Palingenisis

A few months ago, on my quest to rediscover old classics on Endless wall, I was directed toward a route that had been erased many years ago. For a while it was a mystery route. Nobody in town seemed to know the routes history. I was told one story, but it was false. The trail had stopped and so did I.
Last month I told Pat Goodman about the mystery route knowing that we would be able to figure something out. He couldnt find anything either. I looked through many old guidebooks that shed no information. There was only one clue: a single angle iron bolt that had remained at the top of the route. The same bolts were on a route around the corner called Pullin Porcelin. I mentioned this to Kenny Parker and showed him the unmarked line in the guidebook. He was able to tell me a little history about the route.
The route was bolted and climbed by Andreas Audetat sometime around 2000. No name or grade was ever known, and the route was chopped because it was a little to close to Ovine Seduction which is the route to the right.
The climb had been erased from the books until just a few days ago.
Pat went out to investigate and see what the route was all about and stated to peice things together. We worked out the moves. The gear would be very small master cams, and offset master cams. Since it wandered so much it would have to be done on double ropes. Pat climbed the route first, a few days later I went out and climbed the route.
Keeping the history in mind and the unique process we underwent to redo the route it was appropriately named Palingenisis and check in at a very heady and potentially dangerous 5.12c. As we decided "Heady .12c for the solid 5.13 climber."

In the do not fall zone getting ready to place a purple/blue mastercam after the crux. Immediately after placing a very shallow scary looking but solid offset TCU. Switching to autopilot and getting ready to punch it to the top.

The only way to describe the route is a journey. It's very pumpy with finiky small gear placements and many do not fall zones. This route will hold your attention and keep you wanting another 100 feet of climbing at the same time. One of the best trad lines I have ever climbed.

The W.VA Account: Feature Blog

Question: What is the difference between a female raft guide and a load of laundry?

Answer: You can put a load in the wash and it won't follow you around all season.

Question: What is the best thing about West Virginia?

Answer: It's not Ohio.

This season I am guiding at the New river and working at Waterstone. The above jokes are ones that a fellow climbing guide told me one day.

I would like to take this time to share some of my guiding experiences from the season so far.

Was doing a short rappel mission with three clients. The female in the group went first and was fiddleing with a small canister before she went down. I tied her off and asked if I could hold something for her, her response was, "no! I have to spread my son's ashes." So, she spread them in the breeze off the top of Bridge buttress into the faces of about 15 young Appalachian Bible School campers. May her son rest in peace with those children of the Lord.

Ok, July 4th weekend. Took out two young brothers (19 and 20) who were on vacation with Mom and Dad and were getting into climbing. The trip is coming to an end and I am at the top of the cliff breaking down the rappel talking to another guide; they are at the bottom waiting. While in the process of coiling my ropes, the guide next to me tells me that a guy fell and hit the ground and we need to get down ASAP. Got to the bottom acessed the situation and found that the climber was soloing aroung 5 guided groups and about 30 other climbers. Well, me clients witnessed the incident and SPLIT. I had to chase them down. When I asked what happened they said the climber did not have a rope and he fell from the top of the cliff (Zag 5.8) hit the ledge at 15 feet and bounced 20feet into the brush.

I would like to end this blog with a recent portrait of myself kickin' after sending at route at the Meadow River called "B-52." (Yeah kids, I still got it.)

New River Rendezvous Five Ten Bouldering Comp

Hey Y' All,

Watch this!

Five Ten Bouldering Comp at the 2011 New River Rendezvous from Water Stone Outdoors on Vimeo.

Kalimera, part Deux.

Along with climbing nonstop we ate, and ate, and ate some more. Everyone I talked to before the trip said the food would be good, but underestimated just how good it would actually be. I should have known when the dominant plant species were oregano, thyme, basil, and other herbs.

I would have to say my favorite meals were chicken souvlaki and the Greek dinner for two (a combo of a little of everything to share). However, among all our eating adventures we came across something special. This something special consisted of two things that I live for separately, but have never thought of combining them, for whatever reason.

The Espresso Gelato is possibly the absolute best thing that I have ever eaten. Just look at it, beautiful culinary genius!

Some climbing days were a little warm so on those days we would climb half the day then walk across the street and go swimming and snorkeling.

On rest days we saw the sights, beaches, castles, churches, you know, old stuff.

Apparently it was acceptable back in the day for old JDog to cut peoples heads off and put them on platters. This is the point in the trip where we stopped asking questions about the Greek culture and made sure we were in crowded public places at all times.

On our last day, we rented scooters and visited the Sikati Cave. It was a really pretty ride in and a long but nice hike.

Pat and the Verm hiking into Sikati Cave.

The Sikati Cave when you walk up on it. Looks like a meteor hit the side of the hill.

The Verm down climbing into the Cave.

Pat climbing on Morgan 7b+.

Kalimera!

Ok, so I quit my job and went to Greece. Went with Pat and spent all of October in Kalymnos, the new world destination sport climbing area. Kalymnos is marked in red below:

It seemed like it took forever to get there. We drove Boone to Charlotte, flew Charlotte to NYC and NYC to Athens. Then had to spend the day and a night in the airport and got a flight from Athens to Kos then a ferry ride to the island and a taxi to where our flat was located. We would have gone into Athens to see the sights but the locker fees to hold bags were outrageously expensive and we had already blown a few hundred dollars on overweight baggage fees.

Our first day we took a nap, unpacked a little, and rented a scooter to see the island and get the lay of the land. We spent the first days going to places that you could not walk because we only had limited days with the scooter. One area and route that really stuck out to me when riding around the island was Eros 7b+ at Arhi. What an amazing route and great into to Kalymnos.

Early on in the trip Pat and I decided that we were going to sample as many routes in as many areas as possible, we would stick to the three try limit rule. This gave me a chance to brush up on my rusty on-sight skills and I spend the month on-sighting 5.12s.

We did spend a lot of days at Oddessy moving from one side of the area to the other. Here is a video Pat made of Orion 7c+:

Jessa Goebel, Orion 7c+, Kalymnos, Greece from Pat Goodman on Vimeo.

Well, I'm back on the blogger again.

Been climbing a ton! I've climbed so much lately that I am at the point that I actually hope it rains so I can rest. In the last few months I have traveled more than I have in many years.



August I traveled to New Hampshire to climb with Freddie Wilkinson and Janet Bergman and their dog Tagger. Also I spend a week guiding for the Kismet Rock Foundation which is a non-profit that gives kids from the city that have potential but not an opportunity to learn about the outdoors and climbing. http://www.kismetrockfoundation.org/. What a great organization, cant wait to guide for them again next summer. On the climbing front, I went up there to climb at Cathedral Ledge and look at Liquid Sky, New Hampshires first 5.13, and do Predator (5.13b)at Rumney.



Heres a time lapse of one effort on the ole' Pred from Freddie:

The Predator from Freddie Wilkinson on Vimeo.

Overall the trip was one of the better ones I have been on in a while. Had a chance to hit up Cathedral, Shagg Cragg (my favorite of the trip), Sundown, and Rumney. Hung out with good friends and met new ones, and ate great food. When I wasn't climbing I was just doing my thing raising hell, drinking, and what not.

Green Chilie Mania!

In New Mexico there are green chilies in everything you eat, seriously, not exaggerating. You eat them for breakfast in your eggs, at lunch in your sandwich or taco, and for dinner in a number of different ways. They love this stuff in NM.

Driving back from Bloomfield to Farmington, we saw some for sale. According to Pat, I got the full authentic green chilie experience. We parked the car opened the door and were overhelmed by the amazing smell of roasted green chilies. The guys selling them were all Mexican and barely spoke any english.

They take a burlap bag of the chilies and throw them in a rotating cage over a propane heater. One guy turns it on, while the other turns them like a rotisserie. It takes about three minutes to roast them. the chilies are thrown back in the bag and you buy the entire bags worth. Needless to say we have and entire cooler full of green chilies to take home. Yes! Can't wait to eat the food of Pat's people.