20120712

The Great Northern Slab

Sometimes a climb is just freaking fun, do you know what I mean?  Its not about climbing hard, or fast, or being more "out there", or whatever epic tale you've had after other climbs.  Its just about getting outside, moving over the stone, seeing some new terrain, and feeling your limbs flow up a climb.

I've only climbed at Index on two other occasions before Wednesday, so PG and I got a late morning start and headed on over to Index, which is on my list of Towns-I'd-Love-To-Live-In-If-I-Could-Only-Find-A-Job-In-Town.

The Great Northern Slab is one of those climbs.  Its not particularly hard, the approach is a five-minute flip-flop walk from the car, and you're likely to be sharing it with other parties.  But the climbing is fun, especially either variation of the second pitch.

Pitch 2 features these two parallel - but seperate cracks.
The left-hand variation is fingers, the right-hand is hands/feet.
Both are stellar, and put the first word in the Great Northern Slab.

Taking off on Pitch 3 - demonstrating how the third word in the Great Northern Slab was determined.
Statistics:  The Great Northern Slab (II 5.7, 3 pitches, 250'), Index.  11 July with PG.


Photos: Taken by PG and used with encouragement.