The New - aka my home crag!
i love this place! so how did i fare at the NRG after spending the entire summer climbing? i still got totally, totally worked! and it was sweet!
what will you get from the New?
- solid sandstone
- a variety of climbs - techy faces or slab, overhanging jughauls and crimps, even a variety of movement in a single climb
- grades are stiff, nothing is a gimme
- crux moves that are powerfully difficult, some are long and reachy
- committing moves, bolts are 10 ft apart if you're lucky
- smeary feet that you just have to trust
- i can go on and on and on .. climbing here will make you strong - physically and mentally
i was hoping that i'd come back this fall and send hard climbs (for me), and the New just wont give it up easily! i was happy just to be making committing moves that would have scared me in the past. we actually didnt get in as much climbing as we would have hoped. again, the weather was just not cooperating (how is it STILL rainy in the fall??!). one of the best parts of the stay at the New was seeing old DC friends!! we miss you guys!
and the world-famous Red River Gorge
we spent 5 weeks here, yes FIVE! what a great time! and we STILL didnt do everything we wanted, or even see everything we wanted. there is just so much to do.
our friends!
we had wonderful friends every day of our stay! can you believe it? it was awesome to see everyone - and also make new friends! even jason's parents visited for a week! its always really fun to see them :) they were really great sports about hiking around and hanging out at the crag. troopers, i tell you! such great people really make the climbing experience. good climbing is one thing, but having great people surrounding you.. that means so much more :)
living situation.
we moved around a little bit, but we mostly camped at Land of Arches. its a pretty good campground. there is a hanger (yes like an airplane hanger) to hang out in if its rainy or cold. you can even sleep in the back section if you want. there are bathrooms, showers, and internet. $5 a night. oh, the craziest part was the domesticated deer! a buck and a doe just randomly walk around the campsite. they seem to be nice, but ill admit im weary of being too close to them ;) when jason's parents visited, we had a room at Lil Abners.. awwwwesome! great timing too bc the weather was rainy and cold, so a warm room was sweet! we visited a friend at Lago Linda's. that also seemed like a good, clean campground, but its pretty far south, so anything outside the southern crags would be a little bit of a drive. we stayed at miguel's a few nights. cant beat that cheap price of $2 a night, per tent or vehicle.
the climbing.
we spent our first week just working on our fitness. that is one thing about the Red. you can "train" all you want for steep, endurance climbing (altho, we didnt train at all). but the first day you're back, BAM! smack in the face.. these steep jugs are STILL hard! but it also feels so good and you're just happy to be here! anyway, i wanted to avoid projecting anything. i just wanted to climb a lot and get in Red-shape. but come Day Two.. i found a project climb that i wanted to send haha. i just cant stay away from projecting, even if its just a few days spent on a climb. overall, i'm very happy with my climbing at the Red. i sent a few climbs at my limit. i was particularly happy about sending a climb that to me, "was everything that i couldnt do before", which would be really small and thin holds, locking off, rocking up onto my feet, making committing moves above bolts, going for something to see what the hold is like and missing and taking the fall .. this climb was so fun! im really psyched!
in the end, my fall season of climbing was awesome! great friends, fun climbing! i cant ask for more!
