Power Play

This week, we've been on the infamous annual HMC trip to the Adirondacks. On Tuesday, Bayard took me up Power Play, a classic grade 5 route at Chapel Pond. It was in pretty thin condition, but when I followed it, I took the opportunity to examine the gear and anchor placements. I talked to Dunbar about it, and he said it was too thin to do at the moment. But after taking a day off to learn how to downhill ski at Whiteface on Wednesday, I convinced Dunbar and Lauren to come check it out with me on Thursday. I admit I was pretty nervous Wednesday night. In these conditions, mistakes would have at least R-rated consequences. But still, I felt pretty solid when I followed it, and more the point, really psyched. Here's the route:


Although it has a direct variation (hard), the recent spate of warm weather hit it pretty hard and it probably isn't very well-bonded or safe to lead. We rambled up a series of ramps. There were small bits of ice on them that could be hooked, but I wouldn't call it secure by any means. Still, I tried to test every placement and climb very carefully. This was important, because I didn't get a good piece of gear until I got about 50 or 60 feet off the ground (#2 camalot). I got a sketchy tipped out stubby before that and a bad green C3 after that, but once I was on one of the higher ramps, I got decent yellow and blue screws every fifteen or twenty feet, which made me feel a lot better. Near the end of the first pitch, I basically ran out of rope, and Dunbar and Lauren had to simul-climb up first few moves (easy) to let me clip a cedar tree for an anchor.

Dunbar following the first pitch.

Dunbar led the short second pitch exit to the end, a steep curtain. I'm glad he led it, because I was feeling pretty tired. It's short, but no joke--an impressive lead. Lauren, amazingly enough, followed this with one old BD viper and something called a "humminbird," which looks like a hammer with a pick added as an afterthought. Still, it was marvelous:

Lauren styling it on the second pitch.

Well, after some double-rope management shenanigans and avoiding a huge rock on the way down, we made it. I'm pretty psyched. This is probably my hardest lead (of any sort) thus far.