Chapter 4: Chasing or being chased...

We are running for the sun but the rain is always catching up.

Well, it seems that way. So much happened since the last post. It all started in Bishop on Thursday the 24th when I woke up with 5 cm of snow on the ground. Not good. The Calgary crew (Simon, Luke, Josh) flew in on the 23th and landed in Vegas. The tried to reach Bishop but were force to take a motel on the way due to a complete white out.

We finally met in the Happy’s with a chilling 0 degrees and blowing wind. You know it is cold when the sun in shining and nothing is melting. We still climbed (flailed) for a few hours before calling it quit.

In front of a warm cup of coffee, the decision was unanimous: We pack it all and head to Joshua Tree.

Joshua Tree National park…Mystical and magical place. Impossible to describe. I don’t have the words. The U2 album of the same name inspired from in? Maybe. From the minute you get in the park, you are amazed by the beauty of the land. The shapes, forms, trees (cactus?!). Like walking on a different planet.

And so was the climbing. I heard many time about the ‘style’ of climbing of J.T. The definition of a ‘boulder problem’ takes a hole new meaning. Used to crank V8-9 in a few tries, you end up racking you brain on finding out how to get on top of this ridiculous piece of rock.

We tried most of the classics: Smoking traverse, Street car name desire, stem gem, planet X, chilli sauce and sooooo many others. Are bodies are used and abused. Not complaining but are shoes are. The rock is so abrasive that you can go through a pair in few days. Josh and I have huge puncture holes on are right shoes from trying Street car.

The beating is well worth. When success comes, you get the feeling of achievement that is the same of toping out a project you’ve been working for weeks. Tips are soar but not so much compare to the palms, shoulders, backs, abs, legs, well, everything. Just like kids in a play ground, we also found many other ways to hurt are self: Climbing the J.T. trees, running straight in cactuses (don’t ask), spilling coffees and so on.

But again, the rain and the bad weather caught on to us. Last night, we packed it all and drove to Vegas (not again, sigh). We drove fast but not enough. This morning, it is raining. WhatYaGonnaDo? Take a rest day! Sweet. We’ve been climbing for the last four days.

I am doing this post from the Laundromat. After, it will be Starbuck and walking the strip. Hopefully, we will climb tomorrow. If it does not look better, we are heading back to Moe’s Valley in Utah.