Debunked

[climb2core]

For 15 years, I have lived under the assumption that you could always find dry rock at the Red. I tried on Friday, and was shut down anywhere I went in the Red. How about you? One guy says he climbed dry rock at Mt. Olive (South Side of the Sky) on Friday. I am calling bullshit. Anyone find anything dry?

[dustonian]

That is one naive assumption...

[climb2core]

I think even you said it was the worst conditions you have ever seen in the Red, Mr Smarty Pants.

[KD]

From what I have seen over the years, the lower elevation sandstone is super saturated in a warm wet winter due to the rock porosity and the humidity. Higher elevated crags like pebble beach, etc. should dry out faster because they have less hydrostatic pressure. A really cold or windy winter will result in drier rock for the same reason. HP40 is a good example of this as it lies atop a windy mountain and dries out pretty quickly.

[dustonian]

I think even you said it was the worst conditions you have ever seen in the Red, Mr Smarty Pants.

True, but I've been out in every-route-is-condensed conditions lots... it happens fairly often in winter and occasionally in summer. check the dew point before driving out next time.

[climb2core]

I was willing to deal with bad conditions, but this was beyond bad...

[rjackson]

Like most everyone who gets out often, you'll learn when the rock is gonna suck and when it's gonna "really" suck. It doesn't take rocket science to figure out the last few days, just a little experience. And I'll bet you could have climbed, just not what and where you wanted to. I've been out in these deteriorating conditions before and climbed, and I've also called it day. Depends on just how hardcore you wanna be...

[dustonian]

No, there was no way to climb yesterday... unless you were willing to climbing soaking wet 5.6 in the rain then I guess maybe. The chalk paste phenomenon was in full effect like I've never seen before... standing water and inch-deep grey-white slime in the buckets of the Bob Marley cave. My boy Cromper had to stick clip his way up 5.11 to get the rebolting underway, the kinda shit he can usually climb hungover, drunk, in flipflops, with his mom riding on his back... props to him for being a bad-ass aid climber despite all the drunken/wasted peanut gallery partying down below!

[rjackson]

... unless you were willing to climbing soaking wet 5.6 in the rain ...

My point...

[dustonian]

Oh, I thought we were talking about actual rock climbing, not the approach...