Persistent 12 hour shifts just don't allow much on the side besides eating, sleeping, and hygiene. Professional choices DO impact "leisure" activities. Grad school was my choice and I survived several years of climbing sporadically to achieve an 8 hr. job that allows more. Good luck.
I'd recommend getting Peter Croft's book on moderate alpine classics in the Sierras- climbs from Class 2 to 11a with great descriptions. You can pick your desired level of adventure and location. Have fun.
On my last trip into the Enchantments, we arrived at the TH to find every single car broken into overnight.
On my next previous trip, we went in just after the 9/11 debacle.
In neither case did we have the heart to tell folks coming out what we knew. It was best for them just to enjoy the rest of the trip out before finding out about the ugliness of life back in civilization.
Spoken like a true Canadian- land of the crappy IPA's. Howe Sound Brewery doesn't even have one most of the time. And Alexander Keith's is less hoppy than NW Pales.
Best,
Elysian cask conditioned massively hopped (at Brouwers Hopfest)
Boundary Bay
Water Street Queen Nina
Hercules Imperial
Stone Ruination
Worst,
Alexander Keith's (Canada- why does the great NW IPA legacy end at the border!)
Red Hook Longhammer (brewed for the masses)
Others can chime in but I think from the belay alcove atop the offwidth above the gendarme, make a short traverse right and then up to avoid the difficulties you encountered. But I remember the sting in the tail near the top when one is expecting easier terrain.
Good work, going from apprehensive to livin' the life on the gendarme finish!
I thought he was from CA. Otherwise, sounds like him. And I thought he was older than 32.
I checked this and he is 32, lives in CA but was born in the Northeast, and was on a climbing trip to Ireland. Fingers crossed...
Mrs. G.'s identity was disclosed earlier in a thread on hot climbing chicks, Ducknut. She is indeed the spouse of someone who's screen name includes "granite".