Old Rag Night Climbing!

OVERVIEW

The title says it all. We’ll be climbing at Old Rag at night with the only light coming from our headlamps and a waning gibbous moon. It makes climbing quite a bit more spicy!! If you’re a night owl, then this is the trip for you!

We will leave from Bonnycastle Circle at 7pm on Thursday. After driving roughly an hour to Old Rag, we will head up to the top and explore the Summit Crag. After climbing for a few hours, we’ll head back down the northeast ridge and back to C’ville. I said we will be back by 2am, but…we could be getting back much later.

The climbing at Old Rag is predominately stellar trad and tope roping. The rock itself is a meta-granite that was formed during the Grenville Orogeny over a billion years ago. It can be sharp so I would recommend bring climbing or medical tape to tape up your hands before you climb. Also since we are climbing at night make sure to bring plenty of warm layers and obviously a headlamp.

Although the routes that we are going to do are not difficult, I want everyone who comes to have basic climbing skills (tope rope belaying, tying in, etc…). Learning these skills in the dark is a terrible idea!

What you need to bring:
-Headlamp
-Climbing or medical tape
-Climbing shoes
-Climbing helmet
-Climbing harness
-Clothing suitable for cold nighttime weather (we are going to be on top of a mountain that is exposed to the wind, also temperature drops with increased elevation)
-Backpack
-Water (at least 2 liters)
-Food
If you do not have any of this gear you should be able to get it from the club’s gear room.