Today is Day 6 of climbing, adventures, excitement, shenanigans, and relaxation in Joshua Tree. As I write this, I am sitting in the Park Rock Cafe outside the park enjoying a delicious coffee and soon a breakfast with my awesome friends (Jessica, Mandy, Michelle, Christine, and Harison). The anticipation for this trip was building for a while and rightfully so. As the days pass we continue to share our laughter, happiness and radiant energy creating unforgettable memories and unbreakable bonds as we learn and grow from our journey together.
Each day on this trip brings unexpected surprises and a deeper understanding of why I love all aspects of climbing. I read once that it doesn’t matter whether you succeed or fail when attempting something, what’s important is the process. In climbing it's the road trip, the friends, the preparation, getting psyched, good energy, laughter, overcoming obstacles, and anything and everything in-between. Through the process these everlasting memories are created and each passing moment reminds me of how important this lifestyle is to me.
Climbing this trip has been pretty relaxed so far. The first day we climbed a little bit of crack and then did a breathtaking dihedral called “Course and Buggy”. Unfortunately, my wrist is a bit tweaked so that was all I could manage to climb before I needed some rest to recover. Although I couldn’t climb much, I watched my friends climb with determination and energy that filled the air around us as they floated up boulders scattered amongst the joshua trees.
The third night or so we headed out for some night climbing under the radiant glow of the moon. Headlamps were unnecessary and the glowing rock was begging to be touched. The rock required intimate, delicate movement which was special to watch as everyone slowly and methodically made their way up, closer the moon and streaking stars.
That evening Mandy took a fall on a boulder problem that she had done a few times earlier that day. It was fairly high (about 15 ft) and the impact from the fall concentrated in her ankles. It was scary to see her fall because we weren’t sure right away how bad the injury was, but fortunately she is extremely strong willed and has a high pain tolerance. After some ice, healing touch, a late night trip to the ER, and a good nights rest, she awoke with a smile on her face and ready to play. Although she had two sprained ankles (one pretty bad), she continued to hobble around the desert and encourage those who were climbing. Her strong-will and determination continued to inspire us as we journeyed through the desert in search of the next boulder.
No comments:
Post a Comment