RRG: Thanksgiving 2010

Day 1, Wednesday
Paradise Lost 5.13a – flash

After a 9-hour drive from Delaware to Kentucky and a nice sleep at one of the Lago Linda’s cabins, I was ready to jump-start my 4-day climbing trip (yet I was still somehow the last one to pack my bag).  Drive, park, walk up to some warm-ups, 5.12a warm-up, all check.  And here I go making the first mistake of the climbing trip: I got TOO psyched…  After barely enough warm up to get the blood flowing, I jumped on Southern Smoke (5.14c) and got a flash pump that seemed to last for the rest of the trip.  But I thought, oh well, and after a few tries on Southern Smoke, proceeded to attempt Lucifer (another 5.14c)… I don’t think I’ve sworn so much and with such passion before in my life, while instantaneously freaking out everyone around me and making them laugh.

Me getting pumped on the first moves of Southern Smoke.  Photo by Jesse Gagnon.

Jesse Gagnon demonstrating how cold it is.  Photo by Vasya Vorotnikov.

Day 2, Thursday 
The Castle has Fallen 5.13b – onsight
Dracula ‘04 5.13b – flash
Calm like a Bomb 5.13a – flash

The day started out with me feeling simply exhausted after 5 full-session tries on 5.14c’s, but everything seemed to change with Neil Mushaweh’s first ever 5.13a onsight and the temps climbing into the 60s.  He certainly got me psyched on Calm like a Bomb as he crushed it with style early in the morning.  The pressure was on, but with Neil’s perfect beta, I was able to flash it.  Later on in the day, I got some beta from Neil and sent Dracula ‘04, one of the best 13b’s I’ve ever been on!  Happy Turkey-day!

Neil Mushaweh on the flash attempt of Dracula ‘04.  Photo by Jesse Gagnon.

Day 3, Friday
Hellraiser 5.12b/c – onsight

The temps dropped from a high of 70 yesterday to a high of 37 today… wtf?  I figured I’d save this day for trying Lucifer, but disappointed myself with another poor performance and feeling exhausted after just a couple of days of climbing.  This day was more about Neil’s epic tries on Dracula ‘04.  As Neil got to the rest before the final boulder problem to the anchors, he looked down at me, gave out a scream, and said with no emotion “I just got the biggest flapper on my pinky… I bit the skin off… and spit it out”.  There was a long pause and I didn’t know what to say, but I finally managed to say “Just put some chalk on it”.  Needless to say, he did just that and ended up peeling off the last move as he slipped on his own blood…  The route lives up to its name.

Meanwhile, Matt McCormick was having a mental issue of whether to clip a draw or skip it and go straight to the top on Paradise Lost.  This seemingly simple call turned into a total mind game with an unfortunate “no send” for Matty.

Matt McCormick on Paradise Lost.  Photos by Vasya Vorotnikov.

Day 4, Saturday
Transworld Depravity 5.14a – 2nd try

The last day of my Thanksgiving trip was fruitful with an unexpected 2nd go send of Transworld Depravity, one of the best climbs I’ve tried and done here at Red River Gorge.  With the temps still down below 40F and this being my 4th day on of pulling hard, I don’t know what got me up there.  While we could have stayed here an extra day, I didn’t have anything left in me.  Always wishing I had more time…

Me on Transworld Depravity.  Photos by Jesse Gagnon.

Lost City, Gunks, NY

When deciding between spending the weekend at the New (13 hours of driving total by myself) and a Sunday at the Gunks (7 hours of driving with Jay and Drew), it really was a 50/50 in my mind simply because I’m in the sport climbing mood.  However, since I’m going to Red River Gorge over Thanksgiving, the Gunks won the overall vote.  I’ve never been anywhere there except the Carriage Road, so Lost City area was a new one for me with some pleasant and unexpected surprises.  With temperatures in the upper 30s/very low 40s, the dry conditions were ideal for sending, and I ended up with one of my best days bouldering outside yet:

Gutshut V10/11 – flash
Dose of Novocaine V10 – 3rd try
Ideas are Bulletproof V10 – flash
Harmonic Tremors V9 – flash
Alcoholocaust (left exit variation) V9 – flash
The Path V9 – flash
Air Jordan V8 – 2nd go

Drew Davis did Air Jordan the same day with the quickness, but later destroyed himself on the Path, practically finishing the problem at least 10 times, leaving little for Ideas and Harmonic…  Jason Temple wanted to do the Path, but occupied his mind with his upcoming trip to Chattanooga, and was unable to zone in on the present day…  Unfortunately, there are no pics or videos, but I’m kind of glad since Ideas are Bulletproof needed some serious spotting!

Top Out Comp: Elite 11/13/2010 + Green Lane Bouldering

TOP OUT COMPETITION
The weather was in the 60s and sunny, dry after practically no rain for a whole week, but I took my chances and went to check out this comp in a nice little gym called “Elite Climbing Gym”.  It was either this short 1-hour drive to the comp or a 6.5-hour drive to the New, and I chose to compete…  I simply couldn’t resist competing against Rob D’Anastasio and Nick Picarella.

I’ll start with the results:
Men:
1. Vasya Vorotnikov (me)
2. Rob D’Anastasio
3. Nick Picarella
Women:
1. Emma Chilton
2. Maddy Grupper
3. Anna Kavaoerchik

Side note:  Not too many people know this (I didn’t), but apparently Paul Robinson started climbing in this very gym.  While I didn’t exactly feel the presence of the legend himself during the competition, I could imagine a scrawny little kid with short haircut pulling down on those tiny crimps in the cave.

The qualifiers were typical: a whole bunch of problems with the hardest being in the V10-level.  After the this round, it was me in 1st, Rob in 2nd, and Nick in 3rd, followed by Pat, Connor, and Matt.  Mr. Jason Temple was excited to miss the finals by one, snagging a few slices of that free pizza.  For the women it was a no-brainer with practically no one there to give Emma Chilton a run for her money.

The finals were run very differently – elimination style.  While the finalists may not have agreed on the format to determine who is the best, it seemed to be satisfying enough to the crowd.  Here’s how it worked:
- The top person from the qualifiers would go first, given an onsight attempt with nobody watching.  Then, the rest of the guys would turn around, and the second person to qualify would try the problem, allowing everyone to watch as if it were a redpoint round.
- The catch: the first 5 to top out the problem would move on to the second boulder problem!  Say 5 guys did the first problem first try; then, the 6th person would automatically be eliminated despite him not even trying the problem. The time limit was 10 minutes and after those 10 minutes, whoever had the highpoints would move on.
- 2nd problem: 2 more guys were eliminated similarly with only 3 remaining for the last, third problem.  Whoever finishes the 3rd problem first wins the comp!

And so it happened: the first 5 guys, including me, flashed the first boulder problem, automatically moving on to the next problem, with no chance left for Matt regardless of how he climbed on #1.  #2 was a bit more difficult, with only Rob and I flashing the problem, but Nick making quick work of it and getting to the top 2nd try, not allowing anyone else into the finals.  The last problem was not as hard as expected, and I was able to flash that one as well, automatically getting 1st place.  It was now between Rob and Nick, and Rob was also able to flash the last problem.  Nick came really close, but it wouldn’t have mattered as he was automatically in 3rd after Rob’s flash.

Emma was simply at another level comparing to the rest of the girls as there were no Sashas, Sydneys or Mollys to compete against.

GREEN LANE BOULDERING
With skin as tender as filet mignon, after just 6 hours of sleep due to noisy upstairs neighbors, we (Jason, me, Rob D, and Nick) decided to check out Green Lane, a local PA bouldering area that has remained secretive due to its access issues and lack of parking…  We met up late in the morning and, after getting lost on local roads that we shouldn’t have gotten lost on, we got to the boulders.

My first thought was: cinnamon bun!  Rob D came up with rule 48, which allows him an after-the-comp 48 hours of abusing his body with carbohydrate-high substance called food before preparing for the next event or escapade. And, I enjoyed it!

Me with a cinnamon bun. Photo by me.

The next thought was coffee, which I drank as I took pictures of the gang tearing up the warm-ups.  Nick claimed that he onsighted the V0 on this boulder, but it is still under dispute.  An official complaint of lying to his peers about this V0 “onsight” may be filed shortly.  Stay tuned.
 
Rob D’Anastasio, sending the sendbag V0 on his 3rd go. Jason Temple awaits at the top.

Nick Picarella demonstrating his slab-scrimping powers as he tops out a V7 boulder problem.

It was truly impossible to focus on something called “sending” as we were not exactly in top form after competing the previous day.  Unexpectedly, however, the “San Diego” part of Green Lane brought us some sends, with Nick, Rob, and I all sending the “Redneck” V10 boulder problem!  While somewhat contrived, it was the obvious way to do this direct crimpy line up the middle of the 40-degree overhang.  The “San Diego” project, which skips the broken-off part of the boulder (the more obvious line), remains undone, likely in the V12-14 range.  There are plenty of promising lines just in the “San Diego” area, but they will have to wait till our skin grows back a little.

Me on a sequence of the “Redneck” (V10).