apAdventures

Another trip to Hueco last weekend gives me another big send to add to my ticklist! I did Mr. Serious, v8 first try of the day! Woohoo! This climb was the other biggie I had my sights set on this season. I was hoping I could clean it up quickly having just completed Better Eat Your Wheaties and thankfully I was right. Now I’ve got a nice chunk of time still this season to devote my attention back toward another long-standing project: Bloody Flapper Traverse, v9.

I’m not greedy, just motivated! I swear! 😉

Mr. Serious, v8. Done.

And now let me bring you up to date on Paul’s climbing. He’s been ramping up very slowly since January in attempt to take care of the finger, climbing with “the brakes on” and choosing his problems wisely so as to ease back into the small crimping. Brakes on and all, he’s managed to impress me with the climbs he’s pulled off (which can be hard to do after 11+ years of climbing together, hehe).

Two weeks ago he did Sub Zero, v11, a compression climb next to Glas Roof that lives up to it’s cold and windy name…bring your puffy if you’re ever asked to spot someone on this one, brrr! Anyway, in classic “Paul-style” when it comes to the easier double digits, he projected it one day and then came back and sent it the very next day. Not bad.

Paul ticking off Sub Zero, v11

This last weekend though I think Paul’s send of Scream, v10 (the stand) trumped mine of Mr. Serious (even though I opened this post writing all about me, me, me. Ah, the risk you run when you let your wife do all the talking, hehe). Scream is one of those climbs that packs a heck of a punch in just a couple of moves. It’s hard. It was a climb that Paul had tried last season and failed. Note, I wrote ‘LAST’ season, as in LAST season when he was climbing pretty darn strong, cleaning up a new boulder problem a day it seemed and making progress on Nagual, v13. LAST season, he couldn’t do it. And now THIS season, having taken the majority of last summer and the fall off from climbing and only just getting back into it a mere 2 months ago, he sends it! Go figure. Actually, we did go and figure. We thought about it long and hard on the drive home. And the conclusion that we came to was that all that front-lever and planche training he was doing during the time he wasn’t able to climb really paid off for a climb like Scream. Scream didn’t require crimp strength…just pure core and shoulder power. Cross-training….yeah baby. 🙂

Paul balled up (look at the location of his feet!) and sending Scream, v10

So what does Paul have his sights set on for the remainder of the season? Well, unfortunately the finger issue is not 100% resolved. The harder he tries climbing on crimps, the more the pain starts to creep back in. He’s now scheduled for 6 weeks of physical therapy. In the meantime, his interest is in more non-crimpy boulder problems. He tried The Flame, v12 last weekend and has it mostly worked out. I’m thinkin we’ll probably go back.

Faced with the crux of The Flame, v12

And finally, what’s a good climbing-status post without cute photos of the bambinos? Here ya go…enjoy!

posted by arr

Better Eat Your Wheaties. Done.

Last Thursday may perhaps hold the most memorable send of all time for me. I finally (FINALLY!) completed a boulder problem I’d been dreaming about doing for a long, long, very long time: Better Eat Your Wheaties, v8. This is one of those climbs, maybe the only climb come to think of it, that I vividly remember walking up to for the very first time. I suppose most climbers have one of those moments at least once. First thought: What is THAT climb? Immediately followed by second thought: How hard is it? (Not because harder is better but because it’s nice to know if it’s in the immediate realm of possibility).

At the time that I first laid eyes on Wheaties it was not in the realm of possibility for me. It wasn’t even close. I was barely making my way to the top of v4’s and 5’s with a lot of work. Wheaties was a dream climb. A “someday” sorta climb. A “if I send this one I’ll be satisfied for life and will quit climbing and move back east” kinda climb. I’m pretty certain that on that first day I was standing there gawking at it I really believed it was a climb I’d never do because it was too hard. That day was November 20th, 2004. I know this because I’m an obsessive climbing nerd and keep a climbing journal.

One year later, climbing not much harder than v4’s and 5’s, I got on it for the very first time. It was a moonlight tour with Paul, our friend Grit from Germany, Tammy and Vince, and Sam and Ana. I remember Ana running up it and then insisting that Tammy and I give it a try. So we did. And we got our asses handed to us on that incredibly hard first move.

Two years after that (now the fall of 2007), a bit stronger and bit smarter on how to train, I went back to it to see how hard it felt. Four days on it over the course of four months and my assessment remained the same: yep, still too hard.

Then came our big trip in 2008 to Rocklands, South Africa where I sent my first v8, Minki. At this point I had a nice base of quality v6’s from a variety of crags and even a few 7’s. Now we’re talkin! But, before I could get back to Wheaties, along came Silas. I’ll take Silas over Wheaties any day.

Now it’s the Spring of 2011, with Silas toddling around under the boulders and me training like a madwoman to get back in shape ASAP. I stick the first move of Wheaties for the very first time. This is HUGE! The climb has now been unlocked and I start working it in earnest. But alas, summer comes too soon and it gets hot. And then but whom should come along after that: Ivan. And I’ll take Ivan over Wheaties any day.

Fast forward past all the getting back in shape again and it’s now the fall of 2013. I’m finally able to stick that first move again. Game on. I quickly start linking pieces of it together over the course of a few weeks and by December am giving it full-on sending go’s. I was truly convinced I could pull it off before the holidays. I was wrong. On our final day there before heading east for 3 weeks to lounge and gorge over the holidays, I fell off the last move.

So here we are now at the end of my Better Eat Your Wheaties journey. Nine years, 34 days of effort, 2 babies and a whole lotta late-night training later, I pull on and…

effortlessly…stick…every…single…move. A climb that had been so impossibly hard for so long now felt easy.

Pulling over the top of the boulder I was positively beaming. I could faintly hear Paul’s and a handful of other dude’s whoops and hollers below and may have uttered a little “wooo!” of my own. Standing up I almost got emotional as tears welled up in my eyes. But then I remembered the handful of dudes below, quickly composed myself, climbed down, and hi-fived the crowd. Wheaties is mine.

Cheers!

posted by arr

Amongst my many failed attempts at Better Eat Your Wheaties last weekend, we decided to seek out a bunch of new stuff. Not new as in new climbs that have recently been put up but new as in new to us. So maybe I should call it different stuff. Either way, getting on a climb that one has never seen let alone tried before is always fun. Especially when one is failing miserably on one’s project (me) or getting back in shape after much time off (Paul). And the kids always love a new area to explore too.

Due to the East Spur being jammed with just about every tour that was out that day, we found ourselves reluctantly calling in an area we hadn’t been before. S-Curve and Friends. Sure, why not. If it’s difficult to get to at least it’ll pass some time while the climbs we wanted to get on freed up. Turns out the approach was a breeze…just a few hundred yards from Moonshine Roof, no scrambling or kid-shuttling required. Upon arrival we were immediately star struck by this beautiful house-sized boulder sitting in the middle of a pretty little meadow. On it was Mr. Freud, v4, 3 stars. Tell me again why after a decade of climbing at Hueco have we never been here?! The climb was excellent to say the least.

Me pulling on to Mr. Freud, v4

From there we checked out S-Curve, v6, an interesting, technical, smear-y thing that is very atypical of Hueco. Paul sent. I wasn’t in the adventurous mood and thus declined to try.

Paul’s send of S-Curve, v6

After that it was on to Lung Fish, v7, an exciting ditty with big explosive movement (for me anyway – the book says you can find some kneebars to help you through the crux but I could not, hence the big explosive movement). Paul cleaned this up quickly. I’ll need to go back.

A fun setting at Lung Fish, v7

Big move to a good crimp

The crimp

And then another big move (or two if you need an intermediate) to good holds before a creative topout that transfers you to another boulder

And finally on to the real gem of the weekend, The Slopey Rail, v8. It’s exactly what the name implies and Paul and I both LOVED it. This one may take a little more work on my part, or a random strong day. Paul of course did it within a few tries.

Paul on The Slopey Rail, v8

The weekend also included some other moderate sends for Paul as he ramps back up into shape:
a repeat of Slim Pickins, v5
Beer, Pizza and a Three Foot Toothless Girl, v6
Meddle Detector, v6
Nobody’s Funky, v7
and Sledgehammer, v8.

Paul sending Sledeghammer, v8

And let’s not forget our newest climber in the family, Silas. He was INSISTENT on getting his turn to climb at every area. Meanwhile Ivan just hung around lookin’ darn cute.

posted by arr

…before you go climbing and forget a critical item. “Critical” as in the outing is either completely unsalvageable or at the very most, extremely uncomfortable. Like realizing you forgot your water when you’re three pitches up on a sunny fall day in Red Rocks, Nevada. Or forgetting to toss that bug repellant in your pack when climbing at Rumney, New Hampshire in May. Or how about our most dreaded worry of forgetting our climbing shoes when headed to Hueco (where there are no gear shops in El Paso). No, we didn’t forget our shoes. It was worse than that. We forgot our food bag while out bouldering for the day!

Ahem, let me clarify – PAUL forgot the food bag. And this just happened to coincide with Paul’s first day climbing again after his broken finger hiatus; the day we decide to get all crazy and venture up into the Maiden Gully on East Mountain for the first time with the kids. Now, as if the Maiden Gully itself isn’t epic enough with children due to all the scrambling and tunneling through the gully’s labyrinthian jumble of boulders, we had accessed it via the steep slabs at the end of Water Dog Wall which required shuttling of heavy pads and kids. And then to top it all off, once we had arrived at our destination (a boulder problem called Beer, Pizza and a Three Foot Toothless Girl, v6) we were essentially in a windy icebox. It was here, once we’d arrived after a good 40 minute approach, once we’d dropped all our heavy gear down, bundled up the kids in their winter clothes and let out a sigh of relief that we’d made it without mishap, here, that we realized……Paul forgot the food bag.

Great. Now what? Plan B? IS there even a Plan B? Or was this a case where the outing is completely unsalvageable and we had to turn right around and head back to the van?

We decided we had about an hour or so before the kids would realize the severity of the situation. We sprung into action: Paul quickly threw on his shoes and started warming up while the kids and I got out the toys. Off to a good start, they were warm and happy. Soon though it was my turn to warm-up and sure enough they started inquiring about the forgotten snack bag. Luckily Paul was able to divert them back to the toys. Whew. We both ticked off Dreamy, v2 and felt warm enough to check out Beer, Pizza…. So far so good? Eh, not quite. The demand for the snack bag started to escalate and Ivan began tearing through all our other bags looking for it. (Note, it *was* still before noon and we had had an enormous breakfast, so it wasn’t like they were starving). Re-direct, re-direct. I managed to get them interested in a make-believe band. I was on drums, Silas played trumpet and Ivan played whatever instrument it was he was trying to play, we never did quite figure it out. We jammed on and off while Paul worked the moves out on Beer, Pizza…. Yeah baby, we’ve got this. Now it’s my turn to climb. Ivan immediately protests and heads for the gear, beginning his quest for the snack bag again all zombie-style. Sigh. Thankfully though Paul is a freakin’ genius and contorts himself into a human junglegym. The kids go wild. I put my shoes back on and start sampling the moves on Beer, Pizza…. By this point though I’m chilled to the bone and finding it very hard to climb hard. I decide to call it quits on this climb for the day. Paul is able to give it a few more tries while the kids and I sing songs. And finally, alas, finally….just as we’re all about to reach our tipping point but with juuuuust time enough to spare for the hike back…we bail and head back to the van (where we then gorge in a back-to-back lunch/dinner combo).

When all was said and done we put in about a half-day of climbing. The kids never quite broke down (beyond their usual crankiness here and there). And we were psyched to have gotten to climb on some new boulder problems in an area we hadn’t all been to before. We got out the next day too (WITH THE FOOD BAG loaded to the brim!) and enjoyed some good moderate climbs. This was Paul’s first weekend out, I was battling a cold, and we both still had plenty of Christmas cookies to work off after a 3 week rest so no hard sends to report. Despite my slight lapse in fitness I did get on Better Eat Your Wheaties as motivation to get back in tip-top performance shape quickly. Let’s just say I’ve been training like mad all week. 🙂

In the windy icebox of the Maiden Gully trying to look all cheery despite the forgotten food bag

Paul warming up. First rock climb of his comeback!

Paul part-handjamming and part-laybacking the first section of Beer, Pizza and a Three Foot Toothless Girl, v6. Next comes a roof and then a headwall which we failed to get photos of

Day 2. Me gettin’ all spiderwoman on a warm-up

An owl in a tree

Silas was more adamant than ever about wanting to climb on this trip

and so we go with it!

It’s when he’s not climbing that we really need to watch him. “Here Ivan, just touch this little pokey right here. That’s it, right here. It won’t hurt at all I promise.”

Me sending The Mini Bathtub, v2. Excellent climb! I can’t believe we’d never come to this one before

Paul on Meddle Detector, v6

Soon after these shots were taken another tour came up and gave us some better beta – going right hand instead of left on this move, for one

posted by arr

Our big multi-week stay at Hueco Tanks with Brian, Jen and fam has now come to an end. Both of our vans are currently on I-10 headed home, but our’s is headed west and their’s east. We’re of course sad it’s over but at the same time happy to have had such a blast with them…(not to mention being happy with a few more sweet rock climbs that have been added to the ticklist).

The last time I posted I was gearing up for more sending go’s on Better Eat Your Wheaties, v8. Turn’s out this coincided with our buddy John and brother-in-law Phillip’s visit to Hueco to get some photo/film coverage for their newly founded Three Peak Media venture. Get great footage they did…but not of me sending. I continued to fall from the last small crimp move. Grrr.

We climbed through the weekend, then all headed to Tucson for a rest week, then came back this weekend for the final hurrah. We again went back to Wheaties. I again tried to send. I again was falling from the last small crimp. “If I can just stick that crimp I’ve got this climb.” I’d done the crimp move in isolation. It wasn’t a hard move, just hard to stick after all the other moves. I took a nice long rest. I basked in the sunshine to warm up a little more. I tried one last time. And…and…I STUCK the last small crimp!!!!!!…but THEN FELL going for the final big flat edge!!!! Noooooo!!!!!

Being so close to completing it, the thought of having to wait until January to go back is killing me. The upcoming few weeks being filled with holidays, family time and lots of wickedly delicious food and drink does make me cringe just a tad. My timing couldn’t be worse, haha! But it is what it is. Having been training hard since August for this trip my body is desperately in need of a rest anyway.

Stiff-and-sore-fingers crossed I’ll jump right back on it in January and climb that boulder to the top. ☺

For those that have been to (or dreamed of) Hueco Tanks, you all probably can guess the small crimp on Better Eat Your Wheaties that I’m referring to due to the climb’s popularity. For those unfamiliar though, here’s a pic of me falling from it. The “small crimp” is just above my left hand. As stated above after finally sticking this small crimp I fell going to the larger flat edge shown directly above it. I don’t doubt I’m probably the ONLY climber in ALL of Wheaties history to FALL this close to the finish! Ahhh, story of my climbing career – falling from the last hold seems to be my trademark, haha.

Meanwhile Jen ticks off Meatmaker, v5 (a climb next to Wheaties) to pass the long boring rest time between all my go’s.

Brian attempting El Chupacabra Left, v10 as Paul jealously looks on

After the sun goes down the temps drop fast at Hueco in the winter. Without the luxury of a kitchen-equipped van, Jen and Brian brave the wind and cold over a coleman while Paul and I do our cooking inside our cozy warm van. To avoid complete van chaos with a guaranteed meltdown finale by either Ivan or Silas, we let the children watch a movie during dinner prep.

In Tucson for a rest week, Jen and I run up my favorite trail – Douglas Springs

and Oren has a birthday!

And then we’re back at Hueco

Checkin’ out aquatic life in the huecos,

loungin’ in the sun,

and climbing of course!

The “little crushers” (as a fellow climber dubbed the kids in passing) climbing on East Mountain’s Kid’s Stuff Wall

The first (crux) move of Hobbit in a Blender, v5

Which I send for the first time

and then Jen follows soon thereafter. Grrrrl power.

Silas reaches his limit after 2+ weeks of climbing and cozies up in a crazy creek for a 2 hour nap. I’m so not even joking.

Paul scopes the holds for me on Tri Hard, v4

and I give it a handful of tries. No send though. Too tired.

Oren impressing Ivan with his apple eating skills

Silas mow’ing PB&J

Ivan with his adopted mama. By the end of the trip he was going to Jen for his “all better” kisses after tripping or banging himself up. Sheesh!

Snack session

Yoga session

Balance beam session

Brian eyeing up McBain, v8 while we all heckle him about how much he hates toe and heel hooks. C’mon dude, it’s Hueco! (and then he promptly shuts us all up by sending it next try, WITH the toe hook beta).

Two families

that are OBSESSED with climbing rocks!

posted by arr

In the dark wee hours of the morning I awoke with alarm to the hard pitter patter of raindrops on the van’s roof. Noooooo!!! Today was supposed to be my chance at sending Better Eat Your Wheaties! Grrrr. Good things come to those who wait….I hope??

Stuck in the van

posted by arr

We’ve had a GREAT last couple of days here at Hueco. Brian ticked off West Mountain’s 1969, v9 in a day, Jen sent Sex After Death (her first v8!!!), as well as the notoriously stout El Burro, v3, AND See Spot Run, v6! And I fell from the last hard move of Better Eat Your Wheaties, v8 four times!!!! Ahhhh, I’m sooooo close!!!!! Hopefully today’s rest will secure a send for me tomorrow. …if it doesn’t rain, that is.

Brian and Paul on a “dad’s day out” at West Mountain

Brian’s send of 1969, v9

Silas atop his favorite rock climb of the day

All the rocks are Ivan’s favorite

Seb working out his beta on Donkey Show Arete, v0-

Me sampling Left Donkey Show, v5

Jen sends Sex After Death, v8!!!!!!!!!!!!

Windy topout of Incredible Pix, v1

Me midway up Better Eat Your Wheaties, v8

Jen sussing out the moves on Animal Acts, v5

Jen atop See Spot Run, v6…yeah!

This little bird hung out on the van windowpane for most of the morning, watching us eat breakfast. Silas immediately befriended him and lovingly named him Pecker…….(cause he ‘pecks’ at the window of course!)

posted by arr

Yesterday was dubbed “the v6 day.” As soon as Brian announced that he was interested in getting on See Spot Run, v6 we decided that we all had to send one of the grade. After falling from the last move of See Sharp on Day 1, Jen was anxious to clean up. And I had always wanted to try Short Order Cook, having never been on it.

Well, Brian flashed See Spot Run. Jen walked See Sharp. So now it’s the end of the day, starting to get dark and the pressure’s on to hold up my end of the deal by sending Short Order Cook. And I did! Go team v6!

Sorry, no photos were snapped of Short Order Cook. But below are some other goodies of the cute kiddos to make up for it.

Brian committing to See Spot Run, v6

Jen atop See Sharp, v6 after (what looked like) an effortless send

Oren gettin’ wild

Construction zone – do not enter!

Linda and Ty looking almost as adorable as the kiddos

Twilight at the boulders

Sherpa Paul trying to stay sane on a climbing trip that he can’t climb on

Silas eating all the chocolate chips out of the trail mix again and Seb pretending not to notice so as not to get his buddy into trouble (my theory, anyway)

Rest day! Time to clean the children. Ivan digging his baths in the kitchen sink.

posted by arr

Where oh where do I begin when it comes to all the things I’m thankful for? I’ll keep it simple: my loving family, my awesome friends, and great boulder problems, hehe. Happy Thanksgiving from Hueco Tanks!

Prepping for the big dinner

…which included special guests Linda and Ty who drove down from Colorado to join us for the weekend!

“Chef Linda” (as Silas lovingly refers to her as) sizzlin’ up some bacon for the brussel sprouts

Brian and Jen tag teaming the green beans and mashed potatoes

Ty preparing the butternut squash

Silas wanting to taste-test my homemade pumpkin pies

Oren entertaining Ivan

and Seb just lookin’ darn cute

and let’s not forget the turkey, gravy, bread, maple glazed beets, homemade cranberry sauce, and tasty red wine. Alright! Time to eat already!!

posted by arr

My apologies for the lack of webposts. We’ve been busy climbing! (Well, I’ve been climbing. Paul is still momentarily out of the game on account of his finger). We’re at Hueco right now for an extended stay…almost 2 weeks! And our Pittsburgh climbing buddies are here with us too! The first couple planned climbing days were postponed due to snow, ice and rain. But all is good now – warm in the sun, cold in the shade. Conditions don’t get any better than this. Here are a few highlights from the start of our trip:

An excellent kickoff to the trip – Brian and I send T-Bone Shuffle, v4 on our first day

Day 2, Brian ticks Uncut Yogi, v6

…and Jen finds her proj, Sex After Death, v8. After just a few tries she realizes this one has sending potential for this trip…exciting!!

A rare, quiet moment at the boulders with all the children

and Silas keeping warm under my project for the trip Better Eat Your Wheaties, v8…which I’m quite ecstatic to say FINALLY has sending potential! I’ve stuck the first move now a dozen or so times and have worked out some of the next moves. Time to start linking it together!!!!! Did I really just write that??!?!! Woohoo!!!!

posted by arr