"Hachoo" my nose hails in multiples. After a 12 hour drive from Las Vegas to Lander, we found ourselves nestled, like glorious rock climbing hobbits, in a foreign area surrounded by knee high allergens looking up at me as a potential victim. Lying down next to Chris's Tacoma, we only had a few hours to try and sleep. Rising my tired body, around noon, we sluggishly (which is the correct description) hiked a long two track trail. Clearing the first hill, the cliff to our right; stared at us. The Dolomite (correction from earlier blog, Wild Iris is a Dolomite rock, not limestone) climbing at the Iris is Power, mixed with some technique. The climbing lends itself well to the pocket hippy. The area is a historical net supporting a friendly climbing community, hence our attendance @ Lander, WY's 15th annual International Climbing Festival. The folks are friendly here; always a "god bless you" with a sneeze, a belay with a route, and the random fisherman spontaneously engaging in conversation with me; while patiently repairing his line on Main Street.
As I sit here typing, the lone fisherman just off Main is testing his line out. Winding it up. reeling the bait back up to end of the pole. The fisherman winds hit bait up to recover his catch, as a belayer climber leads his rope from belayer. From above ground the climber can breath, without distraction floating up the rock. While a fish finds no breath above water, ripped from his enviornment, grasping for a bit of oxygen he just cannot filter.
The Festival has been full of fun events, like Chris introducing "Spray" (a new dvd by Brian Solano), Slide shows by British top climber Dave Mcleoud, and free pizza and Beer night. (which we could not attend due to climbing well into the night) Hanging out with O Dub on a regular basis, (the climbing world's Eminem) was way cool. Odub makes satirical rap songs about climbing: "I got ninety-nine problems but this pitch ain't one". I ain't gonna' fool ya', the guys got talent as an MC.
The sun rises us, as we imagine the sun rising, floating to the cliff my headphones blast unforgettable notions of who I am. The short reggae rhythm creates a pace for my hike, clearing my mind of distractions before I must focus on my climbing. My food is packed, a healthy bag of natural mix, giving me a greater connection to the natural world and myself.
Wild Iris is a small Dolomite climbing area just outside the town of Lander Wyoming where the rock is steep, pockety and powerful. The huge rocks are huge yogurt covered raisins, with blueberry stains. The first wall of interest was the "Rodeo Wall", housing some of the more difficult climbs along the cliff band, we decided to spend most of our time there. My project "Cow Reggae" is graded @ 13b and is pretty much just what I expected of the Iris: Short, Powerful, and a bit technical. We spent one day down at a wall called "Erratic" which holds "Throwing the Hullahan" a 14a originally climbed by Legendary climber and Lander Local Todd Skinner. (R.I.P.) The walk over, is a pointillism of wild flowers, as beautiful as can be. The cliff here at Erratic is shadier during High Noon, which protects us from the UV rays and a heat. The weather here sort of reminds me of the temperature back in San Diego.
Chris has had a few falling clinics to teach at the festival. An entertaining spectacle to watch, the clinics kept us at the Iris till yesterday. After his last clinic, which involved setting a line to the top of a rock climb (anchors), having a spectator jugging up that chord, tying into another chord, unclipping and falling ( or something like that), We decided to go check out this other area called "Sinks Canyon". Staring up at the "Killer Cave" we were super siked to climb what was a virtual opposite from Wild Iris. A long overhanging cliff with remnants of some of the great climbing Wyoming has to offer. The climbs are long, (all over 70 ft) technical, and littered with pockets and crimps. My project at this cliff is a 3 star, super long 13 called Mr. Majestick. Probably around 15 bolts, the climb is a pump fest,with a double foot jam rest about 1/2 way up the wall. I have tried it twice and all our hands are thrashed. We still have 8 days up here in Lander before we have to take my man Carlos Mason to SLC to catch a flight. Until then...
The cliffs around me offer a place to dig in deep to myself and remember what truly makes me happy. Distractions are all lifted as I focus on the joy of things that are beautiful, positive, and happy (what ever that may be) . I'll say them in my head, one after another, until my mind is filled with positivity. I smile within when the effects of distractions just seem to brush off as if they do not exist.
Also visit chrislindner.com and go to "Blog" to see another perspective on an update.
Highlights from the trip so far: -Chris's movie night at the Lander bar, where you order milk and send it back cause it costs 4 bucks.
-The guy who slack lines with a bike in his hands.
-Cooking dinner with a Camp Chef stove in our hotel room, and getting kicked out and having to cook in the best alley way in the world.
-Meeting the delinquent youth of Lander, Wyoming.
-Eating Authentic Mexican Food at the Mexi joint in town.
-Watching my friends get thrashed on Spenceritas.
-Climbing
Check out Asanaclimbing.blogspot.com and check out some of my articles comin' up dis' month!
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