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climbing general trip reports

sinful hotbed

More photos from that sinful hotbed of wet climbing activity, Summersville Lake.

The hoards, they were swarming across the rock.

climbers swarming

Henry found a fun looking hand traverse, which he set out across once the photographers were in place

henry on the hand traverse

Lara jumps off the cliff. The highest style points from the weekend go to Alyce though, who was the only one to do a flip off the cliff (a perfectly executed one at that).

jumping

We had reached Longs Point when we started hearing the thunder, and the call from Ocean (ex-lifeguard) came: “Out of the water kids!”. The large bearded gentleman, pictured flying through the air, managed to climb up onto the arete wearing sneakers only.

jumping

Ocean tried to follow up after him, but got stuck at this point under the roof: “I have to throw for that?”.

ocean at longs point

Also, note to google: “Air Cloud online”. Is that really the best you can do when I do a search for work related sites, and you’re desperately trying to find relevant things to advertise? Because I don’t want to buy an air cloud. I have no idea what they are, but it doesn’t seem to be something I should be paying for. However, if what you’re trying to sell to me is actually a little miniature atmosphere system, that can hang out in the rooms of my house, so I have little cloud systems and miniature fronts developing across my roof, then that would be rather cool, and I wholeheartedly approve (provided they’re not going to rain on me).

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climbing general trip reports

deep water deep water deep water

The weekend was spent playing in the water at Summersville Lake (deep water soloing if you will). We had a pontoon on Saturday, until a thunderstorm came along, and some people started to get dubious about how well lightning and metal boats go together. So the boat was returned, we were pelted with rain for 3 minutes, then the weather was perfectly fine again. Of course!

Lara and Captain Ducky (or possibly Admiral Ducky?), one of the more awesome floaties from the weekend.
 

lara and captain ducky

Boer jug hauling his way up the arete
 

boer climbs at summersville lake

Plans to go bouldering at full moon were ruined by the weather, which kept getting overcast and thunderstorming on us. Come Sunday morning, everything was soaking wet, and most of the crew were keen to get back to civilisation – except for the hardy group who fought their way down to Pirates Cove and swam around in the sun, enjoying the views and gorgeous sunny weather for a few more hours. I don’t know how we managed to do it, really I don’t.


Val in Pirates Cove on Sunday morning
 

summersville lake
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climbing general trip reports

Then the storm would pass, and they would go back to their primitive lives, chasing rabbits and impregnating their womenfolk.

The world’s most mediocre climbers have discovered a dangerous new way to defy gravity — free soloing above a lake, which sometimes has swell from passing motorboats, which makes it really extreme, and totally hardcore.

I’ve just seen the future of climbing. It’s not on Everest, or a wind-lashed Patagonian spire, nor is it on some gargantuan wall in Yosemite Valley. It’s in West Virginia, on some sandstone cliffs above Summersville Lake.

I insinuated myself into a clan of cragrats, practitioners of a new mode of climbing called “deepwater soloing.” I was bobbing in the swell from passing speedboats at the mouth of a gaping cavern, watching the 31-year-old American phenomenon Terence ‘Vegas’ Kudo perform on an as yet unclimbed route he was calling ‘Vegas in a Blender’.

…. back to what you were doing people, there’s nothing to see here.

deep water soloing

 

deep water soloing

Oh, and we did things on dry land too. I’m not sure why. Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun … to play in a suntrap.

hawks nest dam

Today’s title brought to your courtesy of a random quote from johnnyb. Today’s images brought to you courtesy of the EOFSO – Equal Opportunities for Stalkers Organisation, as well as Vegas (first image, and squad of ninjas), Boer (second image, sound effects and staff twirling skills).

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general

leaping madness

Niles stands around nonchalontly enjoying the view…. does some stretches… then makes the jump.

deep water jump

(click on the image for the larger version)

Categories
climbing general trip reports

we like the water

Deep water soloing at Summersville Lake. Was fun. More coherent comments and some more pictures may be on their way, but I should really do some work now (more pictures under the clicky link thingo).

Hoards swarming over the rock

deep water soloing