Hueco Season Wrap Up
We’ve decided to call it quits on Hueco a few weeks early this year. We’re tired and/or injured, and have some big home improvement endeavors that we’d like to get started on. [We’re getting air conditioning in the house!!!!! Wooo!] So to wrap things up we banged out two back-to-back weekends…with the intent I’d have a shot at squeezing in a send of Bloody Flapper Traverse, v9 of course, haha.
The big news from the first weekend was that Paul sent The Flame, v12, sore finger and all. This one surprised me. I figured he’d have at least another working session on it, and that day he had already tried it a half dozen times. Apparently he was just warming up because after a lecture by Silas on how “practice makes perfect” when it comes to climbing to the top of rock climbs, he put his shoes back on and climbed it to the top. Woo! “See dad, practice makes perfect!”
Last weekend turned out to be very special due to our old El Paso friend Raquel (who now lives in Austin) being in town and joining us. The boys absolutely adore her, as does she them. We had an outstanding day trying some of the climbs-less-traveled and sampling projects we’ve already picked out for next season. And then we topped it all off with some delicious bibimbap at a Korean restaurant.
As for Bloody Flapper Traverse, I didn’t do it. I gave it 13 goes over the course of 3 separate days and fell at the last move every time. This isn’t earth-shattering news by any means since I’ve been falling from the last move since the spring of 2008. Yes, 2008, really. Well, minus the baby off-time of course…but still! I have some theories as to why I can’t pull it off – a mixture of lack of psyche when I pull on (cause I’ve pulled on with the intent to send soooo many times) combined with muscle memory I’ve probably built up of falling from the move versus sticking the move (cause I’ve fallen from that move soooo many times). Whatever the case may be, I’ll go back to it in the fall. Walking away is not an option for me. I’ve never put this much time and effort into a climb and not eventually done it. I can say that now since I sent Better Eat Your Wheaties. 😉
In the meantime, amongst the home-improvement chaos, potential surgery on Paul’s finger and summertime fun with the two little monkeys, Paul and I have already started crafting trip plans, boulder problem tick-lists and training schedules (in that order). RMNP, Hueco, Bishop…all three? We’ll see where this year takes us, after our “off-season” is over here in hot Tucson.
Pit stop on the way to Hueco
Silas and Ivan reenacting The Three Billy Goats Gruff (their “horns” are up and they’re getting ready to butt the troll off the rock, I mean, bridge)
Paul ticking off Russian Woman, v9 on the Acme Roof
more Russian Woman
Ivan finds a hueco
Silas playing mama with Franklin
Shhh, Franklin is asleep
Ivan our blondie. I could stare at this tousled mess all day. Love it!
Silas our climber kid
Yeah boy
Who wants a drool kiss?
Traffic jam back at camp…
…tequila…
…and a dump truck being bossy to a defenseless jeep. Such drama.
Dad showing off the results of all that front lever and planche training he was doing most of the winter when he couldn’t climb on account of his finger
Our view of choice to wake up to in the morning: Hueco!
Raquel on The Weenie Roast, v4
more weenie roastin
Storytime at the boulders
Paul sampling The Ugh, v11, which is on the same boulder as the 4-star classic The Egg, v8. Wanna make a guess as to what’s on my next season’s ticklist? 😉
posted by arr
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on Wednesday, April 16th, 2014 at 7:45 pm and is filed under Bouldering, Hueco Tanks-Texas.
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