Long weekend
Another excellent weekend happy blog readers.
Saturday Colin and I got out on EEOR, (East End of Rundle) in Canmore. It wasn't starting out too well. We parked our vehicles in the parking area to gail force winds, misty rain, and watching ominous clouds forming over head. I have to admit that my interest in climbing was dwindling rapidly. But then there is the "Colin" factor. Colin rarely lets something as annoying as weather deter him. We did quickly scrap our intial climbing objective, a longer route on Ha-Ling. Colin suggested a shorter route which he said was "well protected from the wind" Which translates to "No Lise, I won't let you be a bailing lazy ass" I started to bundle up, gloves, touque and we headed out. Now one thing I have to say about Colin and his predictions about things, he is rarely wrong. Perhaps this is because he doesn't offer an opinion unless he's fairly confident he knows what he's talking about. But over the years his opinions of routes, conditions, gear, I've learned to accept that he's usually right and ohhh how it bugs the shit out of me to admit this. :-) But sure enough as we start up the route, the wind dies down, but as I look down at the lake I can still see the white caps. We're climbing Raptor a 7pitch 10b sport route. The climbing was stiff thats for sure. Then Colin suggested I lead a couple of the easier pitches, so I figured what the hell, why not. I lead a 5.8 pitch that I was really happy with. By 2pm we were back down in the windy parking lot. Colin was jetting off to Cache Creek to climb with Nic and Karena.
Tom is staying in a time-share condo for the week before he leaves for Peru. He was nice enough to leave me a key. Him and Shannon were climbing someplace else. So smelly, dirty climber-girl show up at this very spanky resort, nestled across the way from the 3 sisters mountains. I check out the lobby and the decor and my spidey senses say "HOT TUB". I ask as the front desk "why yes ma'am we do have a hot tub, sauna and pool" CHA-CHING. One little snag. I have no bathing suit. Zoom-Zoom back into town and ba-ta-bing-ba-da-boom Lise is now sporting a damn fine 2 piece.
And then aaaahhh.... as I slip into the hot tub. Totally uncaring that my legs are bruised and battered, I look like an accident victim. Who CARES. I lazed around the rest of the afternoon, waiting for Tom and Shannon to show up. We met up with more climbing friends Gerhard and Yuka for dinner. I crashed at Tom's place and for the second weekend in a row Shannon and I were sharing a bed together. We decided it was an excellent arrangement, sleep together on the weekends and have our freedom the rest of the weekend. Leave it to 2 women to figure out the perfect relationship (snicker)!
The next day I decided to head back to Calgary. I turned down offers of climbing and Mt biking, for some reason that day I just wasn't feeling the luv. I was happy to spend some time with the kitties and I went for a great hill run in Nose Hill Park. Apparently what the body wanted was the fluid feeling of running and moving. I'm a fairly social person but I find that I also need my alone time. So Sunday was a nice quiet day.
Monday I met up with Tom at the Yamnuska parking lot. (please read previous post for the whining about Yam) We climbed a classic Yam route, Directissma. And a classic for good reason, some of the best rock I've climbed on Yam. 9 pitches of clean, excellent climbing. I think the first ascentionists were on drugs when they graded is a 5.8+. This route is HARD, pulling roofs, shimmining up chimneys, delicate climbing, HARD. It was a 12 hour day for Tom and I. As usual, we thoroughly enjoyed our climbing day together. AND we didn't get off-route. Tom lead every pitch and did an awesome job. Unfortunatly I added some new strokes to the black and blue palette of my legs. I wacked them good twice and could feel the warmth of blood beneath my pants, uggh.
Now, back at home I'm sipping my wine and wincing a wee bit as I type since my fingertips are alittle oozy - I am such a delicate flower :-) But I figured I should capture my thoughts now as I know my day tomorrow is going to be a zoo.
Well happy blog readers I hope you had a great weekend as well. :-)
Saturday Colin and I got out on EEOR, (East End of Rundle) in Canmore. It wasn't starting out too well. We parked our vehicles in the parking area to gail force winds, misty rain, and watching ominous clouds forming over head. I have to admit that my interest in climbing was dwindling rapidly. But then there is the "Colin" factor. Colin rarely lets something as annoying as weather deter him. We did quickly scrap our intial climbing objective, a longer route on Ha-Ling. Colin suggested a shorter route which he said was "well protected from the wind" Which translates to "No Lise, I won't let you be a bailing lazy ass" I started to bundle up, gloves, touque and we headed out. Now one thing I have to say about Colin and his predictions about things, he is rarely wrong. Perhaps this is because he doesn't offer an opinion unless he's fairly confident he knows what he's talking about. But over the years his opinions of routes, conditions, gear, I've learned to accept that he's usually right and ohhh how it bugs the shit out of me to admit this. :-) But sure enough as we start up the route, the wind dies down, but as I look down at the lake I can still see the white caps. We're climbing Raptor a 7pitch 10b sport route. The climbing was stiff thats for sure. Then Colin suggested I lead a couple of the easier pitches, so I figured what the hell, why not. I lead a 5.8 pitch that I was really happy with. By 2pm we were back down in the windy parking lot. Colin was jetting off to Cache Creek to climb with Nic and Karena.
Tom is staying in a time-share condo for the week before he leaves for Peru. He was nice enough to leave me a key. Him and Shannon were climbing someplace else. So smelly, dirty climber-girl show up at this very spanky resort, nestled across the way from the 3 sisters mountains. I check out the lobby and the decor and my spidey senses say "HOT TUB". I ask as the front desk "why yes ma'am we do have a hot tub, sauna and pool" CHA-CHING. One little snag. I have no bathing suit. Zoom-Zoom back into town and ba-ta-bing-ba-da-boom Lise is now sporting a damn fine 2 piece.
And then aaaahhh.... as I slip into the hot tub. Totally uncaring that my legs are bruised and battered, I look like an accident victim. Who CARES. I lazed around the rest of the afternoon, waiting for Tom and Shannon to show up. We met up with more climbing friends Gerhard and Yuka for dinner. I crashed at Tom's place and for the second weekend in a row Shannon and I were sharing a bed together. We decided it was an excellent arrangement, sleep together on the weekends and have our freedom the rest of the weekend. Leave it to 2 women to figure out the perfect relationship (snicker)!
The next day I decided to head back to Calgary. I turned down offers of climbing and Mt biking, for some reason that day I just wasn't feeling the luv. I was happy to spend some time with the kitties and I went for a great hill run in Nose Hill Park. Apparently what the body wanted was the fluid feeling of running and moving. I'm a fairly social person but I find that I also need my alone time. So Sunday was a nice quiet day.
Monday I met up with Tom at the Yamnuska parking lot. (please read previous post for the whining about Yam) We climbed a classic Yam route, Directissma. And a classic for good reason, some of the best rock I've climbed on Yam. 9 pitches of clean, excellent climbing. I think the first ascentionists were on drugs when they graded is a 5.8+. This route is HARD, pulling roofs, shimmining up chimneys, delicate climbing, HARD. It was a 12 hour day for Tom and I. As usual, we thoroughly enjoyed our climbing day together. AND we didn't get off-route. Tom lead every pitch and did an awesome job. Unfortunatly I added some new strokes to the black and blue palette of my legs. I wacked them good twice and could feel the warmth of blood beneath my pants, uggh.
Now, back at home I'm sipping my wine and wincing a wee bit as I type since my fingertips are alittle oozy - I am such a delicate flower :-) But I figured I should capture my thoughts now as I know my day tomorrow is going to be a zoo.
Well happy blog readers I hope you had a great weekend as well. :-)
posted by Lise B at Monday, July 02, 2007
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