Thinner

Due to a cool head and good judgment, there are few times in my climbing career that I have truly thought that I might die...My first lead of this route is one of the elite few.... My belayer never knew it, but inside I thought I was about to take the screamer of a life time...But let's take a step back shall we....

After locating the right-facing corner left of Turner's Flake, climb the face up to it and follow nice moves up the corner and on the face to the left with decent protection.... At this point I'm saying to my self "R rated? Whatever, the pro seems pretty good" eventually you clip a pin and the corner runs out...And so do you...There is a place to protect maybe 10 feet above the pin though its a bit tricky, these days I might have used it a bit better, but I was somewhat new to trad climbing (it's a place where you can thread a nut or a very thin sling).... At this point, it is a series of mantel moves like many of the routes on this wall...mantel after mantel and then you look down at how far you are above the last piece of marginal gear, wow.... This brings us back to the story....

I looked down at the pin which was the last good piece and did the math if I fell. I'd be going a very long way, and the good holds ran out.... I kept it cool and committed, but inside I was picturing the 70 foot fall I figured I'd take if i blew the move.... This image stayed with me as I moved up on the slippery crimps and a bad foot that started to slip as I lunged for the ledge....And stuck it.... I mantled up and took a deep breath, a dude at the Thin Air belay looked down with wide eyes and said "wow, that was cool".... "Thanks", I said masking my relief and looking like I do that all the time.... I set up the belay and got on with my day, but Thinner had left its mark and made me a wiser man....

I've done many sketchy routes since, but I go in to them with an understanding of what I'm getting in to.... I recommend you do the same....

To the right of Thin Air (5.6), left of Turner's Flake (5.8)...look for the right-facing corner below the 2nd anchor on Thin Air....

Standard rack.