Sunday, October 6, 2013

Rhythm Sticks

After climbing in Welsford now regularly for almost a decade, I still haven't been up all the quality routes... not even all the nice moderates. Yesterday after topping out on Whiter Shade of Pale, Pete and I scrambled across to find Rhythm Sticks. I cannot believe that I'd never touched this before. This route offers a true Welsford variety of styles: huge flakes to a strait-in jamming crack to a chimney. It tops out on the detached totem pole at the apex of the L-shape for an exposed finish. If the crag had a summit... I suppose this would be it. You couldn't ask for anything better. If you've been putting this route, as I was, go get on it. Do it quick before the house-of-cards style flakes at the base decide to give out. A few were pretty wobbly. 

Pete cleaning the final chimney 
On our way down from the totem I stopped to shoot a few frames of Francois C. making a successful onsight of Bone Machine. Great job... it didn't look like you even broke a sweat.