Life of Laura G: Classic Crack

I have now, officially been a part of a trad climb. Although I did not physically do anything the traditional way, I seconded the two pitches (or I guess I thirded them). I have also, been on my first multi-pitch climb-- Classic Crack is two pitches. On Saturday, after a long and tiring day of work, Clint, Lee, Zach and I headed out to the Good Vibes Wall to climb Classic Crack.

We climbed as a group, with all four of us ascending to the mid-way belay station and then continuing on to the top, bringing two ropes with us. This style of climb provided Clint with an opportunity to practice gear management-- as he put it: Zach and I were like haul bags on our trip up the wall. Once all four of us were at the top of the climb, it was rather crowded on the tiny ledge, so we quickly began our double-rope rappel back to the start of the climb. I was pleased with the climbing; both pitches were fun and not too challenging, allowing for relatively smooth climbing. The second pitch was definitely more fun to climb, although some huge loose rocks near the top provided reminders that the wall is like most things along the highway-- ever changing. The exposure at the top felt quite daunting to me, although I am beginning to acclimate to the feel of climbing outside on real rock.

Below are a few pictures of the first pitch, and the rappel. I did not take my camera up, so there are no pictures after Lee (the final climber) left the ground.