Okay, I give up. I can't condense the photos from Joe's Valley down to a reasonable number. So the new plan is to do one post per climber. I have to apologize to much of the Colorado crew since I didn't get any pictures of them and to Cory, who I got one crappy picture of. However, you can watch a video of him crushing Beyond Life (V10) on Jamie Emerson's blog. Also a big thanks to Isaac for showing me a bunch of boulder problems and to his dog Sage for bringing me a bunch of sticks.
The lineup: (maybe in this order, maybe not)
Nate (yes, he's first)
Ben
Eric
The 4runner
Jamie
Jim
Nate
photo - Jeff Sillcox
Driving to Joe's one year ago (or more accurately, one year before this Joe's Valley trip), Nate flipped his car 35 times avoiding a monster truck (driven by a drunk bear) and some ice dancers. Read last year's version of the story just in case I forgot anything important. Long story short: broken neck, surgery, a neck brace for a really long time, and no climbing for six months. On Nate's first day climbing after the accident, he sent The Marble (V10) in tennis shoes. (Nate, you should have written this one up yourself so the details were slightly more accurate.) Obviously he is back to full strength and crushing again. It would be a pretty inspirational story if we didn't make fun of it so much.
Nate is not afraid of the ground below Michelangelo (V3/4). It can't drive down the wrong side of the highway.
photo - Jeff Sillcox
The Wind Below (V8)
photo - Jeff Sillcox
Flashing the classic Wills a Fire (V6)
photo - Jeff Sillcox
Nate trying Dark Continent (V8). (Insert joke about his lack of endurance).
photo - Jeff Sillcox
Nate putting up a new classic on more perfect sandstone in the Rocklands, South Africa.
photo - Jeff Sillcox
Cabin fever from a week of rain in South Africa...
photo - Jeff Sillcox
4 comments:
Aren't you on vacation? Shouldn't you be reading your scuba books???
Nah, diving is easy. I just jumped in the water and sunk to 90ft.
Thanks for the post Jeff. I'm amazed at your attention to detail. The only error I found is that the monster truck was actually driven by a marmot on pcp.
Nate
Little known fact about Nate: he played the clarinet and all other wood wind instruments for the Spinners, O' Jays, and Teddy Pendergrass before that fateful day when he was hit by a conestoga wagon hijacked and guided by three Bactrian camels.
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