New Wave

Harder climbs at Windy Point are definitely for the masochists among us. The granite there is crimptacular, and not just your run of the mill crimpers. These nasty guys have teeth - sharp and serrated rows of crystals that subsist on dermis and blood. We fed them well on Tuesday.

A large crew assembled at New Wave Wall, most of us with soft tips from a summer of climbing steep jug hauls high on the mountain. New Wave Wall is home to three classic climbs - Holey Moley (11d), Tsunami (12b) and New Wave (12c), as well as a few others. The wall is about 70 feet tall, slightly overhanging, and striped with white quartz bands all the way up. Feeling pretty good, I had sent Holey Moley and Tsunami on my first trip to New Wave the previous Thursday. My goal for this trip was to get on New Wave.

Holey Moley is one of the better 11+'s on the mountain, and a few people got on it today as a 'warmup'. Holey Moley starts with some sharp thin crimps up to a large hole, where you can get a real good rest. From the hole you move into the crux on - SURPRISE! - sharp little crimps. After you reach a horizontal break in the wall, you can get another shake, then follow easier but very good climbing to the top.

Holey Moley:

Tsunami saw a ton of action this day. Lots of people were working on it, and Ian managed to send first go after working the moves a previous trip. A fun and dynamic route, Tsunami is all business for the first 50 feet. Other than a jug to shake on right before the crux, none of the holds are too good, but none are too bad. You follow a series of crimps and sidepulls through technical and elegant sequences including a few deadpoints. After the one big jug and a slight rest, you are then faced with the biggest deadpoint of the climb, and using at least one hideously small and sharp crimp. For those that are familiar with Sentenced To Hang at Jailhouse, Tsunami climbs very similar to Sentenced, but Tsunami is maybe a touch harder and the rest isn't nearly as good (on the plus side, you aren't facing a 40 foot fall at the chains of Tsunami...).

Tsunami:

Unfortunately we got no pictures of New Wave, but continuing a strong week I managed to send on my third go. After trying hard on this three times, I had to come home and ask Kerry if her hospital does fingertip transplants. Unfortunately, they don't - better stock up in Climb On bar.

Here is a video of Dan, Christian and Ian climbing Tsunami:

Tsunami from Joe Kreidel on Vimeo.