You may say, "how do you do that rob, aren't you a high school science teacher?" And I say, "you just have to travel a lot on the weekend and have a few sponsors who will pay for it!"
So, after work on Friday I drive the five (yes five) hours to Salt Lake City to catch a plane to Portland, Oregon. After I arrived in Portland, I hopped into a rental car and drove 2.5hours to Smith Rock. If you add up the hours you know that I arrived near dawn on Saturday morning.
By seven thirty am I was eating a burrito and getting ready to teach an all day crack climbing clinic in the gorge. My students and I took care to grab food and sunblock in order to be prepared for the beautiful day of climbing that we had ahead of us. We learned about gear placements, racking, building anchors and got to practice it all. Then we climbed and added some new finger, hand, foot and general climbing techniques to our plate.
It was great fun meeting some new folks and then hanging around after with them talking climbing. They all walked away with CAMP t-shirts and posters and stickers and I am sure some other gear if they went to the dinner later that night.
Still with no sleep I went to the dinner and after party where they showed the Reel Rock Film. A packed house welcomed the films and everyone was psyched about climbing!
By two am (yes 2 am) I was beginning my 10 hour route challenge. The crimpfest was to see who could climb the most pitches with their partner. Since I had to leave to go back to Grand Junction by noon on Sunday, I got to start early. 20 onsights later for my partner and I (each of us climbing that many pitches) I drove home exhausted from the weekend and the lack of sleep.
Now you say, how does he doe it, know you know. As Mike B always says, "you can sleep when your dead!"
Get out and have an adventure!
piz : )
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