Archive for October, 2008

Halloween

Friday, October 31st, 2008

Elvis Hands out Candy to Freddy Krueger
This year for Halloween, we handed out nearly 10 pounds of candy to over 280 kids. The mob at our door was consistent from the hours of 6 to 8 pm. Dennis handed out candy, for the most part, dressed in his Fat Elvis Costume.

Elvis Hands out Candy to Skelaton
Some of the kids recognized the Elvis costume, but mostly we heard from the parents. On occasion, they’d bust out an Elvis tune, and that was entertaining.

Eldorado Canyon – Rock Climbing

Sunday, October 26th, 2008

Eckhard Leads Duh Dihedral (5.6) Dennis Demonstrates Layback on Duh Dihedral

Eckhard, Dennis, and I went climbing at West Ridge in Eldorado Canyon. I was feeling crummy, having a cold, but I wanted to get out and climb. We hiked the long way round, to the top of the Ridge, and by the time we made it to the crag, it was warming up nicely. (more…)

Rock Climbing – Turkey Perch

Saturday, October 18th, 2008

Turkey Rocks
On Saturday, Dennis & I met with the Denver Rock Climbing Meetup group to climb at Turkey Rocks. We carpooled with Ryan & Eckhard up to the crag. Turkey Rocks is a bit obscure in terms of location, finding the last turnoff was a bit challenging. We ended up turning around several times, and scratching our heads in contemplation.

Turkey Rocks Chilling Out
When we got to the pullout, there were a few cars there. We hiked about 15 minutes over a ridge, and then descended to the crag. There was a huge contingent of people there. Eckhard, Chris, & I scrambled up to the top and got to setting up some Top Ropes for people to climb.

Clare Belays Turkey Rocks
We had a great day climbing, but there were lots of people, so given a choice, I would have preferred another location. I think Turkey Perch is good if there is a smaller group, and if I’m not looking to get in a ton of climbing. The rock is sharp & solid, so the cracks are very enjoyable.

I climbed the following pitches: Left Handed Jew (5.8), Honky Jam Ass Crack (5.7), Steppenwolf (5.9), and Gobble Up (5.8). I did not bring my camera, so these pictures are courtesy of other climbers at the event…

Marrakech to Casablanca

Saturday, October 11th, 2008

Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca

It felt wonderful to sleep in after the previous day’s monster trek up Jbel Toubkal. (more…)

One Day Summit Jbel Toubkal (13,671 ft)

Friday, October 10th, 2008

Clare Summit of Jbel Toubkal 13,671 ft

Jbel Toubkal Hike

On October 10, Barry, Jon, and I set out to climb Jbel Toubkal, the highest peak in Morocco. The climb starts in an idyllic mountain town called Imlil (5,710 feet), which takes about 90 minutes by car from Marrakech. Ibrahim picked us up at 3:30am at Riad Ariha, and made the drive while we all slept. Except for Jon, he has difficulty sleeping in cars. (more…)