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I wanted to do the Pearly Gates before work. Its not like its killer hard or anything like that. The fall is perfectly clean, the slab pure friction the night pitch black. That was probably the issue more than anything. You can't really see features on featureless rock with the dull light of even a really good headlamp. Overhanging jug hauls... not a problem. Bouldering... not a big deal either.

no warmup but its not like you really need to get a ton of juice flowing for slabs anyway. There is a piton, then a bolt then a bit of space to a bolt by a blob where I thought would be an edge or chickenhead or something. It was obviously drilled on lead in fantastic style. Looking at it from below, getting psyched to do the moves and pad my way up, I was sure the shadows indicated a great stance.

But when I got there... nothing. Classic empty plate chickenhead. I lost my cool, blew it and took the 30 footer. Somehow I rolled to my right side and slid into second base. Thank goodness I'd put my hat in my pocket or it would have ground my hip bone to pieces. My elbow got a good scratching up but I didn't think anything of it. We waited half an hour for the light to come and I hiked it. But you really need to know the crux of that route is the crack pitch up high. Only met one guy who knew a guy who's done it and they said it was hard .11 and not .11a. damned Hong.

The real injury came a week to the day later when I thought I was warming up on a 5.8 slab that was really that unnamed .11 on the waterfront. Again, don't do slabs in the dark unless you really know them well. landed on my elbow again and the trauma weakened my immune system locally and a couple of days later I was in the ER.

What grk? Get to say... You think "choss+moss=ultra classic" even though every hold your feet and hands are on could crumble at any moment? Yes, you can say that.

bottom line: i have amazing foresight and missing link is an ultra classic.

Since I don't know the current status of the climb, I don't know if the original hardware is the same. Don't think any bolts have been added. This route rarely gets done.

It is classic, but I'm still feeling a bit frisky right now so I might need someone to ropegun it for me. You want to get on it again? I have a feeling I'd find it hard to commit to the mantle moves this time, but I think I need to give it another go before the fear of slabs settles in for good and robs me of any further fun. After all, the weather is fin-good at the moment..

i'm down to do it again. 1st & 2nd proper. non of this wackadooo five four bs.
i'm ready to get at it soon, like in the next fourteen days.

i'll end this post with the same sentence i ended our last conversation about missing link with: i wouldn't climb it until i clean it.

i believe it went like this: "missing link is sic!! illy, fresh, wicked gnar gnar bro! (cause i talk like that), but its terrifying. i wouldn't climb it until i cleaned it."

it was at this point a fly flew straight into your mouth and you coughed.

i believe it went like this: "missing link is sic!! illy, fresh, wicked gnar gnar bro! (cause i talk like that), but its terrifying. i wouldn't climb it until i cleaned it."

it was at this point a fly flew straight into your mouth and you coughed.

Well, since Boissal told us a story I should fess up. Les draggin me up that route on the FA was my first 5.10. And that memory stayed with me so long I never went back to lead that thing. Some memories never die....