| When: | 10/5/2008 |
| Where: | Pilot Mountain, NC |
| Who: | Lisa Lorenzin, Lewis Stockett, Alexis Lorenzin |
| What: | Turkey Shoot (5.8R) |
| My Husband is Going to Kill Me (5.7) | |
| Grandpa's Belay (5.7) | |
| Place Your Bet (5.6) | |
| Mild Mannered Secretary (5.7) |
Today was the most crowded I think I've ever seen Pilot. There were some Scout or Adventure or some other groups of maybe up to college age kids. Looked like some basic instruction classes going on. There were a bunch of folks with a group from the new Life Fitness gym in Cary. And it was a beautiful fall day so everyone else -- including us -- was out, too.
We had hoped to start the day on something pretty easy like Pee Break or Goldilox since Alex hadn't been climbing in a while. No such luck. Instead, about all we found open was My Husband so Lewis put a rope there. I also noticed Turkey Shoot was open so while Lisa and Alex spent some time on My Husband, Lewis and I headed over to Turkey Shoot. Because of the distance between the climbs, we didn't all get to socialize for most of the afternoon.
I was feeling good and started leading Turkey Shoot. It was in the full sun. I did well for the first two bolts. (The second one if fairly runout with probable ground fall potential which is most likely why the climb has an R (runout) rating.) I moved a step above the second bolt ... and couldn't figure out how to make the next move. The feet got very thin, and the hands got thin enough that I didn't trust them to make up for the lack of feet. I was only one move away from being able to reach the next bolt. I clung to the wall there for a while before finally deciding to down climb to the small ledge at the second bolt to rest and think about it. As I stood there thinking about it, I was noticing that I was leaving sweat marks on the rock where I was leaning against it. Lewis mentioned that I had the option to come down and let him finish the lead. I thought about it some more ... then had him lower me. I decided that I'd sit in the shade for a while and have some water and think about whether I wanted to give it another try or let him try. Eventually decided on the latter with a plan of getting back on it on top rope later to try that move again to see what I thought of it when not on the sharp end.
TBD.
Lisa (and maybe Lewis) also climbed Black Rain (5.9) while swapping ropes with another group. Alex was belaying my on my top-rope ascent of Turkey Shoot at the time.