Sunday was climbing with Stephanie. It was supposed to be Saturday but the weather changed things. That also meant that we drove with her whole crew. On Saturday some of them had to be back earlier so Stephanie and I were going to meet and drive separately. It was quite the crew. Stephanie, Lou, and Grant, who I knew plus this guy Olay (I’m making up the spelling but it sounds like Oil of Olay or like a bull – ole). Plus they were meeting someone there named Peter.

Stephanie and I climbed separately from the group but the drive there and back and dinner were very social. Olay drives like a madman though. It was terrifying being in the front seat with him. I think I’ll try to avoid that in the future.

Stephanie led a few things. Her gear isn’t bad but she climbs very poorly when she’s leading. You’d never believe she was a 5.11 climber to see her try to lead Dennis. At one point she had the rope behind her leg and was going to flip and crash her head against the ledge if she came off and the worst part was that it looked like she might actually come off. This wasn’t even the crux roof on the first pitch – it was the tiny roof that starts the second pitch.

It makes me realize why people are hesitant to teach someone to lead. I don’t want to kill the girl. Later in the day I led Classic and she hadn’t tied in and I pulled the rope right through the gear. She wanted to pink it and I felt like, my gear was good enough for me but I didn’t place it for someone else. Like, I don’t want that on my head, you know? But she did pink it and did it with much more grace than she’d led Dennis earlier so it worked out.

She seemed to have a great day. She listens to everything I say like I know it all. It’s a good feeling. She did get one of my nuts stuck on Trapped Like a Rat but since I’m the only one who ever climbs that route I’ll probably have a chance to get it back again. On Dennis I cleaned a cam for someone, so I would have been way ahead in booty scoring except I gave it back.

So I led Trapped Like a Rat, which was very wet, especially over the roof where I’d never encountered water before. I did a good job considering. I think I can cross that off my list. I also led Classic, both pitches (second pitch is easy but nice as it turns out – I’d never done it) and City Lights in one pitch.