Here is a vid from the trip when we were in Joe's that Mike McClure had on climbidaho...its of the Black Dahlia

December 29th marked the end of the climbing portion of our road trip. Now, in the midst of winter in the northwest, Kaiya and I get to drive all the way back to Moscow from El Paso. Leaving snow headed towards more I imagine. We chose a route that would take us on the safest, snow free roads while adding a couple of hundred miles along the way. And a stop in Vegas

Four months has flown by in an instant. It seems like weeks ago that we were stuck in the rain in Leavenworth with bronchitis and the looming possibility of the swine flu. Expectations were met, exceeded beyond our wildest dreams. Neither of us had ever imagined that we would ever spend two months in Joe’s, decide that Bishop was so 2007, and make a decision to change our destination from Flagstaff to SLC. From strictly the value of an experience’s sense, I think this was one of the best things that I have ever done for my climbing and non-climbing related life, which at this point are so interwoven with one another it is difficult to discern one from the other…the body fuels the mind I guess. Some people had said that “I guess if you guys can make it through this…” and we have with minimal fighting, wishing for the other to get food poisoning, fever blisters etc.

Flipping the coin over to the other side, the leaps and bounds in difficulty and general climbing ability that were made are well worth the time and effort. All of the days that were freezing cold and miserable in Joe’s, Hueco of all places and Rocky will be in the back of my mind as a “I’d much rather be there” whence I start my new job in Salt Lake and daydream of the better days.

Leavenworth, Castle Rock Idaho, Moab, RMNP, Joe’s Valley, Bishop, back to Joe’s, Flagstaff, Hueco Tanks and a final stopover in Boise. Not a bad list of places for a four month trip. Kaiya having sent one hard problem in each place and me lagging behind slightly in the whole getting to a new level department. Damn kneebars. (that’s what she said?) Not that it matters in the big picture to anyone except the people that care, but Kaiya sent four V8 boulder problems on this trip! Mike McClure would now ask me how many V13’s I sent while on the trip and I would counter with a one-arm pull-up contest. Ha, I CAN piss further. Along with a clean separation from the 8a.nu community, (her ascents will still be reported here) she also has decided that we want to go to Europe and climb in a year or so, Swizzy or Font??? I guess she has finally made the transition from DG to full on climbing addict. Oh and on a lighter note, tiny painful crimps are no longer what gets her excited-she’s all about the openhandedness now.

Right now, Kaiya is maneuvering through her very first big city driving experience, in Phoenix. Five more hours from now, we will be safely in Sin City, our only stop between El Paso and SLC. She might even let me gamble a little bit…

I’ll be digging through photos and video from the trip in the next few weeks, although I didn’t send, I will post some video of me on Diabolic, Brian Veseth falling on the last couple moves of Baby Martini and Kaiya on King Cobra. And soon, very soon some photos of the new place…

Winding Down, Sending, Frustration, Determination and some Yaarrr!!!

Kaiya was on last time; Mike McClure had just left after a pretty good couple of days after some frustrating ones not having enough time to send on tours, bad weather etc... Brian Veseth joined us on the 13th, bringing his energy from the snowy wet and cold depths of home in Moscow to crush here in Hueco.

Brian had an amazing first day, sending a lot of problems in the 4-6 range and finding himself a project for the trip in the Martini Roof. Here is a shot of him on Baby Martini, an 18 move V6 that he ended up coming agonizingly close on his last day here in a complete blizzard and rainstorm.



Brian and Kaiya both ended up sending Chris' Arete, a really good problem right near Free Willy that Kaiya actually couldn't do the first move on last year and sent on her 4th go of the second session of the trip. Brian also dispatched the climb quickly on the second day. Here they are shortly before they both sent doing their best Zoolander impressions...



And here is Kaiya sticking the big move early in the problem.



Earlier that same day, we had gone to Short Order Cook, a really good problem that is just above the ranch house where you watch the video. Couple of tension moves lead to a bicycle and then you throw up to a small hueco with a very sharp edge to it, keeping the toe hook engaged to stop your swing. Brian demonstrating how to overshoot the hold with his abnormally long hand...





Darryl here on Diaphanous Sea shortly before he injured his wrist/hand. He is home in LA for a few more days before he returns with Claire to tear up the mountain with her and his 7 functional fingers. Hopefully with time to recuperate and heal (and build some lats) Darryl will be back to crimping slopers in no time at all.



A bunch more photos from random days that we went on tours to East Mountain and Spur from Full Throttle, Better Eat your Wheaties, Hector, Diabolique and others that Kaiya and I managed to shoot in between frantic attempts to send something hard before we leave...











We have 2 days of climbing left here in Hueco, and that also means that we have that many days left living in the Foosa on "the road". We have made tons of new climbing friends, met up with some old ones that we knew from the past and overall have had an amazing time.

I have one thing I want to send before we leave and Kaiya has two. I think she will be more successful than me but time will tell. Diabolique for me, Big Iron on His Hip and King Cobra for her...three days from now and hopefully no chalkbag kicking, shoe throwing or Punter Family McClure/Bockino (ing) from either of us and the best 2 days of the trip will be complete.

Stay tuned.