Index Roped Solo

Published on 2003-2-9 by Michael Stanton

Great Northern Slab 2/9/2003

Just to see how well I'm recovering from surgery, I took a few hours late Sunday to head out to Index and rope solo the Great Northern Slab. This was my third time to do this...I'm such a creature of habit. Less than two weeks ago I had major jaw surgery to correct an open bite. Both upper and lower jaws were broken in two places, then fitted back together with steel plates. I spent a night in the hospital, then came home and lived on pain killers. Now I'm down to Advil, and have a strange numbness of the lower jaw and lips. Oddly, I can't feel my lips no matter how hard I pinch, but temperature changes are uncomfortable. So I braced for the cold wind as I walked across the railroad tracks carrying my kit of rope and rack. I scrambled up to the railroad bolts, racked up and began climbing. This was my first time to go straight up from the bolts while roped soloing, usually I walked around an easier way. All went well, I got out of breath easily, and felt just a bit shaky, probably because I haven't exercised at all since the operation. Fiddling with the clove hitch is so tedious, I thought it would be fun to just climb without stopping every 6 feet! Anyway, I rapped and reclimbed the familiar pitch. Before rapping off, I stopped to absorb the view. Clouds around Mt. Index and Persis had parted, and red rays of sunset hit the rocks and snow. By leaning out I could see Mt. Baring too. Hello friends!