Thursday, May 3, 2012

Floodwaters


DN on Hat Change, 5.10d, the only moderate available on the Whippoorwill crag, down in the New River Gorge.  Just around the corner from this line is an array of sub-11s that would have been just perfect for a chill last day.  We took a gamble coming here and lost- the lake she rises fast in spring and there was a ~5ft deep stretch of water between us and the rest of the climbs.  Took a few laps on this (and CB took a burn on what looked to be a very shitty 4-bolt 12a) and then hopped back in the car.  Ah, well.

Also, on the approach I fell on my bum in the mud.  Badass.

2 comments:

  1. Wow, the lake rises very fast. It was significantly (like 12 feet or more) lower when I was there. Very cool rock. We headed to orange oswald, but took an early turn toward the lake so got to walk along the whole way. The coliseum and narcissus cave are particularly cool!

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  2. Yeah they've been having a ton of rain. The Summersville crags are higher up (although the lake comes right up to the path below Oswald), but Whippoorwill is right down on the water so it gets inundated quickly. We were talking to two guys who had been there just a few *days* before who said the water had been dramatically lower.
    Spent a bunch of time being belay bitch in the Coliseum for CB & J to work a 13a- it is a pretty cool spot!

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