The Line--Climbing at Lover's Leap, June 2001
=============================================

After hanging out munching goodies and getting a private showing of Pinar's
environmental portraiture of Turkey at Dave and Pinar's Turkish wine and
cheese party Yossi and I hopped in the car and headed east to spend Thursday
and Friday at a Lover's Leap free of wknd crowds. "Sometimes you make being
a grad student look really attractive Chris" said Greg as we left...First
up was East Crack (5.8); as I belayed Yossi up the harder second pitch I
chatted with Steve belaying Rick up the 2nd pitch of Bear's Reach (5.7) from
a nearby ledge--two doctors on their way to work. What hardship! having to
climb 3 pitches to get there...Back at the base once more we got on
the beautiful clean The Line (5.9), Yossi leading the crux first pitch,
combining face, crack and lieback moves, then I the 2nd and third pitch out
through the roof of the summit overhang. Yellow camalot placed...hands in
the horizontal crack...step high...brief moment of anxiety!...through! Down
the descent trail once more ("To think we climbed this high!") and on to
Bear's Reach to finish up the day. Yossi was unable to budge the nut someone
had left stuck in the first pitch, then I took us through the "bear's reach"
2nd pitch, making any stretches easily enough not to be sure where the bear's
reach move was. This time Yossi took us out the final pitch--co-inciding
with the top pitch of East Crack--taking us through the awkward roof I'd
chickened out of leading earlier. Then it was down the now familiar descent
trail once more, butterflies fluttering by, our hands stained with small
orange dots from the myriads of little red spiders we'd unwittingly squashed
on each of our odysseys upwards, a great day of climbing behind us. 

Next morning we arrived at The Groove (5.7/8) to shouts of "Hey Rick! the
boys are back!" from Steve. "It's just like trying to get out of a swimming
pool" I said as I psyched myself up for a big mantle. After flirting briefly
with the idea of climbing the scary sounding and steep looking Fantasia (5.9) 
we did Labour of Love (5.10a), Yossi leading it first then me leading it too
after assuring myself on top rope I could do it, mantling and pulling on 
huge dikes up the full 50m pitch, for once without water and shoes on 
our harnesses. Casting about for something to climb we settled on Psychedelic 
Tree (5.9). Stitching it a little too tightly near the bottom I had to 
scavenge biners from the rack as I got higher, thankful I had spare slings 
on my body; finally, 15 pieces of gear, almost the entire rope length, much 
work and a little gardening later I made it to the great ledge unscathed. 
"Man! I'm glad I didn't say any of the things I thought of!" said Y as he 
finally joined me. The next pitch was shorter but harder; "You're going 
to have fun here!" said Y as he led it, then "You've had your share of 
getting out of swimming pools today" as I reached the awkward series of 
roofs at the top. Through! Fuck that was a hard climb! But a good way to 
end two days of great climbing. Down the descent trail once more then 
reminding ourselves it was Friday even though it felt like Sunday we drove
home past wknd traffic going the other way.

picture: "Sight" by Tessa Traeger
         hands cupping a backlit leaf, veins and the fingers behind showing
         clearly through. black and white.

(it may be a little unclear what climbs we did...so:
Thursday: East Crack (5.8), The Line (5.9), Bear's Reach (5.7)
          each 3 pitches. I led first and third of EC, 2nd and 3rd of TL,
          2nd of BR. Bear's Reach and East Crack come together at the
          second belay. There's a 5.8 variation at the very top of
	  the third pitch which is scary to lead, I decided I didn't
	  want to do it. It would be less so with a bigger cam!
Friday:   The Groove (5.7/8), Labour of Love (5.10a), Psychedelic Tree (5.9)
          TG is two pitches, but the interest is all in the first, which
          I led. LoL is one 50m pitch (it continues to the top under another
          name at 11c R), Yossi led it and then I decided I should have a
	  go too after toproping it; and we did PT in two pitches, one
          almost 60m, the second around 35. LoL is bolted, the rest are
	  gear routes)