Glen Canyon Park
Climb Review:
I parked at the end of the cul-de-sac on Crags Court. There were plenty of spots to park.
There were a few pieces of trash, including to small pieces of glass that was at the bottom of a hand hold on smaller boulders (I disposed of them properly).
We ended up climbing the Main Cliff Band.
Because of the mist, the tops of the rocks were wet and slick.
Lastly, there were lots of poison oak in the climbing area, fortunately though, everyone in our group finished the climbs unscathed.
We climbed a bunch of unnamed routes as the official routes listed on Mountain Project were a bit too PG13 for us.
Hand Crack (V0; Main Cliff Band)—This maybe a V0, but it’s a highball, so I struggled on the second half of the climb, after the crack runs out. But, with enough time, I figured out a right hand hold that I had not considered, and I was able to pull myself up with confidence. But I don’t think I want to try again just given how high it is off the ground, and how angled (and crappy) the landing area is.
Crack Face (V0; Main Cliff Band)—This was another V0 that I struggled with because of its highball nature. The first half was a cakewalk, but the second half was... so scary high that I veered left and completed a different route all together. After climbing with the kids a bit, I came back to this one and climbed it with confidence. Still, much like Hand Crack, I don’t think I’ll be trying this one again.
What I Learned:
This was the first time I used the crack glove and it worked like a charm in protecting my hands. Hand modeling here I come!
Fears Faced:
Fear of heights—These highball problems gave me a scare, but I was able to overcome it and climb both Hand Crack and Crack Face.
Friends Made:
Vivian, Jo, Scarlett, Angie, and Gene came to climb. I hadn’t seen Vivian or Angie in a long time, so it was good to catch up and climb with them. I had forgotten how awesome they are, and I hope they come next time, so that I don’t miss them :)
What Happened?
The gang came together for the first time in a long time and we bouldered at Glen Canyon Park, a place none of us had previously climbed at. We met up at 8am, and as soon as I parked, Vivian parked right behind me. We hiked down to the boulders, setup shop, and started climbing some random routes to get warmed up, before we attempted Hand Crack.
I went first on Hand Crack, and although I was feeling weary about the crack climb, it actually felt almost as good as a jug once I got used to it. Because of that, the climb felt great until I gained enough height and I started getting scared. But, after searching for solid holds, I found one and topped out. Vivian climbed it next, and although she said she was scared of heights, she seemed to flow up the route with minimal issues.
Jo and Scarlett joined us and we moved onto Crack Face. I attempted it first, but got super scared and after the first half, I veered left and climbed up a super easy 5.4-ish route. Vivian went the same way after also getting scared after the first half. Jo gave it a go and she climbed the first part, then tried the 5.4 variation, but alas, it was too scary and she down climbed.
Around this time, Angie and Gene joined us. Gene flashed Hand Crack with gusto, and Angie had to down climb it due to the exposure. There also may have been other climbs, but this is around when I took Kaylee, Annabelle, and Scarlett to the various boulders surrounding the Main Cliff Band, so I’m not sure what the others did. The young climbers and I scampered around and climbed lots of small boulders.
When we came back, we climbed a few other short routes, but the girls and I had to go due to a separate commitment. We said our farewells and hiked out to the car. On the way, a fellow hiker told us about a family of coyotes that live in the park, and pointed out a large adult coyote that was taking an afternoon nap!