Index with Josh

Published on 2003-6-27 by Michael Stanton

Index Climbing, June 27, 2003

Josh W. and I went out before work. It was his first time to visit the fabled Index crag. We started the day off "right" with a climb of Godzilla (5.9). It was my first time to climb this classic pitch I had heard so much about over the years. I protected the first moves with a few small nuts, then reached a large pointy flake that marks the beginning of the ascent up a very steep long crack. Two cams below provided some confidence as I launched into the rather long lieback. A brief rest on the ledge above, and I climbed again with a 2 inch crack for my left hand, and a wide fist/hand crack for the right. I was approaching a roof and wondering how to get around it. A great cam placement under the roof, and I ventured above it on the right, thankful for awesome handholds on a ledge. From the ledge, I stepped left to an amazingly exposed ledge near the anchors. I was surprised to be here so quickly, having previously attained this point only via the "City Park" aid climb. A nut and a cam protected the solid moves up and left in a fingercrack. I reached the anchor and yodeled briefly. What a great steep pitch, but with good rests and protection! It's going on my regular play circuit, that's for sure! Josh came up, enjoying the climbing, but noting that he hadn't climbed much since a trip to Vantage in February. He did great through the burly lieback, then had trouble in the cracks below the roof. The judicious use of a cam as a moveable handhold allowed him to get past the difficulty. He arrived at the belay, and we admired the morning display of peaks. A double rope rappel got us down (a single 60 meter with stretch would probably juuuust make it).

Then we went to the Slab and climbed the second pitch of The Lizard (aka Aries) (5.8). This is a great short finger crack. We continued up the Pisces hand crack (5.6) to a bolted belay. Josh led the last pitch of Great Northern Slab, then we made 3 rappels to the ground. Josh's quote: "Index is hard!"