Climbing on the Moon

My Scottish friend (Mark) and I decided we had had enough traversing around the same bouldering wall on campus. It was time to set out and climb some real rock...outside. Mark works at the climbing wall on campus and only gets one day a week off. So finally a couple of week ago, our schedules lined up, enabling us to get outside and climb on some real stone together.

After the typical Saudi delays, we were able to finally make it to this "climbing" area that I had been a few times before. The formation that we were climbing on is called Jebal Qamr (or Moon Mountain). Our goal was to get out and start climbing no later than 10am or so...low and behold, we didn't get our of our car till nearly noon. In most areas of the world, that is not too big of a deal in late October. Here in Saudi Arabia, that mean you are climbing in 105+ degree F (40 C). Never the less, we are rock climbers, a little heat won't kill us.

I took Mark over to a "sport" climb that I have done in the past. This thing is spicy. There are 3 bolts in ~100ft (30m) of climbing. I let Mark have the lead since I have lead the climb several times now. Its not a very difficult climb, but since it is a slab, it is fairly insecure in nature. Needless to say, Mark handled it like a champ and sent it with no problems. Below you can see a couple of photos of the climb.

Mark rapping the "sport" route

Finally making it to the second bolt

After topping out, we realized that it is pretty unbearable climbing in direct sun in 100+ degree weather. So we sought refuge on the shady side of the mountain. Fortunately, there was a shaded chimney system that looked climbable. So I racked up with our set of nuts and 2 cams and tied into the sharp end. Nothing like first ascents in the desert with 2 cams and some nuts. It turned out to be a choss pile, but oh well, it was fun. I decided it should be called "The Dark Side of the Moon". The name seemed appropriate. After that pitch, we were all psyched up for climbing in the shade, it was actually reasonable.

So we walked around for a little bit before finding short little crack system. Mark decided he would have a go at it. Unfortunately, crack climbing isn't too common in the UK, so Mark conceded and offered me a go at it. Fortunately, Turkey Rocks, Vedauwoo, and Lumpy has allow me to hone in on the technique know as thrutching (See The Obscurist for example). This advance climbing technique allowed me to snag another first ascent. I named this one "Bloody Scotsman", because after I finished it, Mark followed me up, and in the words of Cedar Wright, "Once you start to thrutch, the blood just starts pouring."

Bloody Scotsman, short but burly

There you have it...a Saudi Arabian climbing adventure. I only have a little over a month left here, but I hope there will be more adventure to come.