Tango list update
Two weekends ago I crossed of the Yetti Call from the tango list. I made it to the top of Tres Picos and introduced Kelly and Jesse to the Yetti. There were many moments where I could have done the Yetti and been happy but I'm glad I saved it until the end. We were fighting time and I was exhausted plus spending time with two new friends so I think this Yetti deserves to be on the list. You might recall (if you are a regular reader of my blog) that I did the Yetti call once before with less success. I'm so glad I had another beautiful opportunity to Yetti.
In other news I will most likely have to drop dancing Tango from the tango list. Every week we have tango lessons. I have missed the past two weeks. Today Emily Goff asked me if I was going to tango and I felt bad telling her that I wasn't going. David (activities) and Kelly overheard the conversation so explained why I didn't like tango even further. I felt bad that I wasn't going to be able to meet all my goals for the trip but that is part of the experience. You can't do everything only the really important thing and learning that might be the most important thing of all.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Mariana
I have not posted in a while and I have not made my phone calls in a long time. I have a lot less free time. Class takes up a bunch of time. I have fixed times that I eat and getting to know everyone pretty much takes up all my social time. Not to worry everyone. I am doing really well. I am loving life. I will call soon.
Last night was very interesting. I had a simi romantic encounter. Nothing serious PG13 for sure. I met this girl (Mariana is her name) she is from Brazil in my dorm. We talked kissed and fell asleep together. It was nice spending time with a woman in a romantic kind of way. That is something I have been missing here in BA. If the same night happened in the U.S. I would not even write a blog about it. The whole thing was innocent and I don..t think anything further will happen. I'm just so happy to spend time with the opposite sex that is a little more personal.
Last night was very interesting. I had a simi romantic encounter. Nothing serious PG13 for sure. I met this girl (Mariana is her name) she is from Brazil in my dorm. We talked kissed and fell asleep together. It was nice spending time with a woman in a romantic kind of way. That is something I have been missing here in BA. If the same night happened in the U.S. I would not even write a blog about it. The whole thing was innocent and I don..t think anything further will happen. I'm just so happy to spend time with the opposite sex that is a little more personal.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Gear Update
Gear Update
I took my first trip out with new gear so I thought this would be a nice time to update the gear.
Backpack: Lowe Alpine TFX Horizon 65
The backpack held up well. I threw it around the airport, I sat on it, dragged it, pretty much treated it with wreck less abandon and all the seems are fine, no rips, tears, or breaks. As far as function I can really so some clear ways this bag could be better. The side pockets is the main drawback of this bag. You cannot carry a decent sized water bottle outside the bag. You cannot stuff the zip pockets to full capacity b/c of the shape of the pockets. Carrying the bag is great and adjusting the weight is easy. Overall I'm happy with the bag but I will take the side pockets into consideration when I buy my next bag.
Sleeping bag: REI Polar Pod +20
I didn't feel cold (except for my face) once in this bag. My only complaint is that I have trouble finding a place for my hands inside the bag. That isn't really a flaw in the bag more a function of how I sleep. I found a little zip pocket inside the bag (nice touch).
Boots: Hi-Tec V-Lite FastHike Low Light-Hiking
The boots continue to impress. I would say of everything I bought the boots were the best value. I see the exact same boots on sale in Buenos Aires for 175 U.S. $ or more. I really abused these boots and they did great. We climbed rock and the rubber soles barely show any wear. The cloth on top is fraying a bit but a lighter will take care of that.
Tent: Kelty Pagosa 4
The tent did awesome in cold and wind. I didn't tie down the tent very well the first night (not knowing the wind would come at night). The second night Jesse pretty much locked the tent down and you could tell a difference. At times the wind woke me up and it seemed the tint might need to be re staked but no. Solid as a rock. There were three of us and we had loads of room. We could have fit two children in the tent with ease or one adult.
Raincoat: Marmot Oracle Jacket
What can I say about this jacket that isn't awesome. I am so glad I decided to spend a little extra on this jacket. There is nothing I have done where this jacked didn't do everything I needed.
Camera: Olympus stylus 850SW
I think buying a waterproof may have been a bad call. I really gave up a bunch of features. In particular I can only take ten second videos. There may be a way to over ride this but I haven..t figured it out. The pictures are good.
JanSport Odyssey Day pack
I..m really happy with this bag. I let Kelly use the bag to carry her camera. She seemed to like the bag. Naturally it doesn't have as much support as an inter frame but for a small bag this thing does a lot. I would feel great just carrying this bag if I didn..t want the weight of my big bag. No room for a sleeping bag.
Swiss Army Camper Knife
This is a sweet little knife. I use it everyday to open bottles and cut into plastic items. The can opener came in handy. I'm going to give this knife to my nephew Kaleb for his birthday and buy a Leatherman or a bigger Swiss Army.
New Additions from Sierra de la Ventanns:
Thurmas (unknow brand) Paid: 30 dollars
The thurmus holds 1L and keeps it hot or cold. I didn't take it on the trail so I will have to update how it works later. I was going to buy a plastic water bottle but the thurmus was made out of brushed metal and added the ability to keep things warm or cold. I like that you can use the top as a cup and it came with a carry case. The only thing I'm worried about it weight. The thing is a little heavy but I guess I can carry an extra pound or so.
Headlamp: Black Diamond Spot LED
Paid: 70$ U.S.
I am not happy with what I paid for this headlamp. I need one but I paid almost 50% more than what I would have in the U.S. The light works great and is simple. I'm still sore about the extra 30 or so dollars. All the lights are over priced.
I took my first trip out with new gear so I thought this would be a nice time to update the gear.
Backpack: Lowe Alpine TFX Horizon 65
The backpack held up well. I threw it around the airport, I sat on it, dragged it, pretty much treated it with wreck less abandon and all the seems are fine, no rips, tears, or breaks. As far as function I can really so some clear ways this bag could be better. The side pockets is the main drawback of this bag. You cannot carry a decent sized water bottle outside the bag. You cannot stuff the zip pockets to full capacity b/c of the shape of the pockets. Carrying the bag is great and adjusting the weight is easy. Overall I'm happy with the bag but I will take the side pockets into consideration when I buy my next bag.
Sleeping bag: REI Polar Pod +20
I didn't feel cold (except for my face) once in this bag. My only complaint is that I have trouble finding a place for my hands inside the bag. That isn't really a flaw in the bag more a function of how I sleep. I found a little zip pocket inside the bag (nice touch).
Boots: Hi-Tec V-Lite FastHike Low Light-Hiking
The boots continue to impress. I would say of everything I bought the boots were the best value. I see the exact same boots on sale in Buenos Aires for 175 U.S. $ or more. I really abused these boots and they did great. We climbed rock and the rubber soles barely show any wear. The cloth on top is fraying a bit but a lighter will take care of that.
Tent: Kelty Pagosa 4
The tent did awesome in cold and wind. I didn't tie down the tent very well the first night (not knowing the wind would come at night). The second night Jesse pretty much locked the tent down and you could tell a difference. At times the wind woke me up and it seemed the tint might need to be re staked but no. Solid as a rock. There were three of us and we had loads of room. We could have fit two children in the tent with ease or one adult.
Raincoat: Marmot Oracle Jacket
What can I say about this jacket that isn't awesome. I am so glad I decided to spend a little extra on this jacket. There is nothing I have done where this jacked didn't do everything I needed.
Camera: Olympus stylus 850SW
I think buying a waterproof may have been a bad call. I really gave up a bunch of features. In particular I can only take ten second videos. There may be a way to over ride this but I haven..t figured it out. The pictures are good.
JanSport Odyssey Day pack
I..m really happy with this bag. I let Kelly use the bag to carry her camera. She seemed to like the bag. Naturally it doesn't have as much support as an inter frame but for a small bag this thing does a lot. I would feel great just carrying this bag if I didn..t want the weight of my big bag. No room for a sleeping bag.
Swiss Army Camper Knife
This is a sweet little knife. I use it everyday to open bottles and cut into plastic items. The can opener came in handy. I'm going to give this knife to my nephew Kaleb for his birthday and buy a Leatherman or a bigger Swiss Army.
New Additions from Sierra de la Ventanns:
Thurmas (unknow brand) Paid: 30 dollars
The thurmus holds 1L and keeps it hot or cold. I didn't take it on the trail so I will have to update how it works later. I was going to buy a plastic water bottle but the thurmus was made out of brushed metal and added the ability to keep things warm or cold. I like that you can use the top as a cup and it came with a carry case. The only thing I'm worried about it weight. The thing is a little heavy but I guess I can carry an extra pound or so.
Headlamp: Black Diamond Spot LED
Paid: 70$ U.S.
I am not happy with what I paid for this headlamp. I need one but I paid almost 50% more than what I would have in the U.S. The light works great and is simple. I'm still sore about the extra 30 or so dollars. All the lights are over priced.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Ride home
After we climbed the summit we camped at the base of Tres Picos. I was not looking froward to leaving for a number of reasons. 1) I didn't want the moment to end, 2) we had to hike all the way back in one day, 3) we had time constraints, 4) after we got back we still had to call a taxi, and finally 5) we had to sleep on the bus. Well we were lucky to run into a true gentleman that took care of the first four concerns in one swoop. He offered us a ride no just back to the start of the ranch, he also drove us (for free) all the way back to Sierra de la Ventanna (a hour by car). Trail magic is all I have to say. ;)
Summit
We made it to the top of Tres Picos today. What a day! We spent the afternoon approaching the mountain. Around 3.30 we ran into a man coming off the top of the moutian. He told us we had about a two hour hike and only 2.5 hours of light left. He told us if we wanted to go up he would wait to make sure we made it back safe. The climb approaching the moutian was brutal. Several times I felt like quitting. Seeing me struggling, Jessie gave me the following piece of advice "Take small steps, just keep moving foward." The advice didn't ease the pain in my legs and the climb was just as hard but it help. I relaxed took small steps where I normally would have stopped to rest. I could have asked Jesse to take smaller steps so I could keep up. He set a tough pace and Kelly manged to keep up better than I. I can't blame the extra weight I was carring because we dropped or packs at the base to save time. When we finally made it to the summit it was all worth it. I introduced Kelly and Jesse to the Yetti. We had a great time taking photos and basking in our accomplishment. I felt so proud of myslef and the group as a whole. I can honestly say now that if I would have known how hard everything was going to be I probally would have never even tried. But I did and I made it. That was one of my proudest moments of my life.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Sierra de la Ventanna day 3
I woke up early today to watch the sun rise. It was cloudy so I did not get to see the sun come up. The the morning was still nice. I got to spend some time by myself. Today we are going to the top of Tres Picos. I'm so excited for the trip. I wanted to wake Jesse and Kelly but let them sleep.
Yesterday we were just finding our way. We camped by the water tank which is basically the start of the trail. After a fill up on water and a little something to eat we set out on the trail. (I did not know at the time that I wrote this how hard physically this day would be. I should have slept in also)
Yesterday we were just finding our way. We camped by the water tank which is basically the start of the trail. After a fill up on water and a little something to eat we set out on the trail. (I did not know at the time that I wrote this how hard physically this day would be. I should have slept in also)
Friday, August 29, 2008
Sierra de la Ventanna Day 2
Today was our first day out on the trail. The day was really awesome. Our bus was two hours late b/c there was a wreck on the highway. We made it to Sierra de la Ventanna by 8 or 9. We stopped for coffe and stocked up on supplies. After a lunch of awesome pizza and empanadas we caught a cab to Paseo de Funke. I met up with Monica (trail guide). She gave us a breif (very breif) over view of the trail. We didn't even hike for 2 miles before we were off the trail. We still managed to go in the right direction. While we were finding our way back on the trail I really felt like the group bonded. We jumped some fences and helped one another. Blake did well to keep us moving and in the right direction. Kelly had that light in ther ehye while she was taking her pictuers. At one point she said:
Kelly: "O.K. if we jump this fence we can go under that gate..." (to get where we needed to be)
With some team work we did it and the she said, "Camping is awasome!"
I'm really gald kelly enjoyed herself. I would like her to come along again. She didn't complain or otherwise say one thing negitive the whole day. That is saying a lot considering all the conviences we gave up.
I got the tent up without a prolbem. I could have done a better job staking the tent down. The wind picked up during the night and the rainfly flapped all night. Otherwise the tent help up perfectly.
Jesse and Kelly made an awasome dinner. We were all hungry from the trail. Tomarrow is a big day. I can't wait to be at the top of Tres picos with Jesse and Kelly.
Kelly: "O.K. if we jump this fence we can go under that gate..." (to get where we needed to be)
With some team work we did it and the she said, "Camping is awasome!"
I'm really gald kelly enjoyed herself. I would like her to come along again. She didn't complain or otherwise say one thing negitive the whole day. That is saying a lot considering all the conviences we gave up.
I got the tent up without a prolbem. I could have done a better job staking the tent down. The wind picked up during the night and the rainfly flapped all night. Otherwise the tent help up perfectly.
Jesse and Kelly made an awasome dinner. We were all hungry from the trail. Tomarrow is a big day. I can't wait to be at the top of Tres picos with Jesse and Kelly.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Sierra de la Ventanna Day 1
Today Kelly, Jessie, and I left for Sierra de la Ventana. I'm so excited for the trip. We were a little late getting to the bus station but a nice man helped us find the right place. Perhaps we got our first bit of trail magic before the trip even started. When we got on the bus it was much better than I expected. We got the front fow with a view. The seats lean all the way back and they are very comfortable. I can't wait for the morning. I really look foward to the time we are going to spend togeather.
Miles travled: 350?
Miles travled: 350?
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Trip 1 Serria de la Ventana
Pre trip
Today I went with Blake to buy my tickets to Serria de la Ventana. The girls made other plans so I thought it was just going to be him and I. Lucky for us Kelly came though like a champ and decided to go. So we are a group of three. I'm so glad Kelly decided to join us i really hope she enjoys the whole trip b/c she is really making a leap of faith.
The rough plan is to leave from B.A. at 11.20PM and arrive in two at around 7 A.m. It would be perfect if we could spend our first night on top of one of the tres picas. I got some info from the nice gentleman at the camping store. He said that it is cheap to camp and gave me a website to look up. I would love to wake up on top of a plateau and watch the sun rise! I can not wait. In total we are going to spend 3 days and 2 nights away for the city.
I had no idea that Jessie is the present of the UGA trekking club. I feel really good knowing that he has experience. For Kelly and I it will be out first time out on our own. I have been going over all the critical items. I think I have everything down. I gave Kelly my daypack to use for the trip. I put a few items in there so she could get the feel of some of the things she was going to bring. I really hope she can fit her camera in my bag. I just know if the takes pictures they will turn out great. I'm almost as excited for her to take pictures as I am to camp.
I hope everything goes well and wish me a safe trip. I will try and upload a map and more info about the trip so everyone can follow along. I doubt I will have internet so look for updates when I return. If you hear the Yetti call coming from the direction of South America then you know it is me at the top of the pampas.
Today I went with Blake to buy my tickets to Serria de la Ventana. The girls made other plans so I thought it was just going to be him and I. Lucky for us Kelly came though like a champ and decided to go. So we are a group of three. I'm so glad Kelly decided to join us i really hope she enjoys the whole trip b/c she is really making a leap of faith.
The rough plan is to leave from B.A. at 11.20PM and arrive in two at around 7 A.m. It would be perfect if we could spend our first night on top of one of the tres picas. I got some info from the nice gentleman at the camping store. He said that it is cheap to camp and gave me a website to look up. I would love to wake up on top of a plateau and watch the sun rise! I can not wait. In total we are going to spend 3 days and 2 nights away for the city.
I had no idea that Jessie is the present of the UGA trekking club. I feel really good knowing that he has experience. For Kelly and I it will be out first time out on our own. I have been going over all the critical items. I think I have everything down. I gave Kelly my daypack to use for the trip. I put a few items in there so she could get the feel of some of the things she was going to bring. I really hope she can fit her camera in my bag. I just know if the takes pictures they will turn out great. I'm almost as excited for her to take pictures as I am to camp.
I hope everything goes well and wish me a safe trip. I will try and upload a map and more info about the trip so everyone can follow along. I doubt I will have internet so look for updates when I return. If you hear the Yetti call coming from the direction of South America then you know it is me at the top of the pampas.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
What a disaster!
Today I had two classes an internship and tango class. I knew going in today was going to be tough. Everything was all together from 11:30A.M. - 7:00P.M. Anyone who knows me knows I'm good for about 4 hours and that's it so today was basically twice what I'm comfortable with.
Classes went fine.
From there I went right to my internship. There wasn't a chance to eat so I made sure not to talk to much. We spent a hour talking and making our introductions. Straight from there we were supposed to go to tango class. I went up to my room thinking it would be better to take a minute to change clothes and regroup. I show up and everyone is already well into class. So I jump in as best I can. Emily did her best to show me what I missed. I thought I was catching on a little when the instructors asked us to switch. From that point on the whole thing was down hill. Either I forgot everything I learned, I was tired or hungry, maybe the music, the hot room, or everything put together but I was overwhelmed. Everyone was telling me things in Spanish and English moving around and started to wish I never got dressed to go at all. I would have been better off in a T shit a jeans. I felt so out of place. And everywhere I looked someone was moving beautifully. Of course the instructors ask someone to demonstrate. I felt like everyone expected me to break out a 50 step sequence. I could barely do the first five. I think this is one of the few time where being drunk is actually better than being sober. I literally could not clam down enough to do two things at once.
I just wanted to relax. I wanted the scene on my blog. Who cares about the steps. I was so psyched I really think that worked to my disadvantage.
I'm going to a nice dinner in my tango clothes and hope for a better night.
Classes went fine.
From there I went right to my internship. There wasn't a chance to eat so I made sure not to talk to much. We spent a hour talking and making our introductions. Straight from there we were supposed to go to tango class. I went up to my room thinking it would be better to take a minute to change clothes and regroup. I show up and everyone is already well into class. So I jump in as best I can. Emily did her best to show me what I missed. I thought I was catching on a little when the instructors asked us to switch. From that point on the whole thing was down hill. Either I forgot everything I learned, I was tired or hungry, maybe the music, the hot room, or everything put together but I was overwhelmed. Everyone was telling me things in Spanish and English moving around and started to wish I never got dressed to go at all. I would have been better off in a T shit a jeans. I felt so out of place. And everywhere I looked someone was moving beautifully. Of course the instructors ask someone to demonstrate. I felt like everyone expected me to break out a 50 step sequence. I could barely do the first five. I think this is one of the few time where being drunk is actually better than being sober. I literally could not clam down enough to do two things at once.
I just wanted to relax. I wanted the scene on my blog. Who cares about the steps. I was so psyched I really think that worked to my disadvantage.
I'm going to a nice dinner in my tango clothes and hope for a better night.
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