Jonesing for those pumpfests

So its Thursday morning...Mike and I fly out tomorrow night to Kentucky to climb at the Red River Gorge. Its going to be a long trip...red eye flight. Layover somewhere in the South, fly into Dayton, OH around 10 am Saturday...then drive 3 hrs to the Red River Gorge. But I'm sure not complaining, only too happy to escape out of silicon valley, to a familiar loved haunt in the South-East. I was talking to some friend last night and mentioned how strange it felt that a quick road-trip that I'd make on a whim when I lived in Charlotte, now took a few months of planning.

The rock climbing routes at the Red are long, overhung and pumpy (forearm lactic acid inducing). You fall not because you can't technically do a move, but you get really exhausted...sometimes to the point that your fingers do not close around the next hold. This pic taken of the Motherlode crag gives you an idea of how steep the routes can be. Stay tuned for more pics and stories of some pumpfests!


Last night I stayed back in South Bay and visited Planet Granite after a while. I would have gladly bouldered (since that is so awesome there) but I was lucky to run into my friend Andreas and got a partner to lead-climb with. All the routes at PG are hard! I got my ass-kicked on 11s and and a 12a. Mission Cliffs routes are definitely easier, I'd say by a full letter grade.

I'm in a work training class right now and better start paying attention.