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Overall, the climb was much more difficult and took much more time than I was expecting, especially compared the 8 pitch (bolted) route we'd climbed in Banff which had taken us only 3.5 hours. The physical discomfort and mental stress of leading on gear and worrying about rainfall prevented me from truly enjoying the climbing for most of the route. That night I was exhausted and felt like I had chosen too large of an objective.
In hindsight I think everything went about as well as it could have and we had a great day out. We were prepared with sufficient water and food, warm clothing, and headlamps, and I was confident in our ability to bail if it became necessary. I was satisfied with the amount of protection that I was able to place on the route (although with the number of ledges I was quite often in "ankle breaking" territory). I would say that the route was outside my comfort zone, but within my abilities. Which is where growth happens.
I was astonished that my 65 year old father (with zero crack climbing experience) was able to follow the entire route without complaining once and without leaving behind a single piece of gear. How lucky am I to have such a climbing partner? It seems that he's decided to make climbing his primary hobby in retirement, and I am going to do my best to make the most of it. Our next objective is likely Beacon Rock.
