On our way back from Winter Park we stop in Golden to meet Kate & Mark for some climbing at the sunny North Table Mountain crag. This place has often treated us to good early season sport climbing, and it does so again today. After a long, cold winter, lounging outdoors in short sleeves is pure luxury. And we climb some routes too. Matt and Sasha, who we met at Shelf Road last fall when Sasha was pregnant, join us with their son Noah on his first climbing outing.
In Between The Lines, 5.9-. A nice first lead for me, solid face climbing.
Off Line, 5.8. Another fun lead on a rounded column.
The Ground Doesn’t Lie, 5.10c. Matt takes a couple of tries to find several moves on this short, pumpy, sequency route. I work on it on toprope. Very nice once you find the moves.
Kevin Spies the Line, 5.6. In past years Ann’s first climbing day of the year has been difficult for her, almost like starting from scratch, so I’m grateful and happy to see her lead a route today. Ryan and Danielle both follow, Danielle for her first ever climb, Randy’s second. I love it.
D’s Dry Dream, 5.10a. My last lead of the day. This route didn’t feel too hard to me, but has a nice variety of moves in a dihedral, jam crack, and edgy face.
Mind Mantle Arete, 5.10b. Mark leads this one. There’s an 11b variation that sticks more to the arete, and he explores both routes as goes up. Ann makes it up to crux on TR, and I enjoy the 10b side.