reddirtblogger: Easing back East -American Alpine Club Southeast Climbers'Fest

Left Boulder 3pm Weds... Arrived in Johnson City, TN by 9pm Thurs.
Too bad I was supposed to be 60 miles south of there.
Google's directions were great on this road trip up until now.

I was feeling sorry for myself for having to go back to the east coast... driving through Kansas put an end to that pity party. At least the place I called home wasn't quite that flat.

And then I picked up this audiobook

which *really* put an end to the pity party...
and served as an interesting prelude to one of the slide shows I later saw at the climbers' fest.

After an amazing trip out west, the AAC Southeast Climbers’ Fest was a good way to ease back onto the east coast.

American Alpine Club Southeast Climbers’ Fest
September 21-23
North Carolina’s Table Rock
North Carolina Outward Bound School Basecamp

"....We will head out after coffee and breakfast and sample what Chillhowie quartzite has to offer. Table Rock is well known as one of the mainstays of North Carolina climbing. There will be local and guest climbers onsite to take us to classics and sandbags. All levels are encouraged to participate..."

Slide show Friday night:
Steve Swenson/Mark Richey/Doug Chabot:
just returned from Pakistan with attempts on new routes on Latok I, the Ogre and un-named peaks off the Panmah Glacier (read about it at the Alpinist and Climbing.com)

Slide show Saturday night:
Pat Goodman (Boone, NC local), Dave Sharratt, and Freddie Wilkinson: An American expedition completed four new routes in the Miyar Valley of India’s Himachel Pradesh mountains, climbing all free and bagging three virgin summits. Listen to his updates at Hardwear Sessions Podcast.

After the rain let up on Friday, there was climbing to be had!

Den mother & fun & games coordinator Brittany Griffith

AAC board member & fellow east coaster Cody Smith.

Mark Richey setting up a lead climb with a funky,
potential head banger start.

... and he sends it!

------------------------------

Saturday

While many were at the all-day board meeting, some of us went climbing.

A cloud halo atop Table Rock.

Josh Harris, Outward Bound Staff member.

The balance-y, boulder-y start of Cracker Jack.
Thanks to Josh for the assist (read: full-contact ass-shove) on the start or else I would have never gotten off the ground. Also thanks to Josh for leading the scary 2nd flaring chimney pitch! It would have been scary even without the rain...

after the meeting let out, the social climbing picked back up...

Charlotte Fox from Aspen, soon to be Telluride.
Between the moonshine later on & being in North Carolina,
her native southern accent really unveiled itself ; P

Simon Carr & Jim Donini in his presidential pose

Jack Tackle & I splitting a bit o' Guinness that I lugged back from Yosemite

Jack & Charlotte

Charlotte & Conrad
(Conrad appeared at the beginning & end of my roadtrip!)

Conrad & Charlotte with one of the Saturday night slide show presenters

Conrad & some of the NC Outward Bound crew

Conrad & more of the NC Outward Bound crew

Mark Richey, Charlie Sassara, & Conrad

Charlotte with some AAC members from Charleston SC

Saturday night slide show presenter Pat Goodman, AAC member Sean (thanks for the moonshine) from SC & Jim

sexy shoulder scars
(or were they mosquito bites?)

Charlie, Brittany, & Steve Swenson

------------------------------------
Sunday

After packin' it all up, I am officially on the last day of my road trip!

Time to get last bit of climbing & spectating in.

Jack Tackle leading on a soft, very lichenous route called Windy City.
One of the more interesting rappels I've seen-
an oval on 2 wires tucked away at the end of the left ledge

The abundant lichen was deceptive & would have been confusing for me on lead... but it's actually a mellow, solid climb that doesn't get much traffic for some unknown reason.

And now for some *real* climbing...

Jack & Jim racking up for Winged Mongrel, located at Upper Hawksbill.

Jim could have made it through this cruxy corner if it weren't for a nagging pinched nerve that gave him trouble for a very specific but critical pull.

They switch leads... and this is the line left by Jack (he's turned the corner). Belaying buff guys through roofs sometimes makes me nervous but, of course, Jack cruised it.