Adaptive Climbing

This past weekend, my friend and owner of Mountain SkillsClimbing Guides, Doug Ferguson, invited me and others along to join his Adaptive Climbing group, which assists physically disabled climbers, to climb at The Gunks.  Over the past several years, climbing has given me so much…friends, rich experiences, challenges, surprises, scares, as well as purpose.  For me, this was a chance to say thanks, give back, and hopefully share with others some of the intangibles climbing have given to me.  The word “inspiring” is so often cliché when referring to people with disabilities, and I hate to use it but the experience was truly inspiring and I felt like as much as I was giving, I was taking.  Watching someone like Peter, who rolled up in a wheelchair, relentlessly climb to the top of Rhododendron, 5.4 and then repeat it later.  Or Colleen, jug a fixed rope beneath an imposing roof.  And Nate, who needed a cane to reach the base of the wall yet still, attacked a difficult layback route.  It was just a tremendous experience to see such true determination and spirit.  I also had the opportunity to meet other climbers and make new friends.  And, of course, I had the chance to climb some new routes myself.

 

Me, with Peter
 

Peter, doing the Iron Cross on Rhodo'



Colleen, jugging with Doug Ferguson

Peter a few feet from topping out on Rhodo'
 

Nate layback climbing near the crux on Rhodo'












 



Gorgeous Rocks, Gorgeous WAGs

I officially kicked off Rock Season 2015 with a trip to Gorgeous Rocks at the Lehigh Gorge with my partners Kyle and John.  We also brought along our wives and girlfriends to climb, hang out, and hike out to scenic Glen Onoko Falls.  I’ve been itching to check out Gorgeous Rocks ever since I came I saw in the Holzman Eastern PA Guidebook.  It’s a small area so it’s not a destination crag, but the rock quality is good and the routes were definitely full of challenging movements.

We started with Variety Crack (5.6) and then Kyle lead Blap (5.9) with the crux move being a dyno to a small rock nub just above the 1^st bolt.  I took advantage of the bolted anchor up top to take some photographs of this as well as John leading Separate Reality (5.10a), a short but lean face climbing route.

 

John and Kyle

Me, perched up top to get some great photos.

John, Sepearte Reality 5.10a

Kyle, going for the dyno.

Kyle, sticking a dyno.

Kyle, on the lean top moves of Blap, 5.9.

 

Shortly after, we moved further down the cliff to Gorgeous Crack (5.10a).  The start of this route is super challenging.  It begins with a difficult 3-4 move boulder sequence to a decent rest stance and then the crux of the climb – coming out of a small cave to a splitter crack overhang to weak sloping holds.  Kyle attempted this on lead, but got hung up at the slopers.  Alison (John’s girlfriend) and I tried this route too, at the same spot as Kyle.  John was able to flash the route on lead and later, Kyle made it on top-rope.  Definitely an amazing, and challenging route that I’d like to try again.  Once past the crux, the climbing is much easier, continuing another 50 or so feet to a bolted anchor. Definitely a classic.

 

Alison, giving the crux moves on Gorgeous Crack a go.

Kyle, sending Gorgeous Crack on top-rope.

 

Not long after, my wife and Kyle’s returned from hiking to the falls and we decided to wrap it up and get some post climb food and beers.  We visited Red Castle Brewery off of PA 209 and had an awesome meal…schnitzel sandwiches, brats, loaded fries and homemade micro brews.  Excellent way to cap off an awesome day of climbing.  

My favorite, gorgeous partner.

Kyle, John, and Michael