I think a millipede may be the most disgusting creature ever. In case you’ve never seen one before (and before I started climbing at the Gunks, I hadn’t), here’s a link to Millipede Facts. Millipedes are unavoidable at the Gunks but this weekend they were swarming, along with killer ladybugs (sure, they’re cute but they bite) and autumn-drunk wasps. Our other local parasite, the leaf peeper, is also beginning to make its annual appearance.

Despite the above griping, it was a beautiful day in the neighborhood. An early mist caused us no harm and in fact produced one of the most striking views of the Gunks I’ve ever had. From the GT ledge on Something Interesting, I looked back over my shoulder and saw blue skies above and a socked-in valley below. It gave the illusion of being thousands of feet in the air above the cloud line, like looking out an airplane window except that my view wasn’t limited by a porthole-shaped pane of Plexiglas. A red prop plane flew by at about eye level, completing the illusion.

I had only one goal for the day, which was Try Again, a 5.10 that I’ve followed a handful of times through the years and felt it was time to lead. The wetness on Something Interesting, while not unexpected after a hard rain, was putting me off of trying Try Again. Fortunately I was able to find someone at the Mac wall familiar enough with the route to know what it’d be like after a rain. He gave me the thumbs up, so up I went.

I was probably most worried about the jump move. For the first x number of times I tried Try Again, I couldn’t do that move. I’m soooo not a jumper. I finally found a static way to do the move, but it was a long, gearless lock-off, high-step thing off a ledge that I wasn’t sure I’d have the guts to pull off on lead. So Sunday I started the move before I had time to reconsider and in a second it was done. Bill, who’d given me the wetness-beta and who was leading Coex next to me, said “nice work” and the glow carried me up to the crux.

Somewhere in the middle of the crux I forgot a key hold and by the time I found it I knew I was too pumped to finish the crux sequence so I said a surprisingly calm “Falling, Brien” and let go. On my second try I found all the holds and finished the crux sequence to take a few steadying breaths before making the final delicate move to the next place you get gear. Grabbing that lip where I was going to stuff in a cam for all I was worth, I let out a holler. Even considering the fall, maybe especially considering the fall, it was a great success.

For the rest of the day, we climbed 7s with speed and style. The Gunks are a magnificent place to climb 7s.

Something Interesting, 5.7 (P1: Dawn; P2: Brien)
Fly Again, 5.10 (Dawn)
Overhanging Layback, 5.7 (P1: Brien; P2: Dawn)
Dry Martini, 5.7 (P1: Dawn; P2 & 3: Brien)