Cottontail

Well after work was rained out today I headed out to the Cottontail Crag with Wayne, Lyndsey, and Rob to hit up Arms Race 5.11b and Pay At The Pump 5.11c. After not having climbed for a full six days lets just say that I felt...refreshed.

Rob ran up Arms Race real quick and set the draws and then it was my turn to give things a go. The route starts out with a cool little .10a section pulling up over a little bulge at the bottom and the moves up through some easier moves to pull onto a ledge. The ledge is bomber so I took a second and chilled out and stretched to forearms to try and get myself fully warmed up since Arms Race is the easiest route at Cottontail. After that you pull up on some small crimps through another 5.10 section and then you're at the next bulge. From there you clip the next bolt and traverse left along a line of good crimps and then get a high right foot to reach for a decent edge to help pull the bulge the rest of the way. From above the bolt you move through a series of crappy pockets up to a sloper where I heel in with the left and move out to the iron cross crux move. The cross is made to a good crimp wide enough for both hands so you match, readjust feet and then nail a crimp and take slopers to the top. Sent! Which I was super psyched about and it's nice to know that my one 5.11b send wasn't a fluke. Also, the fact that I feel this route was a little harder is nice since it only took me 5 goes to get the send where the last one spit me off like 15+.

Next, we went over to Pay at the Pump a 5.11c crimpfest which I was able to work through with only two takes (sitting on the rope when I get stuck). I'm pretty psyched and the moves definitely seem like right at the upper levels of my ability. Maybe I'll even be able to head back and get that one for the redpoint here soon!

Well it's nice to have my psyche back and I hope that I can get this blog back on track with good climbing news. Preferably with lots of news of sends!