and Scott showed up, and we traded stories about our day.
Rob and Scott were willing to follow me up a short easy climb (the sun was about to set) as I didn't get much climbing done. So I ran up the first pitch of Betty (5.3), which was so much easier than The Flake that I can't describe it. Ridiculously easier. Claire and Scott both took rides on Betty before we headed out and had dinner at Anatoli in New Paltz.
I think for Yilin's next foray (she said she was willing to try again, and i did not ask her to), we will try the indoor gym. There are guaranteed easy short climbs that are the equivalent of ladders. Plus, she will be able to watch people fall and see that it is safe. Regardless, I am glad that she was willing to at least watch and see what climbing is about, as well as give it a shot.
Photo slide show here.
posted by josh at 9:41 AM
2 Comments:
I am impressed that she tried climbing knowing that she has a fear of heights. Yilin, the woman without fear!
yeah, she is a really good sport about everything. too good, i sometimes think. i worry that she can be a bit of a pushover, and i might get her to try something she isn't really interested in. but, i have faith that she will say "no" if she doesn't want to do something.
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