Climbing at Big Rock

This Saturday I climbed with Carrie, Sri, and Eugene at a large slabby sport climbing area near Riverside called Big Rock. It has many sport climbs fro 5.5 all the way up to 11s. However, the climbs are harder than the grades indicate. Their holds are micro, and the feet are nothing by slight bulges that require careful smearing.

I lead the climbs to set up a top rope, and, true to Big Rock style, the leads were a bit sketchy. Imagine a 90 foot tall climb, with only 5 bolts! That means 10 to 20 foot spaces between protection points. A fall could potentially be as much as 40 feet! Fortunately, the only fall of the day was about 6 feet.

The scariest part was when I was leading this 5.9. I pulled over a roof, shimmied up to a bolt,
and took stock of the situation. I couldn't see the next bolt! I began to climb anyway, hoping I would see it. After about 15 feet, I got discouraged as there was still no bolt. Someone on a climb to the side informed me that there were anchors up higher. I (fooloshly) chose to continue on about 10 feet more. I finally found three bolts at the top. But then we discovered that the rope wouldn't reach! I saw some anchors off to the left, and those were my only choice. I put one clip into the three bolts, and traversed 20 feet over. I set up those anchors, and then traversed back to retrieve my clip. Again I traversed back to be lowered, only to discover the rope was caught! I traversed back to free it, and then forth to my anchors. I finally began to lower. While lowering, I had to remove the clips, and the pendulum swing was ridiculous. After I finally reached the ground, it had been nearly 30 minutes up there!

The really frightening part was, that if I had fallen before I reached those bolts, the fall could have been as much as 50 feet. I would have broken legs and or ankles, and ruined the rope, scary. It gives me the chills just ot think about it.

All in all though, it was a great time. Eugene and Sri did a lead climb, and Tala socialized with the local climbing community.