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| Derek coils the rope at the top of Gobbler's Grunt |
May 5, 2023 I flew to Colorado for two days of climbing with Derek. On Saturday we made the drive out to Turkey Rocks. The Tesla Model Y wasn't an ideal car for the rutted dirt road at the end of this trip, but we had been unable to start Derek's Honda Pilot. So, we parked the car two and a half miles from the base of the climbs and hiked in the last bit.
Gobbler's Grunt (5.9) - Derek did the recommend hand-crack variation for pitch 1. There was a bit of a crux underneath the roof. Sustained. I led pitch 2 which felt trickier than expected. I stayed to the right near the top where there was more gear, although the climbing may have been easier over to the left (without any gear at all). This forced me to traverse left 15 feet at the top of the pitch to reach the belay ledge. Derek took us to the top.
Turkey Shoot (5.9) - First pitch was too wide for hands and fists. This technique is definitely not something I have lot of practice with. Crux was a traverse around to the right of a bulge. I reached some rappel slings and thought I was at the top only to have Derek and someone else down at the bottom shout up and tell me to keep going. Belayed under the roof. Derek led the next pitch which was a beautiful hand crack to a large ledge. From here there were two choices - either continue up more off-width on the left, or move the belay to the right and go up a squeeze chimney. I chose the squeeze chimney, and I have to admit this felt like the hardest part of the entire day. When Derek followed me up it to the top, he told me that there was much easier climbing out to the right. However, none of that climbing had any protection. Instead I stayed deep towards the back of the chimney where I found at least some protection. It was still rather run out until I could place a #5 high up, and after that it felt run out again until I had gained the ledge. The chimney itself was very challenging. I found that I really couldn't turn around, but halfway up I really wanted to face to the left instead of the right. Instead, I got myself literally stuck like a cam with a no-hands rest multiple times while trying to turn around. This pitch felt scary.
Overall we felt that Turkey Rocks was a different style of climbing than we were used to. I certainly felt as if I had received a full-body workout by the end of the day, and my fingers didn't hurt at all. There is just so much off-width climbing there, as well as plenty of hand cracks as well. The (almost) three-mile walk back to the car didn't help to keep me feeling fresh. I do not feel prepared to try anything harder than 5.9+ at this area.
Handcracker Direct (5.10a) - On Sunday we climbed in Eldo, starting out on Handcracker Direct. Derek led the first pitch, with the intention of also leading the third, while I was to lead the second and then link the fourth and fifth. The crack at the top of pitch 1 certainly didn't feel trivial. At the top of pitch one, I moved left about 15 feet and worked my way up through the roof and into the corner crack. This felt strenuous and slightly tenuous as well. I ended up doing a few lie-back moves to get through this section. The climbing eased up after that until the top of the pitch which ended in what I would consider a choss-pile. Not realizing this was where I was supposed to stop, and not seeing any good (not chossy) places to build an anchor, I continued up the wide crack system and flake in front of me. This was easier climbing although was also a bit runout without having brought the larger gear. At the top of the flake was a large belay ledge, and I soon began to suspect that I had linked pitches two and three, a fact that Derek confirmed when he joined me a few minutes later. I felt bad that I had unintentionally stolen his lead, and I offered him the lead of pitch four, but he told me that I should lead it if I felt prepared. I have to admit that this next pitch felt in some ways easier than the crux sections of pitches one and two. It is a handcrack almost all the way up, and although it is rather steep in places the hand jams just felt so solid that I felt casual. If I had to name a crux it would be traversing left just below the roof, but there was a reasonably large rail here where I was able to match hands and pull up to the juggy holds above. I linked this pitch to the much easier one above to the top.
Blind Faith (5.10a) - Another beautiful hand crack! I led the first pitch which felt cruiser until near the top. Here I had to work a bit harder with the solid hand jams (but poor feet) until I could reach way up to a constriction at the top of the crack on the left and an edge on the flat face above and to the right. Some delicate footwork took me over the lip to a comfy belay ledge. Derek led the second pitch, another crack that required some thought near the bottom but eased into much easier climbing from the halfway point to the top. Tons of fun overall.
It was a very successful trip. Also, this trip has inspired me to try to take on some real projects in Eldo. Naked Edge is probably up first.
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