Sun Spots Crag - Twilight Zone Edition

Arriving at the Sun Spots Crag on Tuesday, I had the odd feeling of being somewhere familiar, yet somehow completely different. With a recent spate of actual weather, Mt. Lemmon had somehow turned into a Bizarro version of Mt. Lemmon. Looking across to the north slope facing us, there was an odd coating of powdery white stuff covering the ground and the scrubby desert plants. In the bottom of the valley between the crag and the powdery white slope, was a torrent of liquid flowing mightily across the landscape in a serpentine path. What were these Bizarro phenomenon we were observing?

Ignoring the eerie backdrop, we commenced climbing. Mike and I started up English Breakfast Crack, a nice 5.9 tips crack. It was nice plugging some gear again, something I always resolve to do more of, but then end up scaring the crap out of myself and giving up that crazy ideal. Mike is usually an instigator for my trad climbing, but he usually picks out awful choss piles for us to try...fortunately this was a great climb. Very aesthetic with great climbing - a mix of finger tip jamming, laybacks, and using the arete out left. The rest of the crew - Geir, Christian and Eric - warmed up on a short and bulgy 5.10 around the corner.

After warming up, the other guys joined us near the base of Breakfast Crack, where there are two other great climbs next to each other. Solar E-Clips is a fantastic 11b/c sport climb, and next to it is Rehearsal of Fortune, a powerful and difficult 11+/12- gear climb. I headed up E-Clips, a pumpy and interesting climb I had tried once last spring. Hoping for the redpoint today, I started up the initial chimney. This route is one of the most varied single pitches I have ever done - it truly has a little of everything. Finger locks, gastons, technical laybacks, feet-cutting-pulling-through-the-roof moves, CHIMNEYS!, powerful press moves, high steps, underclings under a roof to a blind reach for a crimp, awkward rests in a chimney, two short sections of jug hauling, foot jams!!!! Sadly, I don't think I utilized a single heel hook, but other than that, this route is amazingly diverse for only 80 feet, and one of my favorites on the mountain. It will also pump you silly, which resulted in some serious hangdogging trying to flush the lactic acid from my forearms. After figuring out the moves, and some key rest beta from Eric, I sent next go.

Solar E-Clips:

Meanwhile, Geir was attempting to finish off Rehearsal of Fortune next door. He'd been projecting the route, hoping today would be the day. This is a really quality climb - except for one bolt down low is all gear protected, but has dynamic and sporty moves. Geir looked super solid down low, but fell on the upper crux on both redpoint attempts. Next time!

And continuing the Bizarro theme, all of a sudden some dude was climbing in leopard print tights and a tiger striped helmet. Whether he was trying to conjure animal spirits in an attempt to send, or just pick up girls, I will never know. But the damage done to my corneas will never be undone.