Hello all, it seems this website is hell-bent on making me introduce myself. :-) I'm Ross, and I have the misfortune of being a rock climber stuck in the flat state of Ohio for both home and school. However, I spent my entire summer down at the New in WV, which is where and when I learned to climb in the first place, so I feel like it's my local crag and second home. After that, I guess I would count Kendall Cliffs, a rock gym up here in NE Ohio, as my next-best thing.
All of my firsts were at the New, and all this past summer. First sport lead (You Want It You Got It, 5.9 Beauty Mountain,) first trad lead (Team Jesus, 5.10a Junkyard,) first 5.10 toprope AND sport lead (The Greenpiece, 5.10b and Springer, 5.10b respectively, Kaymoor.) I hope to make some trips down this fall to set a few more firsts. Does anybody know the area, and have suggestions for my attempt at my first 11 sport lead?
~StegosauROSS
ff113 says:
Go for the Gusto and do a 5.6 or 5.7 trad lead at Seneca W.V.
Bumluck says:
Welcome o the site.
Climbing Shirts for Climbing Bums
climbingtrash says:
Welcome to the site Ross. See you around and good luck tackling 5.ll. :)
gonzobeer says:
Welcome to the madhouse Ross!
Licentia Haud Vestigium
Vegas says:
GreenPiece and Springer are both great climbs! Flight of the Gumbie, a 5.9 is also classic as well! There's a lot of good climbs near Kaymoor. Heck, lots of good stuff around the New. I think there's also a good 10c on the cliff behind Kaymoor, I can't remember the name, called "First Steps," I think? It starts off of a 20 foot high block (but you should belay from the ground. Basically step off the block, and make a scary (but solid) first clip, and run up the rest of the route.
As for a good 11 to lead? SATISFACTION GUARANTEED at Summersville!!!!!!! It may be the best climb, IMHO at Summersville. Start off moving through about a 10 foot crack system, up to a crimpy, very technical crux. Depump, and move up to a roof. Roof is pure power and fighting the pump. Grunt as you pull the roof. Depump and run through the last two bolts to the anchors. Classic Route. Name says it all. May be a bit soft at 5.11b.
Another classic is Legacy (5.11a) at Endless Wall. It's right near the Honeymoon Ladder. Three bolts of technical moves. Crank a roof with a obvious heel hook and rest up for the next section. Next couple of bolts is a forearm busting dihedral layback to another roof system. Go left for the 5.11d variation. Right to finish up the 5.11a. Make sure you use a 60m rope. Again, route is aptly named. One of the best 11s on Endless.
Some other 10s to work on as you work up to your 11 lead. Badass-Tattoo at Sandstonia is awesome. Great climbing and the 10b move is the move to the anchors. Glass Onion and Strike a Scowl at Endless are great 10s as well. At Summersville, the 10s like Chewy at the start of the Long wall are great. I'm not a big fan of Orange Oswald, as it usually gets crowded and the routes are lame and overclimbed, IMHO. It could also be because that's where I took a scary 30+ foot whipper.
If you want more beta on the New, or want people to climb with, let me know. The Dc crew goes down there a lot, and I can hook you up with them. Great people to climb with, fo shure!
-
http://www.paradoxsports.org
http://vegas.smugmug.com
http://www.coloradospringsrockratz.com
Stegosauross says:
Vegas, I've heard great things about both Satisfaction Guaranteed and Legacy! You're saying that they would be good introductions to the grade? I'll be taking a very large group down on the 12th over my school's Fall Break, but I don't have any better climbers than me to finish a climb if I fail, so I'm hoping to pick an 11 that I won't be leaving any bail beaners on. I've sent a number of 10b's (Springer, Greenpiece, Exoduster, Chewy to name a few,) though nothing above that. This is mainly because of a lack of opportunity; I was climbing with people who were either far better or a few grades worse than me, so they either weren't interested in the weak climbs I was doing, or wanted me to lead a bunch of 5.9-10b range climbs for them, but nothing harder.
However, there is a 10d at the Super Mario Boulder, I can't remember the name of it, that had a small roof I could never quite manage to pull. I was always glad to have my buddy Micah around, who used the climb as a warmup before he worked Tubin' Dudes (13b,) because otherwise I would have been losing gear on it. I think I've improved now that I've gotten back in the gym,and worked on the basics of balance and footwork more, but I'm still worried that I'll be in the position where I can't finish my 11 and have to leave a beaner.
Maybe I should just stop worrying and do it, right? :-P
~Ross
Vegas says:
If you need a ropegun, I can try to hook you up with some DC climbers that go there all the time. That way, if you have to bail on Satisfaction or Legacy, they can go up and get your gear. But, I think if you're climbing at a solid 5.10 range, you can hang-dog over Satisfaction. The bolts are near the crux. I still haven't red-pointed myself. I can do all the moves, just not in one go. I'm usually too pumped by the time I get to the roof to get it.
-
http://www.paradoxsports.org
http://vegas.smugmug.com
http://www.coloradospringsrockratz.com
Stegosauross says:
I would only annoy any ropegun I teamed up with. When I say I'm taking a group down, I meant that I'll be 1 of 16 who are taking advantage of our 4 day weekend over Fall Break to go down--and of us, probably half have climbed somewhere between 0 and 5 times in their lives. Truly, a group of gumbies (perhaps I'll let them take a little Flight at Kaymoor :-).) I wouldn't inflict myself/my group upon *anybody* who's climbing above the 5.10 level. I appreciate the offer, though, and will keep it in mind if I make any more exclusive trips later in the season! As for Satisfaction, it sounds like a great choice for my first 11 lead, I'll have to psych myself up and just go do it.
~Ross
ff113 says:
5.11 sport is not easy. I only have one under my belt but its a 5.11d run out platte climb. It was all face no hand holds at all just feet. I took three falls but I pulled it. No clean lead thats for sure. I myself am a 5.9 - 5.10 climber but I will tell you one thing. Leading a 5.9 crack sustained is just as hard as a 5.11 sport climb. I have seen 5.11 sport climbers flail on crack climbs. So I say flat lander go to Seneca Rocks and see what its like like to get the @##@ scared out of you!!!
ff113 says:
Or drive a little bit longer and tackle the looking glass in North Carolina. Trad rad, its the bomb
crankmas says:
Welcome Buckeye! you need to come to the Red so you can get strong amigo! I fact, I would love to hit the New this fall if you would be willing to trade catches- I haven't been to Kaymoor yet and would love to as well as hitting all the new stuff (within range) at Summersville! Peace!
Stegosauross says:
ff113, I did a handful of crack climbs this summer, but I really didn't like it at all. I guess I'm too used to face climbing, because all the moves felt horribly awkward and unstable. My roommates made fun of me for my irrational hatred of jamming moves. That's why my one and only trad lead was actually a face climb. Also, I only know one person with a trad rack, and he's currently roadtripping to various climbing destinations out west, so I suffer from a lack of gear.
crankmas, I haven't yet made it to the Red, though I really want to. We were going to bring our school group down for Fall Break, until we realized it fell on the same weekend as the Petzl Roc Trip, and that it would be horribly crowded and generally not a great place to take a huge group of beginners. Later in the semester, though, I think I'll be making a weekend trip with a very small group either there or to the New. I'll be sure to shoot you a message if I do! And if you plan a trip to the New and need a catch, give me a little warning and I'll see if I can swing it.
~Ross
phlsphr says:
Ross,
I'm not sure who you are, but I'm stuck here in NE Ohio too and climb and Kendal Cliffs regularly with my wife. Have you been to Logtown in Lisbon yet? That's where I learned to climb, and there are some good climbs there.
Paul
ff113 says:
I am from Chagrin Falls, Ohio orig. I moved out to Colorado 20 years ago. I myself am the opposite. I feel much more out of my element on sport routes. I like the security of the crack. I am getting better at sport climbing but I still love to Trad climb. I went to college in Athens Ohio. So I know old mans cave, Seneca and my favorite the looking glass. I don't think much was going on in the NEW back then.. I am sure some locals were loving the fact it was unknown. As far as old mans cave its pretty but for climbing, doubtful the sand stone is to soft. On cold years you may get some good ice in Hocking Hills.
Rockdancer says:
Ha Ha ! Ya soft sand at old mans cave . Back in about 1973 I tried to lead a crack to the left side of the main "cave " I got up about 60 ft.aid ing this crack ,and a pin poped.I zippered out 4 more pieces and Deceided to forget that place ! There is some fine ice there,but I think the place is closed to climbing now.
Stegosauross says:
Paul, perhaps we've seen each other at Kendall, I bring in my group of (mostly) newbies from the College of Wooster almost every Monday and Thursday--if you knew Stella from the past few years, I've inherited her group--today will be the first Thursday I've missed in weeks, and I guess I'll miss Monday too since I'll be at the New.
I haven't been to Logtown or Lisbon yet. People here always talk about making a trip out to Hinckley, but nobody here ever gets off their asses and organizes one, and I don't know where it is, so I've never taken the initiative myself.
~Ross
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