From: ilana@kiowa.scd.ucar.edu (Ilana Stern)
Subject: My first *real* lead (a trip report)
Organization: NCAR/UCAR
Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1992 18:02:15 GMT

Admittedly, I posted a "first lead" story about 2 months ago, when I led
a route in the gym.  Forget that stuff about clipping into quickdraws.
This here's the real thing.

Britt and I had been planning to climb Icarus, in Eldorado Canyon, but
had to change our plans when we discovered it was closed for prarie
falcon nesting.  I'd been a bit disappointed by Britt's selection of 
Icarus, since it was "only" 5.6 -- after all, I'd been working out on
9's and 10's in the gym!  But when he said, "Would you be interested
in doing some of the leading?" I got a bit more excited.  

So we hiked up past Icarus to our next choice, Swanson Arete (5.5), but
there was a large and disorganized party there.  We consulted the book,
and chose the starred route Green Slab Direct (5.9).  It was perfect
for us:  a long approach and longer scrambling descent (Britt wanted
to work out his quadriceps, still on the mend from knee surgery), a roof
for me to practice my gym-acquired overhang technique, steep, aesthetic
cracks, exposure, fine rock, and the hardest rating of any non-toproped 
non-gym climb I'd attempted (for my ego).  Best of all, the second and 
fourth pitches were 5.6, so I would get a chance at leading!

The first 5.8 pitch looked pretty trivial from the ground, but as I started
I started up after belaying Britt, I realized it was steeper than it had
appeared.  The cracks were big and made nice holds, though, and the
lichen which made the slab green still made for solid footing (much of
it was worn off from the route anyway, by hundreds of climbers).  As in
the gym, where colored tape marked the holds, I could identify the line
clearly by the copious chalk marks.  

The overhang was a bit tricky to get out of, but I eventually arrived at
the belay stance.  Britt:  "Are you ready to try leading?"  Me: "Yeah!"
So he showed me how to rack up, handed over the gear, checked me on my
knots, went over the topo with me, pointed out niceties of the belay stance
(which must have gone in one ear and out the other), and, as I prepared
to boldly go, said:  "Are you sure you want to do this?"  (Me:  "Yeah!")

I should point out here that Britt is my husband, and quite understandably
had some trepidation at sending his klutzy beginner of a wife, who had
never placed gear, who had been climbing all winter in a nice safe gym,
and who tends to be a little less than cautious, up on the sharp end of
a rope.  The night before, I had asked a lot of questions about gear 
placement, and up until he got out of sight on the first pitch, he'd 
explained each piece he placed.  So I knew what I was doing, right?

I stepped off the ledge, moved left a few feet.  "Can I put something here?"
"Is there a place to put something?"  "Sure, a really good crack!"  So I
spend the next 10 minutes trying every single friend on the rack, trying
to get something in that wouldn't fall out as soon as I yanked on it.  
Finally I gave up on that crack, and chose another one.  This time I
guessed right first off, placed a piece, and moved on.

For 5.6, this pitch was mighty steep and exposed.  There were lots of good
cracks and ledges, though, so most of the time I had both hands free to
place protection.  Anyway, I was too busy to look down.  Britt helpfully 
reminded me to place gear by shouting, "Can you put something in there?" 
every three or four steps.  I got up to the obvious ledge, where the next 
pitch began several yards to the right, and headed right, inadvertantly 
wrapping the rope around a tree.  I set up a belay and hollered for Britt 
to come up.

I would love to say that he was amazed and pleased with the great job
I did.  Unfortunately, he reads rec.climbing too, so I'd better not lie.
If I was in class, he would have given me an A in stopper placement, a
B in friend placement, a B in rope management and a D in stance construction.
Oh well.  I vowed to do better on the fourth pitch, and he took off on
the third.

This was a really great pitch.  70 feet of thin, steep cracks (5.8+), and
then the crux;  leaving these nice, solid cracks for a 5.9 traverse to
the right, with teeny face holds for the hands and even less for the feet.
When I arrived at the belay, I was breathing hard.

The last pitch started out pretty steeply as well, but it seemed for the
most part easier than the second one, at least until I hit a ledge with 
a tree.  I hooked the rope into the several slings around the tree, and
looked at the last bit of tower above:  the easiest way was clearly to
the left of the tree, but it looked like a 4th class scramble, and I
wanted to do some more climbing!  So I started up the rock immediately
behind the tree.

Mistake:  it looked good, but pieces of rock came out in my hand as I
progressed upward.  I thought about returning to the ledge, but it
seemed awfully far down.  I put a stopper in a crack, but it fell out
as I moved above it.  Britt yelled, "Your piece just fell out!"  I yelled
back, "I am aware of that fact!"  I started feeling nervous.  I suddenly
felt an enormous drag, and looked down to see that a piece of rock
had been dislodged by the rope and had rolled on top of it.  So I reached
down, carefully took hold of the piece of rock, and placed it on the
ledge by my face.  

I decided to head back to the left (Britt was still making nervous noises
about my position) so placed a friend carefully in a large crack which 
seemed solid.  I only had one quickdraw left, which I thought I'd save for
the belay, so I didn't add any slings to the friend.  Mistake:  tremendous
rope drag as I moved up and left.  Luckily, it was only another 10 feet
or so, and I was on the top!

I belayed Britt up (he gave this belay stance higher, though not perfect
marks) and we ate granola bars and peppermint patties and enjoyed the view.

-- 
/\        Ilana Stern DOD#009 | Hello, I am a rocket scientist, are there any
  \_][    ilana@ncar.ucar.edu | more cajun-flavored pork rinds?
      \_______________________|______________________________________________