May 31, 2008
Report by Paul Des Roches

Hear ye, hear ye, the following is the Trip report for the Beginning Top-rope Session held Saturday May 31st, 2008, lead by Paul Des Roches with Snafu acting as second. Snafu and I stunt-doubled for Trip Coordinator Alan Andrunas who had come down with a case of Ratchet Knuckles. No, that is not a micro-brewery.

The weather was perfect. We had lots of newbies and sophomores as well. Jessica and Skip were first-timers on real rock and Frank and Dale were pretty fresh out of the box as well. We managed to get everybody up routes and excited about the sport. The whole gang got a taste of the beginning of Water Streak which is a 5.10a, an intermediate route, and a feel of where their progress would eventually take them! Our chosen climbing area for this trip is called Tuna and Chips Wall. It features sport, mixed and traditional climbing. Most of the climbs here are rated 5.7, which is a beginner level of climbing, with a couple lower and a few higher routes scattered about.

Snafu and I agree that Albacore Man is a tricky 5.7 and possibly underrated. As a lead climb if one tracks left and right a bit it is a 5.7 perhaps but following the bolt line is a bit thin for such a low rating. Snafu set up a 5.8 top-rope on an unnamed route on the far left of the T & C Wall as well as Chips Ahoy, a 5.9, on the right, and some other 5.7s. All in all we had ropes up on 7 routes. Anybody going to Tuna and Chips should pay particular attention to the "R" ratings. These routes are really run-out between bolts. The Water Streak is a 5.8 that has a 23-foot distance between its second and third bolt and the second bolt is only just over 20 feet off the ground......that's a 46-foot lead-fall for any of you math challenged if you fall while clipping......and you are only 43 feet up. That's bad. Clipping this bolt is extremely sketchy from the left side as what we all call "The Red Book" suggests and is pure slopy smearville to clip from the right with virtually nothing positive for a hand hold. I suggest not leading it. The Water Streak is fun to climb, so if it interests you, I suggest climbing Chips and Salsa as Snafu did and traverse over to Water Streak and set up a top rope. This same rope will allow you to climb the 5.7 to the right of Water Streak (not named) which is a nice beginner 5.7......but remember, it can only be top-roped.

After this fun-filled day of climbing we all went to BJs to rehydrate and put back on any fat that we may have lost by exercising. Special thanks goes out to Grant for acting as rope gun! See ya in the funny pages!

RAINTREE