Climbing TAD (5.7)
with Will and Alison
Though we didn't exactly get an early start to the day, somehow we managed to get to the base of TAD with no one else on the route in front of us at around 9:30. Though the four of us could have climbed the parallel lines TAD and El Cracko Diablo simultaneously, we decided that El Cracko just looked a little too hard this morning and opted to climb TAD in two teams. Angela and I let Will and Alison go first. And thus began the waiting. While they both climbed the first pitch well, they ended up having some serious rope issues at the hanging belay which delayed them starting the second pitch. Since the first belay is so cramped, there was no point in even starting up after them until they were both off the belay.
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At any rate, Angela and I had plenty of time to soak in the sun (read that: "get sun burnt") and chat with the many climbers that came by to climb Soler and El Cracko. Interestingly we ended up running into a woman whom we had climbed in front of on Ruper in Eldorado Canyon two weeks earlier! Very small world! Eventually, after about 2 1/2 hours, we got our chance on the route. Other than the miserably snug hanging belay in the middle, the climbing itself was quite enjoyable. Pitch one throws a variety of crack sizes at you and is continually challenging for it's grade. The second pitch, at least for me, was perfect hands and a real treat to climb!
