Routes in Virginia for selected grade

I put this route up in the mid 80's. Is one long pitch. I'm a lot older now, so some detail is fuzzy. I scrambled onto a ledge (rock), then up a large crack protecting with the biggest chock I had at the top of the crack. Then moved up and right to a flake where I could place a nut. Had to run that section out from my chock to the flake. There I stood and drilled for a bolt using a hammer and hand drill. And my bolt hanger was hand made from angle iron. From the bolt I moved up and left to a big flake as I remember. It was a weird spread eagle move to get my left hand on a hold. You feel as if you are going to barn door off. Then it was straight up and then at the top I did this stupid 'Duck Walk' like move (felt like I was waddling) to go to the right and then topped out. Me and my buddy laughed about it. Hiked Old Ragg recently with some friends and clambered down to take a look at Duck Walk. Seems there is still plenty of activity on that old wall.

This climb is a long bushwhack down through the reflector oven, past Oh My God Corner. It was a very long day to hike up the Ridge trail, then down to the climb and back to the car. Climb has a overhang right off the deck. Funny story, I was climbing with Ron Dawson who is extremely tall. I was about horizontal and could not get to my friend so I could protect as I swung around the overhang. Ron reached up and pushed the friend into my grasp. The overhand is literally right off the ground. Anyway, this is a solid crack climb, fist jams. Fantastic climb once you get around the overhang. As I remember we walked off the top around back. Been many years since I did the climb.

As I remember a tough climb. Pretty sustained lay back just about the whole climb. Had to run out the top section because I did not have a #4 friend, so put a 3.5 as high as I could and went for the top. Took a fall and then got it on my second attempt. This was in the 1980's.