Sacrificial Slugs

Good lord, I feel completely wiped out from yesterday. My skin is running thin and I need to take my 'old person' medicine. I've been trying to keep up with all these youngsters lately but they keep pushing me to climb sheer rock faces, forcing me to pretend like I actually enjoy this crap.



A Little si flower.

Tuesday found myself, Nick, and Dom hanging out at on the Little si ledge with what seemed like the rest of Seattle. For a weekday it was pretty busy. I won't drop any names, because I don't really know any but we were deferred from our current project Californicator and made to endure the bushy nature of Slug Lover. Not a bad climb at all if you don't mind prickly bushes, large amounts of bird guano, and an uncomfortable crux sequence. Truthfully though, it climbs a lot better than it looks. Getting through all of the aforementioned 'hazards' is worth it to climb the beautiful sequence at the top. I owe Dom a huge thank you for putting me on this route. He put the draws up, chalked up some holds, and held my hand as I shakily sent the thing second go. The only reason he didn't send was because of a lousy dry fire on a fin-like hold at the crux. It's certainly not the proudest .12c I've done but undoubtedly the fastest .12c ascent I've ever done. I'm certain the rest of the Oly' crew will follow suit in the near future.
Anyway, my achievement falls a distant second to the main event of the day. Nick had been feverishly working Californicator, most likely the proudest .12d at Little si, for well over a year now and his time had come. Dom made an impressive go hanging only once at the crux before clipping the chains.



Dom on Californicator(5.12d)



After a shaky first go, Nick had collected himself and bolted up the first few boulder problems only to find himself locked in hand to hand combat with the redpoint crux. He smoothed his sequence out, a few tenuous moves coupled with Nick growls and he was on the 'almost victory jug'. Just a few clips of .11b and he would be staring down the 'real victory jug'. He grappled onto the last face peppered with good crimps and lunged upwards snagging the last jug with a victory shout and clipped the chains.










We lit up the crag with our howls of delight. It was by far the hardest route I have ever seen any of our crew send, and I was proud to witness it. Nick deserves this send; he worked hard for it just like every route he has sent and his effort is completely inspiring.
It was a great day at the crag with the boys and I look forward to the rest of the summer and projecting the hell out of Californicator.


Propaganda(5.12c).