Canyonlands National Park
Ok where
should I start? My last entry is a long time ago and lots of stuff happened in
the mean time. After a intense iceclimbing season this winter I found myself
flying over the Atlantic. The aim was the desert of Utah, the long clean lines
of Indian Creek the towers, the arches, the emptiness. The first thing I felt
being out in the desert was water, water and water. I am born in a region where
water is just normal and if your in the mountains you will find tons of springs
and lots of rivers rushing down the steep valleys, everything is green and
juicy.
I had lots
of days in the mountains where my thoughts where just focused on the next sip
of water running down my throat.
Here in the
middle of the desert our water reserves where the biggest treasure. Water is
life, and we had a easy life with our recourses. Imagine the natives living in these
canyons for hundred’s of years is just mind blowing.
Desert is
dead no life at least no “warm blooded” life. I was wrong.
Deer’s,
Rabbit’s, Turkeys, Coyote’s, Flowers in fresh colours I didn´t expected that
variety of life, it was everywhere.
lonely flower
I felt
somehow vulnerable and stupid because of my lack for basic survival knowledge.
I am a climber, I visit remote places, know how to survive in the mountains. But
I don´t know where to get water and food out of the desert because nowadays
there is no need to learn these skills.
It just
reminds me that we our society is running more and more in an addiction where
organizing food from mother earth is almost impossible even the theoretical
thought is not there because everything is available all day. We life in a
organized and structured environment. It´s a big advantage yes but on the other
hand we are addicted. And this was what I felt the most while climbing in the
desert.
The
sandstone cracks in Utah, think everyone knows it or at least has seen some
pictures of the area, clear and CLEAN lines, powerfull, sustained,
crackclimbing. Stemming, jamming and yes liebaking, it´s somehow a European
thing ;) but it works soooo well.
We climbed
tons of cracks from offwidths to tips, my personal suffer size was an open
green to a closed red placement. After some time I focused on this size of
crack to learn how to jam, move fast and economic with “Ringlocks”.
Most people
ask me about the suffering on this type of climbing, the pain. The pain oh yes it´s there it´s part of
crackclimbing but while climbing I forget the pain I feel free I am in a flow.
In the
morning swollen hands almost impossible to close. Sand everywhere, rattlesnakes
and massive whole body pumps.
I´ll be
back.
Climbing
pics will follow soon…
