There was something off about Saturday. First, I started on a route I’d never been on before–a tricky thing for me to do at the Gunks. I was supposed to be doing Land’s End but I think I actually did Land Ho, not that there’s a whole lot of difference between them ratings-wise. I went to put in a nut and found three nuts on the wrong biner, which was odd. No one had been touching my nuts. But I overcame that difficulty and led most of the way through the crux before hanging. Then I hung. Then I did the rest (easy but pumpy and runout). Veronica followed it comfortably, even getting out the six pieces I’d placed in four feet (hey, I was really close to the ground).

It was a crowded day. Anything with a name was taken. So we did Glypnod which wasn’t wet for a change. I’d led it before in two pitches–one to the ledge and one to the top. The downside to that was that I was pulling the crux roof right over my belayer’s head. I think I’d have butt-smacked him if I’d fallen. So this time I did it in two pitches–one to the tree and one to the top. The downside to that is that your belayer can’t hear you, not at the top but not even at the roof. I wouldn’t have gotten it clean except when I said take no one took. Eventually I downclimbed back under the roof, composed myself, and pulled it. I’m glad about that because it means I don’t have to do this route ever again. It would be a good route if it weren’t for the mile or so of dirt you have to climb above the roof to get to the top. What Glypnod needs is an anchor.

The freaky thing was that as I was belaying Veronica on the first pitch I looked down and saw the rope running through a blue biner. You see, the blue biner is the gear biner and the slings are always clipped to me by the blue biner and I reach down and unclip them and hang the blue biner and then clip the rope through the purple biner. So not only must I have had the sling upside down on my gear loop but I didn’t even notice when I went to use it. It’s like realizing your knot is tied wrong. OK, having your knot tied wrong is potentially deadly and having the rope clipped to the gear end biner is . . . without any safety consequences whatsoever, but you get the idea. Doing it right should have been totally automatic.

So the day was winding down, time for a pitch or two more, and I was trying to decide what to do next. I’d started the day with exact plans–all of which had fallen through. Never try to plan a day at the Gunks. Now I had three choices: Apoplexy (scary), Nosedive (hard), or chickening out. And I sat there thinking, I wish today wasn’t so weird. I felt weak and wrong and off. And then I remembered about power leaks and that wishing doesn’t get you anywhere and I said, stop wishing today was a better day and just go climb the thing. So I led Nosedive.

It was a battle. I couldn’t get gear in below the crux that I liked. I was forever at that semi-stance where the bulge is in your face, stepping left to the crack to try to put something in and then stepping right to try to rest. I really don’t know what I would have done except I turned around to see how many vultures were eyeing me and there was Todd on top of the Sonja block. He told me the gear there isn’t great and what went in up above and somehow that convinced me to go ahead and launch the crux sequence. He didn’t tell me to, it just seemed like my only way out was up.

It took me too long to plug something in up there. I was so tired I was fumbling and thrashing but I finally did get a piece I liked and then I stepped up a bit and for some reason had to put in yet another piece, which I didn’t end up liking and I basically couldn’t even feel my arms at that point. I was going to hang but once I clipped the piece I looked up and saw the top and just went and got it. So it was a long way from smooth but I can do better next time. Now that I know to live with the iffy gear and where to put in the gear in the crux I should have something left in my arms for the top.

Saturday with Veronica:
Land Ho, 5.9+ (Dawn)
Glypnod, 5.8 (Dawn)
Rhododendron, 5.6 (Veronica)
Nosedive, 5.10 (Dawn)