When Thursday came along we were all packed up, and immediatly after work we headed down to Castle Rock to meet our friend Danny. We finnished getting some random things from Wallmart including: bug spray, drinking water, and two multi spoon, fork, and knife tools. We were on our way up into the mountains. The plan was to Drive up into Rampart Rd, find a place to camp out, and then go climbing in the morning. As we were climing in altitude up the windy road, I got this amazing feeling over me. I have not had such a feeling as this since I was in school. It was the same feeling when the day of school was over on a beautiful day, or the feeling the last day of school gave me. I felt so free, and alive. I think that my life right now has made me feel stuck in so many ways. Don't get me wrong, I love my life, but I do miss the freedom I had in high school and college. I was not tied down, and I did what I wanted to. I miss that. It was so refreshing to feel free.
We saw a hot dog stand once we got onto of the top of the front range, so we stopped for a dog. I have not ever done that before. I have never spontanusley stopped for a random food stand. Awesome. We arived to Rampart Rd. and were going about 30 mph up and down the dirt road, but watching out for the wash boards at the terns. We were getting closer and closer to Devils Head and found a beautiful campsite in the middle of a bunch of boulders. It was so much fun just relaxing around a fire outside with my wonderful wife and good friend Danny. For Dinner we had some pb and j sandwitches, baked beans, rice, dried friut, and trail mix. It started to rain that night, so we hurried up and put everything away. We got in our tents and called it a night. The ground was not very soft, and we do not have sleeping pads yet. Desiree and I both did not get very good sleep, but were still up a little after 7 and started getting ready for the day. We had some oat meal, bacon, and dried fruit for breakfast.
We packet up the camp, and headed for Devil's Head. The night before Danny, being the people person that he is, befriended this family and the father happened to be a guide back in the day for climbing. We got some tips on a 5.7 rated trad climb that went up this chimmny on the Devil's Head Campground Crag. Once we hit the parking lot we grabed our gear, and headed up the short trail to the head of the climb. Danny sended the whole 200 feet with both of the ropes for Desiree, and I. We saw him on the last part up the chimmny, and we were nervouse because it looked hard. Desiree just was not feeling it. She started the climb, and just did not have her eyes open. She was climbing very sloppy, and I new that she was way better than she was climbing. I helped her through it, and we got into the start of the chimmny. This is where she fell apart. Let me take a side note and remind everyone that Desiree is a very good climber. She normally is having fun on the wall, but today she was just not feeling it for some reason. We both think that it was the poor night of sleep, and climbing so early in the morning that could have caused it. I was trying to help Desiree through it and we did make it up the whole 200 feet, but it was a rough one. Some times going camping/climbing is a form of marrage counseling for us.
Devil's Head Campground Crag; We climbed the furthest left crack.
It was time to get down, and Danny informed that the guy the night before said there was a way off the back side, but we were not finding it at all. We tied our two ropes together and repelled off of the top. This was the first time that Desiree has repelled, and it freaked her out a bit, but she did an awesome job. Desiree and I were pooped and ready to be done, but Danny had other plains. I just could not say no to Danny, plus deep inside I wanted to climb more.
I asked Danny, "How far is the hike to the Crag Ranch?" Danny answered, "about a mile." I thought, no big deal. If Desiree wanted to be done with climbing and just do the hike then she could go that route. We started out on the hike, and just a little ways into it I saw a sign that said that the hike was 1.5 miles. I thought, Danny was close, it is not that much longer than he said. The hike was switch backs up this side of this mountain, and it was tiering. Desiree was struggling a bit, and we had to wait for her several of times. I felt bad for her, and felt like a terrible husband to make her follow us men and do all that we were doing. She looked sick, but I kept encouraging her on. "Good job Des. You are almost there," I would hope. So we finally got to the top. To the left was a fire look out station, and all round there were rocks. I did not see any bolts in the wall though, and Danny had said that we would be climbing sport. We kept hiking, and kept hiking. We had to have hiked another three fourths of a mile before we arrived at the wall. Desiree's toes were killing her from now hiking back down hill. Every step and our toes would jam into the front of our boots.
We did finally arrive after what seemed like an entire day already. We all laid down in exhaustion, and started to fall asleep. Danny and I did not not rest for too long until he pointed out a beautiful 5.9 line to me. It was a straight vertical 100 feet of climbing. It sure did look hard, and I was doubting my ability as a climber to on-sight this one. This means that I would climb the route first try, no falls, or beta given. We got set up, and there I was on the wall. It was very difficult in parts, and other parts was very easy. I felt different on this route though. Most routes are very awkward to climb and you fell like a mess sending them, but I felt different this time. In the cruxes, the hardest part of that route, it was a little awkward, but then it would pull out to very smooth climbing again. I felt like a dancer sending up every move of this route. Then there I was at the top. I sure enough lead and on-sighted this 5.9. I was stoked and felt great, even with the lack of energy that I had.
I went over to where Desiree was, and she was knocked out. Desiree sure was tiered, for she laid down for a few minutes and she was out cold. I had to wake her up though. "Desiree, Desiree. I know that you are tiered, but you have to climb this. It was amazing." I exclaimed to her in the quietest voice that I could. I was surprised by her willingness, and almost joy to get back up and climb. Desiree taped her toes, and was about to take this climb like a champ. She jumped on this wall and did about three moves and hit the first crux and fell. I wanted her to get this climb so bad, but it made me nervous. I could not help but to think that she was going to quit before she gave it a chance. Desiree took a look at the holds, and gave it another go. She struggled a little, but in no time passed the first crux up. She was on her way up to the next crux. Desiree was looking great, and I was so excited for her. "Yeah. Way to go." I shouted up at her. Where she was at this point of the climb there was a double intermittent crack system that was slightly leaning to the left. It was about three big moves from the left crack, to the right crack, and back to the left. Desiree took about 12 falls. I was getting nervous again that she was going to give up.
Working the crux by the intermittent double crack system
Desiree kicking butt
I was on the ground with our baby. I mean... our Cannon Rebel, and taking photos of Desiree. Danny was belaying Desiree from the ground. Really though. Danny was lying on the ground. I turned from Desiree's climbing for just a second to take a picture of Danny.
Danny belaying Desiree with his grigri lying on the ground.
"Adam did you see that." I heard being yelled above me. Aw, I missed it. Desiree gave another hard try for the moves, and got pass the 2nd crux. She was on her way with ease here on out. She was taking her time and puzzle piecing it together to get up this 100 foot climb. I was so proud of her. Desiree sent her first 5.9.
Danny wanted to climb something a little harder for he is a great climber. He picked the route just right of the one that we climbed, rated a 5.11d. Taking pictures of climbing is not fun a lot of times. This is because you are stuck on the ground and do not have many other options for angles to shoot besides the angle of butt. I have mentioned to Danny that I would love to start taking pictures like the pro climbing photographers. Danny and I planed on Desiree belaying Danny, and I would do exactly what I was hoping for. Danny has a belay device called a grigri. It is a very nice piece of equipment because when you are using it to belay a climber and the climber takes a fall, it auto locks. With this piece of equipment and others like it, climbers started to do what is called top rope soloing. This is where one end of the rope is tied to the climber. Then the rope goes up to the anchors at the top of the climb and back down to the climber. The grigri is attached to the climbers harness, and the rope feed through it. There I was set up to top rope solo with my camera on my back. I would climb up the rock, pull the rope's slack through the grigri, and continue to climb. I climbed about a 3rd of the way up the same 5.9 route that we climbed before. It was awesome. I fell on purpose and the grigri auto locked, so I could just hang on the rope.
Danny started to climb, and he was doing awesome. He came to this point of the climb where he had to dyno. A dyno is a climbing term which means that he had to jump, completely leaving the rock of the wall, and flying in the air to grab his next hold. Danny, just by a very little bit, did not make it and fell about a good 10 feet. Desiree locked the end of the rope to stop Danny from falling, but Danny's weight and momentum caused Desiree to shoot up into the air, and she slammed against the wall. She did great, and did not get hurt too bad. She did get a little bruise on her butt. Danny got back up, and finished the climb.
I felt legit up on the wall taking good angle shots. I was able to capture the face, the emotion, and something other than a butt. I can not wait to do it again. I would even love to go out and give climbers a photo shoot.
Danny taking off for the Dyno
Danny establishing the side pull
Just hanging out
Danny relaxing before he takes on the rest of the route
We relaxed for a bit more, and then packed all our gear. The hike back we were not looking forward to, but we were trying to keep good attitudes We got back to the top, and decided that since we were up there, we had to hike up to the fire watch station. The view was beautiful and you could see in every direction. There is a man that works up there. It is crazy. He lives in a house up on this mountain and he walks the stairs every day. He just sits up there and looks for fires. In a way he is also a tourist guide. He has to deal with all the tourist and people that ask him questions after questions. We walked back down after some good pictures, and were on our way to the car.
From the top
Some more
We three before we hiked back to the car
It was so good to be sitting in the drivers seat. I was tierd and so was Desiree. The water sitting in the back of the car never tasted better. It was a good 4th of July weekend so far.
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