Two Extremes

Just finished a few days of filming in Joshua Tree, California, a place I hadn't been since I was on my first major road trip with Will S back in the day.  If it wasn't for the pain in my fingertips and my aching muscles, I'd call it one of the most pleasant rock climbing trips ever.  Warm temps, short approaches, amazing lines, and incredible vistas.

Now I am in the Canadian Rockies with Paul McSorely and Jorge Ackerman, where yesterday we woke up to -15°C temps, fragile ice, and it seems I am getting sick.  Why do I like this sport again?

Paul was a Bow Valley resident and ice aficionado now living in 'retirement'.  He wears flip-flops every day of the year in Squamish.  Jorge is the best young climber in Argentina, with first ascents on Fitz Roy and a hot lap up the Ferrari route on the Torre.

Birthday at Home

I have spent my birthday every year in recent memory on the road, away from home.  November is prime road tripping season, a sweet prolonging of the summer as Squamish turns into a dark and wet town for half the year.  This was my birthday last year, spent 30+ pitches up on El Capitan, during a trip up the Golden Gate:


El Cap Birthday from Jason Kruk on Vimeo.

The dark months are the personal hell of many residents, but I've always enjoyed the downtime of rain.  A chance to take care of the overflow of office work that piles up on my desk, take in some much needed culture from the big city down the road, and get my freak on in the kitchen.  I've always tried to ensure my happiness isn't predicated upon the weather.

By chance the sun shined brilliantly on this, my 23rd birthday, so I got out on my favourite route, the Grand Wall with two of my favourite people: Elise and Paul.  It turned out to be the best birthday of recent memory, Elise even baked me a cake and two pies.  Here's what it looked like: