Monday, December 22, 2008

Road Trip


Man, the Internet can be a great tool. I lived most of my life on the road in the early 90s. During this time I climbed in about 20 countries and about half the states. I've climbed so many places that I often can't remember if I've been somewhere. I used to take notes (though most of this was about diet and training) and, occasionally, shoot photos. But I hardly kept any of it and what I've kept I'm not even sure where it is. With the net available, it's hard not to keep a log about what you're doing. It would be super cool if I'd had the means to keep a travel log like this:

Bus Trip II

This site logs the climbing career of two weekend warriors named Eric and Lucie. It's mainly centered on a two-year road trip they took, though it also shares a lot of their previous history. As life on the road probably seemed more fun than life in the office, they're now on part II.

They aren't professional climbers. Their tick list consists mainly of classic climbs around the world, at difficulty levels available to most weekend warriors. So, along with being a fantastic scrap book for Eric and Lucie, it's a great tool for most climbers because they share all sorts of photos and beta on these climbs.

As for me, if I ever lose my memory I'll start going the way of John McCain, forgetting even the location of a country where I once had a harrowing life and death experience.
heading out for a day in the Calanques, southern France
Wolfgang and Gernot with the woman who ran the "climbing shop" in Osp, Slovenia. You couldn't buy anything until you had a glass of wine with her.
lunch break in the Frankenjura, Germany
the timeless Grand Teton overshadows some early 90s fashion
topping out of the Verdon Gorge, France
Brett Stone, Buhl, Kid Dynamite; stylin' in Eldorado Canyon, Colorado
with Hans Florine, doing a first ascent in some canyon near Guadalajara, Mexicothe van parked under the Mexican Hat, Utah, on its first road trip. 20 years later, with some additional art work and Tuco the Rat, it's still going strong somewhere in the Mojave Desert (top pic).

3 comments:

Reedster said...

Going strong in the Mojave? I thought it was up enjoying the snow next to the trout stream in Montana.

I love that van.

Steve Edwards said...

ah, yes, you are correct. i was referring to the pic only.

Anonymous said...

I dug it out of the snow the other day, gave it a jump and it fired right up. Unfortunately, I need a jack under it to get cable chains on to move it to the new house.

J