Rocklands, part 1
Rocklands
June 7th - June 30th
We have been in Rocklands for about three weeks, roughly the same time as our first trip here last summer. It is wild to think almost a month has passed, as we are enjoying every minute of it, and it has been flying by.
The week before we left Salt Lake, I was nervous about becoming homesick. I have not left Salt Lake City for more than 3-4 weeks since moving there 13 years ago. Yet, the first time we came to Rocklands, we felt a sense of comfort, like we were at home. The resemblance of the desert landscape, sandstone cliff lines, and unpolluted skies that show off the Milky Way reminds me of southern Utah.
The sense of community here is also comforting. Climbers worldwide travel here, and we all share a passion and love for this sport. Even at boulders with parties who speak minimal English (though this is usually rare), it is still so easy to share the climbing experience and communicate with one another. We were recently at a boulder with a group from the south of France, and most of them spoke minimal English (though much better than my non-existent ability to speak French). They shared beta, supported their friends, and celebrated sends. These parts of climbing feel like a universal language. The climbing community is also small, and we have run into other groups from the US who share mutual friends and know many people from Salt Lake City here this summer. My apprehensions and fears dissipated as I quickly settled into the routine here.
The first week here, we were recovering from 40 hours of travel, seemingly endless studies, a month's worth of moving, and jet lag. During the first week, we mostly climbed boulder problems we could finish in a session, easing into the trip.
We shared our Airbnb for the first couple of weeks of the trip with another climbing couple from Salt Lake. They were great company at the boulders and around home. Some of the best climbs I have done so far were those they recommended, which I would have overlooked or walked by if alone. We couldn't thank Stella and Eric enough for letting us use their phone to finish the last of our to-do list items and make international calls. Thankfully, they were more prepared than we were regarding SIM cards and other essential charging devices.
Over the past two weeks, Zane and I have spent time 'projecting' or trying boulder problems that will take us days to figure out and execute. During our three-week trip last year, I mostly stuck to climbs I could accomplish in a day or two. This strategy was successful, and I experienced many different climbs. This year, we will be here for three months. The extra time allows us to explore more challenging climbs, with the trade-off of likely doing fewer new climbs overall. Exploring physical and mental limits within this sport is exciting, though failure is always a potential outcome. Yet, time is a significant asset to the projecting process. So far, we haven’t gotten any bigger projects done but have several on the docket.
Bouldering conditions have been quite hot thus far. Temperatures have ranged from 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit most days. Tomorrow will be one of the first cold snap; hopefully our skin will grow back quickly!
Climbing aside, we have been enjoying the food, slow rest days, and the community. We are staying in the town of Clanwilliam, and are closer to restaurants that were less accessible to us last year. Bella Louise is our favorite restaurant so far, as it is connected to a Farm Stall, offering fresh food perfectly prepared, an extensive menu, and better service than most spots in and around Rocklands. The grocery store also has everything we need, often providing more local fruits, produce, meat, and homemade pastries than a typical US grocery store. Clanwilliams is also home to Rooibos Tea. We are yet to go to the Rooibos Tea House, but enjoy a Rooibos cappuccino and brewing Rooibos-Vanilla or Chamomile at night.
We have had many rest days due to skin and physical exhaustion. We have been taking it easy on rest days, enjoying the lack of obligations and reading, gaming, writing, or going to a coffee shop. Life is slower out here overall, which we greatly appreciate and, so far, are not bored of. We certainly caught up on sleep.
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