Monday 4^th (Labor Day)

After an exhausting but fun weekend in Baltimore and Washington (visiting friends and doing the tourist thing) we were having a slow lazy day at home doing not very much at all. A little washing, a little painting, but not much. We had discussed that maybe we would use this day for Leila's first lead climb at Sleeping Giant N.P., but sitting in the garden talking to each other and "Grouchy" the landlord's cat, we found ourselves somewhat shiftless on the subject. Still, the weather looked kind (overcast, a little humid and not too hot) and we were "planning" a climbing trip with Leon in New Hampshire later this month, so perhaps it would be good for Leila to get some lead practise now. Therefore, we did rouse ourselves from our seeming state of slumber and did schlep forth into the wilds of the Giant.

We packed the "dudette" (our little red subaru) with all of our gear and drove in good time to the Park. Even at 4pm they were still charging visitors entry so we parked outside and, splitting the rope and gear, we walked to the base of the "chin" ¸¸¸ the only decent wall within spitting distance of New Haven that is also legal to climb. The climb in question, was to repeat Gumby's Delight, and Leila was to lead both pitches. We found the start easily enough, you see 'twas but a month since last I passed this way and my familiarity with the place had yet to pass away.

So, much discussion ensued. What gear to take, everything except one recently purchased nut-tool (that I would keep with me). What route to follow, we felt that Leon's original passage would prove challenging enough without stretching her resources and on this we quickly agreed also. So, with rope flaked and we two tied in at both ends, belayer at the ready and confidence high, Leila started up. But first, she placed a piece into the rock ¸¸¸ close to ankle-height. OK, so it was our only active camming device (Camalot #1), so she wasn't really climbing yet, so what? Her first lead on a reasonably serious cliff, I can tell you that both Leon and I were quite a bit daunted by the whole idea when we came here for our own inaugural leads in early August, so you can't blame her precautionary practise piece.

She continued, apologizing for being a bit slow (she was really no slower than I or Leon) and placing bomb-proof protection on the way up to Leon's belay perch. She really didn't take very long to reach the end of the first pitch, then setting up the belay station (apparently doubling back a little to improve the anchors) she prepared for my follow-up ascent.

Once Leila was anchored up there I escaped the belay and moved down the slope to the right to try out a line that Leon and I had spotted last time we were here. It was a short arete with a crack on the left face and scant holds on the right ¸¸¸ not leadable for us, but definitely worth a top-roped attempt. It lead directly under Leila's line, so there was no off-route trouble in store.

Leila took up the remaining slack between us and called down that I was on belay. I started up the arete and things took a bad turn nearly instantly. Two moves into it and maybe a metre off the ground I placed my hand up on top of what I thought was a nice shelf. I applied weight and the whole bloody lot, maybe 50 kilos of rock, came down. Fortunately it sort of slid to the left as it tipped and missed me by a whisker. There was a brief moment of panic when I thought it would drag on my rope, but it rolled harmlessly over to crash onto the ground just below. With my heart pounding and Leila calling down with questions about my state of being and inquiring after what just transpired, I assured her of my good health and continued up the arete. But it was harder than I had anticipated, bloody thing, and I had to traverse to the left and follow a simpler route instead. As I toiled upwards, inspecting and retreiving the protection Leila had placed before me (as I said, the stuff on this pitch was bomber, great) I recalled the disparity between looking at this climb from below (looks like a scramble) and looking at it in situ (no place for the untrained). Like Leon, Leila was pursuing her first lead with nary a warble of trepidation, indeed she elucidated passage in a manner similarly proficient. Cool!

I reached the belay and she tied me off with a smart clove hitch (a knot that for some reason gives me trouble still) and we discussed the next pitch. Her belay station was pretty good, she did use a self equalizing portion and a pre-equalized portion to the cordalette but it looked plenty strong. The plan was an immediate traverse to the left, requiring much protection on the way, then to follow a chimney/crack that I had taken in August, again laying down plenty of protection. Hmmm ¸¸¸ protection was suddenly a bit thin, several carabiners and slings had been employed for the belay station. Also, there was only one cordalette. Here was a potential problem. Normally Leon is up here too, with all of Leon's gear ¸¸¸ but ¸¸¸ well ¸¸¸ not this time. Leon's cordalette, Leon's extra carabiners and slings, were suddenly and greatly missed! Oh well, we're nothing if not inventive. Leila took all of the MacGregor's nylon slings that I had been carrying and I gave her a few hints about how to set up a belay from a small tree at the top. But I was still a bit worried. However, after a little rope management we were ready to go again. I had Leila on belay and she was still feeling strong and confident. Off she went, methodically placing pieces on the traverse, and skirting a reasonably difficult arete by down-climbing underneath it. On the other side she decided to make her own path from here, perhaps my chimney-route probably looked pitifully easy, and headed up a dihedral crack combination just after the arete. Well, she was soon out of sight and no amount of craning my neck or moving about brought her back into view. After a while she called down that she was on top and soon let me know it was safe to let her off belay. I took her off belay and, looking at all the pieces she had placed between here and there, wondered if she had anything left for an anchor. It turned out that she did, but only just (she now understands my desire to buy a bit more stuff).

So, up I went ¸¸¸ dismantling the first belay station and then cleaning the pieces on the traverse. Here I indulged in a little tut-tutting over a couple of these ¸¸¸ but here I will refrain from further comment. On the final climb she had placed a terrific tri-cam (these are pretty hard to place really well) and a couple of good nuts, although there was a bit of rope drag over the last edge (a result of setting the belay perhaps a little far from the edge of the cliff). Another solid lead here on the alternate ascent too, a bit of stemming, some puffing, nice work ¸¸¸ definitely harder than the original (suggested) line. I found her up the top smiling and pleased to have done the climb ¸¸¸ I was pretty pleased too. We discussed her placements and swapped ideas about how things might have otherwise been done while sorting out all the gear and butterflying up the rope. Leila said that she was glad to have had both leads and felt that it was definitely good to have done it now, before heading up to the big walls of New Hampshire. I think so too.