Kristine wanted to write the trip report for our 16 day Aconcagua climb this past December/January and so she went with it and I think she did a great job. Its a tad lengthy (mostly due to all the pics I added – I just love pics), but for those that do read it I hope you enjoy. The trip report is under our “Expeditions” tab on our site or just click Aconcagua 2013.

Now, onto last weekend’s activities. We spent a mid-March winter weekend down in the relative warmth of the high desert near Canon City at the rock climbing mecca that is known as Shelf Road. Good friends Mike Santoro, Kaitlin Preston, Reid & Tara Jennings, Nico & Celeste Cizik, Matt & Kari Reigner, and of course the one and only, Jesse Hill all joined in on the fun. Our usual dog pack accompanied us comprising Rainier, Kona, Piton, Sterling, Purna, & Snyder. Shelf offers world class sport climbing with a trad crack thrown in here and there with great camping and moderate winter temperatures. Saturday turned to be a mostly overcast and chilly climbing day while Sunday definitely warmed up. We did get about an hour of rain Saturday evening in which we all scurried for the mess tent, indiviual tents, and cars, but its nothing that a roaring campfire and Jesse’s awesome jambalaya couldn’t fix. All in all, it was a great weekend in which we pretty much completely spent ourselves, our forearms, and especially our fingers on the sharp limestone rock both days. I still feel like I was in an all day long bare-knuckle fight. I think we all do. A few pics of the fun are as follows:

Our crew at the Bank area on Saturday. Photo by Tara Jennings

Our crew at the Bank area on Saturday. Photo by Tara Jennings

Kona, Snyder, & Rainier are good belayers

Kona, Snyder, & Rainier are good belayers. Photo by Tara Jennings

Kristine & I checking out Jesse's sport route in which he made into a mixed sprt/trad route as is typical Jesse Hill fashion

Kristine & I checking out Jesse’s sport route in which he made into a mixed sport/trad route as is typical Jesse Hill fashion. Photo by Tara Jennings

Celeste in the thick of it on Ripped (5.10b), a trad crack in which Jesse & Matt led

Celeste in the thick of it on Ripped (5.10b), a trad crack in which Jesse & Matt led

Then, to the Cactus Cliff area in the sun on Sunday

Then, to the Cactus Cliff area on a sunny Sunday

Jesse leading a 5.9

Jesse leading the lower part of Red Eclipse (5.10c)

Jesse on the 5.9

Jesse leading Red Eclipse (5.10c)

Kristine on another 5.9 route we set up

Kristine on Black Slabbeth (5.10a)

Kristine in the heat of the 5.9 delayered to her t-shirt

Kristine in the heat of Black Slabbeth (5.10a) delayered to her t-shirt

Mike on a fun 5.10 arete

Mike on the fun arete called Beef Cake Formula (5.8)

Reid flying high

Reid flying high on You Show Me Your Heavy Weapon, I’ll Show you Mine (5.7)

Me leading the really fun Candy for Big Kids (5.10d)

Me leading the really fun Candy for Big Kids (5.10d)

Me in the dihedral of Candy for Big Kids (5.10d)

Me in the dihedral of Candy for Big Kids (5.10d)

Rainie relaxing

Rainie relaxing

Me having pulled the mini-roof on Candy for Big Kids (5.10d)

Me having pulled the mini-roof on Candy for Big Kids (5.10d)

Me at the anchors for Candy for Big Kids (5.10d)

Me at the anchors for Candy for Big Kids (5.10d)

Kristine flying up

Kristine at the crux of Red Eclipse (5.10c)