Matt and I attempted to climb a 600+ foot route called Prince of Darkness today. The climb is situated in a beautiful canyon about an hour from the trailhead. I wouldn’t call it remote but it would take some doing to get help in case of a mishap.
Well, we got about 200 feet up before we decided that the conditions were not ideal for this climb. Perhaps it was the frozen fingers and toes or the incessant shivering that tipped us off to this fact. Last time I did this climb, I was shaking from fear. This time, the added shaking from cold was enough the send me pitching at 170 feet. I thought I was going to shatter when the rope came taught at the end of my 25 foot fall. We rappelled off the route at the next belay and hiked back out to the glorious sun.
Barring a big earthquake, the route should be there for a while. This route has always provided excitement so I’m sure I’ll find myself shaking on it again.