Fun Weekend!

We had a fun and busy weekend. Last Wednesday my Mommy and Daddy came through town and we had a very nice visit with them. Ben and I decided to check out a spot we had heard about in Golden Gate Canyon state park. It is called Dude's Throne and it was very fun. Ben's first foray on granite went very well. He got on a 5.10 that looked like it had a hard start but the holds were just camouflaged by the granite coloration. It was really fun so then he got on the next climb, Short Dude, a 5.11. Nice well protected route. Now that he was warmed up he decided to try the 5.13a. This climb had a little of everything. It starts out on a slab and works it's way up with some technical body position stuff and into an overhanging arete. After that there is a double roof to another slab. All told there are 3 cruxes on the route. Ben worked out each crux methodically and was really psyched to try it again to try for the send. Golden Gate Canyon is a beautiful place so we had a snack and talked and he rested for his final attempt. Clouds had rolled in and I did not want to be on an exposed mountain cliff if lightning started flying! Ben roped up and started up the wall. He knocked out crux after crux took his rests while he could and did it second go! I was very happy for him.

  Sunday we went to Clear Creek to find something for Kayleigh to climb. She has not been climbing outside much and has very little confidence on real rock. We are trying to help her find her confidence so we decided to try Canal Zone. Big mistake! When we got there at 9:30ish every climb had a group of people climbing it. We were kicking ourselves for not taking a look before hiking all the way out there. We then made off for Wall of the Nineties. I expected it to be packed but to my surprise very few people were there. Ben put up the draws for Centerfold and Kayleigh started the climb. Centerfold is not that hard as long as you trust your feet and work them up. The crux at the top gave her fits! She eventually figured it out and was very happy she stuck with it to the finish. Ben was exhausted from practice and Friday's sendfest but decided to try Wet Dream which he had not been on in a year. He got to the last crux and fell off the (reachy) crux. I think that he figured out how to do it so it will be done soon and Kayleigh has her project to work on so all in all we had a great weekend.