October 14, 2007 Looking Glass

So, yesterday I climbed 2 pitches at Looking Glass. It was so different there than at Rumbling Bald...which is where my first outdoor climb was.

Yeah, I didn't make it up all 4 pitches. No biggie though...it will always be there. I will go back. :)

I drove up to Brevard, NC on Friday night and met up with what would soon be my new friend, Mark. Sometimes you just gotta get out there and take a chance. Meet some new people. Do some new things. :)

Mark is also a rock climbing guide, so I felt really safe to climb with him. He's very educated on it and very experienced.

This is my new friend Mark:

Anyways, I wasn't quite sure of what our sleeping arrangements would be (I am broke right now), but after meeting him and talking on the phone for long intervals druing this past week, I was very comfortable around Mark. We decided we would sleep up at the trail head. We wanted to be the first ones out on the face. These were my sleeping quarters:

It was super cold that morning when we woke. Mark heated up some water for some hot chocolate, while I did my 'girl' thang and got dressed. :)


He clowned me for wearing concealer! lol (I don't care about make-up much, but I have to have concealer...oh, and some chapstick!)


Another car pulls in. It was a couple. They headed up to the approach before us. We hurried and drank our 'breakfast' and started on our way.


Mark has an awesome dog! His name is Boots. He is half lab and something else that is big and furry. I don't know, I didn't have my journal, so I forget things.



Maybe someday, my JRT will be able to accompany me on trips and such! lol


The approach was way nicer to my body than the approach at Rumbling Bald! It was also shorter! :)


We made it to the face. Our new friends, Caroline and Eric, were ascending the first pitch. (Well, Caroline was lead-belaying Eric on his first pitch.) By the time we had laid the gear down and started unpacking things, Eric had finished the first pitch and was ready for Caroline to clean it.


I get out my camera and start taking pics! Of course!!! :)


Here's Caroline and Eric:


Anyways, here's a photo of what we were going to be climbing...slab:

It actually looks a lot easier than it really is! There's not a lot of hand holds. Mostly underclings, called eyebrows. However, it gets you used to using your legs and not your arms. Perfect for beginners to practice getting more comfortable and trusting their feet.

This is a pic of what we were about to ascend:

You can't even see the 3rd or the 4th pitch in this photo!

Anyways, Mark goes over the belaying techniques with me. (I failed my belay test at the gym) But even today, I am still unsure of myself. I will take the test again this week. I want to be a good belayer! When I learn it outside and I'm doing it there, I am good. But when I get to the gym, it's as if everything I have learned just goes away. :(

Mark finally leads the way up the first pitch. I watch him place the cams. He shows me how to take them out of the wall and how to properly clip them onto my harness, hence I will be doing clean up when he reaches the top of the first pitch.

It's my turn to climb. I reach the first cam...no problemo. This pitch is 110 feet up. My first time ever doing clean-up. He talks me through everything as I go. Mark was great. A natural born leader! A natural born motivator! No wonder he makes a great guide. :)

I made it to the top of the first pitch! Woo-hoo! I didn't fall once! :)

The 1st pitch was a 5.5, but I had never been up 110 feet.

That was my view at 110 feet up. The sun still wasn't on the face yet. It was freakin' cold. My toes were numb.

Yes, I wore my socks! When Mark was off belay and anchoring for me to climb up, I was taking my climbing shoes out of my fleece. Mark told me a secret I didn't think of. He said to zip up my climbing shoes inside of the fleece until I was ready to put them on. It would "heat" them up for me, so they wouldn't be so cold when I put them on. I never climb with socks on, but my feet were already so cold! haha

Another view from the top of the first pitch:

I love how you can see how the face is blocking the sun from hitting the trees below. I didn't like how it felt though. lol

Another view:

I mean, honestly, how can you not believe in God or at least believe that there is another higher power out there? Jeez! This was amazing!

This felt so good! I was so happy! Mark got some video footage. He started filming me as I was using my snot rag! haha My nose kept running!!!

Here's Mark leading the 2nd pitch:

This pitch was 90 feet up and a 5.8.

I fell twice during the crux part of this pitch. I rested between moves and counted 1,2,3 and up I moved. Yes, I was counting out loud! Mark laughed. I was huffing and puffing as if I was having a baby or something. It was hilarious! The two times I fell was in the same spot. This one area was really difficult getting up to. Mark talked me though it though. He was my saviour! haha The 3rd try, I finally got it. I was up and homeward bound. I could not believe it. Jeez! I was so relieved. lol As I was nearing Mark's feet, he said, "Cool tattoo! What is that? a cat?" I was still struggling a bit to get to him. I said, "Yeah, whatever..." He laughed. (Usually, I'll go on and on about that tatt) Then he asked, "How many colors are in it?" I said, "I don't know dude, and I don't really care right now...I'm just trying to make it to the end of this pitch!" haha I was so tired and struggling. I used up all my energy in that crux. He busted out laughing...I explained to him that this was the same for me as a woman who was giving birth. Don't talk to me right now. LOL!!!

I finally made it to the top of the 2nd pitch! Whew!!!

When I got up, I cried. I wanted to sob, but as soon as I felt like I was going to, it stopped, and I wanted to give Mark a huge hug! I wanted to scream. I wanted to jump for joy. I wanted to get off of that freakin' mountain! hahahaha I wanted to climb the 3rd pitch.

We rested a bit. My ankles are still so weak right now. After we rested, we both decided we were kinda hungry. I wasn't sure I would make it through the 3rd pitch or not. I asked if we could just go down. This would be 200 feet for me. The highest I'd ever been.

The view:

200 feet up! Wow! This was too awesome!

This high up, it could be easy to get scared of your own shadow!!! lol

I loved how that pic turned out!

What are you doing over there Mark? haha No napping allowed! :)

Nice crotch shot!!! haha

My little taboggin' hat helped me sort of....I used my head at one point to push into the wall. haha The hat kinda stuck to the granite...it really helped. Hey, I figure, however you can get up the wall......right? lol

I did a true rappel this day. Instead of being lowered by a belayer, I did a real rappell. Mark tied us both in all sorts of ways, and showed me things I'd never seen before and things I may not remember until I do them again. I do know that little rope that is hanging around my neck in the pic above was my life line on the rappel!!! It was wrapped around the rope and put through a biner somehow and I used it as a break. If I were to let go, it would've stopped me.

We did the rappel side by side. Mark talked to me the whole way down. I was scared.

It's really cool how all of this works. There's so much to know. It's so important that you climb with very educated and experienced climbers folks! Your life is in their hands! Mark basically saved my life twice that day! (when you truly think about it) Thanks Mark! :)

That night, I stayed at Mark's at Lake Toxaway. I was tired and wanted to nap afterwards. We ended up just hanging out and talking. It was pretty cool. Lake Toxaway is so gorgeous! I loved the way my car handled the curvy roads too! haha

Mark's place was interesting! There was a huge Espresso machine in the kitchen! But everything else was so simple. To be so simple and so humble...I want to live my life more that way. And then of course, climbing gear everywhere! haha There were so many headlamps! I couldn't keep count. lol I'm not sure how many pairs of climbing shoes I saw in that house. Climbing books, a rock climbing calendar on the wall, a tub full of guide books, an acoustic guitar...

I'm pretty sure I'm climbing Crowder's Mtn next weekend. :)

"...the worst part is over, so get back on that horse and ride." - The Shins