jannette:

I too, had had a psychological barrier to leading MT for a while, stemming back to one of my first climbing experiences, when I stupidly, flailingly followed it! Last fall, I twice attempted to bag it, but got rained off! So, I finally led it a week and a half ago. I nearly came off when my foot slipped while trying to find a comfortable rest position from which to place the intermediate pro, but held on and regained my composure. An absolutely memorable lead. Would have had pics, but forgot to trail a second rope for my photographer! Oh well. Congrats!

nerdom writes:
trying to find a comfortable rest position from which to place the intermediate pro

Hah! "comfortable rest position"???? Hah! Don't think that really exists on that section of the climb. I planned to throw in a cam on the way, I had it slung and ready to go...but I just kept moving, in that 10 seconds that I stopped to consider placing it, I could feel the strength draining from my arms, and I decided to just keep moving, I knew I could do the moves if I didn't burn out first. Congrats on your lead of MT as well!

Just to make it more memorable, we had a cam stuck, so after we were done, we rapped back down to the GT ledge, and Ethan led the crux pitch so I could follow it and get my smaller hands into the crack to free my alien. So we did Modern Times twice in a row, and finished it off with the top of High E while we were in the neighborhood. I'm one sore puppy today! But it was a gorgeous day and well worth taking a vacation day off from work!

Jannette

Les and Jannette - nice work!

Near-dumb - there IS no comfy position to place the gear, which is why on my hubristic attempt back in the day, I chose not to bother, kept climbing, and took the big ride because of it. Wheeee!

Cliffmama - time to change yer profile, I'd say yer trad lead limit is a tad higher than 7+ now, eh? "if not too pumpy" - as if.
I guess if it was worth doing, it was worth doing it twice.

I've still gotta get back there and tick that one off. I've since followed it, but haven't had the chance to lead it again.... so many routes, so little time.
(I got CCK Direct last week; so now The Spring, Le Teton, and Retribution are topping my current to do list - mebbe I should add MT as well? )

edited again to add: knocked The Spring off today, and WASP also for good measure.
And as a bonus, got The Winter clean on TR - sweet.

Actually, there IS a comfy rest spot!! You get an almost knee-bar, with your entire left arm draped over the big block below the crack that accepts your pro (I got a solid .75 cam in low). The scared shitless part for me was the exit move, mantling up onto the ledge!

Funny how goals morph .... looking back at mine, the only one I got close to was Double Crack, which I climbed on a day when I should have stayed in bed - it totally kicked my a**.

But, my season goal eventually revealed itself to be Absurdland, which I finally led this past Saturday. Yay!