On Friday Jared and I went rock climbing in the Snake River Canyon with two of his buddies and their girls. We went to a place called Hidden Wall, which is really a wall that is in the shade most of the day (the reason we went there)
The rock climbing gang! Brett and his wife Raini, Tom and his girlfriend Lindsay, and my handsome stud!
We were going to climb top rope, but the routes needed to be lead-climbed to get the rope up there. Jared happily voulenteered! => My little adventurer haha. This is a picture of Jared's first quick-draw Jared is clipping!
Needless to say, I was nervous having his climb, and I voiced that opinion. But Jared, being the stud man he is, got to the top in no time and proudly posed for my picture =>
Later in the day Jared was fooling around on the rocks. He did a toe hook and just hung there by his feet, no rope support at all! I got some other pictures of it but this is the only one you can see what his feet are doing. => I think it looks way cool!
We were able to set up two routes next to eachother which proves very helpful. Jared was at a hard 'cave' part on his route but he was able to stop and help Tom's girlfriend Lindsay thru a tough spot on her route! What a nice husband I have!
When she got to the top Jared proceeded, and did some pretty tough moves to get over the little cave part! What a handome hunk!!
I did three climbs and then my arms were caput! But I could still belay. Jared and I belayed Brett and Tom at the same time! I couldn't resist taking a cute picture before we started! Too bad the rope is in the middle of Jared's face =>
The ropes we use are dirty and get your hands all balck (as seen in the picture when we went to GArden of the Gods) I like to be clean so I stuck some wet wipes in the climbing bag so we could wash off our hands after. And when I was washing my hands the boys had me hold some of the rope and later added quick-draws to it.....yep,, my hands got dirty again! => Serves me right for trying to be a clean girl while doing a boy sport =>
And after all our stuff was packed we were playing around waiting for the others to finish loading up. I LOVE Jared and I love playing with him!! 
These rocks just pop up out of nowhere! It is so pretty!!
There were so many different clusters of them! Jared's cousin Jeff has climbed quite a few of the formations. On Saturday the boys were kind enough to take it easy. Out of all the formations there is only one top rope route. It was my second time on real rock and Jared's friend Jermiah's first time.
I was super excited to go, yet scared at the same time! I love climbing up the rocks, its the coming down part I hate. I don't know why, but I just have a really hard time with it. =>
The group trecking up to those big rocks! As I caught up to them and passed the black car on the right a dad pointed out to his daughter (who was about 4) and said "Look at those people, they are going to climb the big rocks, do you see all their gear?" I felt so famous and cool! Then I realized the only gear I was carrying was a camera, so he probably wasn't talking about me, but I was associated with the people who had the gear, so I was cool by association! =>
We came to the base of the top rope routes, and the boys had the job of finidg a way up to the top so they could set the ropes up. What brave little soldiers! =>
This seemed so high to me! Yes, I am just a pansy when it comes to heights. I was nervous one of them was going to fall!! Maybe rock climbing is good for me, I can get all my worry wart tendincies out now, then I can be a chill parent....haha probably not.
The boys made it down safe and were ready to climb this rock! It was not as vertical as they would have liked, it was more like a slab, but it was good for beginners, and they found ways to challenge themselves!
While we were climbing this momma deer and her baby came right close to us! Jared called them tame deer because we didn't scare them at all. they just stood there and watched us. Then, of course, when I try and take a picture they decide to leave, so I just caught a glimpse of the baby bambi.
Jared was cute enough to tell one of the boys to take a picture of me at the top, because he knew I would want to document it for the whole world to see!! =>Yep, I really did make it! And a couple of times to the top! I am not going to lie, sometimes I wanted to quite half way thru it, but thats what is good about going with men, they know how to push you to finish!
There were not very many good hand holds on these routes, you used your legs more than anything. And there were some parts where there was just smoothe rock, the boys had contests to see who could go the farthest on those parts. It was very entertaining to watch. And sandstone is an interesting rock to climb. It has parts that are so grainy that you have to blow off some sand to get a goot grip. And if you pull the wrong way on a had=nd hold of foot hold, it will come off the rock and crumble. Many interesting experiences with that here. =>
There was this one boulder jutting out of the rock that you couldn't climb up the middle because of the lack of grips. Did that stop the boys from trying.... nope => But they did come up with funny positions to try and get up it!
And I learned how to belay here! It is not as hard as I thought it would be, its just nerve wracking when someone slips, because you control their life essentially! But I got the hang of it, and I even learned various tips and tricks so I can belay someone double my weight! Oh yeah, thats skill!! => haha
My handsome husband!! I love watching him in outdoor settings! He is like a kid in the candy store, just so excited to be there and loving every second of it!
The ropes get dirty from all the friction with the metal and the rocks, and as consequence so do your hands! I found this out the first time Jared took me real rock rock climbing, so I came prepared this time with wet wipes to clean off!!
Haha! He loves being outside!! Thats a true Idaho boy for ya! => I am getting to enjoy being outdoors more, especially when the elevation is too high for mosquitos!! I always have so much fun when I go on adventures with Jared!!
It was like perfect timing! When we were wrapping everytihng up because it was becoming dark a random stranger walked by, and he was nice enough to take our picture! This is the motely crew from left to righ, Jermiah, Jared, me, and Jeff! It was so much fun!! Garden of the Gods was absolutely gorgeous!! I can not wait to go again, esoecially when I get more skilled so I can do sport climbing with Jared!!
Jared and his friend Jermiah were climbing routes with colors, like only step on pink, or only step on blue, etc.... I was climbing just to get up the wall => I am not that rock climbingly advanced/experienced yet => haha
One of the walls Jared did had two overhangs and it was a 5.10 (which is apparently pretty hard, but the whole way they rate the routes is pretty sketchy to me)=>. It was way fun to watch him scale up that thing!! After the boys climbed a time, it was my turn again!
After looking at the different possibilites or routes to climb, I wanted to do the one Jared did. Not for any other reason but that that had more pink tagged rocks than any other run, therefore it was cutest. Foolish I know. =>
As Jared was pep talking me for the climb I was wondering if I could even get past the first overhang! He said it was alright if I didn't make it to the top, and that he would still love me (I had to ask just in case => ) So I started making my way up... and let me tell you, I just about quit after the first overhang!! I was dying up there!!! =>
But I pushed thru and made it!!!! Yay me!!! => I was so proud of myself!!! => And no, my techique is non-existent so I looked like a little wild money climbing up the wall, but who cares, I conquered that thing!! And stayed mostly on the pink!!! Oh yeah!!!! (Can you tell I am still beaming about it?)
This is a picture of almost the whole wall, and you can even see the pink tabs!! I love rock climbing, not as much as Jared does but I am gettign there!
These are the girls!!! (Bri, Drue, and me!)
This, I think, is a cool picture. Jared is belaying Bri => (the spots are dusts of chalk floating around, this place wasnt well ventalated)
My handsome climbing the over hang wall!!! => Just a little story, I was the only girl to successfully complete this wall (and you really do get parallell to the ground) but seeing as I was the camera girl, there were no pictures, but you are just going to have to trust me, I did it, and I got the sore arms to prove it =>
The boys were playing around on the belaying walls, so Bri and I went over to the bouldering wall and started fooling around. This picture is titled "Rock On" => oh I'm so clever =>
This is a picture of the whole group after we finished. (Drue, Tom, Brett, Bri, Jared, and Me) The funny thing about this picture is that the happiest couple (people) are actually not a couple at all => (Brett and Bri look the happiest) I found that rather amusing =>
