Photos

I'm working ... no really I am. I'm just taking a break to put photos of blogger. Here are a smattering from Mexico.

Biel, the Spaniard, being silly, as usual

Life is good

Life is good. I love Mexico. I am ready to go home in a few days though. I need to find more, interesting work. I've run out of cool projects. I just took five days off. Wow. I climbed two of those days, and yesterday my Mexican friend Luis, Madaleine, and I visited a shaman. He was pretty neat. He knew some things about me that led me to believe he clearly has more awareness than the average person. I felt really clear after my session with him, and that clarity has stuck with me. After we met with the shaman, we just hung out for a few hours in the casita (it was too hot to hang out outside), and then the Spaniards, Edgardo, and Tom (a friend from Index) came over for a dinner of fish tacos, which were delicious. We drank pina and mango coladas and laughed all night. The Spaniards are truly crass, but they are also very funny and bright--Biel and Toni. We are really enjoying their company. They've invited us over for Spanish cuisine on Friday night. It's also great fun hanging out with Edgardo. For a 21-year-old he is very mature and open minded; it's a joy to hang out with him. Madaleine and I feel like we've created a small, temporary family up there. We all cook together every night, and we hang out often. Life is good.
ps. I'll have a bunch of photos and video to download here soon. In fact, here are some photos/videos.

Lovely day

Today was absolutely lovely. I climbed a route called Voodoo Trance with my friend Frank, a 60-year-old dude who still sends 5.10. It was super fun. The route was about 6 pitches with 4 pitches of approach. My shoulder is sore, but definitely much better than it was. Life is good. I just drank three pina coladas. Tomorrow I meet with a shaman, and then it's back to work for me doing some writing for a website, but what a nice five days off from work I've had here in Mexico. Yay.

Good morning

Today dawned sunny and cool. I woke up to a flurry of activity outside my casita; many people coming over--for coffee, to meet with Madaleine (she's climbing at the Surf Bowl today), and just to say hi. It was maybe a bit too early for the frenzy (for me), and I think I'm still dazed. I'm going to be hanging out today with my dear friends Luis and Maria, which means it will be an intense day of speaking Spanish and talking about deep life things. There are no surface conversations with Luis. But that is good. I am ready for the day. Much love to all my friends and family.

More on the Potrero

This trip is proving to be interesting. I am struggling with not being able to climb very much because of my shoulder and the fact that I have to work almost every day. On the other hand, it is wonderful to just be where I can practice my Spanish and hang out with cool people. I very much appreciate the fact that I can climb--Madaleine and I did a very nice long route the other day that had tons of cracks. It's called Pancho Villa Returns or something, and it's a nice moderate. Apparently it was originally put up with gear, but then it was retrobolted, which is sad in a way because it really has some nice crack systems.
Back to work. I have one more big article due today.
:)

Beautiful morning

We woke up this morning to sun streaming into the casita. It is so pretty here. Though I have to work all week, it's hard to complain because my work is enjoyable and I'm writing in a stunning place. Right now I'm sitting at Tami's restaurant/compound. The restaurant is closed because everyone is either climbing or at the market, and so it's quiet and peaceful. To my right I can see more of the gorgeous limestone walls. The air smells sweet--of flowers and moisture (it rained lightly the past few days)--and the temps are perfect both in the sun and in the shade. Life is sweet. Back to work. :)

El Potrero Chico

Finally, after a week of traveling, we're in Mexico. We're staying in a sweet casita right at the mouth of El Potrero Chico, at a nice little spot called Las Azucenas. Apparently it is the party camp in the area, and it was a bit loud over the weekend, but it's quiet and peaceful during the week. The casita's front porch looks out on the gorgeous, tall walls of the Potrero. Today they were enshrouded in clouds, and a bunch of big birds floated about on the updrafts by the tops of the walls. It was neat to watch. I worked on some Lyons Outdoor Games articles for a couple publications today, and I have to work on some other articles for the rest of this week. However, I did get out climbing yesterday. Madaleine and I climbed "Yankee Clipper," a neat 14-pitch moderate route. On Wednesday we are going to do a couple other semi-long routes in the morning.
I've reconnected with my friends Luis and Maria, which is really neat. They are such wonderful people, and despite not having seen them in nine years, it feels like we haven't spent any time apart. Next week Luis is taking us to meet his shaman friend. That should be interesting.
Right now I have a sweet kitty sleeping on my lap. I feel bad because I'm about to head back to the casita, which means she's not going to be warm and safe anymore. I wish I could take all the sweet kitties home with me, but, of course, my Mollie would be miserable as she despises all other creatures except for people.
Off to bed. Good night.
:)

In El Paso

I drove into El Paso last night and am staying at the Hueco Rock Ranch. The house is nice, but the grounds and portapotties are really disgusting (and I'm not staying in the house). I'm sort of surprised that no one cleans up the grounds--there is trash everywhere--literally littered throughout the "camp ground." It's gross.
Unfortunately, because my shoulder is sore and I have a ton of work still to do, I'm actually hanging out in El Paso. However, tomorrow it's supposed to be 60 degrees, and so we're climbing! Yay. I am so appreciative of the huge amount of work that I currently have, but I'm definitely drowning under it. However, after I finish up these three small articles I have due this week and one very big (and cool) article I have due on the 20th, I may have a bit of a break. Maybe. I won't pass up work if it's offered to me though. OK, I'm off to the YMCA to stretch and run on the elliptical machine. I'm staying in Hueco Tanks and I'm running on a machine for exercise--ironic. we do what we have to do though, eh?
-Lizzy

My friend Noah is trying to raise money for a public health clinic in El Salvador

Friends,

I hope you all are well and staying warm this February (the month of love, yes?). I'm writing because I've been working to help improve the quality and availability of health care in the city of Zaragoza, El Salvador. I'm trying to raise $5000 to purchase much needed medical supplies and equipment for the only public health care clinic in the area. The clinic serves a population of approximately 35,000 people and cares for 100 to 150 patients a day.

With the help of the Mountain Fund and Firstgiving, the project has made it online. Please take a moment and check out the website:

http://benefitelsalvador.blogspot.com/

If you would like to support the cause or share your thoughts you can also visit our donation page at:

http://www.firstgiving.com/benefit_el_salvador

In June 2009, Ambassadors of The Zaragoza Project will be making a trip to El Salvador to deliver donations, and to volunteer time at the clinic and surrounding communities.

Consider this opportunity to effectively deliver change to thousands of people. Your contribution will directly benefit the lives of those in need of health care in the city of Zaragoza, El Salvador. Pass this on as you see fit. Thanks for your time!

Noah~
harpernoah@yahoo.com

PS- Feel free to contact me if you have other ideas about how you could be involved in the The Zaragoza Project. Keep a look out for us on Facebook and MySpace too!

Beheadings, kidnappings, and other crazy Mexico news

Keith called me tonight to let me know that, according to all the major news agencies, Mexico is in a state of chaos right now--beheadings, murders, kidnappings, and drug wars are occurring mostly in North Mexico, but also some gnarly things are happening in Mexico City. My friend Jose, who lives there, says it's safe, but Madaleine just talked with a friend of hers who drove throughout Mexico for six week. He said it wasn't very safe to drive around. So, what to do? We're probably not going to go to Mexico City after all... It seems silly to put our lives at risk for an article. On the other hand, BUMMER. I was pretty stoked. I think Mad and I will travel anyway--Hueco, El Potrero for a few weeks (because I can work easily from there), and then maybe to Arizona to visit my brother for a bit. I decided to stick around Colorado for a few more days because I have a ton of work to do, and I really want to get the bulk of it done before I go. I just really want to do a good job for the two new companies I'm working with. But maybe I will also get in another day of climbing in Eldorado Canyon--Marc and I went today; it was absolutely gorgeous. We climbed "Ruper," to "The Great Zot," to "Long John Wall." We were super tired because we are both out of shape. But it was an awesome day!
I'm heading to my father's house in New Mexico to hang out with him and work for the weekend, and then Hueco on Sunday night.
Off to bed! I've got to read Sarah Garlick's new book on the geology of rocks for rock climbers. Cool. I'm reviewing it for R&I.
Ciao for now, Lizzy

Rock climbing in Mexico and other cool stuff

Well, I'm leaving in a few days for New Mexico--picking up Keith Ladzinski and Lauren Lee... and then I'm off to Hueco to pick up Madaleine, and then sometime next week--maybe Monday or Tuesday--we are off to the Potrero for just a few days. I love Hueco, and I'm excited to go there to hang out with some really neat people and climb some beautiful boulders. I'm also pretty thrilled to go to the Potrero--I haven't seen my friends Luis & Maria Garza or Nellie Gutierrez in eight years now, so hanging out with them should be incredibly fun! I will also try to climb a bit, though my shoulder is certainly not 100% yet--sigh. It is better though, so if I am careful, I should be able to climb some. Really though, it is the people I am excited to see... climbing secondary.
Then Mad, Keith, Lauren and I are off to Mexico City to explore the amazing climbing there and talk to a lot of climbers. Hopefully I will have some good photos and video to share with the folks who enjoy my blog... I don't have a camera; I have to borrow one from one of the folks I'm hanging out with... I'll try.
I'm excited; I'm also nervous.l have a lot of work right now with various companies, and I don't want to screw any of these jobs up. So I'm going to be diligent and work hard, which means not so many days of climbing and having fun, but as long as I get to climb and speak Spanish and hang out with Madaleine, that's all good.
Life is good. I'm so glad to have dug my self out of the deep slump I was in for all of last fall. Phew. Thank goodness. I'm still not all in the clear: i have a lot of catching up to do financially and psychologically, not to mention physically with my shoulder. But I am building on my solid base of meditation and the positive things that have happened to me lately. I will continue to work toward peace and balance. Much love to everyone!
I'll post photos and videos of climbing soon!!!! Woohoo... Off to Mexico. It's too bad my folks don't read my blog much; they'd know a lot more about me!!!! And they wouldn't worry about my whereabouts because they'd have regular updates. Hi folks!