Well the story of the Red River Gorge so far has been the weather. It has dictated when and where we climb, when we take rest days and even how much sleep we get. The first day we tried to climb everything was really wet and we managed to force ourselves up two routes. The next day the rock was dripping wet with condensation. We managed one day of climbing on Thursday but had to hike out in the rain, Friday was out but then Saturday was amazing. That one day made all the rain worthwhile. It was gorgeous and sunny with bright blue skies that complemented the changing colour of the leaves. We climbed at the Drive-by and the Motherlode, both stellar areas.

On Sunday we managed to force ourselves to climb but it was really cold. We started at the Bob Marley crag where I fell for the first time in a few days of climbing. I tried to warm up on a dirty 5.11d and broke a hold. Next up was a 5.12a called Dogleg which was rumoured to be impossible if you were under a certain height (5'10"ish). I tried to onsight it and barely did the first big move only to encounter a second even bigger one. I fell here much to the delight of those I was climbing with. Super fun route though, might have to go back and project it.

Monday we rested and again it was really cold, Tuesday was just as cold but we went to the Solarium in Muir Valley where I only did two climbs due to the cold but Audrey did quite a few pitches.

Wednesday found us back at the Motherlode. I had been hoping to do quite a few long days of climbing when we first got here before getting on any hard routes but with the bad weather looming and not knowing what lay ahead I had to change my approach. I figured I might as well just jump on a hard route, figure out the moves and even doing redpoint attempts on a hard route would increase my fitness. So this day I decided to get on a route called Transworld Depravity (5.14a). I had no idea what to expect other than it was steep and graded hard. I knew my fitness and strength are nowhere near good enough to onsight it so I just took my time going up it and tried to figure out a good sequence. There were two distinct hard moves that worried me and a third hard move near the top but it was right after a good rest so I thought I would be able to recover enough to be able to pull that move. After lowering down and resting/belaying awhile I tied in for a redpoint attempt.

I felt pretty good through the bottom, seemed to remember what I was doing and pretty soon I was at the first crux. There were two ways I had determined would work for this move but when I got there I realized I hadn't decided which way was better. I commited to a long move off a bad crimp and barely managed to stick the hold that I was reaching for. One crux down. Next up was a mock rest where you could shake a little and stretch out. I recovered some energy and launched into the second and more difficult crux. While holding onto the crux hold I couldn't remember what to do with my feet but pasted them on some sloping ledges and threw out left for a good hold, again barely sticking it. Two cruxes down and a nice deep pump settling in. Fortunately here was the good rest and I started shaking out pretty good.

While I had been starting up the lower part a climbing photographer, Simon Carter, had set up on the anchors of the route I was on to photograph some climbers on the route next to me. He didn't know that I was coming up but realized it pretty quick when he started lowering down. Fortunately the rock is so steep that his rope wasn't on me and he was in a great position to photograph that route. As I was in the rest I felt that I might possibly be able to redpoint and just asked Simon to leave one quickdraw available at the anchors.

Shaking out at the rest I was now in the sun and it was really warm. I knew the next crux was a big move sideways off a bad hold that had been broken a few times and was a little sandy. Getting ready to move into that sequence I was terrified of breaking that hold more. As I grabbed it with my left hand I started to quickly feel the pump creep back in and I knew that I had to move quickly and precisely or fail. I matched briefly with my right hand on the sandy part of the hold and then the elbows started to rise... I still had to move my right foot way out and throw out right. I barely managed to tag my foot out. The pump was really there now and I couldn't feel the bad left crimp but I knew the hold I was going for was decent, but it was a long way away. Doubt filled my mind and there was more than a split second of hesitation where I was more willing to let go than to try and fail. I turned away that doubt and shifted my body to the right, pulling hard with my right foot. I then lurched my shoulders to the right and laser sighted my right hand to the crimp, hit the crimp and could barely close my hand on it. I quickly shifted my body a bit more and crossed up to the next incut hold, forcing myself to shake out a few times. Only 8 feet from the anchors but it felt like a mile. Somehow I hit each hold just right and actually shook a few more times before the top and clipping the anchors!

So I managed to redpoint Transworld Depravity second try which was a huge relief. Although we are planning on being here awhile I didn't want to spend too much time on any one route and this was a route that I definitely wanted to do on this trip.

What's next? Well we're going to head back up to Cleveland for a few days since it is supposed to rain and be miserable. When we come back we'll check the weather forecast and let it dictate where and when we'll climb. I'm still hoping to do a lot more climbing here.

After spending 4 days driving across the country and another 4 days visiting Audrey's relatives I'm ready for some climbing!

Our time spent in Ohio was really good. We managed to do a whirlwind of visiting on Saturday and spend time with Audrey's nephews and her niece. Audrey had brought over a box of items that contained a little something for everyone so she decided to wrap them up and give them to people as presents one night. That same night (Friday the 13th) we watched some cheesy horror movies, one of them was called Motorhome Massacre! Made us feel really good about traveling in a van for the next while... Actually it was just hilarious. That night two of Audrey's Nephews, DJ and Jordan, wanted to sleep in the upstairs of our van. The next night Audrey slept up there with her niece, Victoria and I guess it was really cold. I wouldn't know, I was in the house in a bed :)

On Sunday I went and played football with Danny (Nicole's husband), Josh (their oldest boy), Freddie, DJ and Jordan. It was tons of fun with lots of competitive but enjoyable games played. That night we went to dinner and then Audrey and I packed up, had a quick visit with an old friend of hers and started the drive down to Kentucky.

After spending Monday morning running errands in Lexington we arrived at the Red River Gorge in the early evening and decided to just set up camp. I'm all primed for climbing on steep routes tomorrow and getting that amazing Red River jug rash.

Well after leaving Smith Rock around 6pm we started the drive east and our first destination was Yellowstone National Park. If we had time and if the passes were okay we were going to try and drive through Jackson Hole, see the Grand Teton National Park and then continue up to Yellowstone. We managed to drive until around 3 in the morning, stop at a rest area and arrive in Jackson around 2pm. It was cold so we just did a quick drive by of the Grand Teton and then continued on to Yellowstone.

Yellowstone was even colder and we could barely tolerate being outside long enough to wait and watch Old Faithful erupt. Unfortunately it was also cloudy so we couldn't see too many views. However we did manage to see some elk, some bison walking down the road and a mother grizzly bear walking with her cub. So despite all the whining Derek and I made about having to go to Yellowstone the weather helped us out and we were in and out in just a few hours.

After Yellowstone the next destination was Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota. It was supposed to be an 8 hour drive from Yellowstone to Mt. Rushmore and we were actually planning on doing it the following day. However, since we didn't spend that much time at Yellowstone we decided to put a few hours under our belt on Tuesday night. We drove about 3 hours and then Derek and Michelle needed to stop to check out why their cabin battery was overheating. We stopped and disconnected the battery and while waiting for it to cool down we decided we might as well spend the night where we were. We had just finished driving several miles up this winding road and assumed we were somewhere near the top of this pass. After sleeping more than we expected we awoke to find that it was snowing and there were already a few inches accumlating! We wanted to get down off that pass before getting snowed in so we took off right away. Unbeknownst to us the pass kept climbing and climbing and climbing... at least another few thousand feet. By the time we finally topped out there was quite a bit of snow on the road and it was really foggy. I'm still new to driving the van and this was my first experience in snow with it. It is front wheel drive but has a very heavy backend, and all-season tires that are low in tire tread, so I was a little nervous. It turned out fine but the weather didn't let up once we were off the pass and on the interstate. In fact the snow stayed with us all the way to Illinois!

We arrived at Mt. Rushmore around 1pm and carpooled in to avoid paying 8 dollars for two cars. Originally we weren't going to go in at all but after driving all this way I thought it was worth that much. It was still really grey and cold out so we didn't spend a long time there but took a few photos and headed back down. Once back down we said a tearful farewell to Derek and Michelle who were going to do a quick loop through the needles and then book it for the Red River Gorge in Kentucky.

Audrey and I wanted to go check out another mountain carving nearby that was supposed to be of Crazy Horse. It was only a tiny bit out of the way and we had heard that it was really impressive. When we arrived there we found out that it cost $10 each to get in. We hesitated for a brief moment but then paid the fee and went in. It was worth it. Once inside we watched a introductory video about the building of the statue. It was started in the early 1940s and is still going on today. If you click on the image at the start of this paragraph you will see a replica model of what they are trying to build and in the background you can see how far along they are. The entire center is not just about the carving. There is also a Native American Museum, many art pieces and historical displays and they are hoping to expand it to include a university. I didn't feel too bad knowing our money was going towards the carving and the creation of this center.

On the way out from Crazy Horse we decided to drive through the Needles as well. Again, it was pretty but freezing cold and hard to properly appreciate from inside the vehicle. On the way through South Dakota we also decided to try and drive through the northeast corner of the Badlands National Park. Unfortunately the sun was just going down so it was hard to see just how vast the Badlands are.

That night (Wednesday) we drove through quite a few snow storms and we went until around 3am when it was just too hard to keep going. The next morning we crossed the Mississippi then down through Illinois, across Indiana and then back up through Ohio to just outside of Cleveland which is where Audrey is from. We arrived at Audrey's sister's (Nicole) place around 9:30 and we'll be here over the weekend.

It's always nice to leave a climbing area on a high note and Audrey and I did that for Smith Rock.

We left Smith on Monday night but not before climbing both Sunday and Monday. On Sunday I got back on Badman but the conditions were pretty bad. The first burn was too hold and then for the next burn it was too hot! Crazy desert climate...

While I was up in Agro Gully Audrey was going for the redpoint on Heinous Cling. I should describe that route a bit. Heinous Cling is a 35m (~110ft) long route that goes straight the left most face of the dihedrals. Most people climb just the bottom part of the route which is rated 5.12a. The bottom is about 15-18m long with only 5 bolts so the bolts are pretty far apart. The top is even more runout and a little harder. If you climb the whole route it is 5.12c, 35m with only 9 bolts! Not many people climb, let alone lead the upper part. From the last bolt to the top it's about 8-10m with no bolts and fairly steep, pumpy climbing. The crux of the upper part is well bolted but once past the crux it's a little runout to the next bolt, you get a brief rest and then you have to push it to the top. On a previous burn Audrey had fallen past the crux but not quite into the big runout. Anyways, on Sunday Audrey cruised through the crux, clipped the next bolt and was looking at the big, scary runout. I wasn't there to watch but apparently she went a little far right and took a huge fall up in the runout!

On Monday Audrey wanted to try Heinous Cling in the morning before the sun was too hot so we warmed up quick and then cruised over there. Audrey wasn't sure of the sequence for the runout and it's easy to get off track up there. I couldn't remember the sequence that well so I went up first and tried to remember the sequence. Heinous is one of my favourite routes at Smith so I didn't mind going up there. Audrey was still not feeling well and I knew she was a little sore from the fall the day before so I wasn't sure what to expect on this burn. She cruised up through the bottom part even though it was a little warm from the sun. At the upper crux she couldn't hold one of the crux holds so she just reached past it! At the upper rest, right before the big runout, she took her time and got her psyche up. As she left the rest my heart pretty much stopped and I couldn't breathe properly. It's a huge runout and I was anxious even belaying her. She cruised it as if it were 10 feet off the ground and clipped the anchors for the send! It was awesome. She was sick, tired and a little scared but she cruised it. After all she had been through for the past year, and not being able to climb much, it was a great way to start the trip for sure.

We quickly left the heat and went up into Agro Gully. It was chilly in the gully, verging on really cold. I still felt pretty good from the warm-ups so I decided to get on Badman right away. Since it was cold I decided to climb a little bit of the route with a sweater on, then lower back to the ground, pull the rope and go for the send. I need to get my heart rate up and my hands cold before getting on this route because I can't stop anywhere long enough to let my fingers thaw out.

I felt pretty strong through the lower crux which is usually a real struggle for me. I paused a few seconds at each of the mock rests and struck out left for the bolt right before the crux. Just below the main crux is a tiny little razor hold that I have to deadpoint to and while I almost always stick it I'm usually struggling to move off it. On that burn however I managed to hit it just perfect and move casually to the bolt before the crux. I shook for a few seconds only, increased my breathing and launched into the crux. I have no idea how many times I've felt pretty good going into these moves only to totter off, I'm guessing 25+ times. Heck I'd already fallen at that move 8 times in the past week. The crux move involves a very accurate deadpoint for a two finger pocket and I had switched earlier in the week to going with my first two fingers instead of my stronger middle two fingers. I felt I could get more reach. Anyhow I didn't feel much different than other burns but I guess Audrey had psyched me up with her send since somehow I managed to stick that pocket! From the pocket to the top is still 12+/13- climbing but there's a huge rest right away. I was honestly terrified of falling in the upper part and was super conscious of climbing slowly and with purpose. Even the last move to the clipping hold scared me normally but I crushed the crimps, locked off at my ankle (poetic license), and moved to the clipping hold ! I was pretty psyched. I wasn't feeling strong or in shape early in the week but somehow it all came together.

My brother Matt was down for the week and I had promised to try and take him up the Pioneer Route on Monkey Face. I felt we could do it in about two hours but a few of the guys in the gully (yes you Paul), didn't think we could. Anyways we took off running up the gully, slowed to a fast hike, ran down the approach trail and started climbing. I tied in quickly and took off. I've done this route a few times so I thought we could move quickly. I went from the bottom up through the bolt ladder in one pitch (passing some guys at the bolt ladder belay, thanks). Put Matt on belay from the mouth of the monkey and brought him up. He motored through the bolt ladder, holding one-arm lockoffs to unclip and reach for the next draw.

I wanted Matt to lead the pitch out of the mouth since it was pretty exposed. He was game and started out, even pausing to look straight down the east face of the monkey. Every time I had done this route I had climbed straight up to the block in the eye of the monkey and then scrambled up right to the top. It's a really short pitch to the eye and after a few minutes I poked my head out of the mouth to figure out why Matt wasn't scambling yet. As I peered out I noticed the rope not going up but out to the right! I guess there were some new bolts added there and a new pitch. I was fortunate that it wasn't super hard and that Matt could do it easily so he didn't fall into space. It was actually a much better summit approach than the old way.

We spent a few moments on the summit looking around and then got out of there. Back on solid ground we packed up quick, ran up the approach trail and back to Agro Gully. Less than an hour and a half :) Not a record but pretty good for sure.

Audrey and I stuffed all our belongings into the van and left Smith by 6pm. We're driving across the continent with Derek and Michelle caravan style.

Two projects ticked on the last day... not a bad way to leave an area.

The trip actually started on September 29 but since then I have been so busy I couldn't post anything. It actually doesn't even really feel like we are on a road trip yet. Currently we are in Smith Rock in central Oregon and I guess it's because I have been down here so much that it doesn't feel like a "trip" yet.

We ended up leaving Seattle a day later than planned. As with all best layed plans there were a few inevitable items that needed to be taken care of before we could leave. We could have left around 8pm but decided it was best to stay with a friend, Lennart, in Kirkland. This was actually very fortunate. Not only did I get to have some beers with Lennart but Audrey was able to get all her contact email addresses from her computer at work that she had not been able to retrieve. Phew... that was close.

We drove down to Smith on the following day and slept the first night in the van. It's pretty comfortable but cosy for sure. We climbed Sunday, neither of us has climbed much lately so we are using this first stop as a way of getting in shape for the trip and to say hi to all our friends down in Oregon.

Being down here I have been sucked back into trying a route called Badman. This route is so hard for me. It challenges me and I respect it but I don't really enjoy climbing it. It's sharp, the movement isn't necessarily fun and it's, well, hard. But I have been working it for the past few times down here so what's one more week.

Audrey has been making quick progress on getting back into shape with a super fast redpoint of Crack Babies and then immediately setting her sights on the full pitch of Heinous Cling. That's really good to see and she is psyched to be feeling better.

Other than climbing and hanging out we have been trying to sort out all the little things to make the van more usable/livable. Of course we only stayed two nights in the van before grabbing a real bed in the house of the friends we are staying at.

All in all I'm psyched to be out climbing and can't wait for it to feel more like a real trip.