Rifle

I took off for Rifle on September 1st. I'll admit that I'm taking substantial liberties knowing that I'm getting HSCT, and I'm being somewhat irresponsible but... here I am.

I stayed with the Powicks Thursday night amidst them dealing with the missing climbers in Pakistan. Not knowing the missing climbers, I more or less took it all in and stayed quiet. I felt bad for the friends and family. Turns out the search was called off a day or two later - given the conditions on the mountain and the knowledge of the climbers' supplies and how long they'd been missing, it was determined that the chances of survival were next to none. Alpine climbing is a different animal.

Anyway I got to Rifle Friday afternoon and immediately saw a bunch of old friends. The warmup was brutal. I haven't been focussing on sport climbing since... well maybe the winter? Not like I haven't climbed routes at all, but bouldering has been the focus - especially since I knew I was going to South Africa.

First day I got on a 5.10 that kicked my ass on the right side of Ruckman, and then got on Return to Sender which actually went a bit better. After that I fell at the top of a new .11 on the left side of the Wicked Cave. I climbed with Daniel and Vian. Saturday I climbed with Joe's friend Steve (who I'd met at the Wicked Cave the night before). Crushed myself trying to warm up on Aerie - .11d at the Project Wall (I should mention I onsighted this a few years ago). Then flailed on the first half of Blocky Horror Show before determining that a) I wasn't warmed up b) my skin hurt like hell and c) it was too damned hard for the second day. Didn't take much to wreck me. Anyway I met up with Anne and Reed and got on the .12a at the Bauhaus with the .12c/d extension. That went surprisingly well after the flail-fest in the morning. I'm just better when I can use my feet, and the .12a was nearly vertical so I could...use my feet.

In the meantime I ran into more people - Rosie, Clay, Joe, Sarah W., Bill, this dude Nate who's name I always forget even though I've run into him all over the place... then of course lots of acquaintances and friends of friends. Really good and fun crew here right now and I've started thinking about staying longer because - what do I really have to go back for other than the pile of work that I've been avoiding?

Sunday was a rest day - shower, trying to process some emotional baggage from back home, shopping, eating, you know, the usual.

Next climbing day I climbed with Sarah and we warmed up on the .10d on the left side of the Wasteland. Next was the Meat Wall, which of course was a shit show due to the labor day weekend. I got on the new .12c on the left side since all of the warmups had a long line and I'm impatient. Once again I hosed myself by not warming up well. Didn't work the moves too much, since the holds were small and I really needed to warm up. Sarah sent it easily though. Then I slipped off the top of 80 Feet of Meat (which for the record I've never fallen on before...). Got on the 12a at the Bauhaus again and figured out the moves - went into the extension and figured some stuff out up there too though I didn't clip the chains. Then got on Defenseless Betty (DB) to try to remember the beta, since I kind of want to try the extension, Mighty Mouse. I was pleased that I actually climbed well on DB.

Tuesday I climbed with Steve in the morning, and warmed up on the new .11b/c at the Meat Wall. I had Steve hang the draws and thank god because it's bolted for fixed draws and there are roughly 18 bolts. (As an aside, Steve said he thought it was hard for .11b since some of the moves were "rowdy". I'll have to use "rowdy" as a description more often). Pulled a flash out of my ass which is impressive because it's 35 meters and I do NOT have great endurance right now. Belayed Steve for a bit (on Le Specimen) til I met Vian around 2, and then got on Mighty Mouse. Let me tell you that thing is EPIC. Nearly did Defenseless Betty and then figured out a bunch of moves on the extension til I got to the Crux, which is pretty damned far up there. The crux is reachy and I didn't quite figure it out...plus I got exposure fatigue. You are way the hell up there and it's hard to hear your partner (the river is loud) and I'm just not used to exposure since I haven't been sport climbing. And oh yeah the bolts aren't that close... you are going for a ride if you fall. Followed of course by the "pull of shame" to get back to where you fell off. I fucking HATE pulling up the rope. Nevertheless I'm looking forward to getting back on it tomorrow.

By then I was worked but I got talked into trying the Noble Wife which... did not go well. I'm writing from my second rest day right now and I'm still pretty sore. Hopefully with 2 rest days I'll feel like a superhero tomorrow.

So speaking of rest days, yesterday was interesting. My new favorite past-time is going to a brewery/restaurant alone and having a beer. Yesterday I went to the brewpub and met the president of the 2nd largest bank in Colorado. I ate his cheese plate. The brewpub was having a special with a 5 ounce pour of nut brown ale aged in rye whiskey barrels, a shot of whiskey, and a cheese plate. He had sat down next to me and said well I want everything but the cheese plate. So naturally I said "I'll eat your cheese plate." It was the beginning of an interesting conversation. Everyone is interesting for an hour, but this guy was pretty interesting. To the left sat a woman who was an ovarian cancer survivor who'd just left her fiance. She was getting tanked. Anyway I found the evening pretty enjoyable. I love experiences like these. And of course the alcohol gets people chatting.

Every time I take a road trip there seems to be a theme or group of themes that my brain attaches to. Lately I've been ruminating on the meaning of marriage, why people want kids, and the tribalism of climbing. Of course I ran into people I know. I always doubt that I will, but I always do. Those of us living in our car and going on road trips are in our element when we do so. Of course we will run into each other over and over. And it's so wonderful to see everyone.

It's been really nice to be in the canyon. No cell service unless you drive about 20 minutes. And even then you have to pull over on the side of the reservoir. When I drive out of the canyon all of the things I've been dwelling on come flooding back. I appreciate the inability to send stupid pointless texts or emails while I'm in the canyon. Outta sight outta mind.