New River Gorge – 2019 Fall Season

Finally, I was able to dedicate myself to getting out to WV and the New River Gorge for several consecutive weekends in a row. The ending results were a lot of fun with friends and “climbing associates”, sending of many new routes, and even putting up a couple hard ones for myself.

Report: Weekend of Oct 5th (Back in the saddle)

  • Saturday, I could re-acquaint myself with rock climbing
  • Got in a couple piles of climbing in the lower meadows with Caleb, Tyler, Bk, Sean
  • While working some climbs, a big cold snap came blowing in dropping the temp drastically.
  • Bk took the advice and skipped a clip on “puppy chow” almost impales himself on a tree
  • Sunday, we took to the cirque.
  • Only a small group of people, were located there.
  • I worked and put down “Superstition” with Sean

Report Weekend of Oct 12th (Caleb’s birthday)

  • The ride to WV was full on of sprinter life with Alexis, Tyler, and Becca
  • Saturday was a bit wet and rainy, so we went back and hiked into cirque
  • Took Lap on “Skylore” and amnesia flash on “graffiti”, but it got way to crowded with the mass of people
  • Witnessed to Bk send of Sloth, he now rides shiny and chrome. Scared a bunch of Australians with is spray-paint addiction.
  • Walked with Blake and Alexis to Jacobs ladder and got on “Fat Back”. Burly climb with some of the hardest moves I got on.
  • Made big batch of taco for dinner, followed by a Caleb slide show.
  • Sunday, I changed it up and got on a volume day with Sam at the Cotton Club.
  • Knocked 10 random new routes.

Report: Weekend of Oct 19th (Rolling the dice with the Weather)

  • Crisp cold day, but people wanted to rage in Butcher branch (Sam ,Tyler ,limo ,Bk, Eric C., Kristi and Becca)
  • Bk and Lipko took turns ripping and playing on Slash and Burn.
  • Eric, Sam and I got some volume and climbed bunch of the 11s I never touched before.
  • End of day knocked of “control” and “koas” (using Sam’s knee bar beta)
  • Saturday, everything was wet, but we attempt to go to the hole. Manky and huge gumbo sessions were going down. Sam called them little bitches and went home.

Report: Weekend of Oct 26th (Stoking the Fire)

  • Friday, the weather of a perfect so we descended on the Party Buttress, (Sam, Alex, and Caleb)
  • Teamed up with for some new stuff with Caleb. Mellifluous, S’more Energy, Chouinard-Steck Variation, Freaky Stylee, and end-day on hailmary go on Harbinger Scarab.
  • Saturday, I got a good through beatdown in the thunderdome. Complete destruction on pod then walked around and found glasses
  • Sunday, everyone had high hopes of dry endless wall rock, but it was unexpectedly wet.  Everything had become soaked.
  • Bk was ready to jump off a bridge with his rollercoaster of emotion.
  • Eventually the walls dried out around 1pm. BK became extremely excited on endless route.
  • I revisited an old route “Rainy-Day Route”. I went into full on grunt and grab mode.

Report: Weekend of Nov 2nd (Leaving Nothing on the Table)

  • Vanlife ride up with Kristi because the house would be packed for the weekend. We walked into 2 movies “out cold” and “D-day: Raw Display of Power“
  • Saturday ended up being endless honeymooner day.
  • Good solid trad warmup with Tyler (his re-intro) and Caleb.
  • Got super caffeinated with deathwish coffee and onsighted “Hellbound For Glory” when it was washed free of chalk.
  • Caleb was putting in work into getting this 100th 5.12 “Gift of Grace”.  Got on a send train with Leighton, Caleb and Yonnie.
  • Caleb then recommended a obscura 5.12 that turned our to be a sucker punch due to broken hold.
  • Then a final beating was going or the send on Sacrilege. Never be able to do the 5.12b move.
  • Night-time was the introduction of the Gloom game
  • Sunday, we returned to the party buttress with Kristie, BK, Caleb, and Tyler. Weather had return to perfection.
  • I rapped in, brushed, and hung draws on Harbinger Scarab head wall. Pulled roped and thrutched my way to the top.
  • Caleb recommend another obscura “Crimes of flashing”, so Tyler, him and I rapped into it.
  • Ending the day, with climb of “stim-o-stam” and “techman”
  • Monday, was a bit slower as it was all starting to catch up to me.
  • Kristi and I went to Bubba city to run a bunch of undone routes. Encountered a leaver biner fiasco on Sheer Energy.
  • I was ice skating like a crab on the top slip off “Michelin Man Direct”
  • Final send of the day was a battle crimp onsight of “Likme”

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