I am back and safe from an amazing time with friends and climbing and there are too many pictures to post but I narrowed it down to these few :) There are more on the
Ecophotog Blog and also some info on how we made the trip as eco-friendly as possible so be sure to check it out for more photos!
First of all, I have to thank Aaron, Kadile, and
August for making this trip so memorable. I couldn't ask for better friends to enjoy and trust on a trip like this. When you are climbing, you literally put your life in someone else's hands and it is a real bonding experience. I went places physically and mentally on this trip that I have never gone before. I learned lessons about myself and shared great times with friends. This was the hardest and scariest climbing I have ever done and a special thanks to Aaron for being our guide in Colorado and taking us to the sights we dreamed about.
First off, I simul-climbed the third flat iron in Boulder, CO. This was a new and interesting experience because when you simul-climb there is no real belayer. You just climb at opposite ends of the rope and place and pull gear on the way. This route had basically no placements for gear so we ended up only placing 9 pieces in 1300 ft! My first trad route and longest climb I have ever done, so if I fell off, well, its just not good if I do :) I think I would have enjoyed soloing it better, les pressure! It was a 5.6X slab route meaning falls can result in death. It took about an hour in all and I was glad when it was over :) I am in this picture, look really close!
And a picture of the flat iron approach
Next off we were in boulder canyon and
John Heisel, fellow photographer and climber, joined us and acted as our guide. It was so fun to meet up with John and watch his skills. This picture was taken by Aaron as I climbed another route.
The next day, and my favorite day, was going to Lumpy in Rocky Mountain National Park and climbing on the Twin Owls. This was intense but incredibly rewarding. It was my first day doing multi-pitch crack climbing and it was hard...at least for me :) The rating system out there is old and established so compared to what I am used to it was much harder and this climb was the hardest thing I have ever done! I was so excited to be there as Kadile lead his first trad lead as well, it was not easy and even more mentally challenging!
Kadile and Aaron getting ready for the climb
The amazing view of the park from the top of the second pitch
This are some of the tools that protect our lives while we climb
Aaron leading Wolf's Tooth, a hard 5.8+ above the route we just climbed
And a view from afar
Me and August in front of Ed's Cantina which served as our main meal local while in Estes
And then we went to Lily Lake, the views again while climbing were just breathtaking! Here we did some scary R/X sport slabs.
Aaron onsighting a short and very bouldery 5.12a sport climb at Lily Lake
Aaron beginning to climb a 5.11d R/X route that was so long and enduring, it was really inspiring to watch
And a final hilarious note, we were in a bar after a climbing day and ran into a friend of Aaron's who is from France and he hasn't seen in a long time. It was totally random and quite funny to see them side by side, I grabbed my camera quickly and got this shot to comically show the difference in their heights. It was such a pleasure to meet Laurent and Christine, I am hoping to get to France to climb because now I have a place to stay!
Marianne and Solomon also had a super fun photo booth which gave guests an opportunity to take their own pictures. I found this picture on their table and thought it would be fun to use for their rings. I love these pictures of them and I didn't even take them ;) 
I love the picture their hands in the limo, as they admire their rings, you can see the connection of the spirits in their hands, like souls touching. 
I love the blue sky that contrasts their white steps as man and wife. 
I love Victoria's look as her mom gave the toast. 
I love Victoria's look as her mom gave the toast. What a beautiful reception, I like the photo of them dancing because it shows the beautiful ambiance that night. 
I think this picture really encapsulates the mood of the day, have fun and carefree, Carrie didn't know what to do with all that dress, she just grabbed it all and did her thing...with a diet coke in hand of course! 
I love this picture of David entering the ceremony, I could barely see him over the crowd :) 
One extra picture to show off this amazing cake that Carrie and David designed themselves, they are very artistic. 
