Tonto and the Lone Ranger

Well, life without my sons has been tough. I enough spending time with my other half in Arkansas, but not too many people act like my sons. They can be overly crude sometimes, but they keep me on my toes and young. Good news is that Rob and I should be climbing together all weekend in the AR. I have never really climbed with him in Arkansas, so it should be a great time. As for my other son, he is preparing to dominate a climbing competition over the Thanksgiving break in Delaware. Maybe there will be good news from that end as well.

So, since I've arrived in Arkansas, all my successful climbing has come on solo missions. I climbed Thursday with a bunch of friends, and was able to take some pictures, but didn't really get anything accomplished as far as climbing is concerned. Ariel Smith and Lauren Anders both managed to complete The Fin at Area 74. Both had been working hard on the problem and benefited from the temps and getting to work the problem with another girl of similar size. Needless to say, we were all excited for them. At the end of the day I tried one of the many projects I brushed while I was out with a finger injury last spring. I thought the project would be in the 10-12 range, but I have a tendency to overlook feet. Unfortunately, this particular project is completely out of my league, but the good news is that it is definitely possible.

Today, I paid the Goat Farm a visit. Though it doesn't have many climbs, it is a wonderful place to visit on a cold afternoon as it is south facing and the Goat Farm is only 12 miles from the University of Arkansas. The Goat Farm holds two note-worthy boulder problems: The Butcher and Crimpit's Tea Room. Both climb crimps on a 15 degree overhanging face and are of extremely high quality. Within 15 minutes the Butcher was completed and I had moved down the wall to Crimpit's. Crimpit's was first climbed by Blake Strickland around Thanksgiving in 2003. Since then, it has only seen two other ascents to my knowledge, so I was quite pleased to be siting on top of the rock after another 45 minutes of effort. It is an amazing feeling to complete climbs that you have always dreamed of doing, and to have been doing them at will since arriving in Arkansas is empowering. Well, tomorrow Jason, Pierre, Ariel, I and others will hopefully meet up with Rob for some climbing at Horseshoe Canyon. 'Til next time.

Lauren on The Fin

Hansel is a wonderful moderate on the right end on the Crimpit's wall.

The Butcher is a two move dyno on the far left of the wall, and Crimpit's climbs between the orange streaks in the foreground.