July 6, 2008 - Stone Mountain/Pilot Mtn Weekend 6/27/& 6/28

Last weekend I climbed the Great Arch at Stone Mountain with Richard. Yes, that big arch in the pic above is it!

It was amazing!!!

We started on Block Route a 5.8. One pitch. Then The Great Arch started at the top of Block Route.
The Great Arch was 3 pitches itself. A 5.5 and it is slab.

Richard leading the first pitch:

I think it is so amazing how trees just grow at the top of the face like that...a bird planted a seed there, and it grew....just like my gutters on my house right now. ;)

Me cleaning on the first pitch of The Great Arch:

2nd pitch:

After the 3rd pitch (last pitch ) of The Great Arch, we went up the "scramble" to the very top (summit) where the hikers hang out.

The famous tree:

Views from The Summit:

See the hikers (above)?

After we climbed and chilled out on the summit, we rapped down and went to the swimming hole.

I sooo want a new backpack!

I really loved Stone Mountain! :)
I have so much fun climbing with Richard too!


That evening, we went over to Pilot Mountain and camped with Kevin and Matt.

Then on Sunday, I climbed at Pilot for the first time. This is a top roping crag. And it also has a few sport and trad routes and routes you set top ropes from above. (single pitch)

I hopped on a route that I can't remember the name of. It was a hard vertical 5.6 for a warm up. (not the usual slope slab) :p

The climbing at Pilot seems a bit more pumpy for me than the other places I have been so far.

(I wanted to practice to see what it was going to be like July 4th weekend up at Seneca Rocks in WV. I hear Seneca is pumpy and more vertical.)

I tried Gentle Ben. He wasn't so gentle after all...5.10
Even when I started over to the right of the route, the easier start!!! LOL

Kevin did his first outdoor lead that day. It was on Black Rain 5.9.

Kevin chalking up:

Kevin is a good climber. He is so solid and smooth. He has very good technique too. But I honestly don't think he would've done this lead though w/o:

Yep, you got it...MENTOS!!!

I LOVE these guys! They are a trip!

Matt top roping Black Rain:

Me:

A funny thing happened on the way out:

We were pulling our ropes b/c it was about to start pouring. I pulled mine, and yelled "rope"! ...and I bent over to grab my rope bag, and I thought I was clear of the rope. As I bend over, the rope comes down and literally spanked me! It hurt like a MF! lol Kevin was like, "OMG! Did you just get spanked by your rope?" haha

The weather sucked on the way out! It poured on us. Kevin actually had to leave his anchor. :(
The hike out of Pilot in pouring down rain is brutal, to me at least! Especially, going up the Three Bears Gully!
I was totally drenched when I got to the car, but it was still fun! :)

I drove home from Pilot in the crappiest weather, but not as bad as the hail storm I drove through on the way home from Table Rock the weekend before.