Egyptian Living on the Edge

Psyched to go to Baihe again to finish my latest project I’ve been writing about, I finished it on the second go on Saturday. (and now I first time lead the 5.8 slab leading to the route – yes, it is much nicer without a backpack and didn’t feel hard at all this time).

I felt super strong on the first go, putting up the draws, and I even passed the first crux then. Then, on the second go I finished it – nearly passing the second crux but still, passing it. I even climbed it a third time on top-rope, just for training’s sake, and to my surprise I did it clean. Though I didn’t clip out any draws then (I used the other end as I figured that I’ll just be lowered down if I fall). Torsten, the other bolter of the route finished it after me and then we started speculating about the grade. Ola, who FAed it two weeks ago thought it was a hard 7c+, but as we kind of found at least one more rest than she did we thought that 7c (though in my opinion, HARD one) could be a more suitable grade for it. As grades are very subjective… This wasn’t my style and although I did spend 4 days on it, maybe 7c is a better grade for it. Then again, Torsten’s routes are often really sandbags… Anyway, feel free to give it a go and judge yourself. I hate speculating about the grades anyway; more often they take the away the joy of finishing a route instead of making you feel good.

After finishing the route and Torsten still resting before his third go, he urged me to try a 5.11c around the corner he opened last year, called “Living on the Edge”. He told me “It is quite hard… will be a good onsight if you do it”. (Btw, did I already say that his routes are often really sandbags?)

Well... after the first clip, sweating, I am trying to find a way to move to the edge, as the beginning of the route goes near the edge. I see a tiny crimp “hmm, looks a bit loose maybe” but I have to do something, and I launch. And yes, it was loose; so I fall. I continue… just to realize that the foothold I had previously used (and not a tiny one, maybe the size of a glass) falls down – and I fall as well. Getting a bit annoyed, I say “this route apparently doesn’t want me to climb it”. As my onsight is already ruined, Torsten keeps saying to me “go closer to the edge” as I continue climbing. “The route’s name is Living on the Edge”. I say “great, you should’ve told me that earlier” as I sweat up there. “Don’t worry, Fabian was also really scared climbing near the edge”. I mumble something that I don’t like this at all; and just then, a rock size of a cat’s body I’m holding breaks apart. Luckily it didn’t fall from too high up as I was kind of almost on the level of hugging it, and just bruises my thigh. So after that, I am super scared to climb to the anchor as I was suspicious that everything I touch will just fall apart…. 

What I learned from this experience was that I really don’t like Living on the Edge. And no, I will not go back to finish the route, either.