It's been a little while since my last blog, so I'll give you a quick update of where I've been.
After leaving Ecuador, we swung back through Colorado for my sister's wedding in Conifer County, which was nearby the South Platte--a popular climbing area southwest of Denver. At some point in our Colorado adventure the head gasket blew on our car, leaving us stranded. We were okay with this situation because this area--
the South Platte--presented a mulititude of climbing options, such as a multi-splitter and inverted OW boulder problems, among others. We could definitely be in a worse area! We had so much fun climbing we almost forgot about the bill for the head gasket. When I saw the bill for this repair my jaw nearly hit the floor; we were fortunate enough, though, to have a local friend who could help us get a good deal.
While our car was getting the necessary work done, we decided to head north to Devil's Tower where a few of our Ecuadoran friends were guiding. There, we met Frank, our friend and owner of
Devil's Tower Lodge. We immediately felt right at home in the grassy field facing the beautiful tower. We climbed for the next 10 days and bagged some great pitches. This was also a chance for my partner, Sophie, to build up her confidence to lead climb again after she took a bad fall on Smith Rock in central Oregon. So it was time to push her, despite her reluctance. We knew we were heading to Squamish, British Columbia, so we definitely wanted to really get her head back to normal before getting there.
Despite our circumstances, we made the best of our time in Colorado and Wyoming and we'll be excited to visit again in the future. It was a blast climbing with friends and, in our opinion, Devil's Tower is a "must visit," both for the climbing and the great company encountered there.
Until next time, be safe and have a great time out there!
