Red Rocks And Moab For Thanksgiving

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Red Rocks Part

Overhanging Hangover

Shirley following the spectacular pitch 2 of Overhanging Hangover on Black Velvet Wall. Crack to bolted crux section. View of us here from afar is here (Nov. 2007).

For an extended Thanksgiving Trip in 2007, Shirley & I were supposed to head down to Moab for some tower climbing.  However, the forecast turned shitty a week prior and so plans were switched to Red Rocks instead.  We had however made a plan to meet with Brad & his crew to meet for Thanksgiving dinner in Moab.  In Red Rocks, we managed to climb a few classics including Wholesome Fullback (5.10a, crux styled by Shirley), Arrow Place (5.9, first two pitches), Overhanging Hangover (5.10a…crux pitch courtesy of Shirley), Sour Mash (5.10a, swapping leads with Shirley…I thought it was a hard route), and Birdland (5.7+).

Moab Part

Be There Or Be Talked About

Shirley & I (or our shadows) on top of the South Gossip tower (its shadow visible too) after our climb of Be There Or Be Talked About. Other two Gossips visible (Nov. 2007).

After those initial couple days, we drove up to Moab to meet Brad. After enjoying a nice Thanksgiving Spread at the lodge by the Colorado River, a very chilly morning greeted us (teens). Plans got quickly scaled back from thinking about Zenyatta-Entrada, to Kor Route on Dolomite Spire, to finally settling on the shorter/easier Be There Or Be Talked About line on the South Gossip in Arches NP. Sandy climbing with much A0 on my part leading to a super cool tower summit!

Photos

Wholesome Fullback
Wholesome Fullback

Shirley starting up pitch 1 of Wholesome Fullback (5.10-) on Whiskey Peak. Cruxy start (for me), nice middle, and cruxy finish (for me). November 2007.

Wholesome Fullback

Shirley leading pitch 1 of Wholesome Fullback. This is the nice thin hand crack section. Pitch then traverses right and proceeds up the adjacent carck (Nov. 2007).

Wholesome Fullback

Yours truly following Shirley up first pitch of Wholesome Fullback. Pretty hard for the grade IMHO (Nov. 2007).

Arrow Place
Arrow Place

Leading pitch 1 of Arrowplace 5.9 on Burlap Buttress (across the wash from Whiskey Peak). Easy climbing for the grade if you got the reach (thin pro) with a nice, sharp yucca plant at base to castrate...errrr catch you if you fall (Nov. 2007).

Arrow Place

Shirley seconding pitch 1 of Arrowplace (5.9) on Burlap Buttress. Easier pitch for taller folk IMHO (Nov. 2007).

Overhanging Hangover
Overhanging Hangover

Shirley leading pitch 1 of Overhanging Hangover on Black Velvet Wall. Start of the classic Sour Mash is in background directly behind Shirley. Wide angle view of Shirley leading this pitch is here (Nov. 2007).

Overhanging Hangover

Shirley leading the thin pitch 1 of Overhanging Hangover on Black Velvet Wall. Guy above the roof is on Fiddler On The Roof a 5.10R route (Nov. 2007).

Overhanging Hangover

Yours truly following pitch 1 of Overhanging Hangover. Steep and thin (for me) edging. Really not used to this kind of shit and so a nice tight TR from my wife was appreciated (Nov. 2007).

Overhanging Hangover

Leading the nice 5.9 crack on pitch 2 of Overhanging Hangover. The pitch ends with a traverse out of the huge roof via a bolted section. Wide angle view of us is here (Nov. 2007).

Overhanging Hangover

Leading pitch 2 of Overhanging Hangover on Black Velvet Wall. Shirley's belaying. Two guys above us are on Fiddler On The Roof (5.10R; Nov. 2007).

Overhanging Hangover

Leading the final traverse under the huge roof that marks the 2nd pitch of Overhanging Hangover. Wide angle view of us on this pitch is here (Nov. 2007).

Overhanging Hangover

Shirley following the spectacular pitch 2 of Overhanging Hangover on Black Velvet Wall. Crack to bolted crux section. View of us here from afar is here (Nov. 2007).

Overhanging Hangover

Shirley following the 2nd pitch of the sweet, sweet Overhanging Hangover on Black Velvet Wall (Nov. 2007).

Overhanging Hangover

Shirley following the second pitch of Overhanging Hangover belayed by yours truly. For different perspectives on same instant in time, see here and here (Nov. 2007).

Overhanging Hangover

Final moves on pitch 2 of Overhanging Hangover - a thin traverse out the side of the huge roof (Nov. 2007).

Sour Mash
Sour Mash

Leading pitch 1 of Sour Mash on Black Velvet Wall (Nov. 2007).

Sour Mash

Leading pitch 1 of Sour Mash on Black Velvet Wall. Overhanging Hangover is on the left directly under the roof/arch (Nov. 2007).

Sour Mash

Shirley leading through a 5.8 roof on pitch 2 of Sour Mash (Nov. 2007).

Sour Mash

Shirley belaying atop P2 of Sour Mash. For view looking the opposite way, see here. View from afar is here (Nov. 2007).

Sour Mash

Following the traversing pitch 2 of Sour Mash. For view looking the opposite way, see here. View from afar is here (Nov. 2007).

Sour Mash

Yours truly (red) following Shirley (black, at hanging belay) up pitch 2 of Sour Mash on Black Velvet Wall. Next 2-3 pitches of route are vaguely visible in this shot as well as they cut back left and above the huge arch/roof in the photo. Rap line takes you down over the arch. Other perspectives on roughly same instant in time can be seen here and here. Black Tower (right side of which forms the chimney pitches of Epinephrine) is above and slightly right of us (Nov. 2007).

Sour Mash

Leading the third pitch of Sour Mash. Pitches 3 & 4 were the easier ones of the route (and of course I grabbed them for my leads:)

Sour Mash

One of the easier pitches of Sour Mash, pitch 4 (our P3). Black Velvet Canyon is below (Nov. 2007).

Sour Mash

Shirley leading pitch 5 of Sour Mash - a very nice, pure trad 5.9 pitch on a varnished face (Nov. 2007).

Sour Mash

Yours truly following pitch 5 of Sour Mash. A GREAT pitch IMHO - mostly face climbing with thin cracks for protection! Black Velvet Canyon is below.

Sour Mash

Shirley following one of the harder pitches of Sour Mash (P6, our fifth). Black Velvet Canyon is below (Nov. 2007).

Sour Mash

Yours truly following the last pitch of Sour Mash on Black Velvet Wall. BV Canyon is down below. I'm somewhere on the 10- slick slab portion...glad I didn't have to lead this one (Nov. 2007).

Birdland

Birdland

Shirley leading the nice third pitch of Birdland (5.7+) on/near Brass Wall in Pine Creek Canyon (Nov. 2007).


Birdland

Birdlands stellar 20 feet - great fun climbing on inclined cobblestones. Unfortunately these great 20 feet come after 500 mediocre ones. View looking down is here (Nov. 2007).


Birdland

Following pitch 5 of Birdland (5.7). This is a great 20 feet but the rest of the route is forgettable (not bad, just not very interesting :). View looking up is here (November 2007).


Birdland

Blondie sleeping while on guard duty at base of Birdland in Red Rocks (Nov. 2007).

Be There Or Be Talked About
The Three Gossips

The Three Gossips as seen from high on Virgin Wool route on the Sheeprock.

Sheep Rock

The 400-foot tall Sheep Rock from the base of the South Gossip tower next door (Nov. 2007).

Be There Or Be Talked About

Starting up Be There Or Be Talked About first pitch. Harder than it looks - if it were not sandy, it would go at 5.7; on Entrada it was C1 (Nov. 2007).

Be There Or Be Talked About

Leading pitch 1 of Be There Or Be Talked About on the South Gossip Tower of the Three Gossips formation. Shirley is belaying. Bitter cold November morning 2007.

Be There Or Be Talked About

Starting up pitch 2 of Be There Or Be Talked About on the South Gossip, C1 to a nice 5.10 crack. Shirley is on a nice belay ledge (Nov. 2007).

Be There Or Be Talked About

Starting the lead of pitch 2 of Be There Or Be Talked About on the South Gossip. Shirley (in yellow jacket) is belyaing (Nov. 2007).

Be There Or Be Talked About

View down from midway up pitch 2 of Be There Or Be Talked About on the South Gossip. A bit of easy aid (gear pulling for me) followed by stellar (5.10- ?)thin hands crack in an acute dihedral. Shirley's belaying from a good ledge (Nov. 2007).

Be There Or Be Talked About

Shirley belaying from the shoulder of the South Gossip 30 feet below the summit. Photo from the bolt ladder on pitch 3 of Be There Or Be Talked About (Nov. 2007).

Be There Or Be Talked About

The short bolt ladder that marks the third pitch of Be There Or Be Talked About. Camera must not like sand as it had problems autofocusing - sorry (Nov. 2007).

Be There Or Be Talked About

Shirley jugging the short bolt ladder on P3 of Be There Or Be Talked About. South Gossip tower (Nov. 2007).

Be There Or Be Talked About

Shirley topping out on the South Gossip summit via the bolt ladder pitch. Argon Tower in background (Nov. 2007).

Be There Or Be Talked About

Shirley & I (or our shadows) on top of the South Gossip tower (its shadow visible too) after our climb of Be There Or Be Talked About. Other two Gossips visible (Nov. 2007).

Be There Or Be Talked About

Shirley on the summit of the South Gossip. Organ Towers are on the left; Argon Tower is on the right. LaSal Mountains provide the background (Nov. 2007).

Be There Or Be Talked About

Yours truly photographing some unknown cluckers on the Middle Gossip Summit next door. Photo taken from South Gossip (Nov. 2007).

The Three Gossips

Shirley rapping off of the South Gossip (right side) on west face of the towers. Middle and North Gossips also visible in shot (Nov. 2007).

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