Vegas Baby 2

This past weekend Jeff and I were fortunate to meet up with Rob and Loni (jeff’s parents) who were down for a business meeting.  They welcomed our smelly selves into their fancy hotel along the strip and we got to live the vegas life for a couple days, well if you consider walking around and seeing the hotels the “vegas life”.  We did a little outlet shopping, even though the last thing I need to do more on this trip is shop, and ate ourselves silly with juicy ribs!  Vegas was fun and all but it was much, much nicer to see family.  We took them out to Red rocks to show them where all the magic happens but it happened to be a miserable day so the magic was brief.  Unfortunately the weather is making a big turn for the worse and has gone from tanning in the 28 degree sun in between climbs to shivering in down coats.  We are on the last leg of the trip and we feel really content with how it has gone so we will probably be making our way home in the next couple days!

Vegas Baby

It has almost been 3 weeks since we have been here climbing in Red Rocks and we have started to develop some good relationships with fellow roadies.  We have mostly hung out with a group of 5 who are from all over but go to school in Toronto together and also a few people who we have seen a few times along the way.  It is neat how taking the time off to do this was so huge and exciting for Jeff and I but we meet people over and over again who have taken dozens of climbing roadtrips through their life.  I love living the simple life and just climbing and sneaking into showers when we can, but I think I am too much of a home body to leave my family all the time.  I guess we have developed a small family at our campsite with all the other roadtripers.  As far as actual climbing goes, both Jeff and I have sent several climbs and more importantly have found some new fun classics.  Jeff has sent a handful of 5.12’s and I have sent many 5.11’s but we are both slow to break through to the next step and I think it will happen after a winter of training in the gym.  I constantly sit on the fence between wanting to train out here and push myself to be stronger, and to just enjoy the climb no matter how well or “not well” I climb it.  I think it depends on the climb for me too.  I worked on yak crack several times and I have virtually sent it many times but I fall on the last move so I have decided to just enjoy what a cool climb it is and when I climb it to try hard, instead of getting frustrated that I haven’t sent it and mentally beat myself up.  Jeff has been working on a 12b called aftershock on tsunami wall and the other morning we hiked over to lace the draws and he almost had it but fell at the very last move.  I think going with no expectations was the way to go because no matter what it was a win.  He has been sending 12a’s like crazy in 1 or 2 trys but is finding the step to sending 12b’s quite a big one.  It probably sounds like were really intense out here but really we just kind of hang out at crags with different people and climb and have a good time.  Climbing with all the different people we have met has probably been my favorite part of this trip.  We meet new people from much more foreign places than Canada everyday, and we have also seen many familiar faces so it almost makes us feel like were home.  Overall the last week here has been full of gratifying sends, good company, and many many mugs of hot chocolate!

The Simple Life and Climbing

                                  At Chuckawalla wall in St. George

This picture of me is from last year, but this is an 11a that I sent on lead this year at the Panty wall

After another wonderful week of hard and fun climbing in Red Rocks, Jeff and I are now in sunny St. George for 5 days staying with the over welcoming and exciting Rea family! The past week we have met a group of people who have become climbing friends and we have enjoyed playing hard in the day and sitting around the fire in the night.  Jeff has sent a few 12 a's now and he is really excited that he is becoming more consistent in the higher grades, and me..well I am still on a high that I am leading every climb right now.  The last week we have climbed at several different craggs but our favorite ones have been the gallery, sweet pain wall, wall of confusion, wake up wall, and tsumani wall.  On friday we climbed at "Sunny and Steep" and Jeff sent a climb called "steep thrills" a 12a in two trys and I have decided that my new project will be an 11d which would be a huge step for me.  That day we climbed with 15 guys in a bachelor party, so the day was extremely entertaining- to say the least.  Friday night we drove to St. George and watched the Reel Rock Film Tour (rock climbing and mountaineering movie) and somehow we got in free which has seemed to be the theme of this past week.  We have been staying/bummin off a group site and we haven't had to pay for camping the last week, we sit at starbucks everynight drinking hot chocolate and tea (that we bring and just use their hot water) and watch online TV.  Life has been pretty simple and I have absolutely loved living out of a car/tent, but when we arrived at the Rea's and were immediately greeted with a hearty homecooked meal, a bed, and some family laughter, we really appreciated the lifestyle  and families we have back home.  The Rea's have been our adopted family for a bit and it has been quite the amusing experience.  We have LOVED hanging out here and the climbing has been awesome too.  Yesterday Jeff sent a 12a in 2 attempts at Chuckawalla wall and I onsighted a 10 d and almost onsighted an 11b..which again is big for me!  We are excited to spend a few days here and then we will go back to Vegas for another week of go time.  Hope everyone is well! We miss you all.

Red Rocks Part 1

Oh Red Rocks! I truely believe it is the reason we love sport climbing as much as we do. So far we have climbed the last eight days straight and I can say we are sleeping like absolute babies every night.  The weather has been around 29 degrees everyday, which is lovely..when your not climbing.  For the most part we have found shaded areas when the sun is at its peak but there have been a couple days where we have just been beaten by the sun, which is probably part of the sleeping like babies part.  We have climbed hard so far and are just starting to feel a bit stronger, I have lead virtually everything I have climbed which is a big step for me, and Jeff is pushing himself everyday.  We probably climb around 8 or 9 routes a day and most of them are around the 11 marker.  I have redpointed (climbed on lead with no falls or takes) a few 11a's and some 10 d's and im just starting to breakthrough to the 11b's.  Jeff is working some 12a's and b's right now and is one fall away on most.  He has onsighted several 11b's and c's, redpointed 11d's and 12a's and is working on his goal for the trip which is a 12d called the gift at the gallery.  My favorite wall so far is the sweet pain wall and the Gallery.  There is just so much for me to work on that is in my range and It is nice to find my own climbing successes and have my own failures.  Normally I have just climbed whatever jeff did because he was able to lead them and I would just toprope, but now I feel really comforatable on lead so I can work on my own projects and while I rest Jeff can work on his.  Being at red rocks has really made me aware of my desire to be a stronger climber.  I think that it is mostly because I am surrounded by women climbing the heardest routes here and it is motivating and inspiring to watch them. It is also partly because without being a competitive basketball player practacing in the gym everyday, I need something to push me to better myself in some aspect of my life.  The great  and different thing about climbing for me is that it is all individual, sure I have Jeff below me cheering me on and the people we happen to be climbing with encouraging me too, but in the end if I "fail" I am the one who ultuimately decides if it is a "fail" or just a great attempt and a fun climb.  The thing I have been able to enjoy the most is that when I am working on a project, the only pressure I feel is the pressure I put on myself...so I am learning to decide wether I feel like pushing hard that day and really trying to send the climb, or if I feel like just enjoying getting to the top and embracing the accomplishment that is in itself.  Jeff on the otherhand is always pushing to be stronger.  He has jumped on climbs that have taken him an hour or more to get up and is "out of his league" but when he comes down he is phyched that it made him that much stronger and has set a precedence of what he wants to be able to climb.  The other day we hiked up to the alternative crag and climbed a 12b that was on a 65 foot roof.  Im not gonna lie here, he got his butt wooped on it but when he came down he was planning climbs that would make him stronger and more able to complete it.  I really admire that about him.  I can get really discouraged and feel like I lost or failed, but Jeff just keeps pushing and looks at it like it is a new goal for him to work at.  It probably sounds like we have been sooo intesne here when really the only part that is intense is the 20 minutes on the climb. In the nights we hang out with people we have met, we have done dinner and a movie a couple times, and our favorite thing is sitting in starbucks all night watching online episodes of our favorite shows..we are kinda sad though because we have no more modern family to watch, that is our favorite.  We have also have kind of snuck into some timeshares and had pool partys after we climb..and maybe use the outdoor shower too...maybe.   Overall we have had such a great time here so far and are planning to be here another couple weeks.  Eventhough we are having the time of our lives, it is starting to set in how much we miss our family and friends, especially with christmas coming around.  I have started to get a little homesick when I see pictures of my new baby niece and her beautiful Grandma! and my little nephew who is getting so big! I am stoked to keep climbing hard and living the dream, but I am also looking forward to coming home to my big happy families in snowy Canada to sip cocoa by the fire and enjoy micheal boltons christmas CD (mom you know you love him).  We miss you all and hope that life, and exams, and work, and basketball are all going great, send us a note how your doing! Mucho love!