Joshua Tree for the Holidays

[atomicAdam]

Hey All -

I was out Mon/Tuesday at Joshua Tree National Park w/ friends and wifie. We went camping and climbing. It was awesome, but now I'm sick from over exposure yesterday.

I (we) learned a lot this trip. We had a couple of shut downs and some great successes as well.

Couple things I (we) learned - if you aren't sure you can finish the climb, but don't want to loose a lot of gear, than you best make sure you can get up top to rappel down to get your stuff. (Friend learned that one)

I learned if the crack you are climbing slants left, have you gear on that side, if it slants right, have your sling'd gear on that side. Otherwise it gets in the way more than normal.

Here some photos!

Hope you all are having a good holiday and best of wishes to you and your families. May the music keep spinning!

This is me leading a 5.3(?)*** climb called The Eye. Good climb, fun, end sucks, and it wasn't in the sun. Which sucked more for a morning warm up climb.


Here is wifie following along. A friend belay'd me and cleaned, than we tossed the rope all the way down for her to tie in. She had a lot of trouble on this climb because of the mental challenge. There are a couple points where you are over 30ft of air with one leg on one side and one leg on the another.


Here is me having some fun in the sun while my friend cleans and follows this 5.8 warm up. That climb was my 1st ever trad climb, his too. But on this occasion I just wanted to warm up so I just followed up as well.


( above three photos taken by my friend brian - you can find more of his stuff here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/c00p/ )

Here is a view of the mound that The Eye is on from Intersection Rock. The start of the second pitch. It was getting cold and windy as the sun was going down. But the view was fantastic!


Well - hope you all are having fun - it is snowing here - and i'm sick - and i need to write like 3 reviews in the next week. YAY!

[ForeverAutumn]

I've said it before and I'll say it again...you're crazy. But you sure do get to see some beautiful places.

[poppachubby]

Beautiful pics adam...great stuff. Thanks for sharing, it's a nice break from audio. So my wife and I have a pair of Blackberry's, and a new plan which has changed my long distance out look. As long as I am within range of my home wifi network, my phone will automatically switch over and my long distance becomes free!

Cool right? We will be chatting soon...

[atomicAdam]

AHhhh PC you forget my phone doesn't work up in the mtns. LOL!!

But I saw an option for it to run over the series of tubes - so I'll have to find out how to do that.

[atomicAdam]

And thanks -

It was a great trip. I conquered some fears on one climb.

I was working 5.7 (not hard really - but on trad gear placements it isn't a joke) so I was about 15ft above my last piece of gear and I had one really super sweet right hand hold and I had to get up and over a bulge. My sling and the rest of my gear got caught in the crack and I spend about 10min slowly maneuvering myself around to get my left hand to the next hold. The while my left foot kept slipping off and the right was in the crack and starting to show Elvis leg.

But when I got over that, reached the top, and was nearly blinded by the sun on the other side it was one of the best feelings ever.

[thekid]

AA

Cool pics.
Climbing can be a pretty cool hobby and take you to wonderful areas off the beaten path.

[TheHills44060]

Great pics but I would go stir crazy out there. Your wife looks like she's really kickin that rocks arse...great job!

[atomicAdam]

Great pics but I would go stir crazy out there. Your wife looks like she's really kickin that rocks arse...great job!

Who is that in your profile photo?