I didn’t really think I’d climb a 12 on Saturday. I wasn’t even planning to get on a 12. My goals were to do some 11s and to take some falls. I failed at both. I did try an 11 but I didn’t get to the top and the next hardest thing I tried, a 10d, I had to hang all over. Which I did. Hang, I mean, rather than fall, so it was kind of a double failure.

I learned that I need to learn Rumney and that the 11s up there aren’t going to be easier than the 11s at the gym. It’s not like I flash 11s at the gym. So I’m probably going to need to spend a few months working 11s and learning to sport climb (i.e. take falls) and familiarizing myself with the rock and the moves at Rumney. And then I’ll pick out a 12.

The most important thing I learned this weekend is that if I want to climb with the big boys I’m going to have to learn how to belay with a gri-gri. A lot of sport climbers feel like they’re not safe if you’re not using one. I don’t agree with them but it’s not the belayer who needs to feel safe. For this weekend, at least, I convinced them that they were safer with me belaying if I used my normal device. I convinced them of this by displaying supreme gri-gri incompetence. I’ve belayed with one before but not often and only on TR. I understand the concepts but some of them have never been put into practice. Threading it, for instance.

You know how a gym climber can be mystified by a rope without the starter 8 pre-tied into it? That was me trying to thread a gri-gri. I’m not sure I’ve ever done it before. On the rare occasion that I’ve used one it was pre-threaded and I only checked it. I mean, I know I’ve got to be the hand, but orienting everything right side up, left side left, and so the rope goes to the climber isn’t a no brainer. As I stared at the device in one hand and the rope in the other in obvious befuddlement my partner finally said, “Just use your ATC.” And I don’t blame him.

So to prepare for climbing a 12, in addition to forcing myself to boulder, I will force myself to become comfortable with a gri-gri. Maybe I’ll even buy one of my own, although it hardly seems necessary. On Saturdy our group of five had three ropes, three sets of draws, and three gri-gris.

Anyway, I had a great time Saturday. The rain held off and the company was excellent. Hopefully they’ll let me climb with them again even if I’m not gri-gri certified.

Sixth Sense, 5.6
Son of Sammy, 5.8+
Bullwinkle Craters, 11b
Dog Star, 10b
Puppy Love, 5.9
Bad Dog Arete*, 5.9
Dog Biscuit, 10c
F’ing the Dog, 10d
Tool Time, 10d (on TR)
Little Angler, 5.8

* I can’t find the bolted arete variation to Bad Dog Crack listed anywhere but the consensus at the crag seemed to be that it went at 5.9.