Spent the weekend in Joshua Tree for the Goddesses on the Rocks women's climbing weekend, organized by Sterling Rope Co. Over 75 participants and numerous Sterling athletes, staff, volunteers gathered for two sunny days of climbing and learning trad climbing skills. I spent both days teaching anchors and gear placement with Elaina Arenz-Smith to two different enthusiastic groups of eight women. Saturday night was topped off by a feast, raffle and slideshow by Arno Ilgner (author of The Rock Warrior's Way). After the clinics finished on Sunday I couldn't bring myself to leave Joshua
Tree without even climbing a single pitch, so Kevin Newell from Five Ten kindly belayed me on the Left Ski Track, a burly 5.11a crack that faces the Hidden Valley parking lot. Although Arno's slideshow left me with tremendous mental strength, my body, sadly, was still in winter mode with weak arms, soft skin and big, big quads. I flailed at the crux and got to fall test a not-so-textbook camalot placement in a wacky flared pocket. Luckily for me, it held. As I belayed Kevin up I got to look around and appreciate the gorgeous surroundings while blood dripped out of a gash on my hand from desperately jamming the sharp rock. Ahhhh, what could be better than that. Now I am back at my desk, gearing up for my thesis defense on Friday... hopefully I can transition from Rock Warrior to Isotope Warrior with ease, and finish up this degree so I can get climbing!
Knotty Girls
Trad bettys in training
Armed and ready for some serious crack climbing
Spent the weekend in Joshua Tree for the Goddesses on the Rocks women's climbing weekend, organized by Sterling Rope Co. Over 75 participants and numerous Sterling athletes, staff, volunteers gathered for two sunny days of climbing and learning trad climbing skills. I spent both days teaching anchors and gear placement with Elaina Arenz-Smith to two different enthusiastic groups of eight women. Saturday night was topped off by a feast, raffle and slideshow by Arno Ilgner (author of The Rock Warrior's Way). After the clinics finished on Sunday I couldn't bring myself to leave Joshua 
Tree without even climbing a single pitch, so Kevin Newell from Five Ten kindly belayed me on the Left Ski Track, a burly 5.11a crack that faces the Hidden Valley parking lot. Although Arno's slideshow left me with tremendous mental strength, my body, sadly, was still in winter mode with weak arms, soft skin and big, big quads. I flailed at the crux and got to fall test a not-so-textbook camalot placement in a wacky flared pocket. Luckily for me, it held. As I belayed Kevin up I got to look around and appreciate the gorgeous surroundings while blood dripped out of a gash on my hand from desperately jamming the sharp rock. Ahhhh, what could be better than that. Now I am back at my desk, gearing up for my thesis defense on Friday... hopefully I can transition from Rock Warrior to Isotope Warrior with ease, and finish up this degree so I can get climbing!
Knotty Girls
Trad bettys in training
Armed and ready for some serious crack climbing
1 comment:
I love Spring in J-Tree. Looks like a fun weekend. Hope to meet you in LCC one of these days!
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