Imagine a flat desert land with many small cactus plants and many other sharp "death" plants. Rabbits, cayotes, roadrunners, and javelinas are roaming around and you will catch a glance at them every so often. You look ahead on the dirt road and a pile of rocks appear. You look farther and you see mountains. THIS IS A CLIMBER'S PARADISE!
The metamorphic rock surrounds you. When hiking to the climbs, there is no grass or dirt. It is solid rock, EVERYWHERE. The climbing here is unlike any other place i've been. The climbs here flow very well. They are sharp but fun. They require core strength and pure power. I absolutely love it.
The weather here is crazy. It is burning hot during the day and freezing cold at night. I have a sunburn and I am wearing a big puffy jacket. CRAZY!
On Thursday, Tim, Max, and I woke up early and left at around 4am. We drove 21 hours straight and finally arrived to our destination: HUECO TANKS! We set up camp and hit the hay.
On Friday we woke up early and went to North Mountain. Incredible! I LOVE THIS PLACE! I did an uber classic problem called Nobody Gets Out of Here Alive. It was so fun! Definitely a classic! I worked on a few climbs and simply got a feel for the style of climbing at Hueco Tanks.
On Saturday we were running behind and didn't get to the gate in time to get a pass to North Mountain. You see, when you go to Hueco, you typically want to get reservations because they have a daily limit of people allowed on the mountain at a time. Since we planned our trip fairly late, we did not make reservations. Luckily, they give away 10 passes everyday but you have to wait in a line. First come, first serve. We waited at the gate for a couple hours until they figured out the number of no-shows. We finally got in and had PLENTY of time to climb! We climbed with Dan and Elodie and had a blast. Dan filmed a little and Elodie took some great pictures! I sent a cool v5 called Girls of Texas. It required wierd knee scum beta to reach the first hold and it left me with a bruised knee. It was worth it though. I also flashed a reaaaaaallly cool v4 called Girls of Juarez. It was totally overhung in a roof. Really amazing, flowing moves!!!
Girls of Juarez - photo by Elodie:
Yesterday we had a tour of East Mountain. It was really cool! There was a lot of hiking required but I made it! I ended up doing a really fun v5 called Dragonfly! I also got on this problem called the Fin. It had a really scary, long last move. It felt like I would have a bad fall if I tried going for the move. I dropped down the first time I did it because i didn't want to commit. Everyone who was there encouraged me to try it again and just go for it. Needless to say, I got back on it and went for the move. I hit a sharp hold and cut my hand. It was really important for me to get back on this problem after being really scared on it. Even though I didn't send it, I learned from it. I love learning from the rock!
me, tim, and max showing our love for eachother. Photo by Elodie:
Today is a rest day. It is Dan's birthday and we are sitting in a coffee shop using the internet and hanging out. I do not get internet at our campsite so if you want to talk to me, you should text me! I will be here until Saturday. I will try to update another time but if i don't get a chance, i hope you are all having an amazing time!
15 comments:
HEY! This is Anonymous #! again..haha. I'm actually going to start a blog, I think. I wanted to comment on your pics though-they are gorgeous!!! I was able to climb a few times before I moved... but I had only climbed in TN and GA a little...nothing like your pics! (Also..I was never consistent enough to build up good climbing strength..).
Also...do you know if the date people ship internationally??
Enjoy the rest of your trip..I'm sure it will be fantastic!
I am so glad you had a good time :)
It sounds like a beautiful place and climbing looks so exhilarating!
I'm totally loving the update. The pictures are beautiful. It sounds like an amazing experience. I look forward to hearing about the rest of your week :~)
P.S. Happy Birthday Dan!!!
Looks just great!.... so..,,don't come home. Call school, tell them you and Max have some 'projects' to finish up for another 2 or 3 weeks. Yaaaaah!!
Rock climbing = macro mineralization! Great pics Ashley!
Sam
Well, Ash has been known to gnaw on the rocks every now and then for her daily mineral content.
Awesome pics Badash! I love seeing you stuck to the underside of some rock like a spider woman. You are amazing! ;)
Wow, you are an amazing climber!!!
Ohh, yes, I'm another one who is wondering if The Date People ship to Europe??!
:)
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Great pics! And even tho I'm not a climber the place looks amazing! Thanks for sharing your experience.
Soo Ash,, I'm guessing your fingertips are fried by now and thus you can't text or give us an update on your week at Hueco. Hope you had enough bananas and dates to last that long!
anonymous 1 - can't wait to see your blog! haha! Thank you for your comment. Where did you climb in TN and GA? I am not sure if they ship internationally. I have a feeling that they don't... but i could be totally wrong!?
omegachuck - i didn't have internet at hueco. The only way i was able to post was on my ONE rest day when I went to a coffee shop. I wish i could have stayed there.
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