When I went to Smith Rock State Park for the first time, I could not climb due to a fractured wrist. So I watched my Mazamas Intermediate Climb School (ICS) colleagues climb while I made the best of the situation and practiced building rock anchors. This weekend I returned to this amazing place and had the Smith Rock experience that I had missed.
On Saturday our group started at the Red Wall's Super Slab route. I really liked going up the crack on the first pitch of this route. Being the last climber of the group and cleaning out the protection that our lead climber had placed was great practice for me. The weather on that day was on and off. At point it would be sunny and then the hale would start falling. After the first pitch we rappelled down and moved to the Dihedrals area. There we practiced climbing up to an anchor, belaying the climber that followed us, and then lowering a climber.
In the evening most of the students and instructors went to Skull Hallow Campground for a potluck dinner, a birthday cake, and Hula Hoop Dancing.
Sunday was a day of top-roping at the Student Wall. I enjoyed the hike along the Crooked River to this climbing crag. The smell of the sage brush along the way was an added bonus. I was supposed to be evaluated for my final Leadership Development field session. However, the climb leader who was going to did not show up. Since there were not any other available Climb Leaders, I did not get evaluated. While this was a disappointment, I thought it would serve as an insentive to return to second ICS Smith Rock field Session in May.
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