Love Makes Me Retarded

Plato described love as "A grave mental disease."
This is the only conceivably explanation for what could possibly possess me to scale the side of Cathedral Ledge this weekend in oppressive heat, humidity, bug-idity and rain. How all of these things could co-exist is a typical New England Weather Mystery, but they did.

I think that this weekend exhibited Hands Down the worst possible climbing weather. But it was some of the best climbing this side of Red Rocks.

Cut to the chase: I lead 3 trad pitches!
I am officially a true climber and not just a poser in Prana pants. (However, these could be the best pants EVER.)

Sunday, we hit Cathedral. Mikey and Mike (the new guy in our group) and Brian and I decided to do fun house. Mikey lead the first pitch easily, and mike followed without incident. Then Brian started up. The wall was a bit wet and he managed to cram himself into the corner and cover his shoes with slime and completely freak himself out. He had placed one nut and then clipped a fixed pin. Luckily, they were both solid, so when he slipped off, it was without incident. He thrashed around a bit more, doing the same thing each time and getting more and more frustrated and spooked. Finally he had me lower him off the pin and said, I can't do this. You want to try?

I could either lead the pitch, or we could go home. So i grabbed the rack and headed up the wall. I had watched Mikey climb and managed to NOT get myself into the same awkward, wet, slimey, position that Brian had gotten into, and instead, stemmed way out on the left side of the dihedral and grabbed a solid and mostly dry flake, Mike had left a cam in the crack right before you climb up over the ledge, so I clipped that (thankfully) and flopped myself over onto the ledge. From there, it was a pretty straight climb up to the next belay. As I started up, placing a #2 Camalot, Mikey looks down, and says, Hey! Jess, you're leading???? I explained that Brian was having some issues, and that I was forced to take over. Mikey was like, COOL!, I continue up, sling a tree and gain the second belay ledge. ONce up there, I realize that I have just lead the 5.7 crux pitch of the route without even thinking about it. NICE.

Oh, and have I mentioned lately that I am a total geek?