Weekend in Austin, Cousins and Climbing

So the main point of the trip to Austin was to visit family. Most important in this is getting together with the cousins and Popo

All the cousins loved playing with Dylan and there were so many toys in the house tha Dylan had no idea where to even start and was constantly occupied to the point that Linda and I really did not need to do anything. Popo took care of all the eating, bathing and diapers so we were free.We also got to get together with some friends as well. Matt and Katie who move from ABQ to Austin about a year ago, we make sure to visit and climb with them every time we are in Austin which is good.


Thu and Nat as well, friends through Matt and Katie, they have a 10 month old named Noah who we like to try and get Dylan to play with. All six plus Noah went out to Riemers to climb on Saturday. It was pretty nice in the morning but got pretty warm for a couple of hours during the middle of the day, then nice again in the evening. We warmed up at the Prototype wall where Linda on-sighted a 5.11-. Then headed over to the Insect Wall where I finished up Scorpion Child which I had failed to on-sight last time out. Next up was House of Pain Wall and a fun traversing route called Bastard in the Brothel which Linda, Matt, Katie and I all climbed on. Then Linda got on Jade 5.12 on top rope to work on the moves and I finished off Block Party 5.13a, another route that I left undone from our Thanksgiving trip. Matt got on Block Party as well to start working out the moves. At this point it got pretty hot so we just hung out for awhile and looked at some walls way down at the left end of the cliff line that we had not been to before. Linda saw some stuff down there that she wanted to do so I belayed her on a couple of routes that she actually took some falls on which is good for her. As things cooled off Nat and Thu both got on Elephant Man 5.13a, yet another route that I'd tried to on-sight over Thanksgiving and was not successful on. Thu sent it as usual, in the 3 or 4 times I've climbed with im at Riemers he always does this route and never seems to have any trouble with it. Nat came very close to red-pointing the route for the first time as well, falling above the last bolt. Prpoerly psyced and now armed with beta I sent to clean up a third route from our Thanksgiving trip.

On Sunday Matt, Thu, Nat and I headed out to a crag that is on some private land but the land owner allows climbing. To get to the cliff though you have to have the code to get into the gated community where the trail starts. Only a handful of people have this code and if it got out, which it has, problems arise from too many people having access.
Needless to say the climbing, while limited is quite good. There are maybe 20-25 lines and I'm sure countless link-ups. The cliff is only about 25 feet tall but it is so steep that many of the routes are 40-50 feet long, you top out as there are no anchors and jump off the top to send. Most of the routes are between 5.12c and 5.13b and the climbing is really fun on mostly good holds but you can tear you skin up pretty good as well since you are hanging off your arms so much.

Here is a shot looking at the left side of the cliff
And a short looking right, the guy in the black shirt is at the same route in each photo to give you an idea of how short the sectin of cliff is.

Saddly Noah got sick and Thu and Nat had to leave early. Matt finished up a 5.12+ that he had worked on some previously and tried a couple of routes that he is excited to get back on soon. I had a great day. After a quick warm up I on-sighted the classic 5.13a on the cliff, then a 5.13b on-sight followed. After resting and watching some folks on another 5.13b I managed to flash that as well. Then I moved on and on-sighted a 5.12d, though I butchered the sequence down low which cost me on the next route I got on. I tried to finish up by flashing the 5.12+ that Matt had started the day on but was just out of gas, I fell about 3 moves from topping it out, it was a good effort though and I really fought for it even if I did not make it. I'm psyced to get back a do some more of the routes there

Turns out we picked a pretty poor time to fly back, not because of traffic, but because it interfered with Dylans nap time. He went down just before we got to the airport so we let him sleep before going through security.

Doesn't look all that comfortable but it was the best we could do without waking him up.

He did not get enough sleep though and was pretty difficult on the flights. So even though we had a good and pretty relaxing vacation we were quickly brought back to reality on the trip home. The little moster is sleeping as I type this, he needs the rest, to catch up on his sleep.

End with some video I got of Dylan the day before we left for Austin.

Hope everyone had a good weekend