On our way through Hampton, TN, I had to stop and make a phone call. The business there, which the locals would recognize from this photo, has many a yard sculpture. I always think that the Bigfoot Climbing Gym in Morganton, NC, should acquire one of the statues here to ornament their front entrance.
We were headed to Grandmother Boulders along the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is a beautiful area. The approach is usually fairly short from an overlook just downslope from most of the boulders, but in winter after a snow, the gates are closed. It is still possible to get to the boulder field, because roads cross the parkway at intervals and the gates do not prevent these crossings. We walked in from one of these crossings into the parking area below.
At the top end of the lot is an unremarkable climber's trail.
We had one member of our crew who was slated to come later, so we temporarily marked the entrance to the trail with caution tape.
When we arrived at the first boulder which is really a rock outcropping about 100 yards long, we encountered a skating rink. The snow and ice, freezing and melting and refreezing, had produced this treacherous approach to the boulder problems that I intended to begin.
I had seen this situation before, but just through that gap was an unexpected scene. The icicle at right is about eight feet long. These were the warm-up climbs rendered unclimbable.
We found other problems to warm-up on, and with exhortation to take pictures, the crew took many photos from above and below. The ice covered top outs were what really rendered some problems unclimbable.
If you are uninitiated to bouldering, the climber is secured by pads and spotters. The spotters' goal is to direct a falling climber onto a pad. Here you see me warming up on cold rock.
The sequence shows me topping out.
When I got to the top, I spied one of my compatriots viewing and photographing the goings on.
Following is a sequence of the only girl to come along on this trip. You can see the two of the four pads that we had underneath the climber.
Does that mean that she didn't like for me to take her picture or that she was having fun?
These were easy top outs and obviously unfrequented owing to the moss and leaf litter.
The whole crew adds pictures, otherwise how could I be spotting and photographing simultaneously.
I like the perspective of this shot. It renders the climbers small and challenged.
After all of these easy warm-ups, we got serious. This next picture shows one of the crew attempting Joey's Arete, a V5. You start on a layback, heel hooking across a generous ledge. Then you reach to crimper on the arete and reposition your feet, the left on some tiny toe crimp. Then you stand up on the ledge, hugging the arete and reach for a small crimp. From there you make a long reach to a small horizontal crack, reposition your feet on the crimps and top out under an overhanging roof. The best of us didn't make it past the small crimp this day. We must go back.
The first problem everyone completed, though the topout was scretchy. You can tell which pictures I took. The lens evidently had some moisture on it, making the scenes have a soft, less than focused glow.
This first climb was a large layback crack.
The climb right next to it took some working out, with the smallest of crimps that kept us busy trying to figure out how to reach them statically. Several of us completed it, most after numerous tries.
The first move after establishing on the start holds was the hardest, making it frustrating.
At this point, three of our crew had to bail for other responsibilities. The rest of us moved on to another boulder. This next boulder, I had never been very successful at in the past- crimps and off width cracks.
Bouldering is quite amazing sometimes in how you can struggle so hard to get only a few feet off of the ground.
When you reached this left hand crack the worst was over.
I actually completed this climb, too. In fact, here is the old man straining away at it.
Another hard climb only one of us got, and he was flat flashing the climbs this day. Then someone got the idea of traversing the wall. It wasn't that hard, but it was tiring.
Others were cruising it.
All worn out and satisfied with a good day of climbing, we went down slope 150' or so to the road to walk out. Along the road we saw this small icefall.
I love it when the road is gated. You walk down the middle like you own the road.
One member of the crew had not arrived when we took the picture before several left. One of these days I am going to forget to watch the camera and remember to smile, but there were plenty of young smiles to go around, and I think everyone enjoyed the climbing and the company.
I enjoyed the beautiful day, the great climbing, the crew that came along, and God's goodness to enable and protect us in the circumstances.
