120 Minute IPA

Alas the cave route is still a project, probably because my attempts were in the dark with 2 headlamps on my knees and one on my forehead...very strange. 

After, i caught dinner at orchids and shared a Dogfish Head 120 minute IPA with Shad. This is such a crazy beer, nearly impossible to get your hands on one of these anywhere on the west coast - (i found just one of these bottles at aloha liquor in carson city). 

This beer is 21% ABV and 130 IBU (hop bitterness). The biggest thing we noticed was how incredibly sweet it was despite the high hop content, this is not a hoppy beer in the slightest, because of how much malt/alcohol is in it. It also doesn't really taste like alcohol, it reminded us both way more of a desert wine than a beer, paired very well with dark chocolate - hop wine is a better description than beer for this interesting and unique brew. 

Review - I'd give this an A- as its incredibly unique and pretty smooth, but not something to drink very often. 

The Cave Project

I'm going down this evening for the 4th time over the last month or so to a super chossy cave known as Hangman's Cave near Markleeville to try, once again a route I've been projecting. 

Why? 

The cave is volcanic, about 40 feet high, extremely steep with super featured rock - one problem though: the rock is such bad quality half of the holds are glued on! But, alas there is a derth of steep route climbing in Tahoe (with the closure of Cave Rock)...so back to the cave I go. 

Most of the cave is not worth touching, but there is one line (to the right of an undone 5.14 project) that goes up the most obvious part of the cave and has beautiful climbing with the V6/7 ish crux coming off the ground to the 2nd bolt. 

There is no guide for the area, but after asking around, the route goes at 5.12c/d or 7c 

I finally did the bottom crux last time i was there a few weeks ago, but fell at the last draw yelling profanities...hopefully tonight's the night and I wont have to go down to the chosspile again! 

Here are some point and click pics of the route and me working it. 

I

3 weeks...

Leaving for Bristol in 3 weeks - I can't believe the summer has passed by so quickly. It seems like the other day I was tirelessly applying for grad school after grad school, obsessing about my purpose statement and spending shitloads of cash on postage. 

Soon, another relocation - back across the pond once again, leaving the california sun behind for the wet, gray, charming, curry and pub loving United Kingdom. 

Krista and I still don't have a place to live yet, but I trust something will turn up...If not, we could always buy a VW.