Scott and I wanted a weekend of climbing, and the girls wanted a weekend with the boys, so presto! climbing with the girls! Yosemite was snowed under, scott and I had been feeling hard at the gym, so we felt it was time to go to table mountain. Left nice and early saturday morning, with the gear, the food, the munchies, and some gear for staying the night "somewhere" (Our plans rule!) Scott has to be back in town midday sunday to sell his ducati, so we're going to just camp out for fun and then have a leisurely return home sunday morning.

I've read some mixed info about the status of the gate across the road into the table mountain, and after umming and ahhing, and starting walking, and starting driving, we eventually walk in on the new looking track that starts just to the right of the gate. (The big yellow gate at the end of the bitumen for people in gate confusion) The SNAC guys say that the road is public access, but for this weekend, I'll walk. Nice day to be outside anyway.

We head up the track to the grotto itself, haven't really got any idea what we're doing, but we've decided that we're going to be sporty and tough, so we leave the rack behind. idiots. I am feeling as tough as I always feel first thing in the morning, and am looking at sidesaddle. (5.9)

We arrive and ooh and ahh a bit. This isn't rock like we're used to. Looks wonderful. crazy chunky stuff at the welcome wall where we first arrive and scope out some routes, then around the corner to see chicken ranch bingo, and meet Joel Ager and a friend. I had spent a good portion of my work days that week reading his trip reports, but I didn't really have anything intelligent to say. They were "warming up" on chicken ranch bingo anyway. At the time we were the only 2 groups there. Continued poking around, oh dear, looks like all of Ort Wall is dripping wet. but oh my god, look how stellar these cracks are! I want to do these cracks, and have no desire to throw myself at any of these sport routes. I always get so scared getting off the ground, and to the first couple of bolts. Not my cup of tea. But we're rackless anyway.

Scott says chicken ranch bingo looks great, and we should do it. Ok, whatever. Your lead. I tie myself to the tree and zip up my jumper. It's quite cool here in the shade. I feel very nervous about his lead up to the first bolt, and convince him to put a nut in, which he is instantly past and clipped, and the nut is now just a quirky piece meaning I'm belaying horizontally. So be it.

Scott leads nicely, though needs a couple of rests. The route is fairly long, which taxes him, and then he's done, and down. The girls have long since run up onto a block behind where they can sit with the camera and just lounge in the sun. I take my frigid self up to meet them and warm up and have a bite to eat. However I never really warm up. I start feeling rather quirky in my belly, and even in the sun, with a jumper on, am freezing my tits off. I'm not at all interested in climbing, and certainly not leading chicken ranch. Eventually, with a second jumper, I finally start to thaw out, but the rumbling in my belly doesn't cease.

Chicken ranch bingo is a very nice climb nonetheless. Some exciting moves out of the roof, and then some burly and gymnastic moves up the headwall. I get it clean, and feel that I certainly was finding better holds than scott. I found lots of good cracks behind blocks for instance, and found the section scott had the most trouble on almost the easiest of the climb.

Down and to choose another climb. I've decided leading is definitely not for me today, but it was nice to know that I had been getting tough enough to pull 10's without rests. Just as bloody well really. Scott goes over to look at wing of bat (10a) and guess who's trudging up the path? Mags, Mountain Mike, and an army of friends. They had been headed for yosemite, but the snow sent them out here for a day or two. A bit of a catchup, nope, no caving, no kayaking for anyone recently, just some climbing, and then they head down into the grotto. A really nice couple from Kansas are here (with BEAR DOG), also on the run from yosemite's snow. They don't have a guide, and just headed up the "5.9" on welcome wall. Kinda really really hard 5.9 he says. My guide says 11a. He says their entire trip has been like this. Their first climb at owen's river gorge he ended up on a 12 while looking for a 9. Oh well, he led it well enough. (Their names escape me at the moment)

Scott heads up wing of bat, looks cool. I'm looking forward to having a bash at it. Scott gets up to the fourth? bolt where it goes out left under the rooflet and runs out of steam. Some ups and downs and then a nice big fall, 15 feet or so. Scott's first real lead fall. And the girls missed it! They had come down from their perch to come over and get a closer look. Or maybe they just came over to play with beardog. Hard to say. I hope they don't mind me referring to them as "the girls" Jess and Kara-Lee are each equally special on their own. Especially Jess :)

Scott puts a nut in for some better protection while he goes after the next bolt. From the next bolt he gets is clean sailing, and is quickly back down again. I lace up, feeling strong, yet uneasy. oh well, that's why I'm following today. I end up falling off the slimy droppings near the second bolt, and am damn glad I wasn't leading it. I'm always glad I wasn't leading it when I follow. kinda weird. I pull straight through the rooflet though, very nice underclings and liebacks and then to the top.

Enough of that, I head back to the grotto to take pics and see what mags and mike and co are up to. There is now a whole gaggle of people at the cliffs, even including the one and only Chopper Chris and some friends. Mike is pinkpointing AC Devil Dog (10d), and the grotto is looking particularly photogenic, so I sit back across under the cave routes and start taking pics. Just after Mike, Luke, a brit working at Lawrence Labs starts up To Pin or Not To Be (11a) and making it look very good. Big stems, mixed pro, funky looking moves. I take some pics, then leave my details with both Mike and Luke so they can come get their pics some day.

Enough of the climbing, Our gang decides it's a day (woo, what a day, 2 climbs) and heads into sonora for drinks, food, karaoke, wet t-shirt competitions, and finally a drive home, to sleep in our own beds. Lovely weekend.

table-sonora01.jpg Scott coming down off Chicken Ranch Bingo	table-sonora02.jpg Me cleaning	table-sonora03.jpg Closeup!
table-sonora04.jpg Scott at the hard part of Wing of Bat	table-sonora06.jpg Kara-Lee with beardog	table-sonora07.jpg Mountain Mike, AC Devil Dog
table-sonora08.jpg Mountain Mike, AC Devil Dog	table-sonora09.jpg Luke, starting up To Pin or Not to Be	table-sonora11.jpg Mike and Luke :)