Rudy Tuesday (E2 5b)

So I went to the Roaches... again! I only managed one route because I spent some of the day boudlering on Joe's Arete and Cooper's Traverse (I managed the Arete, one handed! I didn't manage the traverse) The route I did was Ruby Tuesday, something that I've looked at before but never really considered I'd be able to do. For some reason I thought today was that day and I enlisted Ronnie to belay me up what was to be a great journey in the vertical. It's actually a 3 pitch route, but only because it wanders around the cliff a little taking an interesting line.

So pitch one fell to me as it was the first 5b pitch. The initial section is slightly undercut making the first few moves annoyingly hard. Annoying because I was risking falling off until the floor and the grass was wet and slippery and slightly sloping. I would rather have had the pad underneath me, but it was occupied keeping my kit dry at the time and I was already tied in. The first few moves like I said were a little bold, till I got a good cam in. Then I was under the roof. I immediatly saw why this was E2. The good handhold was a loose block which I manged to wedge into position then fix in place with some nuts. In the end I had 6 pieces of gear under the roof before I built up the courage to make the lip move.

What a move. When Ronnie did it he called it the best move he'd ever done on grit. I'd don't know whether I agree but it was pretty awesome. You made a long reach for the lip then smeared your feet across to match both hands. Then a pull up over the lip, garb the crimp and get a heel hook on the lip. The rock over! There was underpull on the back wall to grab and that was it. It was such a smooth sequence once I'd committed to it. The next move had even worse gear to protect it (4 microwires) but was just and gnarly lock off to slap up for the final hold, and pitch one was done.

Apart from the reachy start, Ronnie flashed it. I was well impressed because the move under the roof was almost full stretch for me at 6'5 and Ronnie is only about 5'. Instead of making a big move he did it on a series on tiny crimps.

Ronnie declined the lead of the next pitch, which was ok as it turned out to be a particularly nasty traverse across some green rock and wet footholds. I think the crux was probably trying to keep your feet dry. Then the final pitch, also 5b, that took a crack then a traverse then a slightly overhanging arete. Well the guidebook never said it would be easy! The crack was alright to start, just cold and a little damp but I got some high gear in and set off across the traverse. This gradually got harder and harder as my arms got more and more pumped. I reached the arete thinking that I didn't want to fall off. It would have been a pretty long swing. Instead I just pulled on my arms and pushed through the final holds. These it turns out were all pretty good. I still clambered over the top panting. Ronnie just flew up the crack with easy.

So one route all day? Was I annoyed that I didn't get more done... hell no. It was an awesome route. It was also great to do a different route on a crag I've felt like I've exhausted, I'm pretty psyched for some more new routes to come!