Van build #1

So.. I recently bought a huge hunk of a van.  And, I thought.. oh! I can finish this build out in 2 months, no problem.  Well, it's been 3 months and I haven't even gotten all the walls up! Sigh, but I've learned a lot! How to saw things, cut & drill into metal.  Working with wood is really fun.  I would have never pictured doing something like a few years ago.  Even though it's taking forever, it's already starting to turn into something pretty neat :)

shortening the step

step complete! 

endless insulating .. 

figuring out the window frame

Baptiste's fancy woodworking!

starting to feel like something!

these cedar fence panels don't look too shabby!

bed frame construction 

Potrero Chico #2

Said my goodbyes to the Homeros crew this morning.  What a fun group of people! I had such a lovely time.  Met up with Kenny, Charlotte, Derek, and Katelyn from the Red.   It was so good to see them again!  Ran into some folks from Squamish last season, Neal and Sam, as well as Mystery Machine Michael, who I met at the Ten Sleep Brewery in Wyoming.  Made some new friends, Bryan from Colorado, Colum from Ireland, Chino from Mexico, Raelene from Canada, Stefan from Bulgaria, and Peter, Robin, and Bob (the 70yr old legend).  It's amazing how the climbing community migrates from place to place.  Sure, you'll meet new people, but you're also bound to run into folks you've climbed with before, or seen on the road somewhere at some point. 

Derek on Salty Dog (12a) at the Club Mex Wall

Did some single-pitch climbs the first day with Kenny and Charlotte at the Virgin Wall (the only wall that's in the shade all day).  Then, Bryan and I climbed Estrellita, a 11-pitch route with the hardest pitch at 11a.  It was pretty fun! We moved fast and combined pitches and finished the climb in 4 hours.  It felt so great to be on the rock again. I've been unable to climb much since my pulley injury at the Red River Gorge in November.  But, now the pain has disappeared and I feel so much more comfortable pulling on holds again.  

Derek climbs the Sword with ease!

A few other multipitches ticked off:

Sendero Luminoso (11c) 5 pitches
Treasure of Sierra Madre (10c) 7 pitches
Black Cat Bone (10d) 9 pitches
Poncho Villa Rides Again (10c) 5 pitches

Josh and Colum in the back of Derek and Katelyn's van on the way to the market!

Towards the end of the trip, Derek, Bryan and I went up to Club Mex, to try to pull on some harder stuff. I haven't gotten on a 12a since October, but Bryan and I managed to onsight Salty Dog (12a) and The Sword (12a).  What an amazing day! Then after, we proceeded to fall a bunch on British Invasion (12a).  Either way, I'm stoked to have gotten two 12a onsights in a day! That's a first for me!  The following morning, Colum, Derek, Bryan, Josh, and I went back up to the Outrage Wall to try and get on Celestial Omnibus (12b), an amazing route that's steep and featured with tufas and jugs.  I took so many falls on it, but the climb itself was amazing! Burly, but with good holds to rest on.  Maybe someday I can come back to it.  It was awesome of Derek, Colum, and Bryan to let Josh and I give it a go, since the climb was going in the sun soon, and it was our last day in Potrero.  They were so supportive! Such a good crew here in Mexico :)

Bob and me atop Treasure of Sierra Madre, a 7-pitch 10c.  Bob led all the hard pitches!

Spent the last evening in Potrero eating, dancing, and drinking Tequila mixed with fresh mangoes and strawberries.  I'm incredibly sore from climbing 4 days on, and dancing my face off last night.  Potrero has been amazing, the community was welcoming and diverse, and the climbing was varied and fun.  With half the crew off to El Salto to climb overhung routes, I venture back to the states to work a bit, and upgrade to a van!  May the dirtbag life live on! :)

Bryan and me on the summit of Black Cat Bone (10d) with Hidalgo in the background.

Potrero Chico

Tent life.  Early mornings.  Endless cups of tea.  A little bit of Work.  Slowly, people drift from their tents into the kitchen to make their morning cup of coffee.  Oatmeal, eggs, avocados, mangoes, more coffee, climbing plans.  Mornings are usually slow here at Homeros, a small campground with a big community of dirtbags, from places like Ireland, Austrailia New Zealand, Canada, Argentina, and the States.  After arriving in Potrero, I already felt welcome.  Ran into old friends, and made new ones, all whom live out the days climbing, reading, playing guitar, and sleeping under the stars.  

Josh climbing at the Virgin Wall

On this sleepy Friday morning, a group of us glance up at the large wall in front of us, where we spot the tiny dots on the wall, Derek and Chino, who are attempting to climb El Sendero Luminoso, the classic 15-pitch route (which Honnold notoriously soloed), half the pitches going at 5.12+.  They've been up since 4am, in hopes to finish it by dinner time.  Soon, we all file into Bob's van, drive down to the market for some fresh vegetables, tamales, and El Buho coffee.  The market happens every Tuesday and Friday, and is crowded with stands filled with random goods ranging from combs to pokemon cards.  Then, over at the tamale shop (that also sells thrifty clothing) Katelyn, Colum, and Bob enjoy delicious homemade food, while sitting on broken chairs and old crates.  Post-market, we all wander over to El Buho, the local Christian-owned coffee shop with a friendly climber vibe.  

Back at Homeros, we frequently look up toward El Toro, tracking Derek and Chino's progress.  They're now about halfway, with most of the 5.12 climbing behind them.  While it's a long day for them, it's a rest day for us, as we sip margaritas and dine on fresh guacamole.  

View of Outrage Wall

California

Been home for over a month now.  It's a bit strange to be back in California after all that traveling.  I covered so much ground in such a short time.  I guess 8 months isn't that short, but since I've been at home, it feels like it all just flew by.  Sometimes I have to remind myself, 'It happened, right?'  I'm eager to get back out there though.  Excited to explore Potrero Chico in Mexico, and to see some friends again.  Then probably off to Indian Creek again to climb some cracks and hopefully head over to Colorado after to see what that's all about.  I don't really have a plan to be honest.

Where the heck are we??? O_O

This past year has been a whirlwind of new experiences.  I don't think I've had time to process them all.  Plenty of ups, and a few downs, lots of laughs, and a handful of cries.  I was worried I would barely meet anyone on the road.  It took so long to cultivate a good group of friends in the big city, that I worried it'd be even harder out there.  But, the climbing community is one of a kind.  Many of the insecurities I had before these adventures have nearly left me.  I think, meeting all the lovely people on the road, has reinforced that I have no reason to feel insecure about anything, about art, climbing, myself, my life.  That we're all different, and come from different places, different circumstances, but we somehow find ourselves spending it together enjoying each other's company, even if it's just for a short while.   

Kenny and Charlotte making veggie burgers

Kenny & Charlotte, who I met in the Red, invited me over to hang with them on Char's uncle's yacht, which was quite epic.  It had something like 8 beds, and a full kitchen and living room area.  We went kayaking and paddle boarding one morning out on the bay, watching the seals nest themselves up against the back porch of expensive boats.  At night we played mah-jong, went for a drive down through Laguna beach, ate an entire carton of trader joes ice cream, and talked.  A couple weeks later, my friend's Adam and Sarah (who were incredibly kind to get us into Disney at no cost, and join us for a few hours), Kenny, Charlotte, and I went to Disneyland.  I was hoping that they'd get a chance to go before they left the states.  After stuffing our faces the night before with my mom's cooking, we ended up spending 12 glorious hours riding rides, and trying not to purchase all the sweets.  It was prettyyyy fun :) 

Claire :)

stannn

Took a detour, went up to San Francisco for a few days to catch up with old friends :) It was lovely to see everyone again, bustling about in their busy lives!  Making things, going places, living life.  Mostly stayed with Stan and Emily, who were kind enough to host me for 4 nights, (thanks guys!).  Finally saw Star Wars, made lots of gluten-free pancakes, listened to a lot of Justin Beiber.  Met up with Marc and finally had some Solfood :) Boy, it was delicious!  It was such a good side-trip, and so good to see everyone.  

Ojai hills

Took a quick trip to Ojai to check out some boulders. It's really pretty over there, a lot of rolling hills and lovely sights.  Tigger joined me too, I thought it'd be nice to see how he'd go if I took him bouldering.  He did really well! Sat patiently while I climbed, and followed me up and down the trail.  Maybe he'd do well on the road? We'll see...

tigger my man

Indian Creek

First impressions: Crack climbing is SO hard.  I'm wondering why I'm even here!  It's so tough and so scary to place gear in a vertical crack and jam your hands and feet into these painful places.  Ouch.  But, the creek is beautiful.  Nestled in a remote part of south-eastern Utah, the creek has some of the best crack climbing in the world.  Splitter cracks, where 7 one-inch cams are needed at once, instead of the usual 1 or 2.  Going with a group is essential in order to have enough gear for the climbs you want to do!

The Bridger Jacks after the descent

When I arrived I met up with a few of the ole Squamish crew, and got on some desert towers! The Bridger Jacks are a group of towers, with various routes to the top.  It was amazing to be up there with views of the whole valley.  At the end of the day, I took some big falls on an offwidth crack (a crack too wide for your hands to fit in, but too small for your body), and it spooked me a little bit.  It's been a while since I'd become more comfortable falling on cams and nuts.  Scary!!

On top of Sunflower Tower @ the Bridger Jacks

Finally got to meet up with Charlotte and Kenny and Derek, along with two lovely folks from Portland, Sarah and Dave.  Mike also stopped in (driving his motorcycle from LA to CT) and we all went climbing for a few days.  It was so so fun! And hard .. but fun! The nights were incredibly cold, but we managed to have a wonderful Thanksgiving feast by the fire, complete with pies and cool whip.  Had to leave the Creek because it was 15 degrees at night, and 35 degrees during the day.. but onward to Red Rock!

Red River Gorge

As Kenny and Charlotte have said, go for 1 week, stay a month.  What's up with that?! All the places which I've fallen for and found an amazing community of friends, I end up compromising my trip and staying until everyone else leaves. Who knew that a pizza shop/campground/climber hub called, Miguel's, would be the central place to meet climbers from all over the world, to have group dinners every night, to play card games and Catan until 2 in the morning, and to dance dance dance to an amazing Bluegrass band with new friends? Who knew.  

Ben, Marc, and me play scrabble in Ben's van on a cold night!

When I first arrived in the 'Red' (short for the Red River Gorge), I met up with my buddies, Marc and Ben, who I met in Seattle at a Cuban sandwich shop.  I was immediately overwhelmed by how steep the walls were, overhanging with pockets everywhere.  At the New River Gorge, I'd gotten used to climbing vertical walls involving solid technique and big reaches.  I didn't like the Red at first.  Then, I met up with my friend's Gabby and Michael, who I met at the 'New', and I started to get the hang of it.  Gabby and I are at a similar climbing level, and it was encouraging to see that she could get up the routes that intimidated me.  Before I knew it, I was back to my comfortable climbing level of 11b's and 11c's.  

Then I  met the whole crew:

Kenny and Char in front of their van, Prime Time

Kenny and Charlotte - A couple, from Austrailia, traveling around the states.  They began their trip in April, just before I did, and they've traveled to almost exactly the same destinations as me.  In fact, we were in Smith Rock and Squamish at the same time without even realizing. Kenny remembers seeing the Christmas lights in my car when the trunk was open, in the Smith Rock parking lot, and we talked about how we went to the same climbing event in Squamish and found out that we had been sitting about 10 feet away from eachother, oblivious to the other's existence.  They are amazing, they've been together for 4 years now.  Kenny's a paramedic, and Charlotte is a physical therapist (and gives the most amazing back massages).  They bicker sometimes, but then the next minute they're being so silly and full of love for eachother.  They bought a van in California (yay another van with California plates!) and it's extremely spacious! There's a map on the ceiling of their van showing all the places they've been.  The van life is the best. 

Oh, Ranae :)

Ranae - I met Ranae in Smith Rock in late May, when I decided to come back for a couple weeks after realizing that I wanted to climb harder things.  What vibrant energy Ranae possesses! She's always smiling and getting everyone psyched on climbing.  And, she's super strong, even though she's only been climbing for a little over a year.  She had a day where she sent two 12a's! or was it 12b? Either way, it's badass.  I love love seeing strong women out there.  It's so weird to go back to real life, where I still feel like women are confined by what society expects of them, which, in most cases isn't very much.  Ranae can speak to this too, she's a passionate feminist, and advocate of the independent lifestyle.  

Derek and Katelyn!

Derek and Katelyn - Man, Derek feels like the older brother I never had but always wished for! He's incredibly encouraging and so well traveled.  All the way from New Zealand, Derek's been on the road off/on for a couple years, traveling and climbing while writing and taking photographs for work.  He met Katelyn in Tonsai, Thailand, and they've been doing long distance for a couple years.  She currently lives in Canmore, Alberta (where I was earlier this year). Ha, I can't believe I ever complained about the distance between LA and SF! The distance between New Zealand and Canada is much much greater.  I like them.  Katelyn is beautiful inside and out, she works with at-risk kids in a remote part of Alberta, where they bring kids who are going through family abuse, drug/alcohol addiction, mental disorders, etc, to detox and try to work through their problems.   It sounds like an emotionally exhausting job, yet Katelyn loves what she does and tries her best to help these kids.  I want to do something with my life that helps others in such a way.  Sigh! 

Nick and Monkey

Nick - A young guy with an old-soul from Conneciticut.  He recently graduated from CU Boulder, and has taken the last 6 months to travel around the US before heading back home for Thanksgiving.  His grandfather had a sprinter van which he decked out for a life on the road.  It's super spacious!  (sigh, do I want a van I can stand up in!)  He also has a chill cat, Monkey, who lives in his van by day, and wanders around Miguel's at night.  I didn't think it was possible to have a cat on the road, but it's easier than a dog!  He's trying to figure out what to do next, as am I, the possibilities are endless!  Should we keep traveling? Should we work again? Should we go back to school? Argh the questions!! 

Chris is 6'4"? Tall.

Chris - What a nice guy!! And he gives really good head massages because his hands are ginormous.  He's from the UK and was traveling in the US for 2 months.  The first month with his girlfriend, now fiance! And the second month with friends in the Red! A bunch of his friends, Matt (aka Cookie), Dave (aka Patty), and Sarah were all here visiting too.  I haven't gotten around to doing illustrations of them.  I'm so backlogged! Anyway, Chris is a lawyer back home, and owns a house with his fiance.  Every year he tries to take a long trip and go climbing somewhere fun.  He met Derek in China a couple years ago.  How cool is it that we'll run into people down the road with whom we shared amazing memories? This little climbing world is so much smaller than I would have ever thought.  I hope to see Chris next year sometime when I maybe go to Europe! We'll see!

John - a crazy British dude with an amazing personality.  I don't even know what that means, but it's a good thing.  He was so energetic and so silly, vulgar at times, but hilarious.  He was one of the first guys to leave, he had to go back to work.. boo! 

Pickles - I didn't get to know him as well as I would have liked, but he was super nice, and climbs 5.14.  And his last name is Pickles.  How cool is that?

Shane - We also crossed paths a bunch without realizing! He was in Squamish the entire time I was there, and I didn't run into him at all.  But he knows all the people I was hanging out with there.  Ha, he also was looking through my sketchbook and saw a sketch of my friend, Duncan, and was like oh! That looks like Duncan! I said, "It is!!! Do you know him?!" And, yet again, I'm surprised at how small the world can be. Also, Shane is obsessed with Settlers of Catan. Obsessed!

Gabby and Michael - I love them, I wrote about them in my New River Gorge post, but it was awesome hanging out with them again.  They're so supportive and encouraging, I always feel strong when I climb with them.  I'm hoping to see them again in Indian Creek!

Calvin - Oh my gosh, he's hilarious.  On Halloween, he wore the tightest red pants I've ever seen a man wear.  Ouch, that must have been uncomfortable, but he rocked it! We all call him Sea-biscuit, after the race horse, because when he climbs, he makes a similar sound when he's pushing himself to the limit!

Neal and Chris - Neal, I hung out with in the New and he worked his way over to the Red for a couple weeks.  Always fun to chat with that guy! And, Chris, oh Chris, so young! 19, but living on the road.  I'm trying to convince him that college is amazing and he should go! Help me convince him! :)

Nick on All Things Considered (11d)

Me, attempting Primus Noctum (12a)

How can you not love these faces?!

Anyway, another season passed, onto Indian Creek, where I'm meeting up with Duncan, Derek, Kenny, Charlotte, and Mike and Gab! Possibly more of the Red crew! We'll see! :D