Index climbing with Theron

Published on 2005-4-20 by Michael Stanton

Index Climbing, April 20, 2005

Theron and I decided to get a few hours of climbing in during the spell of good weather. We headed out to Index early in the morning and for our wake-up call climbed the first pitch of Aries: the semi-evil 5.8 wide crack. That will wake you up! After some belay station shinanigans, Theron started up pitch two, but the mud on our shoes combined with a sheen of moisture on the rock made us back off. So we climbed the GNS gully, then climbed Pisces to the bolts. I tried a top-rope on Libra Crack but it spit me off a few times, alas! Theron had climbed "Taurus" with Robert a few weeks before via a creative lower/top-rope combination. I lowered him to do that, then I climbed it too. It was a fun pitch, starting from bolts on a slab, climbing a small overhang and then an enjoyable 5.6 hand crack. Now we rappelled, pulling the rope, and climbed the last pitch of Aries, completing a wandering roundabout on the ol' slab. It was time to get to work, rap off!