'ixtlan'

this is angelo in a post offwidth interview.  he got a bit beat up.  i didn't even try it.  

red rock photo

today we are still resting.  spent a whole dollar on the penny slots of the stratosphere last night.  we are becoming party-poopers.  it might have been more fun if we could've brought the hundreds of pennies accumulating in the cab of the van to the casino but digitalization has ruined the classic slot machine and a gambler's betting options are limited to cash money or tickets.  lame.  due to some rain last night we will have to take it easy for another 24 hrs to let the rock dry and then hope to hit a long (2000+ ft) climb.  the pics are of me climbing 'prince of darkness' and then rapping 'our father' the next day.  both climbs are in the black velvet canyon.

i hurt everywhere.

the pics are old ones from when we stopped in the enchanted tower in new mexico.  there are many new red rock photos but i forgot to upload them onto the laptop before going to the whole foods for wifi.  oops.

as the title indicates- i hurt everywhere.  apparently i cannot handle daily climbing and hiking with heavy packs.  my back muscles hurt, my arms hurt, my neck hurts, my feet cringe at the sight of climbing shoes, my finger tips are void of their original prints, my skin has dried out and cracked everywhere, my eyes burn from the sand, and i'm quite sure that the cracking noises coming from my joints are not appropriate for anyone aged twenty-five.  it was an incredibly difficult decision but... we're taking a break!  and what is there to do in vegas when not climbing?  penny slots!  we stopped at the local climbing gym for showers and the plan is to hit the strip.  but maybe not til tomorrow.  i'm not sure i can even pull the levers today.  i'm pretty sure i'm not even writing well today, but free wifi is hard to come by so i've just got to type when the opportunity presents itself.  current plan is rest, climb a bit more here, head to zion natl park then to indian creek (ut).  if anyone knows of cheap camping near zion please share.  

the description and the pics are switched.  'great red book' is below.

we are in red rocks and its pretty.

angelo on "the great red book" and then on top of "ixtlan", an offwidth roof (scary, i passed).  both pics are from red rocks nevada where we will be for another week or three.  

me.

heres an image friend ben composed of me climbing a route in mexico.  don't worry, i have not multiplied.  

movin' on.

for better or worse we are back in the states.  basically we ran out of pesos and rather than exchange more $, we hit the road.  border crossing went smoothly despite our expectations.  there was a significant line of cars on the border bridge to get to the inspection station, but the mexicans walking back and forth with odd concessions kept us occupied and full (candied pecan discs... mmm!).  the driving was rough but we livened it up with a stop in white sands new mexico and the petrified forest of arizona.  the pics are of angelo climbing in the virgin canyon in mexico (there was actually a shrine of the virgin mary built into the canyon wall complete with teal christmas lights) and of me walking through the white sands. we also stopped at the beautiful but freezing enchanted tower in new mexico for a day of climbing.  a photo of that crag should follow shortly.  we'll be in red rocks nevada for the near future just outside of vegas.  the luxury of the peso/dollar exchange rate is over so we'll be camping now, cooking on a coleman stove and showering in rivers.  however, the weather is still balmy and the rock is stunning.  stay tuned. 

pinnacle photo

angelo climbing up the second pitch of the pinnacle on my b-day.  

still here!

today we went on a nice 11 pitch moderate route and got fried.  its getting hot here!  my northern blood isn't cut out for this.  i'm drinking half my weight in water.  can't wait to get more pics and some videos up on the blog.  that may have to wait for more reliable internet.  sorry.  the climbing is still great, but we're starting to get tired of limestone.  this area has treated us well and the rock whipped us back in shape. now we're getting ready for the next adventure.  time for some new mexico (the state) basalt crack climbing perhaps?  i think we'll see how much longer we can milk this great location and cheap living.  also dissuading us from relocation is the inevitable drive through texas which, for those of you who haven't been fortunate enough to drive it, is similar to pulling small yet irritating cactus thorns out of your skin for 800 miles straight.  oh yeah, WITHOUT cruise control.  the pic is of me at the local market where you can buy anything from stunning produce, pirated movies and cds, live chicks, clothes, fried pork ears, and my personal favorite fresh lime-ade for the walk back up into the potrero.  you can also play some strange local form of bingo which uses bottle caps.  the second photo is of the spires (las agujas) that we will be climbing to celebrate my birthday tomorrow.   we will also be drinking vino brought all the way from CA and eating the last of the vegan dark chocolate supply from mackenzies.