7/17  We have to wake early in City of Rocks because we are in a camp site and we don't want to pay for it.  I watch half a dozen jackrabbits go through their morning routine as we load the car and explore the park.  We head to Decadent Wall for some short trad climbs.  I lead Adolescent Homosapien (5.7) and Carol's Crack (5.8).  We check out the park's visitor center, then find some nice shade trees where I string up my hammock and take a delicious nap.  Well rested, we head to Elephant Rock where I lead Wheat Thin (5.7) an area classic.

Still not wanting to pay for camping, we drive 2.0 miles straight past the visitor's center, cross a cattle guard, and take a right turn on to BLM land.  There we find a beautiful, free campsite where we will stay the whole time we are in City of Rocks.  Heather and her friend Amanda are driving to Yellowstone and they spend the night visiting us.

7/18  We head to Parking Lot Rock where I lead Delay of Game (5.8 sport) a fun slab climb and Guy leads Batwings (5.8 trad) which is a bit runout at the top.  Then we walk to the Incisor where I lead Skyline (5.8 trad) which is supposed to be one of the best climbs in City of Rocks.  It has a nice view at the top, but the climbing isn't anything special.  We continue our walk to Anteater where Guy leads Scream Cheese (5.9 sport).  Finally we head back to Elephant Rock where I lead Rye Crisp (5.8 trad) a very scary, runout, hollow flake.  Good for the day, we head back to our BLM site and watch the first half of the movie Out Cold.  Yea for laptop computers and inverters!

7/19  Time to try some of the longer climbs at City of Rocks.  In fact, the longest climbs (as far as I know) and some of the only multipitch sport climbing I've done in the United States.  We head to Jackson's Thumb and swing leads up Theater of Shadows (5.7, 4 pitches).  This easy slab climb reminds me of Rumney's Clip a Dee Doo Dah.  Then we walk over to Stienfell's Dome and climb Sinocranium (5.8, 5 pitches).  Since Guy takes the first pitch on both of these climbs, I get to lead p4 of Sinocranium which is the only non-slab pitch and easily the best pitch of the day.  We can't find the rap anchors described in the book, so we use the double ropes to rap the route.  I wonder if the rap anchors have been chopped because there is bail webbing where you would expect to find it if someone rappelled the route with only a single 60m rope.

Back to the visitor's center to refill water jugs.  Interestingly, the center has exactly one climbing rope for sale... an 8mm twin for $146.  Why anyone would buy this is beyond me.  It looks old too.  Does anyone even make 8mm twins any more?  Probably dates from Sophomore year.  Should just be thrown in the trash.

I use the pay phone to check messages.  There is a new cell tower just half a mile from the visitor's center.  I see workers wiring it up each day, so hopefully by now there is cell service in at least some of the park.  After dinner we watch the rest of Out Cold and then watch Dosage III.

7/20  Off to Tahitian Wall for some sport climbing.  Guy starts us off on Bikini Candy (5.8) and I lead Bora Bora (5.9).  Then I lead The Good Stuff (5.10a) and it is so good that Guy pulls the rope and leads it too.  This is my favorite climb at City of Rocks so far.  A storm blows in, so we retreat to the car and watch the first half of Layer Cake.

Once the storm clears, we head to Slabbage Patch and I lead Dez Guys (5.10a) which has a very stiff start.  I'm happy to get the onsight.  We head back to the visitor's center for one last water refill and a rinse in the spigot.  Then back to camp where we make dinner and finish watching Layer Cake.  If anyone cares, I finish our first fuel bottle while making dinner.  That 33oz. bottle served two people for 14 days making breakfast and dinner, including a long time cooking pancakes and many evenings frying vegetables.  Barely more than 1oz. of white gas per person per day.

Current Quota Status:

Pitches climbed so far: 55
Hours driven so far: 57