We've gotten a lot of great climbing in so far, even though we've only actually climbed a few half-days. On our first climbing day, we climbed at a wall called Sunny & Steep, where Juan sent a 5.12b called Tour de Pump he'd been wanting to get since trying it with his friend Cathy last year. On a whim I decided to try a route called Turtle Wax (11b) on lead and got it on my second go. This strong first day put us in a really good mood regarding the Red Rocks segment of the trip.
Juan on Tour de Pump
The next climbing day we hit up the Running Man and Stratocaster walls, where by some crazy coincidence a couple we'd seen in El Chonta a few weeks earlier was climbing as well! Small world. Some more successes there - Juan sent Choad Warrior (12a), a fun route that switches from big throws between jugs on an overhung start to balance-y, crimpy moves up top. Also, I sent a fun route with a dumb name (or maybe I just don't know the story behind it), Marshall Amp (11b), that started with a jump to a hueco and a heel-hook/hand match. After some more hard bouldery moves and a low crux, it ran it out (only 7 bolts in 130 feet!) over easy jugs and huecos to the finish.
Me on Marshall Amp
Then yesterday we froze our fingers off "warming up" at a permanently shady wall called the Wake-Up Wall, then thawed out with some 11's on the nearby Broast & Toast and Numbers walls:
Me TR'ing a route called Desert Sportsman
Juan leading a route called Number 3
Besides climbing, we've gotten a lot of quality family time in - with Juan's family here in Vegas, and I got to join my family for my niece Adira's 1st birthday last weekend in St. Louis! "Diri" has grown so much since I saw her at Thanksgiving. She's adorable and quite a climber, too! She loves to scramble up full staircases, then slide back down on her belly, over and over.
Diri enjoying her first-ever taste of chocolate! Happy Birthday!!!
I hope you all are doing well! Feel free to update us on your lives in the comments below or at our email,
Marie
The pic of you on Desert Sportman is UNREAL!!! Keep up the great sends so I can climb vicariously through you two! :)
ReplyDelete...Choad Warrior - lmao
Yo Juan! Glad to see the trip is goin so well. Mexico looked absolutely looks sick. I would totally come down to Red Rocks for spring break, but I had actually already planned on going to Bishop and Owen's River Gorge. Jessi will be heading to Red Rocks to go climbing with her family in 2 weeks or so. If you are still there, I'll give her your number and maybe you guys can climb together. Climbing around Portland actually hasn't been terrible this winter. I've been able to get outside a fair amount. I managed to send Bloodline and Kashmir out at Broughton a couple weeks ago. I was pretty stoked to get Bloodline cause I one hanged it 8 times in a row before sending. Sorta frustrating ha. Anyway, hope the trip keeps going well! I'm still planning on heading out road tripping to Ten Sleep and wherever else as soon as school gets out. I'll let you know when that gets closer and hopefully we can meet up.
ReplyDeleteEric
Hey Eric first off congratulations on the sends, I've never been on Kashmir but I've heard it's pretty friggin cool, nice work!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely give Jessi our contact info, we'll be here at least through the end of March before we move on to Utah.
Send us your dates for Bishop because it's not far from here there's a good chance we could drive up for a few days and join you. If it doesn't work out, there will still be plenty of place to meet up in the coming months. Take care and keep crushing dude!
I'll be in Bishop from March 12 until the 19th. That would be rad if we could climb together. Keep me posted!
ReplyDeleteEric