Posts Tagged ‘CO’

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Rock Climbing – Basic Rock School – Flatironette, Boulder, CO

Sunday, May 6th, 2012

CMC Boulder Basic Rock School Heading to "Class" Clare on the Summit of Flatironette
I am an assistant instructor for the Colorado Mountain Club’s Basic Rock Climbing School. Our first outside field trip was to the Flatironette in Boulder, CO. It’s a tiny flatiron rock formation which is situated just in front of the first flatiron. It is a perfect place to take people who are new to climbing. It has very mellow 2 pitch climbs, with no rappel. The only serious issue is the exposure of being up high. Thankfully, none of our students had a debilitating fear of heights!

I Love La Sportiva Approach Shoes!
Everybody had an enjoyable time climbing the Flatironette and I had the opportunity to climb it in my new La Sportiva approach shoes. These shoes are awesome and are my go-to shoe for anything easier than 5.4…the sticky rubber, toe rands, and laces around the ankles are fabulous features. (more…)

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Anniversary Celebration – Hot Air Balloon Ride

Friday, May 4th, 2012


On Friday, Dennis and I celebrated our 9th Anniversay (albeit 6 months late!) by flying in a Hot Air Balloon. When I was thinking of something romantic to do for our special day, a colleague of mine (who is a Balloon Chaser) recommended we fly with Fair Winds Hot Air Balloon Flights.

We arrived at the field, in the north part of Boulder, at 5:45am. We were treated to a delicious smorgas board of treats, coffee, juice, and milk. Then, the crew started inflating the balloon. It was super cool watching everybody working together to get it inflated. We had a pre-flight introduction and brief, where Jeff (pilot & owner) explained to us the protocol of flight. We were all very excited.

The flight went insanely smooth. It is seriously the most calming experience! The Front Range was a swath of snow covered peaks, laid out in front of us. The town of Boulder and the CU campus were equally as neat, from our perch a couple thousand feet up.

After the flight, we got tee-shirts, champagne, a commemorative photo, and a goodie basket. I would highly recommend flying with Fair Winds, they are a locally run and operated company who have top notch customer care. Even though we were in the basket with 6 other people, we felt like it was a private tour.

A big thanks to Jim for suggesting we try riding in a Hot Air Balloon. It was an unforgettable experience!

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Rock Climbing – Kamikaze, First Flatiron, Boulder, CO

Saturday, April 14th, 2012

Clare & Doug on Top of First Flatiron Flatirons View South
Photos above courtesy of Doug…Awesome Shots!

Doug and I went for a romp up the First Flatiron. We intended to do Zig Zag (5.7). Not so surprisingly, we missed a turn at the very first Zig and ended up on Kamikaze (5.8). Or so we think that’s what happened!

Part of the fun of the Flatirons is routefinding, one never really knows ones true location which makes for an exciting day. We had a blast even though we weren’t really certain where we were; great weather and a “can do” attitude fixed the wandering woes.
(more…)

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Rock Climbing – Swanson’s Arete – High Winds…Bailed!

Friday, April 6th, 2012

Clare After Rappelling West Chimney Jeffrey Still Happy Even Though We Bailed
Jeff and I attempted a spring ascent of Swanson’s Arete. It had been a couple years since I did the route, so I was looking forward to another romp up.

Unfortunately, as we ascended the west side of the Redgarden formation, it got increasing windy. By the time we got to the base, it was a little gusty. After all that stair stepping just to get to the start, we really both wanted to give it a shot. So, we did!

Jeffrey on the Red Ledge
Here’s Jeffrey topping out on the West Chimney Pitch. He did the pitch in about 20 minutes, removing the pro and climbing. Not too shabby!

We decided to call it a day, when we got to the base of Swanson’s and the gusts were non-stop. We met a crazy youth, out climbing with his sister, who still ventured upward…but we decided to play it safe. I think we made the right choice, to save it for another day. The rappel would have been extra gnarly with all that wind…!

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Rock Climbing – Flatironette in Boulder, CO

Sunday, March 25th, 2012

Clare Smiling on Flatironette Mike Cruising the Flatironette
Clare and Mike Having a Blast on the Flatironette

Andy Cleaning First Pitch of Flatironette
Andy Climbing the Flatironette

Mike, Andy and I climbed the Flatironette in Boulder, CO on Sunday. We had gorgeous weather and it was a super mellow day. It was totally fun hanging out with both of them! I couldn’t wait to meet our Basic Rock School students and take them to this crag. It’s perfect for new climbers.

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