SGH, CLIMB, QUEST, READ, FRENCHMasha KrolMarch 08, 20203 Comments

Such Great Heights: Week 5 Summary

SGH, CLIMB, QUEST, READ, FRENCHMasha KrolMarch 08, 20203 Comments

Thanks everyone for your thoughtful messages since my last post - I felt extremely supported last week! Now, over 8000 kilometers in and probably actually past the halfway point of our trip, we’ve settled into our latest home-away-from-home in Fabulous Las Vegas, and here’s the update:

CLIMB: We got 2 (well, 1.5) days of “backcountry” climbing in while we were still in Hueco Tanks. Led by one of the lovely Rock Ranch hosts Rachel and her partner Blake, we went on 2 guided tours of West Mountain, East Mountain, and East Spur (all areas accessible only with certified guides). It was quite different to be shown around by experts, and quite fun! I didn’t end up trying any V4s in Hueco, but I did send Big Dick Jim, V3, thereby accomplishing my original goal - the cover photo of my shit-eating grin was taken while I was in a hole underneath the problem (and at that point, I don’t even think I’d sent it yet! I must have been having fun or something). I also got Vulgarian, V2 on the third try while warming up on our half-day, so I think I was starting to get the hang of Hueco just in time for us to take off. Certainly a place I will be coming back to! Even more exciting than these achievements, I did something completely new to me, something that felt forbidden - I played on problems I had no business touching since they were well above my grade (Animal Acts, V5 and Bush League, V8). Pause for reflection: if I didn’t wait for or assume I needed permission, what could happen? Unpause. To round out the week, we did 2 days of roped climbing in Red Rocks outside Vegas (after doing a lot of driving). I led my first 5.10b outside, and continued the Hueco Tanks without-their-permission trend by getting on a few 5.11’s (honestly, fucking roofs are hard). I still have to find my groove with roped climbing, hopefully somewhere between “this is so easy I’m bored” and “this is so hard I’m crying” (which I definitely did a few times, in and out of eponymous t-shirt). 9/10.
READ: Still reading The Clean Money Revolution and The Sellout (which I had to abandon at the Ranch), but haven’t read anything in the second half of the week. More please! 5/10.
QUEST: Another no-session week. I’ve done a bit of journaling as prescribed, and will be able to share some interesting insights next post. No score this week.
FRENCH: THERE it is! I’ve practiced more French speaking for the last few days of this week than I have possibly ever, thanks in large part to Dan and Marie with whom we met up in Vegas. Alex has also been helping out graciously via text message. I’m in a realistic version of my high school French immersion program, youppie! 1000/10.

Our fabulous selfie-n00b crew

With our guides Rachel (in the shades) and Blake (in the back)

Wanna Help?

WASH YOUR DAMN HANDS! Just kidding, though not really, please actually do this and help stop the spread of the nasties (COVID and Co.)

Also, if you felt a twinge of recognition reading about awaiting someone’s permission above, let me know I’m not crazy in the comments - I’d greatly appreciate it.