I just met Lloyd, and I just found out he died yesterday in an accident at Pilot Mountain. He will be missed by many. Lloyd was always so cheerful, friendly and ready to solicit advice. He was a wealth of knowledge about climbing and about the routes at Pilot Mountain. I only had the privilege of climbing with him twice, but I learned more from him in those two climbs than all my other trips put together.
Although we were new friends, I will miss him tremendously. His legacy will live in my mind, and I will never forget the lessons he taught me.
Remembering the man on the mountain
Climber died doing what he loved
Climber loved sharing knowledge of Pilot Mountain
70-year-old Winston-Salem man dead after fall at Pilot Mountain
A Pilot Mountain Legend: Lloyd Ramsey
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
Pilot with Andrew, Aaron and Lloyd
I went on a short, early-morning trip to Pilot Mountain with Andrew. I'm actually glad we made it out there early, as the weather was nice. Towards 1pm, when we were getting ready to leave, the temperature had started soaring into the upper 80s, not the best climbing temperature!
Although we only did four routes, I pushed myself harder outside than ever before, and I was able to accomplish some feats I didn't think I could. We started on Three Bears Gully. We climbed the easy Honey Pot route (5.5), then I did a variation to the left which was likely 5.8/5.9. At one point, I had fingers from both hands in a crack, the fingers jumbled together, almost wedged next to each other, with my left thumb completely wedged in like a cam. The left thumb was the only thing keeping me on the wall, as I managed to power through that area. The next couple of feet resulted in an intense moment of triumph as all fear left me, and I was razor focused. This surreal moment of clarity lasted only seconds but for that instant, all time came into focus. The whole context of what I was working towards, what I am now and what I want to become came into view. I felt invincible. I felt high. It was a magical feeling that I had never had climbing. I was so overwhelmed by this strange experience that I didn't tell my partner about it immediately. I told him a little later, but I was unable to describe exactly how I had felt.
We then climbed Spin Drift (Lloyd's undocumented route on The Beach; picture to the left). I had failed the weekend prior, however this time I was able to overcome the slight overhang. It wasn't the best climb; I did have to let go at one point and float in space. I was a little scared hanging there. I'm not sure why I still get scared, but I guess it's a good thing. I don't know. Spin Drift has a someone interesting start too. This is one route I'd like to do again.
We then met up with Lloyd and Aaron and shared their rope on 9-ball and 8-ball. These have challenging bouldering-like starts and then an interesting finish to the right (to the left is almost trivially easy). They are very short routes, and like I said, mostly bouldering type problems to start with. I plowed through these like a stroll through the park. The boys thought it was impressive, which I guess it was, and I realized with their reaction that I was becoming a decent climber, that I have potential, that I may have a tiny sliver of technique after all. It felt good to ace those two last routes.
I'm a little sad that I won't get to climb Pilot for some time. I have a trip planned to NY, and I'm climbing with some folks up there for two days at a place called The Gunks, specifically Peterskill. Definitely looking forward to that!
Although we only did four routes, I pushed myself harder outside than ever before, and I was able to accomplish some feats I didn't think I could. We started on Three Bears Gully. We climbed the easy Honey Pot route (5.5), then I did a variation to the left which was likely 5.8/5.9. At one point, I had fingers from both hands in a crack, the fingers jumbled together, almost wedged next to each other, with my left thumb completely wedged in like a cam. The left thumb was the only thing keeping me on the wall, as I managed to power through that area. The next couple of feet resulted in an intense moment of triumph as all fear left me, and I was razor focused. This surreal moment of clarity lasted only seconds but for that instant, all time came into focus. The whole context of what I was working towards, what I am now and what I want to become came into view. I felt invincible. I felt high. It was a magical feeling that I had never had climbing. I was so overwhelmed by this strange experience that I didn't tell my partner about it immediately. I told him a little later, but I was unable to describe exactly how I had felt.
We then climbed Spin Drift (Lloyd's undocumented route on The Beach; picture to the left). I had failed the weekend prior, however this time I was able to overcome the slight overhang. It wasn't the best climb; I did have to let go at one point and float in space. I was a little scared hanging there. I'm not sure why I still get scared, but I guess it's a good thing. I don't know. Spin Drift has a someone interesting start too. This is one route I'd like to do again.We then met up with Lloyd and Aaron and shared their rope on 9-ball and 8-ball. These have challenging bouldering-like starts and then an interesting finish to the right (to the left is almost trivially easy). They are very short routes, and like I said, mostly bouldering type problems to start with. I plowed through these like a stroll through the park. The boys thought it was impressive, which I guess it was, and I realized with their reaction that I was becoming a decent climber, that I have potential, that I may have a tiny sliver of technique after all. It felt good to ace those two last routes.
I'm a little sad that I won't get to climb Pilot for some time. I have a trip planned to NY, and I'm climbing with some folks up there for two days at a place called The Gunks, specifically Peterskill. Definitely looking forward to that!
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Climbing with Lloyd Ramsey and Andrew Hoover
I took another trip to Pilot this weekend. Andrew and I drove up in the morning and ran into Lloyd, the Pilot Mountain Wikipedia. Although I hadn't had enough sleep or food and drank the night before, I was able to climb four routes (one I couldn't quite get completely through). Food & sleep make a huge difference in any activity.
These were the routes we hit (The numbers are per the version 2 guidebook available at the ranger station and online at the CCC).
83. Parking Lot
6. Body Surfin'
9 1/2. Spin Drift (not in guidebook; Lloyd named it)
5. Scarface
I couldn't finish Spin Drift. I fell towards the top of the climb. I burned out trying to plan my next move Lloyd to lower me. I was completely exhausted. He claims this was a 5.9. Had I had more food and sleep, I think I could do this one. Lloyd, on the other hand, made this one look too easy.
Speaking of Lloyd, he has an extensive website on Pilot. Check it out.
http://climbpilotnc.us/
Also, he says there's a book coming out in December of 2012 with Piedmont climbs: Pilot Mountain, Hanging Rock (Moore's wall). That should be really helpful.
The guidebook was updated in 2010 but still lacks many pictures. Erica Lineberry is on the cover of this second edition. Here's a link to version 1 from 2007.
These were the routes we hit (The numbers are per the version 2 guidebook available at the ranger station and online at the CCC).
83. Parking Lot
6. Body Surfin'
9 1/2. Spin Drift (not in guidebook; Lloyd named it)5. Scarface
I couldn't finish Spin Drift. I fell towards the top of the climb. I burned out trying to plan my next move Lloyd to lower me. I was completely exhausted. He claims this was a 5.9. Had I had more food and sleep, I think I could do this one. Lloyd, on the other hand, made this one look too easy.
Speaking of Lloyd, he has an extensive website on Pilot. Check it out.
http://climbpilotnc.us/
Also, he says there's a book coming out in December of 2012 with Piedmont climbs: Pilot Mountain, Hanging Rock (Moore's wall). That should be really helpful.
The guidebook was updated in 2010 but still lacks many pictures. Erica Lineberry is on the cover of this second edition. Here's a link to version 1 from 2007.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Running at Robert Moses Beach
Island Rock - Plainview, NY
I'm in Long Island for a couple of weeks, and I didn't want to miss out on any climbing, so I looked into a Meetup here and found one that meets on Wednesday nights. It's called Island Rock, and although I had to pay $25 for my first climb there, it was worth it. The routes are harder than back home. A 5.8 is easily a 5.9 at TRC. I met a dude, Ken, who's pretty good and we may climb today, later on.
I've been trying to stay fit while traveling. It's not easy considering the nature of my work and that coworkers just want to sit around and drink and eat. I was able to get in a slow bike ride yesterday and a treadmill run at 8mph (3 miles), which is the fastest I've ever run a 3 miler. I ran a 6 miler a few days ago at 7mph, which, for me, is fast. This is on a treadmill, though, in a nice air conditioned room (temperature around 70 degrees). There's no way I can run that fast on the trail back home. I do miss that running. I'm thinking about running outside today, but it's already 78 degrees, and I see no relief in sight. I could just go run on the beach. That would be fun. And then after sweating, I could just jump in the water. Yeah. Maybe I'll do that. Thank the lord I don't get bored running, because I'd be a mess up here. It's really hard to workout on this business travel stuff.
I've been trying to stay fit while traveling. It's not easy considering the nature of my work and that coworkers just want to sit around and drink and eat. I was able to get in a slow bike ride yesterday and a treadmill run at 8mph (3 miles), which is the fastest I've ever run a 3 miler. I ran a 6 miler a few days ago at 7mph, which, for me, is fast. This is on a treadmill, though, in a nice air conditioned room (temperature around 70 degrees). There's no way I can run that fast on the trail back home. I do miss that running. I'm thinking about running outside today, but it's already 78 degrees, and I see no relief in sight. I could just go run on the beach. That would be fun. And then after sweating, I could just jump in the water. Yeah. Maybe I'll do that. Thank the lord I don't get bored running, because I'd be a mess up here. It's really hard to workout on this business travel stuff.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Pilot Mountain & Looking Glass
I've been climbing outside three times now. I'll summarize each trip.
Pilot Mountain with Scott Dempsey
We drove up on Friday, camped from the car, made a big breakfast and then slowly sauntered over to the climbing part of the park. It was a real busy day. Scott and I looked for top rope anchors available, and after nearly an hour of scouting the place, settled on a 5.9 climb. This was probably too aggressive for my first climb. I had never been outside before, and, well, I didn't trust the anchors at the top, so I was scared to fall. This was also my first time climbing with Scott. After a couple of failed attempts up the this first route, we took the anchor down and found an easier climb which we were both able to do. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of either route, but I would remember them if I saw them. I must make a habit of taking a picture of each route I climb and trying to find out the name, so I can document the climb.
Overall, it was an ok trip, although I would have preferred to do more than two routes. We didn't have enough webbing to use natural anchors, and many of the bolted ones were in use. I think my next purchase will be more beaners and a bit of webbing that I can use as loops.
Looking Glass with Appalachain Mountain Institute
Looking Glass is a slab, and this climb was completely different than Pilot. It was really all about feet. The hand holds were almost non-existent. It was a fun trip. I paid about $90 or so to attend this class. It was quite an expensive trip for what it was. I drove up to Brevard (4+ hours) on Friday, stayed at a hotel in Brevard (cha-ching, another $80), ate at an Irish pub while reading John Long's climbing book and then climbed with these guys the next morning. I was probably the most experienced climber there, save for the guides.
We didn't climb very long. I got to do maybe 5 routes. None were too challenging, although I was happy to have done a slab since that sort of climbing is so different. I also probed these guys for some anchors tips, and saw first hand, how the cams worked.
Since the climbing was short, I went for a quick 3 mile trail run at the entrance to Pisgah. It was sweltering hot, so I'm glad I didn't pick a 6 mile run.
Pilot Mountain with Triangle Rock Club
This was my favorite trip outside so far. I got to do quite a few routes, and being more enthusiast than anyone else in my group, I was allowed to climb first on all routes. Also, I made an effort to document the routes I climbed, so I could go back at a future date and climb them again, at least the ones I thought were worth it. The routes I noted were:
(There's a pamplet that describes all the routes and is available at the base of the mountain and online. I'll have to make a printout of this for the next trip I take out there, which looks to be July 21st with Andrew Hoover. I met him at the Raleigh Rock Climbing Meetup at Vertical Edge, and we've been belay partners since. We have a day trip planned to Pilot soon, and I think we're a good match. I may be slightly better than he is on some days, although there are routes he's been able to do that I haven't: the crack orange route at VE I haven't mastered yet).
I did a lot of belaying while a Pilot on this trip which I'm grateful for. I think being a good belayer is important, so I'm glad I had the opportunity to belay different climbers, mostly newbies. Some people warn you, others just drop off the rock unexpectedly, so it's good to get exposed to a wide variety of climbers. It's also a good workout for your arms. I also learned that the slack outside is very different than indoors. When someone drops, they'll fall quite a good distance due to the elasticity of the rope, something that isn't quite as obvious indoors.
Pilot Mountain with Scott Dempsey
We drove up on Friday, camped from the car, made a big breakfast and then slowly sauntered over to the climbing part of the park. It was a real busy day. Scott and I looked for top rope anchors available, and after nearly an hour of scouting the place, settled on a 5.9 climb. This was probably too aggressive for my first climb. I had never been outside before, and, well, I didn't trust the anchors at the top, so I was scared to fall. This was also my first time climbing with Scott. After a couple of failed attempts up the this first route, we took the anchor down and found an easier climb which we were both able to do. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of either route, but I would remember them if I saw them. I must make a habit of taking a picture of each route I climb and trying to find out the name, so I can document the climb.
Overall, it was an ok trip, although I would have preferred to do more than two routes. We didn't have enough webbing to use natural anchors, and many of the bolted ones were in use. I think my next purchase will be more beaners and a bit of webbing that I can use as loops.
Looking Glass with Appalachain Mountain Institute
Looking Glass is a slab, and this climb was completely different than Pilot. It was really all about feet. The hand holds were almost non-existent. It was a fun trip. I paid about $90 or so to attend this class. It was quite an expensive trip for what it was. I drove up to Brevard (4+ hours) on Friday, stayed at a hotel in Brevard (cha-ching, another $80), ate at an Irish pub while reading John Long's climbing book and then climbed with these guys the next morning. I was probably the most experienced climber there, save for the guides.
We didn't climb very long. I got to do maybe 5 routes. None were too challenging, although I was happy to have done a slab since that sort of climbing is so different. I also probed these guys for some anchors tips, and saw first hand, how the cams worked.Since the climbing was short, I went for a quick 3 mile trail run at the entrance to Pisgah. It was sweltering hot, so I'm glad I didn't pick a 6 mile run.
Pilot Mountain with Triangle Rock Club
This was my favorite trip outside so far. I got to do quite a few routes, and being more enthusiast than anyone else in my group, I was allowed to climb first on all routes. Also, I made an effort to document the routes I climbed, so I could go back at a future date and climb them again, at least the ones I thought were worth it. The routes I noted were:- pee break
- buzzard's breath
- goldilocks
- creative germs
- honey pot (not sure here)
- snooker
- scarface
(There's a pamplet that describes all the routes and is available at the base of the mountain and online. I'll have to make a printout of this for the next trip I take out there, which looks to be July 21st with Andrew Hoover. I met him at the Raleigh Rock Climbing Meetup at Vertical Edge, and we've been belay partners since. We have a day trip planned to Pilot soon, and I think we're a good match. I may be slightly better than he is on some days, although there are routes he's been able to do that I haven't: the crack orange route at VE I haven't mastered yet).
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