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Climbing Big Country

by Chris Chaney

Publication Date: December 1999

The obsession began last February. A friend of mine wanted to get into trad climbing (placing and removing your own gear as opposed to sport/bolted climbing). We'd climbed an awesome route on a pinnacle earlier in the week, and I wanted to take her up a longer and easier route called Big Country. I'd climbed Big Country about three years before but really didn't remember much about it.

Alexis and I climbed Big Country on a beautiful February day with temperatures in the lower 70s. Three days later, I climbed the route with my cousin. The day after that, we did it again. Werner Braun's nickname is Astroman. He's climbed the famed Yosemite route more than any other human alive. Well, I guess being nicknamed after a three pitch 5.5 in eastern Kentucky isn't so bad either. As long as its fun...

At the end of March, I decided I wanted to do Big Country by moonlight. The full moon was on the 31st, and on the 30th, I found myself on the ledge below the last pitch as the sun was setting. I'd rope-soloed (self belayed) the first two easier pitches in the fading daylight and was waiting for the night to fall and the moon to rise.

I'd never just sat and watched the day change to night out in the woods and it was a very peaceful experience. That's one of my all-time favorite memories.

I led the last pitch in the moonlight. I'd brought my headlamp, but never had to turn it on. As I slowly moved up the slab to the top of the route, I was enthralled in the beauty of my surroundings. The rock shone silver. In the reflected moonlight, I could tell the difference in colors in the slings on my gear. I could see the difference between purple and green and blue. I couldn't believe the brightness of the moon.

I topped out and just took it all in. The river far below was a silver ribbon in the dark. It was like a fluorescent snake in the pitch black grass of the trees. I rappelled the last pitch and cleaned it. I packed my gear and began the long hike back to the car. The walk along the top of Long Wall that night was incredible. The view is great in the daylight, but in the moonlight, it was as if I was in a different world.

I raced back to my apartment and grabbed a couple of friends and went back up there that night and did it again. It was better the second time, because I was sharing the experience with someone else.

A week and a half later, I experienced a four-hour epic when myself and four other people climbed the route on a cold moonless night. One girl had barely ever climbed and had bad asthma. Of course I didn't know that until she was crying and scared and breathing weird. I was still having fun though. We all made it up the route fine. Though I don't think that particular young lady has climbed since.

I skipped the next full moon because I'd been bouldering so much I didn't have the energy to hike up to Long Wall. Then summer rolled around and it became too hot and humid to climb anything. I stayed away from the sunny south facing Big Country for a few weeks.

Then early one hot June morning, I decided I'd been away too long. It was too hot to haul a pack up the trail to Long Wall, so I just took my shoes, chalk bag and a water bottle and free soloed the route. I decided that wasn't too smart, but it felt pretty easy to me by then. Two days later, my cousin led the whole route and I led Nautical Twilight (5.8X) a similar route that is a variation to the last pitch.

I skipped the June full moon. Summer nights are miserable, though I took two beginner friends up the route in mid-July in the blast furnace heat.

By the full moon in July, I just couldn't wait any longer. I had my parents drop me and my bike off at the Long Wall trailhead ,and I trudged up to the base of Big Country once again. The first two pitches were absolute hell. My rope kept getting tangled. I forgot to get one piece as I was cleaning the route and had to climb back across the traverse on the second pitch to get it. By the time I was at the last ledge waiting for the moon to rise, I was ready to call it quits. I sat sweating in the pine needles for awhile cursing my miserable existence when I noticed the moon had risen. My chest swelled at the memory of the last time I'd seen the full moon from that ledge. I got up and started climbing the last pitch. It wasn't the most pleasant experience of my life, but hey, it was Big Country!

I was sweating like a beast and my rope was still getting tangled. I wanted to pitch the thing off the route and just solo to the top, but I was sweating so badly I was afraid I would actually fall. I managed to get off the route, get back to my bike, and get home safely. The bike ride back by moonlight was well worth the agony of climbing the route.

During the full moon in August, I was on a climbing trip out of state and, thankfully, away from the summer agony of Big Country.

Ahh, September! Cooler nights and dreams of Big Country. I had a new girlfriend who was wild about climbing. I'd told her of the agony and ecstasy of Big Country, and she wanted to experience it for herself. The moon waxed full and my patience waned thin. I wanted her to climb it in the daylight before doing it at night (I'd learned my lesson long before). I had a guided trip booked for that day, so I took her along as my "assistant." My client was a little nervous but had a terrific time and so did my girlfriend Mandy. She couldn't wait til that night when the two of us and two of our friends (Jeremy and Camilla - all names changed to protect the innocent) would go back up there. I cleaned the route barefooted and we rappelled down.

The sun was setting as we got to the wall, and we climbed the first pitch in the dark. The second pitch had a coupe of mini-epics and we finally got to the big ledge under the last pitch. We hung out there awhile as Jeremy sang loudly to the drunken car campers in the valley below.

We discussed the possibilities of the first full moon nude ascent. But, the fact that there were women present caused me to postpone that honor until a later date.

I led up the last pitch and belayed the girls up. As Jeremy neared the top, I noticed that his bright orange pants were missing - denied the first full moon nude ascent by a friend! I was crushed. He got dressed as the girls spotlighted his bare behind with their headlamps.

As I sit writing this, the October full moon is three days away. I want to make this one good. It needs to be memorableit needs to be shocking.

First Full Moon Nude Barefoot Free Solo? I'll get back to you on that one.