What’s in a name?
So it’s that time of year again. Yep, Red River Gorge time! It’s just such fantastic rock that despite the craptastic weather forecast, there’s still no way I’d bail on a trip to the Red. For those if you who haven’t been, the Red is a mecca of steep, juggy, powerful routes. Basically the complete opposite of the technical crimpy routes that I tend to be better at. This time I’m heading down armed with a winter of bouldering experience that should lend itself nicely to the kind of moves I’d need to actually send anything substantial down there. (speaking of which, if you’re looking for something less douchy than 8a.nu, check out Jamie Chong’s new site, www.sendage.com). The goal for the trip is a few hard 11′s, maybe work a 12 or two, but I suppose that’ll all depend on which way the wind blows, how many butterflies fart in Africa, and whether we can fend off the rain long enough to play on some fun routes…. because in the end, pushing grades is great, but taking a road trip, and having a blast on some quality rock with some quality friends is what I’m really stoked about.
Some the others in the group want to get onto BOHICA (Motherlode, 13b), which, to be honest, I think they’ll get totally spanked on (think 100ft sustained steep hauling on 2 pad holds after only training on 25 feet of plastic all winter… no offense to their skill, they’re all crazy strong, but I just think it’s a little ambitious). On a more positive note though, it’ll give them a good feel of what it’s actually like to get on a 5.13 outdoors, and what kind of training and commitment it’ll actually take to be able to send stuff at that grade. I think if I were to pick one climb at that level to strive for, it’d be Predator 5.13b at Rumney. The climb starts after the first pitch of Tropicana (my first 11a onsight with super fun movement), and just looks like a wicked good time! Check back in a year or so, an I may haven take a run at it, lol.
I assume that Predator gets it’s name from the epic prow finish, and BOHICA = “Bend Over, Here It Comes Again”. So that got me thinking about Transworld Depravity. What’s in a name? Google just left me even more confused. I don’t even know how to begin wrapping my head around what it has to do with the climb, but perhaps that’s because it’s been a looong day, and I really shouldn’t be up past midnight reading up on The Problem of Evil and The Free Will Defense. Damn you Wikipedia! I’ll get back to that one in the morning. More to come 