As my search for hard slab to climb has now progressed beyond Maryland, I've three times found myself going to Mt. Gretna, PA, and only finishing a single boulder.
The Squeak is one of the most fun things I've ever climbed. One of those climbs that makes you feel like you're floating, until suddenly you're not. Fortunately I didn't have any repeats of the backflop I took a few weeks ago, and as a result am feeling much better this morning than after my initial visit.
Going up first on Saturday with my mom, and again yesterday by myself, I continued using the initial foot sequence that had worked for me the first time around. Looking back at the first ascent video (sometime before 2009), two of the holds I used seemed to have been buried under leaves at the time. Arguably, this could make my way of doing it a variation rather than a true repeat, depending on how much of an eliminate it's intended to be. Not that I'd mind going back up to climb it with the original sequence!
Even with the beginning wired, I continued to have trouble with the move to the flake, trying every possible micro-adjustment until I finally found one that worked.
As much as I usually prefer to climb locally, I have to admit PA is growing on me. I already have a few more climbs I'm excited to do at Gretna, and can't wait to see what it's like once the leaves are back down again and navigation is easier. In the meantime, summer visits aren't so bad, now that some local friends have pointed me to the Jigger Shop in the town of Mt. Gretna, a place I'm almost as excited to explore as the boulders themselves.
For you other Gretna fans out there, this Saturday (6/7/14) the Gretna Bouldering Committee is hosting an Adopt-a-Crag as part of National Trails Day. I won't be able to make it up, but will probably be helping out at one of the two events that the Mid Atlantic Climbers are holding in Maryland that day.
Here's a little video from the weekend.
1 comment:
That thing looks heinous. Nice send
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