climbing

The Wacky Adventures Of Benjamin and Karli

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This is the first of a new series of blogs on this road trip

After a great week of chilling out with Karli and her friends we had Karlis’ goodbye night out. Starting as any good night out should with beer, vodka, and champagne bought by Kiva, Molly and Tyler the house mates, and joined by Eliot. Now, on a wednesday night Denver isn’t the most lively place on the planet but with these guys even two’s a crowd. First stop was a dj set with hip-hop and plenty of mixing followed hours later by a second place that for the life of me I cannot remember the name of, but it was empty so we stole the dance floor and bust crazy moves till they became sick of us. On route to pizza the girls decided to take a scooter out for a spin and run a few lights. When we reached the apartment everybody seemed pretty burned except me and Karli, so while they went to bed we went back out to an empty closed city to cause mischief. The idea was to get as high as possible. First of all finding our way onto a building site before setting of a proximity alarm and quickly departing. We went off the site idea and decided a hotel elevator would be easier than an external crane to gain a view. Upon finding a classy looking hotel we calmly walked in greeting staff on route to the lift. Upto the 29th we flew and after wondering around lost for a minute found the exit staircase with a route up. We were so close. But alas the final door would not open. we descended back down and set the height bar lower. There was a two story shopping mall/parking lot that looked feasible. This again confounded us within a few feet of the top. We made one final attempt. We had to succeed and Karli knew where we could!
On she led into the dark till we found a small rise onto a flat roof that dropped away on one side. This was it , the high point, 4foot off the ground. The terrace back at the apartment block was a lot higher but this was outside and without safety rails. We sat for a while at the high side watching vehicles drive by before deciding to head home.
A couple of blocks from home there was one last bar, closed but playing load music outside. Justin Beber- love yourself. One last dance outside with no one else about and we arrived back exhausted. It was getting light out so I don’t know what time but we had a blast and I collapsed on the sofa content.
In The morning we all went around to Karlis’ mums house to see her mum and grandparents before departing. A quick trip back to the apartment to pack and an hour later we said goodbye to the house mates and were on the road. The first shop for our road trip went slow. Standing and staring at jars of tomato sauce to go with pasta not quite knowing which to get, the options were endless, an entire shopping isle. Then picking the ideal pan and plates. It took longer to do this shop than the decision to drive to Argentina and pack for the trip. Last night after the shop we drove 200miles to the Colorado monument Pitching the rooftent up just outside of the park.
We are now on day three, Ill be honest and say after missing a turn we went 68 miles in the wrong direction and had to turn around, but now!, after the small diversion we are on the way. We just passed through moab and have stopped in the grand canyon, might have something really big planned tonight/tomorrow. The rangers told us its not advisable so we know were on the right track. Extreme heat, dehydration, lots of miles and lots of elevation.

watch this space!!

shopping with ‘the Karli’

Always Pee with a View!!

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A couple of days ago a friend offered me a camping pad after I explained my goes down after a couple of hours use which i believed to be the valve leaking slightly. This is good when I wish to get up in a couple of hours but not so good when i want to sleep, its resulted in an upsetting wake up and blow up the pad night shift every night so far. I said I would persist with my pad and set off on a 115 mile ride. That night while pitching up next to a river up a cold cold pass (near Copper Mountain), the whole valve ejected itself from the sleeping pad. This left me feeling rather deflated. I took a few plasters out of my pack, kind of re-inflated the pad and taped the valve into place. It wasn’t perfect but hey, I got some sleep. The next day I woke to police lights 20 meters from where I was camped, there was a bike race crossing the main road, I packed up and rolled onto the path like I was racing.  After climbing over the last few hundred feet of pass I rolled down to Leadville where I purchased some solvent glue hoping to make a more permanent solution to my camping pad troubles. I still have not tested it.

I carried on out of Leadville to Twin Lakes where I have based myself for climbing 14ers (peaks about 14,000 feet). There is a nice small hostel, like an old village hall, with bunks down the sides, a big table in the middle, and sofas and a coffee station at one end. A lovely cosy place. The hostel owner informed me of some free wine left in the fridge going spare and food in the hiker box and I was sold. Around 7 other people stopped in the hostel, mainly CT hikers and the owner joined us for the evening. This hostel also comes with free pancakes with strawberry and rubarb in the morning, but my mind was set on an early summit.

I packed my bag in the evening, put my bike in a corner and preped. At 3.30am my phone vibrated followed by me sitting up drowsily, why do I do this to myself?? I slipped out into the night. It felt frosty and crisp. I turned on my head torch and started walking. I think it was about a one hour walk to the trailhead to go up Black Cloud Creek. Perfect darkness, I could see the Milkyway. I started climbing the 5500ft to the summit. Through dense Aspen trees I wondered if a bear would hear me coming. Would it be small enough for me to fight it if startled and aggressive?  As I cleared the treeline the sky began to lighten. I hurried to the ridge line that would take me to the summit. Just as I arrived on the ridge the sun came over the horizon, It was worth the racing up and early start. Morning light and evening light always seem best for photos. I did plan on going fast today and possibly doing a second peak, but I decided to enjoy it. The biggest mountain in Colorado to myself. I took photos getting as creative as possible. (see pics) then jogged up the ridge to the summit. Arriving on the summit at 7.15am I decided to mess with my camera and the brilliant photo op the American Flag gave me. After which i sat and ate a few energy bars. I descended fast, running past other hikers from around half way up. When I arrived back at Twin Lakes, I decided that was enough for one day, and so, I chill.

The forecast for the next few days is grim, but, there is movie theatre in Salida about 50 miles down the road that could kill a few hours indoors and i do quite fancy a movie.

Later

Benjamin

classic pose
searching dramitc???
ridgeline up
always pee with a view
hostel

 

 

Climbing Up A Teton

/ bens game

 

view from campsite at jenny lake
sw ridge of middle teton from saddle
looking at Grand Teton from the summit of Middle Teton
summit
view to middle teton from just below south fork saddle
morning up in the tetons.
snow slope up south fork to saddle
i think this is pretty cool
sun rise on way up

PRE-CLIMB

This Was a Pretty Cool Day for me that nearly didn’t happen. It started two days before, trying to collect my ice axe and crampons from the post office. I went in to enquire if a parcel had arrived and there was no parcel but the lady took my name and said she would set it aside. When I went back to collect it the next morning I was greeted by her saying. ‘They tried to deliver it but I had to refuse delivery as you hadn’t paid to have it left here, you better call UPS and find out where its gone before its lost’.

‘Thankyou’ I said in slight disbelief. I walked out and cycled back to camp.

A while later in the afternoon, and after calling UPS I found it had been take to a depot 27 miles away. On my bike I hopped and peddled as fast as I could to Jackson. I collected my parcel and cycled back. O well, 54miles isn’t too bad. When I arrived back it was around 6pm. I didn’t want to use my legs but it could have been worse.

At the campground the attendant came around for money for the night. I had only a couple of dollars left in my wallet. ‘You’ll have to go to moose to get some cash then’. second sigh of the day and i hopped on my bike and peddled the 7.5mile there and 7.5mile back. It had been a hot day, I hadn’t eaten properly and my legs were slightly cramped. This was not the easy day I imagined. Instead of 15miles, I did around 84. I rolled out my sleeping bag on a tent pitch and lay down.

SUMMIT DAY.

I woke at half 4. I was late. The plan was to be up at half 2 and start walking to the trail head. I lay there, trying to dig for that determination I had years ago. I twisted the nozzle on my camping pad and it deflated. I was committed now! No going back.

I chucked my sleeping kit into a bear box(large metal container that stores food away from bears) and pulled out my rucksack. I started walking. It was 2.6 mile to the trail head, when I arrived, I could tell sunrise was close. Half 5- I ate a choc bar, drank a 5 hour energy and started walking up. At the treeline daylight was breaking. Some of the trail i was running up. When I reached the snow in Garnet canyon I walked as high as I could then put on crampons. Up the South Fork I kept pushing fast. Suddenly it ended. The ground dropped away, I could see for miles. I was at the saddle already. It was around 7.45 am. After a few quick pics, I looked up towards the summit and started up the ridge line and into a hidden gully. It was joy, just out of the gully was good clean easy rock to climb up.  At Half 8- I was on the summit. I checked the time. Then I sat down. No one in sight. This was a pretty special feeling. The ground dropped away in all directions, I turned off my music………silence. I dithered a bit trying to get a few good pics, then after about 15 minutes I started descending.  The way down was as nice as the way up. An interaction with something natural. When I reached the saddle between the South and Middle Tetons, I decided one was enough for the day. I walked to the snow and started sliding. It was joy, glissading till it was too steep to stand. I came across another climber on the way up. ‘Butt-slide it man!!!’. And so I did. All the while fearing my lycra cycling shorts (yes I was wearing my cycling clothing) would rip and leave me in a precarious exposed position. At the end of the snow I started running, this was it, a perfect day. I reached the trail head at 11am. It was a quick day. A climber also finishing at the same time from another peak gave me a ride back to the campground. Harry and Roelie were there making lunch. They gave me fresh coffee and delicious apple and I told them of the day I had.

AFTER CLIMB.

Most would probably stop after a good alpine day, but I decided while on a roll to roll on to the next pass. a nice 43 miles , with around 8 of them near 6p.c. gradient. The flies loved me. I did not share this feeling and spent the whole ascent swinging a bottle of bear spray in the air. just over the top and I realised my back tyre was bald. I decided to change it. This was a terrible idea as the next hour was spent like a mad man fighting mosquitoes while trying to fit the new one. With the tyre barely on right i lumpily rolled down hill to the campground a mile away.

Today I cycled 103 miles to Lander where I have showered for the first time in days, this is a good thing. Tomorrow will be iced coffee and feet up.