First Bald Trip of the Season

So I finally got out to the Bald for the first time this fall, those damn temps have been so high that the bouldering season is just now getting in gear. After climbing at LRC and some other spots recently, and sending some routes that I had once thought above my level, I was psyched to get back to the "motherland" and pull down hard. Boy was I wrong...or at least in the beginning of the session I was completely shut down! I started out warming up on the Trailside boulder and then wanted to start working on Dime Crack V4, one of the many ultra-classics at Rumbling. I've only put a couple of tries on Dime Crack before, it just hasn't been a route that beckons me, but I wanted to start ticking off some of the Bald classics I haven't sent yet and thought about this one first. Needless to say, I could barely make any moves on the route and was shut down with little to no shot at all. I forgot how stout Rumbling's grades are! From there I went on to attempt anther classic V4, Moby Dick...shut down at the crimp sidepull, man was I feeling weak and dejected! So I thought I'd go check out the Kris Kline Corner V4 and see if I had anything for it...but on my way to the KK Boulder, I passed by a smaller boulder with some fun looking routes (#27 in the guide) and decided to jump on those instead. I sent the easy Unknown V1 on the right side of the boulder and then I went to work on the Unknown V4 arete on the opposite side of the boulder...4 tries in, I sent. It was a fun route with some tough crystal pinches up the arete and a move out to a sloping lip to top out. Feeling a little better and like I was gaining some momentum, I put a couple of tries on Shady Grove/Basketball Mantle V3 and finally made my way to the top before my pinky tendon injury really hampered my ability to finish the route. Needless to say, this may be when I retweeked the injury and now I'm paying for it.

After Shady Grove, I couldn't help but stop and stare at Titanic V4 on the Hull boulder. In my book, this is one of the legendary slabs at Rumbling...tall, deceptive and seductive. I've seen quiet a few people get sucked into the lower moves only to pucker up at the top...I am now one of those fools:) After getting through the bottom moves, I reminded myself that I LOVE slabs and that the top out would be a piece of cake...it might not be as tough as some of the other moves on the route, but the top slab sure is dedicating! When I made my way to the final slanted shelf below the top, I almost lost it (man that pad looked small under me!), but I kept it together enough to top out and almost hug the poison ivy at the top:) That was one of the most fulfilling Bald routes I've ever sent, and I'm glad to finally get that monkey off my back!

After Titanic, I flailed around on Space Pirate V5 to an almost send, but decided to give my aching tendon a rest and call it a day...after all Hound Ears was only a few days away and I needed to be prime for the comp. I'll post up my Hound Ears experience tomorrow!