Will have to add pics once I get phones and laptops connected.
Thanks to the facebook climbing forum for EPC, we (virtually) met a couple ppl while looking for someone with whom to share the big house at Quinta la Pagoda. While we didn't find that person, we found some others looking for partners. On the plane from dallas fort worth to monterrey, we spied a couple ppl who were wearing climbing helmets and that fit the descriptions. While going through customs finally, in Monterrey, we were able to make contact over suitcase searches. Amanda and Sol were up for sharing a ride, our driver was hanging around outside waiting for us, and his car was big enough! Once we got to Quinta la Pagoda, Amanda walked next door to Posada. When Sol found out there was a room to rent in the little house with us, she decided to stay there.
The ride to EPC from the airport is at least an hour, so we had time to chat it up and learn a little introductory info about each other. Amanda is a harder climber, around the 11's range. Maybe into the 12's? Her job is with avalanche control, and currently her team is working in conjunction with the pipeline construction people. Apparently, she works 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off. During her work weeks, they work around the clock so you either get a day shift, where you ski around and coordinate things, making sure the construction crew has avalanche communication transponders and are adequately trained to use them, and the detonation crew knows where they can work safely, etc. The shifts are 10 or 12 hours long, they live in "staff accommodations" for the duration, and get catered meals (including a soft-serve ice cream machine)! Those on night shift are on call, and get to sleep while getting paid. Perks for everyone :-) When it's your two weeks off, they fly you home. What Amanda did was put all her stuff into a storage unit and buy a van. When she goes to work, the van takes here there. When they fly her "home", she picks where home will be (a climbing destination), packs a backpack with a set of quick draws, harness, toothbrush and tent. She has been to turkey, mexico, iceland, I forget where else, and all over. While at "home", she finds a place to set up camp and climbs away her days, sleeps away her nights. Pretty good gig if you ask me!
Sol is in the tech industry. She taught herself how to do IT stuff (!) and does side projects, has some kind of permanent part time job, and takes lots of time off to climb. She recently visited Greece, has this year bought her first house in New Hampshire! Also, she has an apartment in New York City, and sounds like rents houses wherever she wants to go and sublets them when she's not there. She has one is Colorado, another in Arizona? Her parents are from Korea, immigrated here when she was a baby, and started a dry cleaning business. As she grew up, watching how much they work, she made an effort to get involved with something that afforded her more free time. This past year, she has taken about 4 months of it off, and has had tons of adventures climbing and...
The next day after we arrived, we decided to go into town and get some food supplies. Sol, being the social buterfly, personally knew Leo, the owner of a restaurant down the street, and arranged a ride to the Friday street fair. We got enough stuff to last about a week, made it back, and all charged off to do some climbing!
Sol and I are both leading in the 10's, so we paired up and each led our routes. Andreas and Amanda picked something interesting, and we spent the rest of the day doing single pitch stuff.
Next day, we decided to do some multi pitch things, and had a blast. By the end of it, Amanda and I were both wiped out. Sol wants to climb every day, as she is here for only a week. Andreas hadn't had enough either, so today they went for Sartori, another multi pitch day adventure. Amanda is at Posada, sleeping off her perma-jet lag and cooking her food. Today I am going to finish cooking some food, nap a little, and see about these cats who live at Quinta la Pagoda.
