Independence Day Rock Trip

June 12 - It's been a week since I came back from that not-so-secret 10-day trip. The one that left me sprained and gashes all around; making me miss out on a rock trip in Wawa the day after my return. Those who did get to climb told me that the route they took at the Uling wall was not the easier ones in the area (looking at the old guidebook, there is a scarcity of routes below 5.8). I told the guys that, weather permitting, I'll take them to the Rook area for a proper intro on the crags of Wawa.

Bridge leading to the limestone walls

There was a scare the night before. A lightning storm lit up our view of the Sierra Madre range. Then came the rains. But fortunately when we woke up, the sky was overcast, but dry. It was a gamble still to go to Wawa only to find out the rocks are soaked. Six of us took our chance. Me, Celine, Adrian, Cherry, Fredd and Raymond, which paid off, as it was a bright and sunny day.

the team

The other five were first-timers to the Rook area, so I had the task of setting up the lines; which was fine by me. 

First off, the Rook Direct. One can place the anchors above by climbing the chimney at the side of the wall, but I chose to do a trad (i.e. traditional climbing. Placing protection such as stoppers, cams, or slings as you go higher to arrest your fall). I'm still far from mastering this skill, that's why I make the most of every opportunity to practice. I must say, compared to the previous year, I think I had an more comfortable experience this time. I wasn't panicking or struggling. Most of the placements held on the first try. It might be my lucky day.

The rest of the guys made good time on the route, although the bulge towards the top did pose some challenge.

Adrian

Cherry 

Fredd

Celine

Raymond. powering on despite a sprained ankle

While they were at it, I was making my way across to the adjacent wall to set up our next route. The bad thing about the Rook area is its exposure to the mid-morning sun. By 9 am, if not for the tarp we set up, we would have been simmering at the base of the wall. 

I don't know exactly the names of the routes we were doing. It was taught to me by the late great Gax two years ago. The topo from the old guidebook doesn't seem to match the lines. Anyway, our trip was less about achieving a difficulty and more about having fun.

The morning was winding down. We promised to go home by noon. But seeing that there's some time left (and to maximize our trip) I sort of convinced them to do another route, just beside the last one we climbed. The first section followed the line of our last route, and then traverses to the top of the overhang. It was a bit tricky to figure out the traverse because of the algae-covered slab that we had to pass. Aside from that obstacle, the route seems to be the easiest among the three.

The day's climb ended just before 1PM. Fredd was supposed to be home by noon, but I was the one driving, so Fredd was my hostage (sorry Mundy. hehe). We were on a rush to go home (mainly Celine and I, because of Ein), there was no time to change clothes for the ride home. But who cares, right? We were all dirty, and probably smelled the same. hehe

Ten minutes after we arrived home, it started to rain hard. Capping off a perfectly-timed trip to celebrate the nation's independence and Celine and my 6 months of wedding bliss.

* * *

I'm slowly getting out of my funk, thanks to our not-so-secret trip as well as this weekend's climb. I'm now able to envision heading back outdoors again soon, hopefully another rock trip.