John and I went to Lake George with friends for a weekend camp and for some rock climbing in the area.  The place we had in mind was Roger’s Rock, a not much frequented area due to the inaccessibility to the base of the cliff.  We rented a canoe near the campingground and then headed to the water base. The current was wavy and fast; we paddled for about 20 minutes. Approaching the cliff, we spotted a place for our stop.   There, we settled our canoe and lifted it a little above the rocks avoiding being swept away by the high waves.  We still had a little bit of a walk up before reaching the start of the climb.

The route we followed was three-long-pitch Little Finger.  It was my first time to follow a 550- foot- cliff on high exposure to the sun and wind.  Pretty impressive; there was a lovely view of the lake and people sailing, kayaking, and motor boating. (Anyway...)

John led the climb.  I followed and took out the protections one by one.
Among the three pitches, the 2nd and the third were challenging and tricky. On the 2nd pitch, I had to pass a small bulge and my left hand lost a grip on one of the holds.  Made it eventually, but I kept sounding, "John, you got me?"  Whew, that was a close one.  On the third pitch, I couldn't wait to finish; I was really getting tired and the rock face was wet.  Part of the challenge was also getting the bolts and the other protections out of my way.  They were hanging very low that some got stuck to the crack.  It slowed me down.  (I need to review and practice putting them around me efficiently.)

I wanted to finish climb fast that I used my feet as much as I could. Finally, I reached the end of the climb, but the process wasn't over yet.  We had to rappel down where we came.  Since we were using two ropes, the rappelling was heavier to handle. 

Eventually, we made it to the base safely and walked back to where our canoe was parked.  John had to overturn it because it was full of water.  We stayed for a few minutes for a water break and dip.  The trip back to the camp site also went smoothly.

What a fantastatic climbing adventure!  It was the longest and the most difficult rock route I had ever tried, but it was just great.  Thanks to my husband for having me in his team.  He was my confidence booster.  One thing I wish I had at the time of the climb was a camera.  The shot would have been really magnificent.  I guess, the experience and the images meant to stay in the privacy of my mind.

Roger’s Rock  Revisited (August 8, 2005)

We reclimbed the same route, Little Finger (5.5). John also led the climb with me following.  Another party of two friends joined us in this magnificent rock climb. We had a fun time enjoying the view of Lake George and the islands across.

I felt more comfortable this time with our approach. I was able to assess the route better and had a more sense of gear management, placing the bolts and cams in the right place around my harness.

Roger's rock is a long climb, but a climb you would always remember.  Two  years ago, it was my initiation to multi-pitch climbing and proud to say I'd done it:-)

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