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| Rising from the plains we wander in search of verticality (Interstate 25, Wyoming) |
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| Alisha flies 8000 miles from her cozy nest in Bangkok to get White People Thai Food (Thai Kitchen Restaurant, Casper) |
in media res, we find Alisha's American Adventure currently in Ten Sleep Canyon, Wyoming. We meet my old buds Brian and Josh and new friends Mila, Martha, Becca, and Todd our first day out at Valhalla. Alisha's expecting a heinous approach after I threw her into the deep end of the pool scrambling up boulders in Boulder, Colorado last week (yes). Instead she relievedly plows through a longer and sustained albeit gentler slope through tall grass, which is more exhausting and worse (you do understand how that's worse, right?)
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| Brian sorting out Some Boys Never Learn Extension (Munitions Roof, Valhalla) |
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| Mila's Dan Dan Noodles check off the diversity meal quota in this Western town (Ten Sleep, Wyoming) |
| August 2, 2024 Ticklist |
| Some Boys Never Learn |
Lead / Onsight |
Ten Sleep Canyon > Valhalla > Munitions Roof |
5.10c Sport |
| Cows ate My Hammock |
Lead / Onsight |
Ten Sleep Canyon > Valhalla > Munitions Roof |
5.10c Sport |
| Anarchy and an AK-47 |
Lead / Onsight |
Ten Sleep Canyon > Valhalla > Munitions Roof |
5.9 Sport |
| Wicked as an M-16 |
Lead / Onsight |
Ten Sleep Canyon > Valhalla > Munitions Roof |
5.11a Sport |
...
John, Alisha and I head out in the morning to beat the heat and the crowds. John's goals align with mine to try hard today and Alisha is focused on just making it to the crag. We meet some new friends Gabe and David and begin bashing our heads against my new project.
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| Zuko co-pilots John on our way to the crag (Ten Sleep, Wyoming) |
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| You will get the chills when you finally see the temperature today (Ten Sleep, Wyoming) |
| August 3, 2024 Ticklist |
| Icebreaker |
Lead / Onsight |
Ten Sleep Canyon > Old Road Crags > Greenland |
5.9 Sport |
| Inuit Flake |
Lead / Onsight |
Ten Sleep Canyon > Old Road Crags > Greenland |
5.11- Sport |
| Design Model |
Lead / Fell/hung |
Ten Sleep Canyon > Old Road Crags > Greenland |
5.12d Sport |
| Inuit Flake |
Lead / Redpoint |
Ten Sleep Canyon > Old Road Crags > Greenland |
5.11- Sport |
| Design Model |
Lead / 1-hang |
Ten Sleep Canyon > Old Road Crags > Greenland |
5.12d Sport |
| Icebreaker |
Lead / Redpoint |
Ten Sleep Canyon > Old Road Crags > Greenland |
5.9 Sport |
...
I wrestle with the dilemma of bringing my climbing shoes. Sometimes it might be important to have climbing shoes on rest days, you see. John does a sight-read of Bonnie and Clyde and then hikes it his second go. In the interest of getting a good photo angle of him I accidentally find myself free soloing up brush and crumbly limestone in my flip-flops. Brian and Mila suss out the crag as the terrific pupper trio Zuko Kara and Oso have the time of their lives. I help Alisha lead some climbs but do more harm than good pushing her out her comfort zone. Will she ever climb with me again?
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| John bites a bight on Bonnie and Clyde (His and Hers Wall, Lake Point) |
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| Zuko looking stately as ever (Lake Point, Ten Sleep Canyon) |
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| John seems more interested in the wall over there than the wall he's about to climb (Lake Point, Ten Sleep Canyon) |
| August 4, 2024 Ticklist |
| Climber 49er |
Lead / Onsight |
Ten Sleep Canyon > Lake Point > Tilt-a-Wall |
5.8 Sport |
| Suits and Boots |
Lead / Onsight |
Ten Sleep Canyon > Lake Point > The Cobra |
5.8 Sport |
...
Despite the scorching temperatures, me and Alisha strike out to Thermopolis to inspect their hot springs. Today is another rest day for me but should I bring my climbing shoes?
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| Alisha appreciating the flat, civilized path for a change (Hot Springs State Park, Thermopolis) |
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| I swear I didn't know there would be an approach you gotta believe me (Hot Springs State Park, Thermopolis) |
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A wonderful reunion with Jackson from my old Brooklyn Boulders days over a decade ago. I happily lead him and Brian back towards my project at Greenland. Despite the stellar lines here we are peacefully the only group present. Brian zeroes in on his project full of disgusting vertical pockets and I continue to pump my arms out on mine. Jackson onsights Brian's climb and makes light work of my climb, then helpfully hangs a toprope for Alisha so she can feel included.
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| Jackson makes me question my beta with how smoothly and differently he climbs my project (Design Model, Greenland) |
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| "Indian" (read: Native American?) tacos with your typical nacho fixin's make up the majority of the limited culinary delicacies of this here town. (Ten Sleep Brewery, Ten Sleep) |
| August 6, 2024 Ticklist |
| Inuit Flake |
Lead / Fell/hung |
Ten Sleep Canyon > Old Road Crags > Greenland |
5.11- Sport |
| Design Model |
Lead / Fell/hung |
Ten Sleep Canyon > Old Road Crags > Greenland |
5.12d Sport |
| Inuit Flake |
Lead / Redpoint |
Ten Sleep Canyon > Old Road Crags > Greenland |
5.11- Sport |
| Design Model |
Lead / 1-hang |
Ten Sleep Canyon > Old Road Crags > Greenland |
5.12d Sport |
| Inuit Flake |
Lead / Redpoint |
Ten Sleep Canyon > Old Road Crags > Greenland |
5.11- Sport |
| Design Model |
Lead / 1-hang |
Ten Sleep Canyon > Old Road Crags > Greenland |
5.12d Sport |
...
Another rest day for me as I bring my climbing shoes to Home Alone Wall. I hang some lines up for Alisha and try a bit harder than I want to on the celebrity 5.11a here. Alisha makes huge progress on her head game and stoke even though she's hauling through buckets of bat guano.
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| Alisha looking more and more comfortable on slippy slopes and dirty canyons. (Plea Bargain, Home Alone) |
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| Kara my one true love. WHO LOVES GREENIES? Dog tax fulfilled. (Ten Sleep, Wyoming) |
| August 7, 2024 Ticklist |
| Ramp | Lead / Onsight | Ten Sleep Canyon > Home Alone | 5.5 Sport |
| Limestoned | Lead / Onsight | Ten Sleep Canyon > Home Alone | 5.11a Sport |
| Home Alone | Lead / Onsight | Ten Sleep Canyon > Home Alone | 5.8 Sport |
| Plea Bargain | Lead / Onsight | Ten Sleep Canyon > Home Alone | 5.10a Sport |
...
Alisha takes a rest day as Brian and I return to Greenland for our ostensibly last project day. I'm of two minds; it's not a big deal going home empty-handed. Climbing isn't everything. But I've rehearsed this climb so many times now and the movement is so excellent and flowy that it would sure be nice to send this in good style. It's been a long, long time since I've bagged a project. I shamble up the vertical face and stare up from the foot of the gently tilted-back headwall. I absent-mindedly wonder if I have IBS. I fire off the big moves that I've done so many times now yet still feel wobbly. Next thing I know I'm sloppily hauling my tired butt post-crux to the chains. Not sure what happened but the send-gods were surely generous as I lower back down to the ground in a haze. I happily switch into support mode as I belay Brian on his project. He gets closer each of his tireless tries but unfortunately doesn't send as I evidently must have used up all the send-gods' goodwill. We pack up under the dubious watch of dark stormclouds and go get beers instead.
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| August 8, 2024 Ticklist |
| Inuit Flake |
Lead / Redpoint |
Ten Sleep Canyon > Old Road Crags > Greenland |
5.11- Sport |
| Design Model |
Lead / Redpoint |
Ten Sleep Canyon > Old Road Crags > Greenland |
5.12d Sport |
| Narsaq |
Lead / Onsight |
Ten Sleep Canyon > Old Road Crags > Greenland |
5.12a Sport |
| Ice Melter |
Lead / Onsight |
Ten Sleep Canyon > Old Road Crags > Greenland |
5.10a Sport |
...
Our last day here finds Brian, Josh, Alisha and I all at Home Alone Wall. Everyone cheerfully complains their way up the climbs as Alisha bags a solid redpoint, her first send on lead of this trip. Eventually the fun has to come to an end. Brian and Josh embark on their onerous drive back to Denver and me and Alisha pack up for the next leg of our trip. I didn't think I was enjoying the climbing here at Ten Sleep but as I reflect on the week I really had a wonderful time both on the wall and with Brian's hilarious crew of crusty ol' climbers. I feel deep thanks to the land and the good people with me. Goodbye, Ten Sleep! A return to this remote paradise is surely possible, but until then, we're off towards the emerald pools of Lake Tahoe.
| August 9, 2024 Ticklist |
| Plea Bargain |
Lead / Redpoint |
Ten Sleep Canyon > Home Alone |
5.10a Sport |
| Sexorcisto |
Lead / Onsight |
Ten Sleep Canyon > Home Alone |
5.10c Sport |
| Sexorcisto |
TR |
Ten Sleep Canyon > Home Alone |
5.10c Sport |
| Fake Snake |
Lead / Onsight |
Ten Sleep Canyon > Mondo Beyondo > Dreamland |
5.7 Sport |
| Douggie and Jimmy's Excellent Adventure |
Lead / Onsight |
Ten Sleep Canyon > Mondo Beyondo > Dreamland |
5.8 Sport |
| Beer Bong |
Lead / Onsight |
Ten Sleep Canyon > Mondo Beyondo > Dreamland |
5.10b Sport |
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| A solid crew ending the day with Brian's 69th birthday dinner (Ten Sleep, Wyoming) |
