From: srclark@happy.colorado.edu
Subject: White Spire Trip Report
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: 14 Aug 92 13:15:15 MDT



Hi,

The description of this newsgroup says:

Newsgroup for single people, their activities, etc.

I think it should read:

Newsgroup for single people to discuss their singleness

or:

Newsgroup for single people who don't do anything but talk about being single

Well, Homey don't play that. I'm gonna break with the tradition of this
group and post a recent trip report. Flame on. If you *really* don't like
it I'll post another.

BTW any SFs who want to talk about something other than being single can
(if you get that far).

Trip report follows.

It's really early (about 6:30 am) on Wednesday. The harder I work out the
earlier I rise. We even stayed up *late* last night. I met my brothers
plane at 9:45 am yesterday. After a Village Inn breakfast (I carbo-loaded
on fruit), I drug him to Grand West Outfitters to get a harness and some
misc. gear. They were sold out of everything we needed except for the
rental shoes. They were nice enough to call Mountain Chalet and find the 
stuff we needed. I now realize why I keep going there first.

After we get to the Chalet and get the harness fitted, we get in line to
pay behind a guy and a young lady who had also just rented shoes (for her).
She called them 'baby shoes'. I guess because they were 4.5's.

After dropping another .75 hundred dollars, we are on our way to the Garden.
It was a great day. Highs in the low 80's. Mostly overcast. No rain. Great.

When we're on-site I take him straight to 'Practice Slab'. This is where almost
all beginners 'get their feet'. When we realize we left the camcorder in the
truck, he went back and I started to set the top rope. He got back just as I
finished sorting gear. 

Just as I'm ready to climb around the rock to set the top rope, the people
we had seen earlier at the Chalet showed up at the base and asked us if we
were finished with the route. We told them we hadn't even started, and it
was clear he was disappointed. He asked about another easy route and I
suggested 'Silver Spoon', but told him he would have to lead it. He told
me that his friend (the young lady) had never climbed before and didn't
know how to belay. Well this was exactly why we were on 'Practice Slab'. 
I told them the slab was big enough for 2 ropes and invited them to share-
if he would put up both ropes. Trade. 

Putting up a top rope isn't a big deal, just a pain with a lot of exposure.
Anyway we're ready to start climbing soon, and I let Jeff go first. I give
him the once-over on jargon, standing over feet, and stuff and send him to
climb. We ended up with the hard half of the slab. Jeff climbs a lot better
than I did the first time out. I spent a lot of time coaching him, so I'm
going to take the credit for that. But, we do have a hard rock, and it's
not long before he gets stopped. He ends up falling twice (about a foot),
and finally I lower him. What a trooper. 

Everytime I take someone to 'Practice Slab' I work on the problem he just
got dusted off of. It's not easy. I try it again and don't complete-same
progress as the last time, about 2 moves past where Jeff made it. Gonna solve
this one day, but not today.

The second time up I coach Jeff through a traverse that leads to an easier
(but still hard) way to the top. He makes it. I'm impressed. Well, it's
obvious he has his feet, so I suggest we go find something more challenging
to do. I'll take him to do 'Silver Spoon'.

The other guys we shared the slab with also strike out for new horizons.
They're going to do 'White Spire'. I had mixed feelings about this. Roger
was a *very* strong cimber, but Kim had not been able to complete anything
close to the difficulty of 'White Spire' on 'Practice Slab'. She did well
for the first time out, but was still inexperienced. At what seemed the
last minute he asked me to second and clean the pitch so he could set a 
top rope and try the (*hard*) face climbs. I agreed, of course. I need to
find really strong people to climb with so I can get better. I tell him
I'll be over in a minute.

When I get there he's almost to the top with her belaying. There are
about 30 tour-ons (tourists) watching. Great. No pressure here. After
he's tied in at top and I'm tied in at bottom I start climbing. About
30 feet up I take a breather (already sucking wind) and look around.
Along with the 30 or so tour-ons I see mommie dearest. I need this. Well,
I'm climbing pretty well, so no big deal. After I cleaned his last pro
I had a *hard* crack move to exit. I suck wind for a while before I try
it. This is a very awkward move. Kind of a reach backwards over the head
or *something*. I'm already tired and this strength move cramps
my chest muscles. He lowers me. When I'm at the bottom for a while a 
tour-on asks me if I was the one that got 'the cramp'. I thought she was
going to ask for my autograph. 

Well, we make our way over to 'Silver Spoon'.
This route is on what is called 'The Drug Wall'. This big wall is so named
because druggies hang out at the bottom and get high while they watch the
climbers get 'high'. The routes are named appropriately: Silver Spoon, Cocaine,
100% Pure, Cold Turkeys, Rocket Fuel, etc. I lead and Jeff follows, uneventful
but a lot of fun except that after we're through I am *really* dehydrated and
feel like I might pass out-almost do. 

We finished the trip in the tour-on cafe downing Mt. Dew and telling lies.
Nothing like caffeine and sugar to perk a person up. Give me a mountain
give me a dew.

Gonna roust the kid out of bed and do it again, so I'll talk to you

later

Steve

sclark@vlsia.uccs.edu
                                                    
Newsgroups: soc.singles