Posted on November 6, 2009 - at 5:19 am
Change Of Plans
It seems like an eternity has passed, but about a month ago I set aside a long weekend for a bouldering trip to the Southeast. The trip was to be a training mission for my trip to Hueco and my mind was full of potential projects to tick off. Unfortunately things don’t always work as planned.
For starters, the weekend before the trip I injured my shoulder at the gym, something that would plague me for the next month. Then the forecast for the Southeast was terrible so we changed our destination to Horseshoe Canyon Ranch. A friend on the Facebook sent along beta from the upcoming Rock Climbing Arkansas guidebook that had me very psyched to check out some of the smaller areas near the Ranch. Then of course it rained several inches the day we were supposed to leave. On to plan C: Devil’s Lake.
While I was stressing about the weather in places 12 hours away, it struck me as odd that I would risk driving 24 hours round trip just to get rained out when I could drive 4 hours round trip, climb and be home in time for dinner if I went to the Lake. I complain as much as anybody about being a long distance from great climbing, buts sometimes it’s good to step back and be appreciative for what you have close to home, even if it isn’t perfect.
I tried to show my appreciation for the Lake by sending Moj, but that didn’t work out. The day was not a total waste, however. I repeated a few problems, hung out with some friends and made the below video. It features probably my favorite problem at the Lake, Show Me The Kind (V4). The crux of the problem revolves around jamming as many of your fingers as possible behind a small left hand vertical crimp over your head (1.5 fingers for me) and making a long move to a huge, hidden jug. The video doesn’t really capture the angle or the scale of the problem. I highly recommend checking it out.
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Areas: Devil’s Lake
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November 6, 2009
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Eggbert said:
Nice Narc! Cool vids. I tried to get a video of SMTK last spring but the camera battery died mid problem. Would be cool to see the feet on that problem too, but hey what can you do. All 3 of those are classics. Kinda wish you could see the anus-impaler stump below Rhodes Rash though. ce
November 6, 2009
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John Knoernschild said:
“be appreciative for what you have close to home, even if it isn’t perfect.”
I hope you arent talking about the LAKE!!! The Lake is nothing but Perfect. World Class baby!!
November 6, 2009
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Tony said:
anybody know of any routes/boulders that climb up that cool textured rock at the lake, besides trust fund?
November 6, 2009
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Eggbert said:
Tony I haven’t been up to the “Australia Boulder” on the east bluff yet, that would be a candidate but I am not 100% sure. Did you see Remo’s new photo of the Trust Fund Slab? Super cool! Amazing actually. ce
November 6, 2009
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gOD said:
Narc, why didn’t you head down to the Red again? The weather is supposed to be great down there this weekend. I’m headed up to Gov’s Dodge Saturday for a day trip.
November 6, 2009
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Narc said:
I’m in hueco right now
November 6, 2009
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chris schulte said:
man, that rock out there looks nice.. and different!
see you in hueco in a week.
November 7, 2009
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Narc said:
Better hurry, I leave Friday
November 7, 2009
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chris schulte said:
bummer.. so do we! (from boulder!)
November 10, 2009
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Old School said:
love the lake. I know the Narc appreciates it too.