Day #46 Fingerlocks & Handjams

(To my non-climbing friends: this sounds like food items but they‘re crack climbing techniques 😜)

The two Germans at my campsite, Benedikt and Sebastian, suggested going climbing together and we picked a shady crag close to the campsite. Two other guys chatted me up too, so for the next days I would have climbing partners lined up! I‘ll admit that I didn‘t know exactly what grade and style I would be capable to climb, but I figured that I could always follow a route somehow. But as usual I was keen to lead, even if it was harder than expected.

Full of excitement, I ran off towards the crag and stopped at the Swan Slab, soloing an easy route as a warm-up. Sweden is the only other place where I‘ve climbed on granite and it was much rougher there, causing the feet to have more friction!

When the guys arrived, I had my hands already thickly taped and tried to insert them in the slots and cracks the wall offered. It takes a lot of trust to „jam“ – especially with your feet – it‘s painful and (in my case) desperate. The fear of slipping is constant, but it didn‘t happen – instead I fell off on a face wall.

Bene lead the first pitch of „Jamcrack“ a beautiful, hand-sized crack line up the grey wall. The second pitch was harder, requiring endurance and even some fingerlocks, but Sebastian made it after a while, Bene and I followed. We were happy with the success and the views were spectacular! I was looking down and keeping an eye on the bags, as there was food in it, I felt like an animal thief was going to snatch the backpacks any minute.

After that we set up a toprope for the two fingercrack lines next to Jamcrack, a 5.10c and d. It was awesome climbing and excellent training!

During morning coffee, I told Bene a bit more about my mystery disease and he revealed he also had lyme disease and it had fucked him up. I really want to get better and healthier, to be able to climb harder!

After working on the fingercracks, our skin was torn, but I wanted to go for one more thing: an easy, but a little exposed multi-pitch-tour called Sunnyside (Bench), rated 5.5. with a 5.6. movement. I led one pitch, the most exposed, but it was all still pretty mellow.

The evening ended with a lot of whiskey and beer at Anne‘s campsite, with her telling hilarious stories about her Canadian hometown climbing scene. Don‘t drink and climb, kids! (Or was it the other way round, do climb and drink?)