East Side Of The River | chossclimbers.com

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Summary

The splendor of the Lower Gorge (from the top of the Shakespeare Cliff) on an overcast summer day in June of 2007.

A June weekend in 2007, we hiked into the Lower Gorge and headed across the river to the Shakespeare Cliff. Shirley led the nice Big Woody (5.9) as the weather started deteriorating from cloudy to drizzly. I led Much Ado About Nothing (5.10d), with the short but thin & powerful crux near the top (roof pull on a finger crack). Shirley then led Two Gentlemen’s Pneumonia (5.7), probably one of the easier lines in the area but quite nice actually. We finished off the day with a solid ass kicking on Lust Labor’s Cost on the far right side of the Shakespeare Cliff – short but hard and thin (IMHO) 5.10b finger crack. On Sunday, we came back to the east side and did two lines on the Windfall Wall. Shirley led Across The Water, a nice 5.9 stembox and I led Fool’s Pleasure a 5.10a dihedral with a carck that starts as a pinched down seam and quickly goes to good jam size.

Photos

Shakespeare Cliff as seen from the base of Cruel Sister (June 2007).

Shirley starting up Big Woody - a nice 5.9 crack on the Shakespeare Wall (June 2007).

Shirley leading Big Woody (5.9) on Shakespeare Cliff. Sorry about the blotch on the right but it was raining (water on lens; June 2007).

Shirley on the short crux section of the Big Woody (5.9; June 2007).

Shirley leading Big Woody (5.9)...this is perhaps the crux of the route (June 2007).

The splendor of the Lower Gorge (from the top of the Shakespeare Cliff) on an overcast summer day in June of 2007.

I think this is the top of "pitch 2" of Big Woody. We did a short roof (5.9) above Big Woody proper to get to some rap anchors...at least to the best of my recollection (no bolts atop the crack; June 2007).

Looking downriver from the top of the Shakespeare Cliff. The Monument is visible in the background. The basalt columns visible on the right belong to the Hand Job Wall, with the left crack being the classic (& hard) Original Sin (5.10c; June 2007).

Unknown climbers starting up Cruel Sister (5.10a) on the Catwalk Cliff across the Crooked River from the Shakespeare Cliff (June 2007).

Unknown party on Cruel Sister as seen from the top of Shakespeare Cliff (June 2007).

Leading the very nice Much Ado About Nothing. This is the lower portion, a 5.9 crack (June 2007).

Leading Much Ado About Nothing on Shakespeare Cliff. This is the top of the 5.9 crack; the crux 5.10+ boulder problem goes up the overhung dihedral left of chain anchors (June 2007).

Shirley beginning the crux steepness near the top of Much Ado About Nothing (June 2007).

Shirley with the finishing hand jam on Much Ado About Nothing. The two moves required to reach it were a struggle for both of us. Our dog is living out the excitement of the moment 70 feet below (June 2007).

Shirley topping out on Much Ado About Nothing (5.10d).

Shirley leading Two Gentlemen's Pneumonia (5.7) on Shakespeare Cliff (June 2007).

Shirley leading the OK line that is Two Gentlemen's Pneumonia (5.7) on the Shakespeare Cliff in the Lower Gorge (June 2007).

"Leading" a 5.10b...ullshit finger crack (Lust's Labor's Cost) on far right side of Shakespeare Cliff. What it lacks in length, it makes up for in difficulty. Bulgy crack with sharp finger jams and smeary feet. I have not had the use of my nose-picking fingers since this attempt (raw and numb; June 2007).

Blondie getting a relaxing massage before her onsight of Much Ado About Nothing (5.10d...but with paws it's more like mid 11's; June 2007).

Shirley getting some attention from Blondie (June 2007).

Hanging out at the base of Shakespeare Cliff (June 2007).

Shirley beginning the stem box of Across The Water (5.9) on Windfall Wall in Lower Gorge. The appealing looking face crack immediately right is Margo's Madness (5.10b...that we've never done; June 2007).

Shirley leading Across The Water (5.9) on the Windfall Wall (June 2007).

Shirley enjoying her lead of Across The Water (5.9) on the Windfall Wall (June 2007).

Leading Fool's Pleasure (5.10a) on Windfall Wall. Bit of fingers to hands - a decent line. Smith's Lower Gorge, East Columns (June 2007).

Shirley seconding the nice Fool's Pleasure (5.10a) on the Windfall Wall (June 2007).

Unknown climbers starting up Rim Job (5.10b) on the Wildfire Wall. Routes from Wildfire (5.10b) on the right to Badfinger (5.10b) on the left are visible in this shot (June 2007).

Unknown climbers enjoying a couple classics of the Wildfire Wall. The guy on the right is leading Rim Job (5.10b) and the guy on the left is on Pure Palm (5.11a; June 2007).

Unknown climber leading Pure Palm (5.11a) on the Wildfire Wall across the river (June 2007).

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