On Saturday once again we headed up to Frustration Creek to do some climbing. I figured that now I really need to start working on my other route so that I can get it redpointed before we move back to Utah in a couple of weeks. When we arrived we found that the route was still in the sun, and Amy wasn't feeling very well, so we decided to climb one of the routes on the middle tier so that she could belay down by the waterfall where there was still some shade.
I roped up down by the base of the waterfall, climbed up to the second tier, then decided that the third route from the left looked fun, so I started up that route. It turns out that the route is a 5.10c called Burning Bush. Burning Bush turned out to be a pretty fun route. It was very technical and balancy with the crux at the second to last bolt as you pulled over a steeper section on holds that all slope the wrong way. I got the onsight of the route then rapped back down to the second tier.
Because we had the kids with us and due to the rope length we decided that it would be best to have both Amy and Gwynne start from the lower tier while I belayed from the second tier. First up was Gwynne, she climbed the route without any major problems (even though she did have to take a time or two), then Amy also climbed the route with a take or two, then we decided that Danny would like to try climbing the approach to the second tier next to the waterfall, so I set up the TR and rapped back down to the lower tier.
Danny did really well climbing the approach route. He kept complaining about the rock being too slippery, but he ended up climbing the whole thing without any help. I hoped that Danny would be able to lower off all on his own again, but he didn't want to so I had to climb back up to him and help him lower off.
Approach to the middle tier - 5.2
Danny waiving from the anchors.
Amy still wasn't feeling very well, so she didn't really want to climb anything else, but I figured that Gwynne needed to do another route, so we decided to run up The Natural (5.10a). I ran up the route and got the redpoint, then Gwynne TR'd the route getting the TRedpoint, then Amy decided that she was feeling well enough, so she also got the TRedpoint of the route.
Finally I decided to give my new route (Primal Quest - 5.12b) a go. Although I still am nowhere near redpointing it I am getting better with each attempt. I've finally found a leg position that allows me to get a good knee smear to help keep my body into the wall during the crux which makes that move much easier, and I am linking more and more of the moves together and hanging on less bolts, so that's good. On this attempt I think I only hung on the second, fourth, fifth, and last bolts (and really I shouldn't have hung on either the fourth or last bolts because it wasn't due to being too tired). I still have a ways to go, but it is certainly coming along. Next, Gwynne decided that she'd give the route a go on TR, so I power belayed her up the route. Between the power belay, and pulling on a few choice draws, she was able to make it to the top of the route.
Below is a sequence of the crux section of my new route Primal Quest - 5.12b
It was now time for us to go, but Danny wanted to "swing" before we left, so we hooked him up to the rope, hauled him to the top of the route, let him swing around, lowered him back down, packed up, and headed home.
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