Yesterday, Danny and I climbed the route known as Angel’s Fright on Tahquitz. Pictures are here.
We camped out at the base Wednesday night to get an early start. The mosquitos were fierce. I closed up my sleeping bag so only my forehead and nose were exposed. I still got bitten — on my forehead!
Getting an early start, our goal was to climb as quickly as we possibly could – ideally we would finish the entire route in 5 hours. Leaving our pack at the base of the climb, we brought only essentials with us: 2 litres of water, climbing gear and a couple of power bars.
The climb was 4 pitches. Danny led the first section, up a short (60 foot) chimney. A chimney is an akward obstacle involving inserting your entire body into a large crack, feet on one side, pushing your back on the other side. He belayed me up and I led the next pitch which was to be the most difficult part of the climb.
Traversing right, I found the route leading up and left, above the belay ledge where Danny stood. About 10 feet up, I found a small foothold (4 inches) with an old rusty piton, which I clipped into as my protection. At this point I was confronted with a committing move out onto a blank section of vertical wall to my left. Climbing above the ledge and out over the blank section of wall I was confronted with the fear of exposure. Hundreds of feet of free air hung below me, with only a rusty piton 10 feet down to catch my fall. My hair stood on end. I quickly realized I couldn’t back down without falling. Clinging precariously to that wall, I began to tell myself that I couldn’t make the next move, and that I was going to fall. I froze up and stopped moving, unable to force my body to make the next move. After what seemed like an eternity, but which was probably less than a minute, my arms began to shake, and I started losing my grip.
Terrified, I started talking out loud… I can’t hold on here much longer. I can’t make the next move. I’m going to fall now. Danny sat on the ledge 15 feet below looking up. Sensing the danger of my situation he held his words of encouragement.
Forcing my body to reach out, I made the next move, and climbed to the safe ledges above. Danny led the final pitch which involved a very tricky friction climb up a slope. This is a section involving a slope with no hand or footholds, but which is not vertical. You use the friction of your sticky rubber shoes and slowly shuffle up the wall. After my scare on the face, I was happy to led him lead the last section.
Then we were at the top! Except for the scary parts, it was pretty easy.
