Bagged some more mega classics this week and got to visit more new crags. The style of most of the routes here doesn’t play to my strengths and coupled along with Eddie’s endurance has led me to reflect on my own shortcomings and how I should address them this winter.
M. Muir Valley. One of the good things about Muir Valley is you can chase sun or shade with a short walk to sectors on the other side of the valley. One of the bad things is that it is insanely popular and a low point on the previous trip sharing a limited space with queuing with lots of shouty Americans at the Solarium.
Wrist is up and down.
When I read other people's trip reports for the Red, I always end up feeling incredibly jealous but I wonder if I'd end up being pissed off with the busyness if I went back. It was always somewhere that was a bit off the radar 15-20 years ago, so we were quite often the only people at the crag (unless it was the weekend, when you might have to share it with a couple of teams).Shame to miss out on Orange Juice - it's one of the best routes I never did!
Always surprises me too that in a country with so much rock that people have to queue for routes. Although perhaps the US isn't quite so blessed with sport climbing volume as it is bouldering?
I've heard US climbers rave about the New River Gorge, saying it has some of the best rock in the US, lovely setting, etc, but few European climbers seem to visit. Anyone been? It's about four hours drive from RRG so next door in US terms. Mountain Project says: "The New River Gorge is not a beginner's climbing mecca. Particularly in relation to the more popular Red River Gorge, the New's bolts tend to be farther apart, the holds smaller and more sparse, and the routes more technical and devious..."Although locals climb at the New year-round, spring and fall are the best seasons, and even during these times, it is not uncommon to get hosed with week-long rain storms."Perhaps we have enough devious, badly bolted routes with shite weather in the UK to make it worth the effort!