Hey gang... I give! I planted a little seed in my heart, called it "home" and then instead of growing into a little daisy to keep me company, it went mad! Full beanstalk leaving room for nothing else... add to that 6 months in a tent, 3 nights sleeping in an airport, 2 weeks sleeping with a snoring aunt and several lovely photos of my very-missed puppy... and Viola! I had to get home... So... I AM!
I made a speedy decision on the descent from the climbing up at Ceuse in France one day... Not psyched... a bit run out, vertical climbing - not so my style and not suited to my state of lost fitness since Ireland and Sweden... So, I left Justin there to climb with our buddy Ellen Powick... who was alone for another week and who climbs at a level more suited to Justin... and he will be following soon.... He's planning to surprise his mom by coming home two weeks early.. this Tuesday or so... (SO DON'T TELL HER IF YOU SEE HER). He also really wanted to do the route Berlin and was gonna do it quickly.... Ellen did it her 2nd go!!!!!! Yeehaw!!
Anyway... Ceuse was awesome... beautiful rock and a great 1hr approach to get the legs and butt in shape. We camped with Melissa (Canada), Chris (Sharma), Nena (Canada) and Simon (England), the girls having fun wallowing in the misery of fear and fitness while the boys all sat around swilling bears and talking about how sweet this route or the other was... The ambience in Ceuse is incredible. There's a farm with Horses (which I fed daily), cats, sparrows, goldfish and a dog. The owners are super hospitable and sweet... only speaking French, which helped me improve my French a bit. The town of Gap (12k away) is super quaint with internet, fountains, shops, good beer and perfect plazas for drinking the good stuff under a hot sun... If I were to do my whole trip over, I would start in Ceuse... coming from serious fitness in Utah... then go to some other French crags I missed on this trip. I would leave out Siurana.. an opinion I share with Dave Graham, Nena and Simon, Justin, Ellen and a few others on the way. That's not to say I didn't meet many people who loved it, but it wasn't for me. I would spend way more time in Rodellar, a bit more in Riglos and of course, back to El Chorro!
As for getting home, I was lucky as hell on my buddy pass travel! I got here on the first flight out of Paris and the first flight out of Atlanta! No Standby! (Thanks Deanne!)
Seamus.... Well... we're back in the swing of things. He's very calm and settled with me here... not acting too paranoid that I may leave tomorrow. He came to the airport with my dad and was confused about me at first then quickly gave me the welcoming I expected with head high jumps to plant those missed kisses on my cheeks... We got up early, 5am (jetlag) and went for a walk this morning and then sat outside with the ducks and swans until the folks woke up. I called my dad from the airport... he thought I was still in Europe.. He said he was just watching the golf and so I said.... oh, then you probably wouldn't want to come get me at the Airport, would ya? He was surprised for sure and super happy! Anyway... thanks for letting me share my stories again... See everyone when I see ya!!! Salt Lake is about three weeks away for me... so around mid-late June! Hasta Luego! -rairai
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