Testpiece Saturday

February 16, 2008 | Filed Under Uncategorized 

I was feeling good today. I slept in this morning and woke up feeling all burly. With brilliant blue skies and nothing but sun in the sky, I headed up to the Buttermilks to find it completely packed.

I warmed up on a couple easy routes on the Sunshine Boulder, before finding a group of people working on High Plains Drifter. This V7 is one of the most classic lines and one of Bishop’s most famous testpeices. The guide exhorts you:

The ultra classic Buttermilks testpiece: If you can climb this grade but haven’t done this line, you better step up!

Three years ago when I first came here, I stepped back and could only look with at wonder on this beautiful, but scary-high problem. The difficult part was down low, and after the last drifter move, you’d be able to scoot up the good patina to the top. But it was still scary-high! I wondered if I’d ever see the day when I’d be able to climb a V7, much less a testpiece like this one. The photo below is for illustration purposes - there wasn’t any snow on the rock today.

A year and half ago, I came out to the Buttermilks again and gave the starting holds a feel. I was daunted by the crimps and edges. I gave it a few tries before deciding that I was better off doing more realistic problems.

So this morning. Like I said, I was feeling burly. I also was feeling like I was actually stronger than I was two years ago, even though I had not climbed much? Mabye it was the weight training or something. But regardless.

I gave it a try. I slapped wide on the crux move, a sloper edge that leads to the drifter edge and fell back to earth. But I also knew immediately that I could do it. It was not impossible for me anymore. I rested ten minutes, then chalked up and gave it another try. And I smashed that ball out of the park! Standing on the very top of the rock, I was feeling so fucking great!

Simply finishing out this day with a send of High Plains Drifter (V7) would have been more than enough for me, but when I met up with a group that were heading up to do Saigon (V6), I couldn’t turn down the chance. This was another project that had taunted me for years, both with it’s crazy around-the-arete-throw-to-a-jug, and a top-out that is anything but a gimme.

Strangely enough, I had a harder time with Saigon, than High Plains Drifter. My first throw for the jug had me swinging wildly around before poppping off and landing hard on the pad. My second try went even worse and I landed badly on one ankle, forcing me to hop around for a couple minutes. But I wasn’t ready to call it quits yet. I sat on a rock, channeling my mental focus and then stood up and threw off my coat. One other guy in the group pointed to me and said, “get it done”.  Hell yes, I was going to get it done.

Two minutes later, clutching madly on the jug while my legs flew out wildly, I said to myself - “dammit, dont pop off again” and willed my other hand to match. I found myself matched on the jug, legs back on the rock and with only the topout left to do. And I knew it wouldnt be a gimme. It’s not hard, but its not easy either. Your heart is racing along at 100 miles a hour and you want to be over with it now, but you still have another five feet of climbing to do. I had to mentally yell at myself to stop, breathe, and analyze my options and safely top out. I certainly didn’t want to crater from 25 feet above the deck.

And I didnt. I got up to the top, panting and yelling and seeing everyone down on the ground yelling at me like it was the most awesome show they ever saw.

Personal first sends of High Plains Drifter and Saigon in one day. It was a good day for me.

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