Day 17 - Monday Aug 6 - Back on the Train

As stated in my previous post, I have just not had time lately to get outdoors. But rest assured. This has all changed now. I was able to get out and climb with Mike Schultz tonight up Little Cottonwood. I do not know what the name of the climb is because Mike did not know. He had climbed it like 12 years ago and thought it might be nice for my first trad lead. That's right. You heard me. My first trad lead. He was pretty sure it was a 5.7. We got to the base of the climb and I had Mike give me a short tutorial then I played around with the gear for a few minutes. We were then on our way. The climb was a four pitch climb, but we just skipped the intermitent pitches and made it a longer two pitch climb. Mike led the first pitch. I followed and tried my best to see how he was setting the gear just as a last minute way of educating myself on the matter. I then led the second pitch. There were some areas where I got a bit frightened, but all together I did alright in that category. The route was a bit confusing and I still don't know if I went the right way - which, I suppose, doesn't really matter in the end, does it? I did make it to the top set of chains and then belayed Mike as he cleaned the gear. As he neared the top I asked him how I had done as far as gear placement goes. He said the majority of the gear was set well. There were, however, a couple that probably would not have held any substancial falls. This was a little disheartening, but I got over it quickly. I had to since it was getting dark fast and we were several hundred feet in the air and then a good hike from the car. Mike had forgotten his rappel device (he had been using a Gri-gri to belay me) so we had to share mine by sending it back and forth to each other on the rope. This was the cause of an even slower exit. It was nearly pitch black by the time we made the final rappel, and then we had to hike out. Now, when I say "hike" out some of you may be thinking that this is like a little trail that we simply follow to the parking lot. You are mistaken, my friend. In total darkness with only the help of a small headlamp, I free-downclimbed a granite crack of probably 15 feet. Now this would not have killed me had I fallen, but try remembering that in that sort of situation. We did make it safely to the car and back home. I had a great trad leading experience and look forward to doing it again. Peace.