Ever since we arrived in Vegas it has been a roller coaster ride, with many ups and downs. We have had further car trouble and Cath has had to have an emergency appendectomy.
Despite this the one thing that has kept us
on top has been the amazing people that have helped us through these times,
good and bad.
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| Cath crushing before she get sick! |
Shortly after arriving in Vegas we met back
up with some of our favourite Canadian’s, Kyle and Leslie. We also met some of
their friends from Ontario, Dave and Erin, who were kind enough to invite us to
stay at their rental house in Vegas for the next week. This offer was too good
to refuse, given there was a pool and a hot tub, to boot! We had a fun week
hanging with these awesome people and sampling the fun bolted routes of the Red
Rock Canyon.
After enjoying the hot tub house with the
awesome Ontarians, we found ourselves homeless.
We tried to find a free camp site a little way out of Vegas,
unfortunately the area we found was riddled with gun shots, bullet casings and
trees full of broken bottles and cans. We made a hasty retreat back to the paid
campsite to find it full and in a last ditch effort to find a cheap option we ended
up in a what appeared to be a SUPER dodgy motel. We arrived to find a prostitute
out the front arguing with what we assumed were customers in their cars and a
bunch of probably very nice but somewhat suspect guys hanging around the front
entrance. We almost drove away, but had pre paid for the room and so sucked it
up. Luckily we did because it was actually pretty luxurious!
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| Alan and Kate at Camp |
Finally we made the move to the official
campsite and shared a site with Alan and Kate, which was much more relaxed.
Climbing highlights during these times were
Cath and I doing the mega classic Epinephrine, an amazing long route with 3
crux chimney pitches and a 3.5 hr walk off. Well worth it, although we certainly
needed a rest day after it.
Craig and Ruth (again, from JTree) were
also around and Craig and I did Drifting a 5 pitch 11c and Cath and Ruth went climbing
each leading a couple of scary 5.10+ trad routes.
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| Porter and Cath |
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| Mexican Cartel Styl |
We also meet up and climb with Porter Jarrod who I had met in the New River Gorge some years back.
After
climbing we go for Mexican. During
dinner the “cartel” baseball team seem to be arguing in the back of the
restaurant and we all wait for them to draw there guns eeek! Great little place
and an interesting/fun night!
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| Atop Cloud Tower 5.11d, 9 pitches |
After this good day our luck again changed
and the Love Boat died a slow death on the way back to the campsite (after a
week of increasingly loud putting) and
we barely limped into our camp L
Very fortunately for us our savior arrives
back in town in the form of Steve Harry, down from Canada for the long weekend.
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| Super Steve |
While the car was at the mechanic, Steve was
amazing and picked us up from our camp site and ferried us around. And with the
Help of Kyle and Leslie we have a great time till our van is ready to be picked
up.
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| The ever smiling "no problem" Kyle |
Finally we pick LB up and less than 10 mins
later the brakes seize, and we manage to just get car back to mechanic and get
them fixed. Steve and Kyle are back on taxi duty again for the next few days–
thanks guys!
That night is Cath’s birthday and we feel a
little lost with out the Love Boat. However Kyle and Leslie, Steve, Craig and
Ruth, Brendan, and Porter rally and we go to BJ’s for amazing burgers and
cocktails and then on to the red rock casino for bowling to make a great night
of festivities for Cath’s birthday.
Finally the Love Boat is ready to hit the
road again, and we spend one last day in Red Rocks climbing with Steve. Cath
starts to feel sick, which is the start of the next saga……
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| Bocce at camp Team Weakness |
The crew (now nicknamed Team Weakness due
to our various array of injuries and illnesses) have moved onto Mesquite for
some limestone sport climbing and we meet them there to strengthen up before
getting spanked on the cracks at Indian Creek.
Unfortunately while in Mesquite Cath gets
really sick, and after 3 visits to emergency in mesquite hospital we still
don’t know what is wrong? We are both a bit stressed.
Again Kyle and Leslie, Craig and Ruth and
Brendan and Eric are an amazing support during while we are there.
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| Cath recovering with a popsicle after an appendectomy |
After the 3 visits to Mesquite we decide to
go to the bigger hospital in St George about an hour away. Finally Cath sees a
surgeon that is determined to work out what is going on, and eventually
discovers appendicitis and Cath has an emergency appendectomy. Team Weakness
visit the hospital bringing an assortment of gifts including a giant stuffed
sheep who is now the team mascot.
The sliver lining of the getting surgery in
the states is that our insurance paid for a suite in the best casino in town
for 6 nights!!!!
Finally Cath is well enough to leave the
hotel we spend one last night camping in Mesquite be fore heading to Moab.
On all trips, the people you meet and spend
time with can really make the trip, and that has been especially true during
this part of the trip. We have been privileged to meet some truly amazing
people on this trip
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| A big thankyou to all the amazing people that we have met and have helped us out…. You have made our trip!!!! |
Climbing News
We were lucky enough to be around when Leslie does her first 5.14a (32) Magnum Opus at the Grail. See pictures here Leslie 14a
I manage to Red point Voyager One a new 50m 5.13a (28) at the Grail on my 3rd shot and 1st of the day.
The same day I also Onsight Homo Faber 5.12d(27) which is my second at this
grade!
For more photos click here: http://adamds.smugmug.com
