Wrapping up 2015

Hiking in to boulder at La Calesita on La Barrosa 

I haven't gotten around to posting for awhile and my blog is running behind the times. I suppose it doesn't matter much, since hardly anyone but me ever sees it. At any rate, I've decided it's still meaningful to me to try and keep up a diary of sorts.

In terms of personal satisfaction and time spent outdoors climbing, 2015 was a good year. It's hard for me to measure these things (what makes one year better than another?), but my family gave me a lot of support me and to a large extent I was able to freely pursue my avocation, held back only by my own personal shortcomings.

The last few weeks of 2015 were mostly spent bouldering, but also climbing some of the routes on La Barrosa with Gaby, Martín and Analía. I just barely managed to reach my goal of climbing 150 different routes for the year, finishing up in late December by redpointing a short, stout 11a (a route I'd put up years ago and also redpointed in 2014).

In December I went to a new area the kids were developing on the south side of La Barrosa, called "La Calesita".

The rock removal crew

Got it!

After dragging out a big rock, the kids went to work on a couple of new problems. I think they were a V7 and a V8.

Guido taking advantage of the new space

Guido gives a new V7 a go

Juan tries out the V7

Juan and floating chalk

Marian's turn

Marian getting ready to hit the pads

Matías pulling down hard

Things get complicated at this point

Segu going for the send

As I recall, Segu was the only climber to do the V7

Kari trying out the last couple of moves

The last move is a big one

A new V8 problem traverses in from the left

Marian tries the V8

Guido manages to get both hands out right

Segu with footwork on the V8

I managed to send a new V3 at La Calesita

The first move reaches high off a good handjam down low 

The move off this hold is kind of hard

Now I gotta top it out!

La Calesita is one of the prettiest and most isolated bouldering areas on La Barrosa and is certainly a very cool place to go even if there are not as many problems as in some of the other areas. It's great to see these kids getting out and developing these new areas.

I didn't manage to send this problem in La Calesita