We arrive at the bottom of the mountain in my truck, then unload all of the equipment, as well as the cooler of drinks and food. The cooler is sat in the creek that is ice cold because of coming
out of the mountains.
We unpack our equipment and put on the climbing stuff - anchors and rope, mainly.
The mountain we chose has a near vertical cliff on this western side. I start up it, using the belays and ropes safely.
Hand over hand, foot over foot, finding creases in the rock upon which to put body weight, I gain altitude. As I get higher, I can see the edges of daylight as the sun rises over the mountain.
Half an hour after starting, I'm at the top. I look down and see one other climber about halfway up and the last one getting a good start.
As I wait, I explore the mountaintop. The only sign of humanity is a soda can, which I crush and pocket to get rid of in a proper place.
Soon, all three of us are at the top and we stand around and talk a minute before I get the rappel line ready. Once it's prepared, I jump off the side and get to the bottom in about 30 seconds. As
soon as the others reach bottom, we go again, repeating the procedure but in reverse.
After the second rappel, we stop and eat lunch, then walk around in the valley, exploring a bit before giving the mountain one last go. Following the last rappel, we pack it up and go home, a bit
tired but very happy from a successful day of climbing and rappelling.
Submitted: September 24, 2013
© Copyright 2023 Gene Stanley. All rights reserved.
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