"Mama said these was my magic shoes!" John saved up his allowance and got what I'm starting to believe is the climbers equivalent of Playschool's My First Climbing Shoe. I feel like every body has an old pair of Coyote's lieing around!
Maura was practicing placing gear for some aid climbing she'll be doing this summer. Had a little trouble on the first crack, but it gave her a lot of good practice. (An explanation for my mom...there's not a person on the other end of that rope! Talk about trusting your gear!)
One challenging thing that we found; even on the climbs that were well within our skill level, the last 10 - 15 feet weren't! You'd work your way up there only to find an ending of slick rock with tiny holds and nowhere to put your feet. Though John's looking comfy at the moment.
What a difference a year makes. That's all I could keep thinking all day. Last year when we headed up to Cat's Hole I couldn't climb due to problems with my shoulder and wrist. Now check out that nice left reach!
I love that high step, baby!
Our resident climbing Goddess; here on the ground with us mere mortals!
We moved on to tougher pastures - and with it came this nice clear shot of John. This crack & corner system totally kicked our butts! Neither of us could finish it out, but that's what happens when you save your biggest challenge for the end of the day.
A geological side note if there's anyone interested - the reddish/orange appearance of the rock actually comes from rust. These rocks are volcanic rock (igneous rock) and therefore have a high iron content. Expose them to the sun & water & air and eventually = rust. :)
Climbing makes us happy. End of story!
