"Sweet this truck will totally rock this hill," I say to Thomas. On nearly every occasion climbing at Chek canyon, the road (which appears more like a XC mountain bike trail than a road) that connects the highway to the crag proves to be a battle for our vehicles. Thomas's Dad's Ford Ranger chugs up the hill nearing the crest, which happens to have ruts and holes a foot plus deep. I stall the truck. Well the truck could handle the road, it turns out though, you have to be able to drive it. After another effort we make it up.
Chek is a wonderful, beautiful place. The plethora of cliffs, crags and climbers that comprise Chek are each unique and interesting in their own ways. As per usual Thom and I b-line straight to the Forgetten Wall to climb Low Impact, one of the most fun .10b's we've climbed. I climb it slow and with hesitation, but I find all the holds that I pulled off of last season, and cruise to the top. I ask Thomas if he wants to climb it;' he slips his excruciatingly small slippers over his excruciatingly swollen ankle and cruises the route on TR.
As per usual we proceed 15m up to scree slope to Rugmunchers - 5.11d. We remember how close we were to sending last season and how dialed we had the moves. Needless to say we came back with determination. On my third attempt rugmunching, I focused on the route, chose my beta, committed, and sent. The weight of the rope and the chatter in my mind, replaced by the sound of my breathing, and the smell of Quebecois smokers. For me, perfect sending conditions. Thomas, more determined than ever to send, gave the strongest burn I've ever seen him give: he committed for the moves impeccably but pumped out just below the last bolt. C'est la vie.
We hobble back to the truck and prepare a fantastic dinner meanwhile hacking the sack with some yankees. After dinner we make the decision to build on our foundation so we head over to the Foundation Wall and climb another 3 pitches: Polychronopolous 5.10d, Mystery 5.9, and the Flaming Arête 5.7. It got dark, I lowered Thomas over a ledge; we couldn't climb any more.
The Chek traditon: make a campfire, have a sing-along, and get drunk with the other climbers camping at Chek. Our friends Martin and Abby who are here with some friends of theirs - a group of young doctors - who joined us for the tradition. I feel safe; if anyone gets alcohol poisoning, poison ivy, sprains their ankle, etc. it will be just another day at the office for the docs. The doc's taught us some important lessons: don't get married to a person your not into, water makes scotch like more better, and there is no ethical dilemma about being born in an affluent nation. In true Thomas fashion, he pulls out his new git-ar and proceeds to shred some gnar. The new git-box gently weeps for the rest of the evening.
The worst sleep of his life. I sleep great. The bed of the Ranger is 6' even. Thomas stands 6' 3", now there is a real dilemma, a solution to the 3" dilemma will be requisite for Thomas to be able to sleep.
May 25.
I wake up sweaty and tired - the canopy on the truck is air tight and makes a pretty warm little oven. Thomas gets up, stiff and unhappy about having to contort himself for hours on end. We eat some breakfast, I find my balls, and then we head out to climb
The day was off to a fine start. We had done a “multipitch” climb, the weather is great and we are about to get a lot of energy out of our thank-god-we’re-alive squirrely bread sandwiches. We leave the truck in the sun and hike into the shade of the short shady trees sheltering most of the approach to the majority of the crags. We have the intention to climb Kjijushi 5.10c. The guide book gives it 5 stars and describes it as 27.5m of fun, featured, pocketed, granite, with the bolts spreading out at the top, and directly under on of the most overhanging crags at Chek. How could we lose? To my not-so-surprise a group of climbers were on it and looked to be there for a while. Thomas recommends we go try Timberqueen 5.12c.
Thomas battles the Queen many times, but neither of are the King today. Many times his falls pull me off my not-so-bomber belay stance and lower him back to the ground just from his leverage. I strain just to get off the ground, where I then fall or back down.
30 minutes later; completely humbled by the Timberqueen we decide to find a route a little more near our abilities. However the feeling of being humbled just to leave the ground is a good one. I think it’s called learning.
The rock gods are with us because as we leave Timberqueen, Kirijushi is free. We high tail it to the base, play a few matches of rock paper scissors, then I tie into the sharp end of the rope. I cruise up to the 3rd bolt and then get totally lost. I go up right, that isn’t the best way, so I climb back down, then a little more left, but that isn’t right. Each time I realize a particular sequence won’t work for me I climb back down to a good stance, shake out, and then try again. Finally I figure out I have to traverse left and then attack the route head on. I break through and climb up to the top. For me it is a battle to know whether what I am doing is right, but it has to be right for me because I onsight it. Thomas lowers me back down, giddy to get on Kijijushi, seeing as it took me only 15-20 minutes to get up it! He has my beta and cruises the route. Thomas knows it's time to get on a 5.12, I am tired. We head back toward the truck to a crag called the Negative Wall to climb Mrs. Negative 5.12a. It is short, bouldery, and already has draws hanging. Thomas won the rock paper scissors and takes the first lead. He pulls strong on the steep holds. Thom figures out some wicked beta near the top from a OK pocket to a jug. He makes it to the top on his onsite but what’s more is he made it look really fun. Regardless of being tired after a long weekend of climbing, day 10 on doing sports I have to get on it. I tie in, and get in the zone. I focus, rehearse Thomas’ beta in my mind and the commit. As per usual for today I lose focus at one point and get completely lost and take a fall. I focus in again and make it to the chains in another burn.
I am stoked! Then the pressure changed and we felt a few drops of rain. We call it a day and hit the dusty trail.
Back at the truck we finish the black bean and corn salsa (which is awesome!) and drink our end of the day beer and orchard peach cider. Great first weekend back climbing rocks!
