Where to start? So much has happened just in the past few days since our last post.
I guess maybe with the climbing? I can't speak for the both of us, but I definitely felt like I was off to a bad start. Not at all climbing confident, second guessing everything, getting spooked on things I'd expected to do with my eyes closed, doubt quickly replaced skill and it felt like my self esteem was looking for a crutch.
At night, sleep was full of long puzzling dreams and 1 nightmare that brought up everything from family to people I hadn't thought of in almost a decade.
But not all is as down as i'm making it seem. A rest day in Monterrey proved to be a great way to distract a preoccupied mind. Marie and I walked a plaza from start to finish eating all snacks in sight. We caught a great movie and had some really good pizza for dinner. I even looked up an old barber and got an old fashioned straight razor shave.
Yesterday was quite possibly one of my best days ever at Potrero. Even though I had ticked a 12b on Thursday, nothing could have topped the feeling I had when I lowered off my new mini project. Enter Celestial Omnibus!
Picture this: you walk up to an 11c slab, but instead of blankness it's filled with pockets and edges that make up near perfect movement for about 100 feet. This brings you to the entrance of the Bronco Bowls. The steepest climbing in Potrero and sight of the most perfect overhung 12a I've gotten on so far.
The Bronco Bowls are orange and stained with large streaks of black from water runoff that give it an impressive tiger striped look. Celestial omnibus starts about 100 ft off the deck climbing at at least 45 degree angles on jugs, mini jugs, and both fat and paper thin tufas. The exposure alone was
enough to shake my concentration since I'd never climbed this grade higher than a pitch off the ground. Next was the pump factor due to over gripping because I've never taken a REAL lead fall on a second pitch or higher and didn't want to start then, and throw in a rope (9.2mm) that looks a shoe string, and you've got a recipe for one spicy taco. Can't wait to go back and redpoint...
-Juan
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
"Runs" in the family
Ah yes, the darker side of Traveling rears it's ugly head.
Two days ago I foolishly got a little hammered hanging out with my cousins, and all would have been well had I not run into my uncle back at my grandmother's house. He thought it would be a good idea to have a night cap made up of tequila shots before going to bed and i made no move to protest.
I spent the entire next day in fetal position on the couch getting up only to drink small sips of tea and making the brave trip to the Internet cafe to write our last post.
Just when I thought things couldn't get worse, 30 min before arriving in Monterrey on 10 hour bus ride, tragedy strikes. I make a mad dash for the bathroom and well, I'm sure you can guess the rest. Trust me, lesson learned.
After a great day of somewhat careful climbing (and one mad dash to the bushes w/ limited toilette paper) everything seemed to be back in order. The universe aligned once again, and all was right w/ the world. We had dinner nearby, me a chicken sandwich w/ beans and rice, Marie a few quesadillas w/ guacamole.
Sometime in the middle of the night, Marie wakes me up to report "serious" stomach issues. after her own 2 mad dashes to the nearest restroom, we both woke up today feeling pretty much OK and hoping that today runs much smoother. LOL get it, "runs much smoother"!
-Juan
Two days ago I foolishly got a little hammered hanging out with my cousins, and all would have been well had I not run into my uncle back at my grandmother's house. He thought it would be a good idea to have a night cap made up of tequila shots before going to bed and i made no move to protest.
I spent the entire next day in fetal position on the couch getting up only to drink small sips of tea and making the brave trip to the Internet cafe to write our last post.
Just when I thought things couldn't get worse, 30 min before arriving in Monterrey on 10 hour bus ride, tragedy strikes. I make a mad dash for the bathroom and well, I'm sure you can guess the rest. Trust me, lesson learned.
After a great day of somewhat careful climbing (and one mad dash to the bushes w/ limited toilette paper) everything seemed to be back in order. The universe aligned once again, and all was right w/ the world. We had dinner nearby, me a chicken sandwich w/ beans and rice, Marie a few quesadillas w/ guacamole.
Sometime in the middle of the night, Marie wakes me up to report "serious" stomach issues. after her own 2 mad dashes to the nearest restroom, we both woke up today feeling pretty much OK and hoping that today runs much smoother. LOL get it, "runs much smoother"!
-Juan
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Live from Mexico City
So we finally got a chance to make it down to the internet cafe to write an update. We´ve been in mexico city for five days now and i can say that not a moment has been wasted. We´ve been spending tons of time eating and going to different places with my grandmother and visiting cousins and other family that live nearby.
Every morning Marie and I wake up and climb up to the flat roof of my grandmother´s house where we exercise and stretch, yes i´ve been stretching, in the warm sun. Afterwards, we head downstairs where my grandma usually has a huge breakfast served up for us and then it´s off to whatever activity we have planned for that day.
Every morning Marie and I wake up and climb up to the flat roof of my grandmother´s house where we exercise and stretch, yes i´ve been stretching, in the warm sun. Afterwards, we head downstairs where my grandma usually has a huge breakfast served up for us and then it´s off to whatever activity we have planned for that day.
Juan climbing up to the roof
red rice, mole (mo-lay) enchiladas, and cream of corn soup
However after all the hustle and bustle, traffic, and smog in the big city, im looking forward to getting on the bus tonight and waking up in Monterrey tomorrow for a couple weeks of climbing.
-Juan
We´ve also had a chance to check out some fun sites around Mexico City, like the ancient pyramids at Teotihuacan and different markets, seafood restaurants, and a fun restaurant where Juan´s grandma and her brother taught us how to salsa dance! We´re thinking of taking a salsa lesson somewhere along our road trip...
Other interesting things we´ve seen: a really cool performance at a public market by ¨voladores de Papantla¨, who are indigenous performers who tie themselves to the top of a tall pole and spin their way down, flying through the air (we´ll post pictures on flickr when we can!) and two bus drivers wrestling on the ground in the middle of a busy intersection because one cut the other off!
Hope you all are doing well! Our next post will be from Potrero! We can´t wait to climb tomorrow.
Juan says I use too many exclamation marks, but what can I say, I´m excited to be here.
Peace!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Marie
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Como Mexico No Hay Dos
Hola amigos! (I´m trying to dust off my Spanish)
We made it safely to Tlalcoligia, Mexico D.F., to the home of Juan´s grandma Lourdes! We got to sleep on our flights, we made it through customs with all the food gifts we were afraid would get confiscated, we didn´t get held up on the taxi ride from the airport, and we got treated to a delicious homemade dinner with Lourdes´s famous mole (MO-lay), a traditional spicy, chocolatey sauce... It´s been a great day! Plus, Juan was reunited with his grandma´s brother, who he had not seen in some 14 years. Tomorrow we´re going to go check out some pyramids near here. We´ll upload some pictures when we can!
Marie
We made it safely to Tlalcoligia, Mexico D.F., to the home of Juan´s grandma Lourdes! We got to sleep on our flights, we made it through customs with all the food gifts we were afraid would get confiscated, we didn´t get held up on the taxi ride from the airport, and we got treated to a delicious homemade dinner with Lourdes´s famous mole (MO-lay), a traditional spicy, chocolatey sauce... It´s been a great day! Plus, Juan was reunited with his grandma´s brother, who he had not seen in some 14 years. Tomorrow we´re going to go check out some pyramids near here. We´ll upload some pictures when we can!
Marie
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Going the distance
We've arrived at Dallas fort worth airport and so begins the 12 hour layover. I figure I got a little time to kill so I thought I'd write an update.
I had my last PT appointment 4 days ago and left feeling pretty much back to normal. I thought id covered every base in regard to treatment and issues I might encounter on the road, brought them up with Amy Benton, my friend and physical therapist, and exercised accordingly. Still, there was one thing I hadn't thought of and that is, carrying a heavy pack. After walking maybe 5-7 blocks to the hotel downtown yesterday, I noticed that my left arm tired really fast and that the strap irritated my collar bone. I wonder if this will be an issue during the hiking to the crags or if it will be something that gets better in time?
On a different topic, I love traveling. I like the feeling of distance from work, and bills, and cars, and traffic that grows with each mile away from home. As each one of those priorities fades, it's replaced by new and more interesting ones like deciding on the first crag to visit and the length of time we will spend there before moving on. I'm looking forward to setting up a climbing schedule to make sure that we're climbing smart, and healthy, with good rests and cross training to keep us strong and ready to do well on our projects. It's such a good feeling to see that all the hard work we did over the past months is finally paying off.
-juan
I had my last PT appointment 4 days ago and left feeling pretty much back to normal. I thought id covered every base in regard to treatment and issues I might encounter on the road, brought them up with Amy Benton, my friend and physical therapist, and exercised accordingly. Still, there was one thing I hadn't thought of and that is, carrying a heavy pack. After walking maybe 5-7 blocks to the hotel downtown yesterday, I noticed that my left arm tired really fast and that the strap irritated my collar bone. I wonder if this will be an issue during the hiking to the crags or if it will be something that gets better in time?
On a different topic, I love traveling. I like the feeling of distance from work, and bills, and cars, and traffic that grows with each mile away from home. As each one of those priorities fades, it's replaced by new and more interesting ones like deciding on the first crag to visit and the length of time we will spend there before moving on. I'm looking forward to setting up a climbing schedule to make sure that we're climbing smart, and healthy, with good rests and cross training to keep us strong and ready to do well on our projects. It's such a good feeling to see that all the hard work we did over the past months is finally paying off.
-juan
Vamos a Mexico!
Well right now we are eating ice cream at the airport but soon enough we'll be on our way!! Unfortunately we have a 12 hour, 10 minute layover in Dallas...and they only check your bags to your final destination if your layover's less than 12 hours. oh well, guess we can sleep on them!
We had a great last week in Portland, got to see tons of friends in between all the preparations for the trip. We'll miss you guys! Hasta la vista...
~Marie
After a very busy week of packing, seeing friends for the last time, final climbs at the gym, and last minute details, we treated ourselves to a night at the Ace Hotel. It was a nice relaxing way to spend our final night in Portland before the big trip. We woke up without alarms and pending work schedules, walked to a nearby restaurant, ordered breakfast to go and had breakfast in bed back at the hotel. Then it was off to the bank for $ exchange and deposits before jumping on the max and heading to airport. It feels great to finally start the trip.
-Juan
We had a great last week in Portland, got to see tons of friends in between all the preparations for the trip. We'll miss you guys! Hasta la vista...
~Marie
After a very busy week of packing, seeing friends for the last time, final climbs at the gym, and last minute details, we treated ourselves to a night at the Ace Hotel. It was a nice relaxing way to spend our final night in Portland before the big trip. We woke up without alarms and pending work schedules, walked to a nearby restaurant, ordered breakfast to go and had breakfast in bed back at the hotel. Then it was off to the bank for $ exchange and deposits before jumping on the max and heading to airport. It feels great to finally start the trip.
-Juan
Thursday, January 13, 2011
5 days to go
days to go!
(just in case anyone didn't get enough of the piñatas!)
Well SOME people (or dogs) can't seem to wait for us to leave....Mel (Bob's dog) ventured down to Juan's room last night and barfed on the carpet leaving such a mess that Bob preferred to cut out those patches of carpet rather than clean it up (he's re-carpeting after we leave anyway). haha.
The clock is ticking!!!
-Marie
Today I got the call from our friends over at ClimbX that our new gear had just arrived, so I jumped in the van and headed over to pick it up. ClimbX has graciously outfitted Marie and I with some sick new pairs of shoes, T shirts and nut tools to help out on our road trip. They're getting ready to debut the new 2011 catalog so if you've been thinking about gettin new shoes, maybe you'd like to check em out here. Other than that, I've just been packing stuff up, moving things into storage, setting things aside to put in the van, and updating my music library and iPod to make sure we have plenty of new stuff to listen to on the road.
-Juan
Sunday, January 9, 2011
The Countdown Begins!
DAYS TO GO!
Our going-away party was a blast! Check out the pictures here. Now we have just over a week to give up our leases, move all our stuff into storage, pack up, and go. Can't wait! Check back here for updates...
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