It had been over 5 years since my last serious climbing.  
What it took was a life change (divorce) in my old climbing 
partner Gavin G.’s life to get me out again.  We had 
high hopes in April, but only got to watch rain pummel 
Calaveras Dome.  Then I read carefully the information on my 
upcoming scientific conference.  Plymouth, NH sounded 
familiar.  I packed my gear.

The popularity of gym climbing should, in principle, make it 
easier to recruit partners.  Turns out many of the grad 
students had tried climbing in the gym but were dubious 
about real rock.  I lucked out in finding that Ingrid 
DeWolfe, whose scientific work I knew from the literature, 
had taken up climbing over the last 2 years in Belgium.  
This particular type of conference is ideal for climbing -- 
sessions end at 1 pm and resume at 7.  First afternoon out I 
could not remember where the Rumney cliffs were (no guide).  
Bouldered at the Pound, then finally found the cliffs and 
raced up a few routes on the Breakfast Wall.  That night she 
managed to rent a harness at the local rock gym and I got a 
guide.  Next few days brought a mixture of easier routes for 
Ingrid and some of the other folks who showed up from the 
conference and attempts on harder routes for me.  I did 
Rhino Buckets (10b), but hung once on Peer Pressure (10d) 
and had to aid Bonehead Roof (10c).  I had done both of 
these on my last trip (1992).  Last day we dashed out the 
conference at 1 pm, got to Franconia at 1:40 and headed up 
the talus.  We got to the dash of the Whitney-Gilman ridge 
at about 2:15 and stood atop it at 4 pm.  It was Ingrid’s 
first multipitch climb.  Her knowledge of French came in 
handy when we passed a pair of Quebecois on the pipe pitch.  
We ran down the descent trail and easily made it back for 
the conference banquet (lobster) at 6.  

Then my bad luck with the weather struck again.  Paul Milde 
and I were to do the Direct-Direct but it had rained hard 
all night and was continuing to drizzle.  Thought of a 
possible dry crag.  We found Crack in the Woods easily, but 
the left wall was completely soaked and the jams were slimy.  
We went for it anyways.  Paul was much stronger than me and 
pushed the lead up a little ways past the roof.  He would 
have gotten it dry.  Drove to Cathedral.  Molson’s was also 
wet and we only got out a few bolts.  Climbed it on aid to 
retrieve the draws.  Then we did Thin Air - pretty dicey 
when wet, I must say.  Nice bivy with showers in a cheap 
motel, a concession these days to age and status.  Had fun 
visiting Bouchard’s place and Paul talked with him about the 
trials of running a small business.  Bouchard was headed to 
Latok (again).  I hope he and Ritchey made it.  Paul and I 
headed home.