Week after week

We've now been out to Squamish twice, separated by a week.

The first week was uneventful; we worked Anubis (V7), and while it should go, it hasn't yet. I was given me some beta later on that might be worthwhile, but who knows. It was probably a better day for V than for me; she sent Made in the Shade (V1) and the V1 version of Squamish Days Traverse.

We started early the second week. We warmed up at Squamish Days, and headed quickly off to the Thighmaster area: the goal was to look at Thighmaster (V4), Tim's Sloper Problem (V5), and maybe take a stab or two at Sesame Street (V9).

Unfortunately, none of us really got anywhere on these! Thighmaster seemed intractably awkward to start, Sesame Street, well, it is a V9, and while we could do most of Tim's Sloper, the topout seemed awkward. We left somewhat dejectedly to go look at Black Mark (V4), which was conveniently right next to the Airtight Garage (V7), something that I'd left as a project last summer. While K worked to success at the former, A and I took another stab at Airtight Garage. He had sent it last summer, but I just couldn't do it.

This time around, I quickly reworked the (fiendishly simple) sequence, and after a few tries with minor variants grabbed the crimp, stepped up and topped out---my first V7 sent.

During the afternoon we headed out into the Apron to check out a few areas: K wanted to see Shots Fired (V4), and we thought we'd also look in the Snake Pit area for a bunch of V1s for V and M. It turns out that this area has a nice collection of fun V1s, which will serve as projects for V to come back to, or for us to warm up on.

Shots Fired, once we found it, definitely deserved its reputation. It was climbing at its best; interesting moves and holds, requiring a good mix of strength, technique and ingenuity. A and I both send it, but unfortunately K didn't get it this time, which means we'll have to go back and play around on it again. Somehow, I don't think any of us mind all that much.