1st Annual
Southern Adirondack Rock Fest
Friday & Saturday, September 5 & 6, 2008
by Jay Harrison
The forecast was lousy and for once, the weather complied with the prognosticators. We were late and lazy. Advertising didn't happen: word of our event barely made it out before it began. But we carried on, ignoring the rain, and held the first Southern Adirondack Rock(climbers') Fest at Shanty Cliffs anyway. While the forecast correctly pointed to a lousy Saturday, we started things on Friday and managed to have a grand time, replete with climbs from 5.6 to 5.10c, and a few spectacular leader falls to boot. On Saturday, two hardy souls remained to force a few climbs before the rain finally convinced them too, to bid the Shanty farewell. Sunday, a small group returned and claimed a few more climbs with what turned out to be the best conditions of the weekend.
Here is the skinny on this year's event.
Friday, 5th September
Small Group, Big Fall
With most folks strapped to standard M-F jobs, we expected Friday to be a low turnout day, but since we had to claim camp anyway, Todd and I went to Shanty cliffs for an early start. Jed, a neighbor of mine, had the day off and decided to come along for a chance to experience rock climbing himself. That made three of us; and not long after Jed and I put a rope on Time Trials,Jamie McNeill came wandering up the trail, too; making four the total attendance for Friday.
We all took a run or two on Time Trials. For Jed, this 5.7 was his first rock climb (save for a stint on Foretaste back when he was eight or nine years old), and while it challenged him, he held on and managed the entire route without weighting the rope. He did take a fairly long while to trust the belay downward once he reached the top, but that is a natural, frequent occurence for newbie climbers. Jamie and Todd took a lap and then moved on to harder things, while I remained to belay Jed on another lap, offering instruction to help instill good technique and style (OK, I heckled while he climbed!).
We then walked down to find that Todd had belayed Jamie on a lead up Shantytown. This is rated 5.9 in the Guidebook, but I think it is close to 5.10a, at least for shorter people. The lower move, getting around the overhang, is 5.9 (this is the same crux as Gunky Route), but the four meters or so before the top anchors is quite stiff, also. Regardless, it's one of the most interesting, sustained routes at Shanty. I took a lap and then we put Jed to the test. He struggled his way through the lower crux, falling several times before working the moves out and managing the long reach to good holds. He handled the delicate face moves above gradually and in better style, but the last few moves stymied him; so finally he returned to Earth, defeated only for the time being. Jed is already thinking about ways to increase his forearm strength and tackle the climb successfully.
Jamie was fully warmed up by now, and decided to lead the 5.10a route next door on the downhill side, Slumlord. This line offers sport-style bolts through its crux section, with trad placements on the easier climbing above. Bumping quickly through the low crux, Jamie made short work of bolt and trad sections, and was soon lowered to the ground. Todd provided a belay while I followed and cleaned the route.
Jed had to leave after watching these antics, declining to attempt another difficult route with completely pumped arms. We waved good-bye as he descended, then we remaining three discussed what to do next.
We decided to set up Little Gem Diner, a highly-recommended 5.6 on the wall right of the main buttress. All the routes on this face are excellent, enjoyable lines, with this particular line being arguably the best of the lot, as it works through the center of the wall. We TR'd a couple variations before moving on to the final target for Friday's end...
Jamie has been leading at a high standard this season, and was up for pushing things a bit on an enticing line on the main buttress. Rocinha follows a series of discontinuous face holds up to a final tips-crack slicing through the steep and generally holdless last section of the wall. Rated at 5.10c, it isn't for the timid, but then, Jamie isn't shy.
I climbed up Little Gem Diner one more time, to anchor in at the top and play photographer. Todd belayed. Jamie sorted his gear and tied into the sharp end. Launching upward, Jamie worked through the delicate lower moves, gradually working his way up to the last obstacle: the thin crack splitting the blank face.
After plugging in a solid cam, he had to work his way up to a stand on the good horizontal the base of the crack. Since the crack wouldn't accept his fingers, in only a couple spots could he work his tips in far enough to get any purchase. Finally, he worked them in as best he could and went for the stand. He nearly came off before managing a ferocious pinch on the edges, allowing just enough time to get his feet secured under him. We all held our breath as he painstakingly stabilized his footing while clinging stubbornly to tiny edges. Finally, he steadied himself, and we all exhaled in relief.
Now he stood at the crux. Barely holding on, he searched for protection, coming up with nothing reassuring; only a small nut precariously wedged in the crack. With this the best option he could muster, he then began sleuthing the final moves of the route. Except for the crack, there was little else of use, and he could not get any sort of solid hold on that one feature. A small crimp to the left offered some hope, so he grasped that and began pulling upward. The next holds were obviously to the right, now farther away, since the crimp pulled him left. Desperately, he pulled right and flung a hand to a hopeful-looking hold, only to hit sloping, slippery rock.
Instantly, he was off. With a loud Phht! and a puff of rock dust, the tiny nut spit from the crack, and suddenly Jamie was in for a much longer fall than he had expected; bouncing to a stop just as his posterior kissed the jagged ledge 7 meters below his high point.
Uninjured and undaunted, Jamie swarmed back upward to work the moves again. This time, he managed a better nut placement, and proved its worth by falling yet again, this time without the extreme additional distance. Finally, he deciphered the proper sequence and reached the top, clipping the anchors victoriously. While I'm a big fan of onsight, no-falls leading, I have to admire someone with the willingness to take repeated, respectable falls in pursuit of hard climbs. After such a long whipper, I would be pulling the rope, licking my wounds, and calling it a day.
Which, coincidentally, is what we did after finishing Rocinha. I cleaned the pitch, working out a favorable sequence for the crux and at the same time discovering that my narrow lil' fingers fit in a lot more of the crack than most guys could manage. I decided to give the route a go on the sharp end myself before the weekend was over.
After that, it was time to head to camp for some well-deserved and greatly anticipated dinner around a campfire. Todd had walked down ahead of us; had in fact walked back to the camp, discovering in the process that camp was a lot farther from the Shanty Cliff trailhead than he had remembered it to be (measured later at 3 miles, so after a long day of climbing, Todd took a 3½ mile hike). Jamie visited for awhile with Todd, his family, and me before heading homeward. Todd's family stuck around another hour or so before they too packed into their car and left the two of us at camp.
Above us, the night sky had begun starry and brilliant, but gradually, a grey shimmering cover of cloud moved overhead, portending the next day's weather with its advance. We two lone remnants of the first SAdkRF chatted awhile, then headed for bed.
Saturday, 6th September
Good Practise for Norway
The forecast was for rain starting after 2am. I had hoped it would come in and the worst would pass by midmorning, allowing us a fair day of climbing. It was not to be: the rain held off for several hours, shifting the drying time well past midafternoon at the earliest. Still, Todd & I were determined to make the most of the day. By 8:30, the rain had stopped. The sun poked through the cloud cover a couple times, just enough to lend us hope. We packed our climbing gear and headed down the road. Once more, we lugged full packs across the Sac and up the trail. The cloud cover had allowed a mere glimpse of sun, not enough to dry the rock, nor was a breeze blowing to waft away the moisture. It was a damp, dismal cliff we trudged up to inspect upon our arrival.
We figured to climb Pug Love, a short route at the low end of 5.6 and conveniently situated near the lower end of the established lines on Shanty Cliff. It was just as wet as everything else, but offered a lot of protection possibilities, so how bad could it be?
Pretty bad, as it turns out. Not horrible, but climbing wet 5.6 definitely adds a lot of difficulty to the overall experience. Where the rock was totally clean, footholds were reasonably dependable regardless of the moisture, but even minor amounts of lichen made any hold suspect. Consequently, we frantically searched for the largest handholds available and then latched onto them with an earnest deathgrip. Wet rock reduced us to newbie climbers again, clutching at holds and "grannying" into the slope at every step. It made for pumpy climbing.
Todd & I climbed Pug Love, Shanty Girl, and Mean Low Blues, as the weather went from bad to worse. The rain came and went, mostly a mist merely adding damp to wet, but occasionally streaming down earnestly, enough to soak our clothes as we climbed. It was all quite ludicrous after awhile, and finally we had to admit, if not defeat, then enough of the struggle for one day. At least we had climbed something.
We shouldered our loads and descended, trudging across the river, into the car, and back to camp. There, we discussed the situation. The cloud cover showed no sign of thinning, and the mist continued to fall ever-so subtly, dashing any hope of the rock drying soon. The 1st Annual SAdk Rock Fest had washed out. We decided to break camp and head homeward. Perhaps next year would bring us better weather.
Sunday, 7th September
Sunny Jekyll to Saturday's Hyde
At home Saturday evening, I first notified everyone that we had left camp and were probably not going to return the next day. I then checked the forecast...and suddenly things changed. Sunday was predicted sunny, clear, and cool. I couldn't be certain, but returning to Shanty no longer seemed futile. To be safe, I waited for the morning and once again checked the forecast. It was still good. I went to the phone and began calling people.
Todd had vehicle shuffling problems and could not return, Jamie was doubtful, Jed had other obligations; but Val & Kevin were enthusiastic about heading to Shanty, so we had at least three to finish the weekend. We agreed to meet at Shanty in the afternoon and climb together.
I ran a bit late getting out to the trailhead, but was accompanied by my wife, Robin, who joined the event for the fresh air, views, and some picture-taking opportunities. As it turned out, Kevin & Val had arrived only a few minutes earlier; I met them as they prepared to set up top-ropes on Pug Love and Shanty Girl, so I came along and we added Mean Low Blues to the mix. All three were now dry and enticing, nothing like the previous day's washout routes.
Robin continued up to enjoy the view from the clifftop while we began climbing. Val and Kevin both wanted to work on leading; I suggested they do some pseudo-leads first, carrying and placing gear while on top-ropes, and they decided this would do. Val started on Shanty Girl, but quickly found that carrying a trad rack is more difficult than simply top-roping a route at the edge of one's ability. Soon, she opted to shed the extra metal and just work out the route's intricacies sans gear.
This turned out to be for the best. I was going to critique their placements, but Jamie McNeill came wandering up the slope, looking to warm up on an "easy" route before tackling harder stuff. Kevin accompanied him for the first task, but being relatively new to climbing, more experience was needed for belaying anything hard. After belaying Val for awhile, Kevin returned and we swapped positions.
Before heading upward, voices below indicated that some other folks had come to Shanty Cliff for some climbing. I ran down to see who was joining us, and was delighted to find Neil Dunkley with two friends roped up on Swampoodle in the Sports Arena area. Neil hadn't heard of the SAdkRF - compliments of my poor communication - but was happy to be at Shanty during the festivities. Alas, he had only a short time between other obligations, so we did not get to climb together. Perhaps next year...
I wandered up the cliff to Jamie. He had led Life and Debt, a fun 5.8 near the far right side of the main buttress, and was inspecting its more difficult neighbor, Hard Times. I followed his lead, cleaning gear and looking over the 5.11c before lowering. It looked like a well-protected sport route, though we thought it appeared to be run-out at the end. It might mean another respectable fall, but not one of Friday's calliber.
Photo by Robin Harrison
The gear was simple: quick-draws and a few "maybe" small cams and nuts. Jamie headed up, working through the delicate lower moves quickly, to the by-now familiar blank face, the same obstacle as for Rocinha, only this time, no crack - however meager and thin - for help. Once again, his last pro was a bolt a meter below his feet, the next bolt a meter out of reach as he began the crux.
This time, standing in balance meant clinging to a nasty small sloper on the right and a micro-crimp with the left fingernails. Jamie could stand up, his feet relatively well-positioned in a horizontal crack, but it was tiring to hang on and seemed impossible to advance. There was no end in sight, literally: he could not see a direction that led to any plausibly useful holds. He was trapped in the middle of a long expanse of rock devoid of useable holds, the hallmark perhaps, of any route rated 5.11c.
With little choice but to adopt a strategy and attempt it, Jamie clutched at the sloper, crimped his crimp, and began inching his feet up toward whatever ghostly holds might reside on the wall. In desperation, he lunged for something that appeared to offer substance, somehow remaining on the wall. Now he was level with the last bolt, but with every sinew of his body struggling to hold on, could he clip it? He began the process, snapping a quickdraw to the pro. He started to pull rope but quickly released the slack as his feet gave way. Down he flew once more, four meters or so before stopping. Hard Times was living up to its name.
Back up the rope he climbed, this time to inspect the belay, the potential for higher pro (none), and the possibilities available for ascending the route. He struggled awhile with the moves, but finally grabbed his quickdraw and settled the issue as he moved to the belay anchors. We hadn't expected an on-sight, so we weren't disappointed. We both spent the next hour top-roping the route and deciphering the most plausible solution. Jamie was able to link it up successfully in the end, but the bolt placements will continue to make this a troublesome route for leaders, so he can't be sure when he will return for another try on the sharp end.
It was getting late now, but I wanted to take a stab at Rocinha. It wouldn't be an on-sight lead, after top-roping it on Friday, but at least it would be a respectable one. I ran down to get my gear and to look in on Kevin and Val, then raced back up to the main buttress and racked up as Jamie pulled the rope off Hard Times. Up I went, confidently pulling through the lower moves, thinking how easy the crack and crux would be for a skinny-fingered old guy, but when I arrived at the scene, reality set itself in firmly. The crack seemed to have shrunk a tad overnight, or my fingers had swollen perhaps. Either way, they didn't fit in nearly as securely as I thought they would. I hemmed and hawed at the crux for a long while, sewing in several lousy pieces, before finally going for it. Cross-armed, right foot dimple, left foot dimple, one-two-three lunge: I was over the difficulty in an instant after spending fifteen minutes sweating out the details and generally wasting time.
Now, it was getting dark. We had ropes and gear to remove. Jamie cleaned my lead expertly - with the cluster I left near the crux, expertise was needed! - and then pulled the rope while I went down to help Val and Kevin clean up around their routes. Our gear packed, we hiked down, across the Sac, and to our cars one last time, just before darkness fell over the wilderness around Route 8.
The 2008 SAdk is over, and despite hurricane remnants and poor directorship, it was a satisfying, successful event for those who took part in it. We're looking forward to 2009, when we meet on the slopes of Crane Mountain. Maybe we will see YOU there next September?
Thanks and Appreciation
- Thanks to Todd Paris, for helping organize, advertise, and execute the event
- Thanks to Sculptures by Frank for the Bear Sign!
- Thanks to Steve Ovitt, for the permit to camp at an awesome group site
- Thanks to everyone who attended!
Factoids for 2008 SAdkRF
- Locale: Shanty Cliff
- Campsite: Big Pines along the Sac on the old Fox Lair Grounds
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Attendance:
- Day 1: 4
- Day 2: 2
- Day 3: 5 (8 if you count Neil and his gang).
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Routes Climbed:
- Day 1: 5. Time Trials, Shanty Town, Slumlord, Little Gem Diner, Rocinha
- Day 2: 3. Pug Love, Shanty Girl, Mean Low Blues
- Day 3: 5. Shanty Girl, Pug Love, Life and Debt, Hard Times, Rocinha
- Biggest Whipper: Jamie McNeill, 4 meters off Rocinha on Friday
- Most Falls: Jamie McNeill, 3 off Rocinha, 3 off Hard Times
- Most Leads: Jamie McNeill, 5
- Perfect Attendance: Moi
- Most Climbs completed: Moi, 10
- Most Improved: Jed Herrmann, Noobie to Nearly 5.9 in one afternoon!
- Average Temperature: 65°F
- Leaf-Peeker Level: ½
- Toughest Successful Lead: Jamie McNeill, Rocinha.
- Best On-Sight: Jamie McNeill, Slumlord.
- Favorite Route: TBA, attendees please issue your votes!