Nice weather at the Gorge this weekend! Not too hot, but warm enough for pleasant camping at the pinons. My friend Steve from Joshua Tree was up for leading some harder climbs, so I had the chance to sample some good stuff on TR, like Bone Up (10d), Hung Over (11b), and Be Prepared to G (11b). I think Bone Up was my favorite – it has thin face, weird bulgy face, and a rockin roof move. Hung Over is a pump fest, and Be Prepared to G just has one tricky section through a roof where I had to throw for a big hold. I did lead a few too, the best being Humbly Mumbly Jumbly (10b) with its sequency start and Schezwan Bambi (10b), a nice Gorge Slab that slowly gets steeper as you go. Ann did that one on TR with one fall at the crux – but I’ll let her report her own impressions if she cares to :).

The Gorge was not as crowded as I thought it would be, and it seems like the height of the season. We heard rumors that DWP will be “pulse flooding” the gorge next month, which may limit access.