Eiger Interlude

For a transition phase interlude, here's a pretty cool show about Dean Potter attempting to solo the Eiger with a base rig. It's got climbing, wingsuit jumping, highlining, and a little history. Mainly, for me, it's got good footage of one of the modern routes in the Eiger, Deep Blue Sea (12c). One of these years I'm going over there, waiting out the weather, and climbing the Nordwand. It's also got commercials and is 20 minutes in total. Not sure if NBC wants it here so you might want to watch is soon, though they say you can find it on their world of adventuresports site.

Had a long trip to California over the weekend to surprise my dad for his 80th where both Romney and I came down with colds. This was pretty good timing as I'd just finished the first phase of my program. Scheduled to start back up tomorrow and I should be ready. My fingers felt as though they needed the break.

Did manage to explore a canyon in the middle of Nevada that just may hold the big mountain route I've been looking for. I found a wall that hadn't been climbed, at least from the guide or that I could tell, and shared a ledge under it with a mountain goat while I scoped the lines. We surprised each other. He looked more worried than I felt but he was the one with the massive horns and would have had a distinct advantage should one of us gotten territorial. But he soon as he decided I wasn't a predator he went back to grazing while I scoped the wall for weaknesses. I don't know if it's a good omen but it made me like the place, which was stunning anyway. The good omen is more likely the line of weakness up the overhanging headwall that looks as though it will accept my fingers.