Climbing Sweetness

Red Rocks - Vegas

It isn't spring until you have had your first rock climbing road trip. So I am officially announcing that it is in fact spring. Last weekend I headed down south with the best group of climbing buddies a girl to ask for, for some much needed sun and climbing.

Day 1 - St George

To save ourselves a 7 hour drive when starting our road trip at 8PM we stayed in St George Thursday night and climbed in George Friday. After a road trip favorite breakfast at Denny's we climbed Chukwalla and Turtle Walls. Chukwalla was great climbing. I got on 3, 5.10s. The holds are usually big on this wall but the slight overhang to the entire wall makes your forearms pumped.

Breakfast of climbers

Chukwalla wall (I'm climbing in the black shirt)

Adam showing us how the Banana Dances (5.11d/5.12a)

Climbing Chukwalla something (5.10b)

My biggest problem actually came on an awkward 5.8 at Turtle wall. I am still working on my lead, but since I was killing 10s thought I should be fine on an easy 8 lead. No go. I backed off the crux twice before abandoning the lead entirely. I have never fallen on a lead, so the first fall is really hard for me to get over. I was 3 feet over my last protection (which is about a 6 foot fall) and just couldn't get over the mental to finish the climb. Sadly this climb is what I will remember most from the trip. I keep replaying it in my head wishing I had made the move and just fallen. Who knows maybe I wouldn't have fallen, but I shouldn't let the fear of falling stop me from climbing lead. After a nice hardy breakdown we were off for more climbing.

Snack time in the Wal-Mart parking lot

Day 2 - Las Vegas

It was my first time climbing in the Red Rocks. There seemed to be a lot of different climbing areas. In that sense it reminded me of Joshua Tree. Too many places to climb so you have to go back for a second trip. The Red Rocks are famous for their multi-pitch climbing. Because our group size was so large we opted for a few walls of single pitch climbing which means I feel another road trip calling me.

Gear shot...Cody has a nice rack

Climbing tattos are a tradition.  Adam showing off the HULK

My first climb of the day started with a big boulder move pass an overhang. It took me a few trys to get the move, but finally got it with a left foot heel hook and a right hand mantle. Later I would come back and work on that move until I got it down without any takes. The middle of that climb was a great corner crack. It was just big enough for you fingers and you placed your feet outside. That type of crack climbing is my favorite.

Today must have been the day for crack climbing; the rest of the climbs that day were crack. We climbed Valentine's Day climb which was a 5.8+. It was a great corner crack with a left lean to the entire route making the climbing awkward. I finished the day with a 5.10d crack climb very similar to the Coffin in LCC. The feet holds were tough and I climbed very sloppy, but it was a fun climb.

Cody is just pass the overhang I did...sweet!

Checking out the climbs and the view

Day 3 - Run Red Rocks

So good and bad news. The bad news is I missed the last day of climbing and from the sounds of it missed out on some great climbs. The good news, I ran 18 miles through Red Rocks. My knees were killing me and I got a sunburn on the tops of my hands, but it was really cool to run in a new area.

The view while I was running

The moment of the day was my friend Silver Fox. Silver Fox is what I am calling the sweet gentleman in the silver Xterra who stopped to give me water. My run was around the one-way scenic drive through the park. I drove the 13 mile loop and dropped off water and food at mile 6 and 12. The plan was to run the loop (13) then the 2 miles (13+2=15) back to the park entrance and another 3 miles (13+2+3=18) of the loop making for a 18 mile total. As I ran I stopped at a rest stop to throw away some trash from a powerbar I had just devoured and a sweet black man stopped me to chat about what a nice day it was for a run. We talked about the headwind and the hills before I wished him and his 3 boys a good hike. Two (or so) hours and 10 miles later I was 5 miles from the finish and I had decided to change my route, instead of the messy run I decided 9 miles in an 9 miles out was simpler. This meant I missed my last water/food stop. Also my water at the 6 mile mark was low so when I came back the second time I only had a few sips of water. I figured I would be ok (well at least I wouldn't die). My lips were very chapped as I ran and I was really excited to get to the 3 mile left mark where I had seen an abandoned water bottle (yes I know that sounds gross, I don't know whose it was or where it came from, but I was getting desperate). But to my great surprise about 5 miles left a silver Xterra slowed down and stopped on the road next to me and it was the same black gentleman from earlier. He asked me how I was, "Fine" I said. He said, "You have been out here for awhile, I know how it is. Do you need anything? Water? Do you want a ride back?" I said "I only have 5 miles left of my run and I was good to finish, but do you have water I missed one of my stops. I would love some water." Without hesitation one of the sons grabbed a water bottle and handed it out the window. The lid was still tightly secured (which is better than the random bottle I found on the side of the road) and the water was a relief to my chapped lips. I thanked him and started my run. Surprising to me (who was so exhausted from running in a head wind and running up what seemed like a constant up hill climb) I ran the remaining 5 miles at a great pace, better than the previous 13 miles. Silver Fox will forever be my friend and an angel sent from God to His crazy red headed daughter out running in the Red Rocks of Vegas for 18 miles.

With that the weekend was over. The only thing left to do was to get the Subaru covered in mud on the drive to Meadow's hot springs.