apAdventures

So many boulders, so little time.

…or not?

A short 4 day trip here wasn’t enough…

Our website should start to become a little more active now. We’ve been spending time getting back in shape and preparing for our “big” trip. Stay tuned…

A view of the sunset from our back patio.

It’s been hot during the day but after the sun goes down it is pretty nice for a woody session.

The family fun started off with some local activities: a day trip to Bisbee, a hike on Mt. Lemmon, good food and lots of tequila. Part II of the family fun took Paul, myself, brown dog Morgan, and my parents to the Grand Canyon for a few days. My mom had never seen the canyon before, my father just got a quick glimpse of it back in ’03, and the last visit for Paul and I was the big “Grand Canyon Adventure” in Oct of ’06. So needless to say, all of us were all pretty anxious to do a little more than just the standard peer over the South Rim, tourist style.

The original Plan A was for the four of us to all hike down to Plateau Point together; a nice little family day hike. ‘Nice and little’, however, is hardly an accurate description. After Paul and I refreshed our poor memories with the fact that this was a 12.2 mile hike roundtrip, with over 3,000 feet elevation gain (ahem,”loss”), we all quickly realized that this wasn’t quite what we had in mind for a fun family hike. Thankfully, we realized the magnitude of this hike up on the Rim versus down in the heated depths of the Canyon, (contrary to all the misfortunate hikers in “Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon;” a *fascinating* book of gruesome cooked-to-a-crisp mishaps in the big G.C. that we picked up in the gift shop and just CAN’T PUT DOWN!) 🙂

On to Plan B. Now, let me just mention one thing here – had Paul and I devised Plan B in the car on the way to the G.C., it most likely would have gone something along the lines of a moderate out-and-back, minimal elevation, perhaps hiking the Rim Trail from start to finish, etc. But no. The answer to Plan B was immediately dictated upon our first glance into the Canyon and down at Plateau Point: Paul and I were going. And that’s all there was to it. We *had* to go. The gravitation of the Canyon was practically yanking us off the South Rim. Come on in! It’s a party down here! Perhaps this is the natural tendency of the massive Canyon….does everyone feel this way or is it just us? Or perhaps the big “Grand Canyon Adventure” pried open another passion that is quietly, patiently waiting for us to get this rock climbing obsession out of our blood so that we can move on to bigger mileage mentality (not likely, haha). Whatever the case may be, Paul and I decided right then and there that we were goin’, and goin’ in deep.

So Plan B turned out to be this: Paul, myself, Mom and Dad would all leave the South Rim together and start heading down Bright Angel Trail. Paul and I would run, and Mom and Dad would hike. After 2 hours of downward progress, the plan was for both parties to turn around and start heading back up to the South Rim. At 2 hours, Paul and I estimated we’d be at Plateau Point (6.1 miles) and my parents somewhere around the 3 mile rest-house. Paul and I would then book it up to meet up with Mom and Dad and we’d all enjoy the Rim top-out together. That was the plan, man.

Well, our estimate couldn’t have been anymore dead on. Paul and I made it to the amazing Plateau Point, and my parents to a sweet vista just below the 3 mile rest house. Both parties enjoyed a tasty lunch with a view to die for. Paul and I met back up with my parents about 1.5 miles from the Rim and we all cruised to the top. A perfect hike in the world’s most perfect Canyon.

The fun continues. We’re off to the Grand Canyon this weekend with April’s parents…

What do you do when it’s your last Hueco weekend, your car breaks down, and your manager calls and says you have to work?…

Personally, I didn’t care at all. I’ve pulled off some sends over the last several months that I’ve been really proud of. April on the other hand, was extremely close to ticking her first V8 this season, until the ultra-classic Mushroom Roof was closed. She worked all the moves and made excellent links on Left Martini V10, worked out and started sending gos of Bloody Flapper Traverse V9, fell on the last move several times, on King Cobra (a burly V6) and there were countless other problems where I noticed her make a tremendous amount of progress. For a good bit of the season I was jealous because I could see her progression and wondered if mine was as obvious. Or if I was progressing. But perhaps that jealously fueled my motivation to achieve new levels. Overall we certainly can’t complain. The last several months at Hueco contained weekends spent with great friends, good food, fun times and plans to climb yet again in places far.

A good gift is something that you would like to receive yourself. When I asked April what she really wanted for her birthday she said, “I want to go bouldering!” I quickly replied, “Simple, you got it (as I thought to myself…this is going to be a nice treat for myself too).

Yesterday, April and I left work early, threw the crashpads in the car and drove 5 minutes down the road to a boulder we’ve never even touched (how dare us, I know). We had a nice evening session trying out the classic “Hairpin Roof,” v6 and other variations on the boulder. As an added birthday treat April managed to quickly send the classic v6 version. Check it out…

“Dirty Martinis with Grey Goose, all around!” This was our friend Raquel’s request to our waiter last night over dinner in El Paso. Six dirty, hungry climbers raised their martini glasses to cheers to Paul’s big send. After many weekends of nail-biting sending go’s and subsequent devastating failures, Paul was finally able to pull it all together yesterday for the biggest send of his life: Right Martini (aka Shaken not Stirred), v12, in the Martini Roof at Hueco. Click on video pic to see the excitement:

After nearly 3 years we’ve finally compiled and edited our video footage from 2 bouldering trips to Fontainebleau, France. Click on the picture below to watch a little teaser and get psyched. The 30+ minute DVDs should be poppin’ off the press in the next week. Who wants one?…

So now that we’ve reached a high point in our home improvements (Porch, done. Guest House Bathroom, done. Main House Bathroom, done. Hot Tub Shade Roof, done.), it’s time to update you all with more serious matters: CLIMBING. HARD climbing. Although it may appear that we’ve replaced our beloved sport of climbing with “This Old House” episodes lately, this is hardly the case. Quietly, we’ve been sneaking away on weekends…cuttin’ ruts in I-10…throwing our crashpads down underneath some of our hardest endeavors yet. Our month off over the holidays worked out just as planned. Our muscles rested, our bodies rejuvenated. And now we’re back in tip-top shape and climbing stronger than ever. On what? Here’s the scoop:

Rewind 4 seasons ago to our very first trip to Hueco, and our very first glimpse on Martini Roof. If you’ve spent any time at all on this website, you’ve probably read at least a dozen-million accounts of us raving about all the fantastic climbs in the Martini Roof. First it started with Paul sending Left Martini, his first v10. Then me with Baby Martini, my first v6. Then me again on Big Iron on His Hip, v7. Not to mention Schadenfraud v5, Martini Hotbox v9, and Dirty Martini v9. Can you tell we love this place? From day 1, however, Paul has been drooling….and I mean drooling….over yet another Martini classic: Shaken Not Stirred (aka Right Martini), v12. Well, after 4 seasons the time has finally come to start giving Right Martini some attention. And the attention has been positive. *Very* positive. Every weekend I’ve watched Paul progress steadily. First working out the beta, then linking the crux, and now finally awesome sending go’s. The send is inevitable. This weekend’s highpoint on the climb made us both realize just how inevitable it is. But we try not to think about it yet….not until Paul’s right hand cranks up to the finishing hold on Big Iron on His Hip. Then it will be time for the ultimate celebration. “Martini, please. Shaken, not stirred.” 🙂

So that’s Paul’s news. Now what’s new with me. Back in December I had my sights set on one climb and one climb only: Mushroom Roof, v8. I was able to link the sections pretty quick and had started giving it sending go’s. Just to give it one last shot before the holidays, Paul and I took a vacation day from work on Monday, December 17th and headed to Hueco for what was hoped to be, my send. Alas, I did not send it that day. As a consolation prize however, I snagged a send on Left El Murray, v6 instead (of which I was TOTALLY psyched on). No big deal, I’ll just save Mushroom Roof for January. Then Saturday, December 22nd, 5 days later, the Mushroom Boulder was closed. Permanently. Indefinitely. Forever. I’m not going to gripe and moan and woh-as-me any further than this on this topic. I’ll just end it with saying I was heartbroken. As were many other climbers I’m sure.

So January 2008 comes, and with it my new quest to find my next obsession. I need another v8. But it has to be a good v8…..as good as Mushroom Roof. So I dabbled on some climbs here and there and surprisingly, landed my sights on the Bloody Flapper Traverse. I say surprisingly because this climb is crimpier, longer, and just a degree harder than Mushroom Roof. It’s a v9. Hey! Who says I can’t try a v9 without having never sent a v8?! There aren’t rules in rock climbing! Are there? I say no. And I say my send of Bloody Flapper Traverse is also inevitable. I too, reached an incredible high point this weekend on my climb. Although I think my progression may be a bit slower than Paul’s progression on Right Martini, I know that I can do this climb. Ultimate celebrations are on the horizon. Martini’s and bloody flappers! Now *that’s* rock climbing. 🙂

posted by arr