Hunter S. Thompson Dome - Red Rocks

We headed back to Red Rocks to the Second Pullout and up to Hunter S. Thompson Dome.  We started on two fun 5.8s.

Then we went over to a 5.10c with a roof at the top.

I lead the 5.10c, I had a little pause at the roof but Anja encouraged me to pull through it and I sent it to the anchor.

Anja headed up a 5.11a next to it.

The move at the roof was tough.

Then we headed down canyon and up a 5.11a.

It was a really cool climb and it was pretty funny when we asked the group next to us we realized we knew them from Rockreation in LA.  We all had a good laugh and talked about our trip.

Geodes - November 11, 2010

We still needed to work on the Geodes so we went to Home Depot to try to figure out a polishing setup.

Anja and Ram love projects together.

We made more spring rolls.

Cirque Du Soleil - O - November 10, 2010

For Anja's birthday I got her tickets to Cirque Du Soleil O.  Ram was excited about the show so he and I worked it out and didn't tell Anja where we were going.  I just told her to put something nice on and we were heading out for the night.  However as we passed the Bellagio on I-15 she had it all figured out.

http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/home.aspx#/en/home/shows/details/o.aspx

The theater was really cool and our seats were somewhere around here.  The pool was amazing it had a floor of stone that could raise and lower for different performances.

 The three coolest things in the show were the suspended flying ship which they did trapeze tricks off.

 The burning man which they used to light other fire performances off.

 And the coolest the diving.  The center apparatus swung it back and forth and then shoot the diver into the air amazingly high.  If you look at the stage they were well above the black set in the background.

This was the best Cirque Du Soleil we ever went to.

The Gallery - Red Rocks - November 9, 2010

We went to Red Rocks and went to the Gallery for some sport climbing.

Anja on lead.

Ken on Lead

We had a fun day of sport climbing and Anja wanted to end on something hard so she headed up a 5.11c to the right.

It was a tough crack slanting to the left.

Halfway up she took a fall.

I guess she was testing my belay.

After that she sent it.

BBQ and Cake - November 8, 2010

At Richard's house, Ram had a birthday present for Anja and Richard and a cake for Anja.

We also BBQ'd and Ram was grill master.

We made some more spring rolls.  Quickly becoming Anja's favorite dish.

Anja loves cake.

CAKE!!!

Cat House - Joshua Tree - November 7, 2010

The night before Ram and Anja had left to meet Jenny near Barstow to do some sport climbing so I went out with the San Luis Obispo crew. They were headed to the Playhouse but it was crazy busy so they ended up at the Cat House. Not great climbing here but I got to climb with an old friend from Cal Poly's younger sister Nancy which was kind of fun. She had flown all the way from New York for this weekend in Joshua Tree. I lead a 5.8 and then we top roped a 5.7.

On the way out of the park I stopped at Trashcan Rock and did the Trashcan traverse I got it from left to right but fell off going back right to left. Then I drove on to New Jack City and got there in time to lead one 5.9 sport climb with Anja. The bad new was my Globe puffy jacket was missing and I must have lost it at camp. I was really bummed as it was a gift from Skater Dave and a really nice jacket for around the campfire. Oh well onto Vegas to meet Ram and hit Red Rocks.

Lava Dome - Joshua Tree - November 6, 2010

The weather was a perfect November day so we knew lots of people would be out so after a very slow morning getting motivated we headed to Geology Tour Road to Lava Dome.

Lava Dome has some great routes and no one is ever out there but even that day there was one party out there in the area but I'm sure they steered clear when they saw our herd of people.

Anja and Paul lead a pair of cracks, 5.8 and 5.6.  Ken led a 5.7ish crack not in the guidebook to the right.

Anja on the 5.8 crack

Ken on the 5.7 crack

Anja top roped a 5.11 on the face between the 5.8 and 5.7

Ken and Crystal joking around at the top of the 5.8 and 5.6.

We had some fun on top ropes

While we were there Eric and Mono showed up with there girlfriends and wanted to climb a 5.4 to make sure the lady's had a good time with there first time climbing experiene.  Unforcantately the 5.4 was pretty much a solo so Eric wasn't very excited about it.  I walked over and headed up it Mono was talking with the lady's who were still wondering about how to climb this and said he and Eric had found a solution...Ken.  I thought it was pretty fun but was very comfortable on the climb so no problem.  Later I checked back in with them and Eric's girlfriend had enjoyed the climb but Mondo's girlfriend was struggling with the heights.  She fought though it like a champ but at the top got a little petrified about lower down and just would not lean back and lower.  Everyone tried to talk her through it and explain it felt scarier than it was but no go.  So I soloed half way up to her and tried more to talk her down and she made it about half way after 20 minute.  We talked more and finally I said "I can make you lean back."  Mondo said "do it!" and she almost seemed comfortable with the idea so I clipped into the haul loop of her harness and then pulled her back.  Instantly she was leaning back and Eric lowered us down the climb.  It was a first for me to do a simul lower but I think it worked out.

Anja also went and led a 5.9 on Cave Rock and I cleaned it.