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Climbing, Adventure, Gear & Choss
Things to Do While Waiting to Climb
So let’s say you have 6 hours to kill before guiding some clients on Wall Street. A reasonable objective might be the North Chimney on Castleton, with your friend who has never climbed the tower. The climbing is moderate and you should have plenty of time to get up and down quickly.
You get an early start and crush the approach hike. Things are looking good, but then you hear it: “Come on, you got it!” Nothing wrong with some encouragement, but when its the party ahead of you and they are only 10 feet off the ground on a 3 pitch route, this is cause for concern. When it takes them 2.5 hours to get all 3 to the top of the first pitch, you might entertain yourself with the following activities:
Go look around the corner at the other popular moderate route, only to find it has 2 parties in line. (on a Tuesday)
Wish you had more #3 Camalots so you could climb the North Face.
Wish you had a guidebook so you knew what gear you’d need for Fine Jade.
Drop subtle hints about how you have to be back to work by 2, hoping they let you pass. But they don’t.
Make new friends with the other party that’s also waiting. You can learn a lot about someone in 2.5 hours.
Create rock art, including one you name Wilson and make up stories about.
Gaze out over the incredible landscape spread before you.
Ultimately climb the first pitch and rap off, realizing you will not be back to camp before dark if you wait behind this party. Better get up earlier next time.
5 Responses to Things to Do While Waiting to Climb
Bulldog Creek Dog Walk (IV WI 4+)
Hayden Carpenter and Tom Bohanon recently repeated an obscure ice climb on the south side of Mt Sopris. Given a brief mention in Jack Robert’s ice guide, Bulldog Creek Walk is described as being 100 meters of WI 4. What they found was seven pitches of ice in a remote setting that makes for one […]
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Your post put a smile on my face. Keep up the great blog!
This seems eerily similar to an experience I recently had….
I feel like I lived through that exact experience just a few weeks ago. Everyone had their patient pants on that day!!!!!!
Bryce, how is EP? I had ants in my pants that day, certainly not patient pants.
Greetings from Estes. You wouldn’t believe it but I had another similar experience on the Diamond not two weeks ago. No rock art but lots of waiting. Hope Carbondale treated you guys good this summer. Cheers!!!