ken4ord

I could also make a climbing trip down there sometime other than April. It looks like there is a ton to climb all over South Africa.

I will be traveling to South Africa at the beginning of April. I am going to be in the Johanesburg area for work. I might be able to pull off a few days for leisure, i.e. rock climbing. Just wondering if any of you know anybody I could contact for a partner? Any info greatly appreciated.

Hmm, damn not as tall as they look, still might be fun though. I'll definitely will head the warning, I know that I really don't want to visit a hospital out in Africa.

1. Go to Smith with a crowbar and pull bolts from popular routes during the wekend. 2. Get on some difficult sketch route with a newbie belayer that is being distracted. 3. Go climb an alpine route, can't start the route until you see the thunderheads roll in. 4. Go to the Gunks on the weekend and start retro bolting the easy classics. 5. Climb a hard route only replacing those key chain biners for real ones. 6. Turn a route at Index into an outdoor gym, complete with chipping, glue-ons, and over bolting hell out of it.

Yeah surf, sport fish, eat good mexican food, and drink. Forget about climbing, that place is beautiful and great place to just chill.

Hey TrailPair how tall are those ice columns coming off of the glaciers? They look quite steep and interesting. Kili Pic

It is totally french freeable, they are very close together. I took my girlfriend up there and it was her 3rd time climbing outside and she had no problem on following the bolt ladder. Don't worry about it and just go out and have fun.

Bolts really would work there for one the local would just spend hours chipping away at it, even if they were glue-ins. They have already managed to pull most of the pins that were used for TR anchors. One thing I was thing of was those removeable bolt thingys. I don't want to invest too much time there, there are other places to go. As the bike they trip out on it since the only thing they have around here is 3 speeds with steel rims, push lever brakes, that weigh more than my free-ride bike. The other day I was doing some small drops 2-3 foot and they definitely tripped on that.

No Dru, not yet. I will be working as a consultant helping setting up a new lab here in Kigali. The lab will be used for a microbicide ointment clinical trial and they need a to have it GLP and GCP qualified. If things go well with this site they are considering a fulltime position doing audits at other locations, in South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania. We'll see though. Oh here is a pic from the other day of climbing. This is Sive a new climbing buddy.

Yeah SpecialEd and Minx life is rough here. Yesterday I went mountain biking for about 2 hours and then slept all day long. Later that evening I went out for Indian food and we watched Meet the Parents. It has been fun, but that may change soon, I got a job. So I am going to be like the rest of you, working on the weekdays and playing on the weekend. It is only a contract so come July, I free to travel and climb. The job will involve travel to So. Africa, Tanzania, and Kenya, I'll make sure to bring my climbing gear when I go to those areas.

Saturday: Hung out drank beer and margaritas and cooked up a mean chicken mole, spanish rice, frijoles, fresh salsa, guacamole, and homemade tortillas. With all the veggies coming from the garden. Sunday: Went and TR-ed in the morning at the local crag. Then sat by the pool drinking $1 22 oz Primus while listening to an African band play live music. Life is rough

Hey Thanks Y'all!!! I am going to miss you all too. It has been great and hopefully it will continue to be so when we meet up in the future again. CC.com has been good to me. Hopefully it will continue to be as I read up on what you are all up too and gain inspiration from you all. I post TR's for you all when my trips begin. So far all I have done is gone to several parties and meeting all kinds of interesting people from around the world. Two weekends from now I should have a good TR for you all, going to some island on a lake, swimming, sailing, and eat & drinking. Hopefully talk someone into cragging or biking this next weekend. Until then, take it sleazy.

Well here is a few picture more to come once I finally get outside and out of town this weekend. This all I have for now. Our house, the front of it. This is our back patio, where we eat a lot of our meals. This is the view from our patio, very green and lush, tons of differrent birds all over the place. Today during lunch a stork flew by and landed in a tree in the backyard.

Well I freaking made it and all my stuff. What an epic trip, even though nothing eventful happen. I was actually quite surprised, that I made all my flights and arrived on time. Customs was also surprisingly simple, ‘good morning, stamp of the passport, pick up bags, run them through scanner, and then to the car, took no more than 10 minutes from plane to car. Oh yeah one thing funny was that the runway lights weren’t working and so we circled around until it was bright enough to land without the lights. They had announced that we couldn’t land until they fixed the lights, then I heard the landing gear drop and we were going in without any announcement. Hmm, thought that was a little strange, then when we were landing I noticed that the lights weren’t on and there was firetrucks waiting with flashing lights on and everything. Nothing else to really report on, was jet lagged as all hell, or maybe I am still hung over from Saturday night. Went out to lunch yesterday at the local Intercon Hotel, worked on unpacking my stuff and staying awake so that I can get on a Rwandan schedule. Today I am going to visit a clinic and talk about work. We’ll see. Will you all get on some ice or snow for me, I think it will be a while.

Hey Man, Have fun in Mongolia. If you run into a crazy chick named Monica, tell her brother says hi and to drop me an email sometime. Last I heard she was riding a train across Mongolia from China.

Hey Mr. Fox, nice shot. Must have been taken before saftey check. I had a good time last night and I didn't wake up all hungover.

Nickerson near Fremont, south side of the Fremont Bridge.

Kewl it will be good to see ya Paco, I'll be there still. Hey thanks for the offer Marie for a Crystal post funk at your place, but I think I am going to do that in town, just gotta figure out where, more info on this to follow.

Aw that's sweet...We'll I am sure I'll be back. Actually I am going to try and hit Crystal on the 22nd, if the conditions are good and got time, so there is still an opportunity.

Most alpine climbs I have been on that are established have ways of getting down without leaving slings behind, walking off or using existing anchors. So you don't need to leave or carry that much slingage. Also if you are adding to an anchor do a little community service and cut out the old shit. Too much old slings left behind are just ugly. So why would you risk jamming your knot in the anchor by rapping down a single strand versus rapping down both lines? I have never understood that one. I have found one locking biner and rappel device is sufficent, except when the ropes are wet and icey. That is on skinny's too. Tie an autoblock system if you need a little security. Or other time times I will extend the device on a sling so that I can easily have both hands on the brake.

This is one that I have seen partially iced up. Basaseachi Falls

Ok ok babies, no Latona though, I've been spending too much time there, I haven't been for a while. Nickerson works for me.

I am going to the other side of the planet, preetty much. I am moving to Rwanda on the 24th, there 36 hours later.

I always enjoy those small beers at the Sloop, but do I really care naw, just would like to see folks out.

Hmm some of my favorites are: Potato Leek (cause it is so damn easy to make, don't need a blender either, strain potatos and mash with fork and return broth) Chicken Noodle or Barley Corn Chowder Fish Cowder Borscht (sounds like your a veggie ChrisT, may want to check this one out) Portugese Stew Cream of any green veggie (souper easy to make) Butternut Squash with Gruyere (mmmm mmm good) French Onion Tom Khar Kai Tis soup season