wild and wonderful: Week end in Chattanooga

I Think I Can photo Ryan Manning

With Hueco right around the corner I decided I needed a weekend to just relax and get in as much climbing as I could. Some friends of mine invited me to Chattanooga, TN for the long weekend over the MLK holiday. Four days in Chattanooga sounded great! I left the New Thursday afternoon and drove six hours through a rain storm and white out snow conditions. I made it to my boy’s, Ryan Manning, house safely at around 11:30. A couple more friends, Ron Bartolo and Max Hardier, rolled in two hours later from their 12 hour drive from Virginia Beach, VA. Everyone went to sleep stoked for what the next day would bring. We woke up to ideal conditions; the ground was lightly frosted with cloudy skies and great temps. My goal for the trip was to do classics, V0 to V-whatever, it didn’t matter. Partly because I hadn’t been there other than at the triple crown events, and because I’m researching the grade scale for the guide book I’m working on for the New.

We warmed up on the fire crack boulder and I decided to give Incredarete a try because Ryan said it was one of his favorites. The same area is also home to the classics Two can Sam, The Mane Event and Art of the Vogi. Ryan showed me a line he thought I would like called I Think I Can that is set in a little corridor. He said it was small crimps, and barely overhung so I was in. After three tries I finally stuck the first move, and then crimped and dyno’d my way to the top. Spyro Gyro, a one move wonder was our next stop. I had been on it before at the triple crown where it gets gangbanged by chuffer trying to put a V7 on their score card. The holds always felt greasy. It pretty much boils down to an all points off dyno for me. After what felt like forever I stuck that damn sloper and realized why people this problem. It was pretty fucking fun slapping the sloper jug and fighting the swing. Ryan had recently sent Spyro Gyro and was working on another LRC. Cast Away fit my style really well and I did it second try. Its such a fun move!

Ron on fortune , Photo credit Ryan Manning

We made our way to the back nine and Ryan wanted to get on Fortune. After spraying us down he did it first go. I quickly followed and then Ron and Max got it, a first V6 for both of them. Beta for this problem is key and its really fun. All of us were pretty tired after that but on the way out I wanted to check out Biggie Shorty. It looked a little wet and I was pretty beat but I had to give it some effort. After a good once over I shoed up and gave it a burn. On my first try I fell going to the small left hand crimp off the good edge. Realizing this move was gonna take some some thought, I tried about 4 different ways and went right hand on top the good side pull with left foot on the start hold and right foot way out right. I sat back down with the intention of sending, but I couldn’t do the first move again. (Damn it!) I figured out the first move again after about 4 tries and sent the rig from the ground on my fifth try. I’ve never climbed V10 in a day so I was feeling pretty good. Saturday came and it was a different game plan. I wanted to try something harder so we warmed up and went to The Law. I had no expectations on this thing but we padded it and shoe’d up and I got my ass kicked. It felt impossible. I was having trouble with every move. Then from out of nowhere Doug Ianuario came around the corner psyched as ever. He shoe’d up and showed me some beta, slowly I made progress. I never stuck the first move but the rest felt doable. Every burn Doug made we were expecting a send. He crushed every move with tips looking like he’d been crimping cheese graters. He couldn’t snag the move to the lip from the start but he’ll send any try now for sure. After that we headed over to The Sheild. I’ve been wanting to try this thing for years now and never got on it. Evolv and Asana athlete Neal Sipahimalai was on his fourth day working the problem and was damn close. After helping me out with some beta I was getting to the gaston move from the start every time. I decided to work just that move and I never stuck it but feel like some cold day in 2012 we will meet again. Neal sent after about 6 burns that day, his first V12 send. It was sick to watch.

Ron on The Wave

Max on ShotGun photo Ryan Manning

Walking away without sending The Shield was fine with me. That boulder deserves a fight and I don’t mind giving it one. It’s probably one of the best looking hard lines in the country for sure. We ended the day with White Trash and Heroin right around the corner. Heroin might be in my top 5 favorite boulders. Its so much fun, no matter your height, it definitely shouldn’t be missed. Sunday was my last day at LRC so I had a list of stuff I wanted to try. Again we warmed up out front. I did The Wave and Manute Bol for the first time; both are really fun. We made our way back to Shotgun, another LRC favorite of mine right next to Heroin that Ron and I quickly sent. We also did Elephant Rider, a super fun squeeze arête. After that we went to Grimace and A Face in the Crowd. Both went and I learned where Grimace got its name, an exciting top out. I ended my LRC trip with Rib Cage and Crack of Dawn that are both really good moderates.
Our last day was spent at cumberland trail. i was able to climb River front and 711 and almost ended my trip with Gross Roof. I had a blast climbing in Chatt and hanging out with some old friends. Leaving for Hueco tomorrow.