Back to Hell

It's the day before we leave for Hell.  24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell that is.  The gear is sorted and packed.  Food rationed out and plans made.  But even on this eve of my 7th 24HHH, I am filled with apprehension.  This is the first year it looks like rain is definitely going to be a major factor.  Not the small chance of a passing shower, but major thunderstorms in the forecast.  What might that do to the most grueling climbing competition around?  Nobody knows.  Of course many of us are well beyond reason and will continue to climb as it long as it seems remotely safe.  Obviously the personal records and high number of climbs will not be an issue if we are climbing in torrential downpours.  But will the weather dampen the spirits of the competitors?  Will it be a downer on the party?  Or will it serve to bring us even closer together as a climbing   community?  Will the climbers at this years 24 become a band of brothers and sisters that has withstood a trail by fire, or water?  I can only hope so, but time will tell.

AMGA SPI

Well for whatever reason I have now begun a blog.  As if facebook, twitter, and knowing a million hasn't reduced my personal privacy to zero.  I have now decided to work more on self-promotion and marketing.  Current happenings?  I finished my American Mountain Guide Association assessment to re-certify my Single Pitch Instructor designation last week.  This is the second time I have been through the assessment and it was  only a little less stressful this time than the first round three years ago.  It's a great program which I learned a great deal, and I really enjoy getting together with like minded climbers to hone our craft.  I have been taking my courses AMGA course through Fox Mountain Guides out of North Carolina, although they have always been kind enough to travel to Arkansas and hold courses at Horseshoe Canyon Ranch, my "home turf."  The SPI course covers taking clients out climbing for a day in single pitch terrain.  Which is something I have done for many years.  The first time I took this course it was a big eye opening experience.  Not because I was doing anything wrong, incorrect, or dangerous.  But because it taught me so many ways to do things more efficiently, quicker, and to provide a better over all experience to my clients.  The biggest challenge I face in this course, is that it covers a number of rescue and assistance skills that fortunately I have not had to use.  But those are just things that I need to practice a little more regularly.  It also covers what we call "top-managed sites" where the participants begin and end their climbs at the top and not the bottom of the cliff.  These are great skills to have, but unfortunately not ones that we get to use much here in Arkansas.  So after my latest assessment I have decided to work a little harder on my guiding skills, and to try and use more of my knowledge in the field.  I guess you could say I have grown comfortable in doing the same old kind of things every trip.  It's time to push the envelope and try a few new tricks.  I will let you know how it goes.