Being flexible is key. And if you have a small tent of truck finding a flexible girl is also key.

If you are having a good time somewhere don't be afraid to spend extra time there. Same with moving on if things aren't clicking. I have spent weeks at places that I thought I would only spend a couple days, and moved on after only a day at places I thought I would spend weeks.

Sometimes you can find good people to climb with and kinda move around with them from place to place.

Also, if you have room you can pick up climbers without cars and have them help pay for gas. Just be careful who you are picking up and taking near the borders since they do have drug checkpoints (along I-10 especially) from time to time in TX, NM and AZ. You don't want to be stuck with some guy you just met with a bunch of weed in his backpack if your car gets searched.

Also, when going into California on I-10 don't tell them you have or don't take fresh produce unless it is all marked product of the US. They will take it.

Yes, I have two copies. Two different editions. I might be persuaded to lend on out with a hefty deposit. Or let you photo copy the parts you want. Not that you would want to stop in this wasteland.

Well It is going to be beautiful all weekend here too. But today it is chance of rain, and we decided to stay local as opposed to going to the gunks today due to that fact.
Not sure what is on for this weekend, since i have to get a physical for work on friday. We would have left already had that not been the case.

So my partner and I are going to do a grade III this weekend at cannon. Ought to be fun.

Thanks for the camping info, sounds like most people are pretty cool. I'm planning on being pretty flexible. That is a big part of the reason I'm going solo; I don't have to make plans with anyone. Being able to do whatever I want will be nice. When I was in Europe, I saw so many people who were ready to kill their travel buddy after spending 2-3 months living and coordinating their lives with another person 24 hours/day.

The way his statement read it sounded as if they were doing a grade V

I wonder what will happen with Nathan and I when we finally blow this popsicle stand and get to hit the road.

Way to shit in his corn flakes.........

What about Cathedral? I'll be up there tomorrow.

And if you are stoked about a grade III, you need to get out more. Grade III ought to take 2-3 hours. Leaves time for moar climbing.

Jay- you got a campsite? IME says that cannon is unstable and really prone to rockfall until july-august, and we're considering cathedral.

Probably nothing; you're married, for one. Most of the people I saw having real trouble (and I mean that in the relative sense....they were still having fun) were a.) college couples who hadn't spent every waking moment together and b.) never travelled much. The stress of this plus being in foriegn countries can take a toll. After my first trip overseas, I though "I'm never, ever travelling with someone else for an extended period of time."

Since you both aren't new to this stuff, I'm sure you'll be fine!

Nah, I'm not really worried. We've already done the whole spend a month together living out of a back of a truck, only being seperated when you have to take a shit, thing.

I might have to kill Nathan if we went over seas though, considering how poorly he managed just visiting Quebec.

That is the suck.

I'm planning on being pretty flexible. That is a big part of the reason I'm going solo; I don't have to make plans with anyone. Being able to do whatever I want will be nice. When I was in Europe, I saw so many people who were ready to kill their travel buddy after spending 2-3 months living and coordinating their lives with another person 24 hours/day.

A park pass still seems like a good idea, but I see what you are saying.

Thanks for the tower beta. It seems that sneaking in if possible is the way to go, I've heard that from others as well. Frank sounds like a cool guy, I'd be happy to help him out with work or whatever if he'd let me pitch my tent. I might drop you a pm on his specific info...

The reasons you mention are exactly why I'd like to get a truck...but only for even trade. I'd be super convienent to be able to just pull over and sleep wherever comfortably and with a reasonable chance of no one being the wiser, which you can't really do in a car.

That campground registration trick sounds good, haha. That goes in line with what Bec was saying about meeting folks to share a site with.

I hear what you are saying about the popular areas. We'll see, I guess. I've been going back and forth about getting Rock N Road, but I think I might, just to have an encyclopedia of areas; I've never heard of Cochise (well, I think I've seen a reference to it here and there). It sounds great, though. Vedawoo looks great, as well.

Let me look it up, I know next to nothing about the place.

If I decide to go, I would give you a deposit on the book if you are willing to lend it. If it's such a cool area, why is the guide so hard to find?

I wonder what will happen with Nathan and I when we finally blow this popsicle stand and get to hit the road.

Probably nothing; you're married, for one. Most of the people I saw having real trouble (and I mean that in the relative sense....they were still having fun) were a.) college couples who hadn't spent every waking moment together and b.) never travelled much. The stress of this plus being in foriegn countries can take a toll. After my first trip overseas, I though "I'm never, ever travelling with someone else for an extended period of time."

Since you both aren't new to this stuff, I'm sure you'll be fine!

You know, I rent axes.

I might have to kill Nathan if we went over seas though, considering how poorly he managed just visiting Quebec.

Bec climbed there for free and stayed at someone's house.

Remember. Ins, outs, what have yous. Learn to work them.

That sounds like being married.

But yes.Also, don't make plans to have anyone fly in and meet you either. Make them drive to wherever. If you are trying to get a piece of ass in Hueco and your buddy is flying into Phoenix the next day it makes it hard to pick between where you should be.

You have to admit I was pretty good when we were in Quebec ice climbing.

Voytek wanted tot kill me too that first weekend. I think it was justa bad moon.

If you already have a park pass there is no need to sneak into the Tower. Having a park pass is nice for rest days too. I have went to a lot of places that I normally wouldn't have coughed up the $20 for a half a day I spent there when passing through.

You can PM Frank. He is Bigwally on here.

Get a station wagon. We met a guy who had his wagon all set up for covert sleeping. He said he has slept in residential areas before. Just roll in late. Go to sleep and leave in the morning. Just make sure it is legal to park where ever you park.

Poaching camping kinda goes with what Bec was saying about sharing, but not really. If you do poach make sure you have a good story. And you still could get a ticket. Sharing sites really isn't poaching, since the site is paid for.

Rock n' Road is nice, but it won't tell you anything you can't find on the NET. On the other hand you can't flip through the NET when you don't have a computer or internet service.

If you wanted to leave a huge deposit we have a ton of guide books. Most are irreplaceable though but we have some off the wall places. R&I used to have mini guides years ago in every issue. I've hit some really cool backwater places. Here is a tip. If you see a guidebook for a place you would like to visit someday, (and it isn't the Red where they come out with a new book every two years) BUY IT. I have books I've bought years ago and still never used, but the books have been out of print and you can't find them anywhere. And don't buy Falcon books unless you need to, those sadly will never go out of print and are generally fucked up.

http://www.rockclimbing.com/.../Cochise_Stronghold/

Vedauwoo is cool. Really sharp though. Bring lots of tape. Jack also rated everything there.

Its not the cool new envouge area and there probably isn't a shit ton of new development happening. They were made in a single printing and they only printed however many they thought they could sell. I suppose there isn't enough demand yet to reprint. I almost sold my first edition to Redlegrangerone way back when for a good amount of money.