Alabama Hills - Rock Climbing

Last Sunday and Monday, Aaron and I went to Bishop, CA for a tiny rock climbing adventure.  I LOVE CAMPING, so we decided to go Sunday and get our camp on then do the rock climbing on Monday.  We must have had our lucky pants on because we happened to find a PRIME camping spot on MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND!  What are the chances!  Lucky pants, I tell ya.  Typically I have the bad-weather-80mph-wind-gust-freak-snow-storm weather luck.  It was a great weekend, needless to say.

 (Being classy tanning on the bench... why?  BECAUSE IT WAS WARM!)

We had a gourmet dinner that Aaron brought and we both cooked (marinated steaks, grilled veggies, corn, and mashed taters... although I don't eat mashed taters).  Then after I introduced Aaron to s'mores.  I ate three.  I love camp fires.  I love the smell.  Sitting around them while it's chilly outside but your face it burning.  Smelling like dirt/smoke.  LOVE IT.  So I was in heaven.  I think this was the first time we've ever gone camping and I slept totally 100% completely warm.  HEAVEN! 

The next day we woke up bright and early and headed to the Alabama Hills.  The weather was supposed to be mid 80's so we wanted to get an early start to beat the sun.  The first wall we went to was a beginner wall with a bunch of easy routes including a 5.1, 5.3, and 5.5.  We started on a 5.7 which was pretty fun (the rock is super grippy).  After that we did a nice little 2-pitch route (sorry for my lack of technical terms) which was GREAT.  I really enjoyed it!  It had a slight scare factor to it because the holds were TINY.  You really had to rely on your feet placements and the gripping from the rock.

(this was the route we did, you can barely see Aaron at the tip-top)

After that route I was pretty drained by the sun.  I've concluded that I'm sensitive.  I'm sensitive to the cold, I'm sensitive to extreme heat, and I'm sensitive to mean people.  I'm just an all around sensitive gal.  Take me or leave me :-)  Luckily, we timed it PERFECTLY and the new wall we went to had SHADE!  We went to the Shark Fin which was something Aaron had been eye-balling.  There was a massive boulder resting against the shark fin which provided SHADE!  I was in shade heaven.  Pre-shade I used Aaron's massive hat to keep slightly cool, it saved me.

The Shark Fin was pretty neat, there were several routes.  Aaron did two, but I was pooped and only did one.  

While we were there, we met some people from the Bay Area who recommended we visit the ARCH!  I love arches... and stuff.  I think they're so neat!  So we hopped in the car, rolled down every window, and drove to the arch-area.  

It was wonderful, and I was in heaven.  It was nice to finally:

1. Camp while it's warm and not blowing million-mile-per-hour-hurricane-winds
2. Have WARM weather
3. Not be shivering while going up a route
4. Not have a steep 45 minute approach to the wall
5. Have nice cold water waiting :-)

It was a good weekend.  Even though I missed Tim McGraw and Lady Antebellum :-(