On risk taking and injuries

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Left: scrambling up to the route. Right: trying to spot all the bolts... not an easy task in Joshua Tree!

Pretty awesome "waiting room".

(photo by Isabelle Lauzon)

It is such an empowering feeling to leave, just Jennifer and I in the Westy with all the kids piled up in the back and head to the crag. Joshua Tree routes are not easy to find and you never know what to expect. As I said in my last post, there are often bolts missing, big runouts (long distances without a bolt or protection on the route) and impossible to find anchors on top (which is not a problem for trad climbers who can install their own protections, but it can be a problem for us, sport climbers). So we felt pretty badass leading the kids through a fun scramble in a canyon up to the routes, then assessing the routes with them (trying to spot bolts and anchors), making the decision to climb or not depending on that assesment and finally climbing a different route further down. We came back to the Westy at moon rise (again!) and felt so full from another day at the crag together!

(photos by Isabelle Lauzon)

The next day, Jennifer had a fall while leading a route that was supposed to be an easy 5.5 (we renamed it 5.5. My Ass!). And she sprained her ankle pretty bad. Three months ago it was JF that broke an arm in a mountain bike accident, then a month ago, Karl sprained his foot when he fell while lead climbing and his foot got caught... (and no! I am not next!). It is easy to assume that we partake in high-risk sports and that injuries are to be expected. It is in part true and we consciously choose to life an active life doing sports we love even if there are risks involved. Is there anything that is risk-free? Choosing to not be active also comes with a different type of risk (health consequences mainly). Also, a person might be a risk-taker in one sphere of its life and risk-averse in another one (one might bungee jump, but never invest in the stock market, for instance). 

JF is right where Jennifer was when she fell. It was about a a 5 feet fall and her ankle twisted when she landed in the crack (photos by Isabelle Lauzon).

Due to media-coverage, many non-climbers are aware of numerous climbing fatalities. When a non-climber looks at a rock face and thinks its crazy for anyone to climb, a competent climber might see an established and well-protected route on immaculate rock and rightly judge it not risky.

Of course rock climbing involves a certain amount of risk. But with risk comes rewards. We all know what it feels like to be afraid of something, but to overcome it, to succeed, that's one of the best feelings in the world (inspired by this short movie).

Belaying Alex on his first outdoor climb! It's an honour to introduce friends and family to a sport we love so much (photos by Isabelle Lauzon).

But still, the question remains (at least in our parents and siblings head!):

“So, why are you taking risks? If you look deeply enough, you’ll realize you take risks to grow and growth gives you experiences that make you feel alive. It’s important to recognize when your ego takes you off that path of growth. Take risks that are appropriate for you, learn what you need to learn, and feel alive and fulfilled in the process.” (from this great article). Read on for more excerpts from this article...

“Many climbers begin climbing in a gym. Mark Twight points out that in the gym, a climber expects to confront a minimal amount of fear and to have anxiety managed by others. We become accustomed to someone else managing these risks, which can lead to a false sense of security when climbing outside. In this way we tend to insulate ourselves from the situations we are engaged in. We’ve expected others to manage the risk while we were focused on having a nice, comfortable experience. The more comfortable and safe we make situations, the more separated we are from them.

Cars, these days, lock the doors, turn on/off the lights, and beep when we haven’t put on our safety belt. Decision-making has been taken away in an attempt to keep us safe. Does safety lie in gadgets making decisions for us or in technology that disengages us from the risk? Henry Barber’s maxim is “do more with less”. His approach puts him in close proximity to the risk with minimal insulation. He states that doing more with less [technology] requires creativity. It allows us to be the leader of our life and decisions, rather than succumbing to the sheep mentality. What we need to keep in mind is why we do what we do.”

Rock climbing in Indian Cove, Joshua Tree National Park

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Belay glasses are the best invention since sliced bread! They are simply prisms that allow you to see your climber without having to lift your head up (it also magnifies so it looks closer to you). No more neck pain!!

Left: Jennifer leading a crazy 5.7 (called Feminine Itch, obviously named by a dirtbag woman!)... Oh Joshua Tree, you are always so full of surprises (major runouts, missing bolts, etc.)! You never know what you'll find once up there! Right: JF resting after the 5.10c section of this route! He did awesome!

We introduced Isabelle, Alex and Martin to rock climbing outside and they went up like pros!

Joshua Tree is a mecca for trad climbers! Undeniably one of the best places in the United States. However, when it comes to sport climbing, there isn't that many routes. Or rather, there are routes, but they are scattered here and there, and the only two spots where there are more than 2 or 3 routes require over one hour of approach walk, scrambling up ball bearing scree, washes and canyons.

We spent most of our days at Indian Cove campground where there are sport routes right behind the campsites. It was kind of weird to climb on someone's campsite while they were gone, but it was an ideal spot with no approach at all. 

Rock climbing Cryptic, Headstone Rock, Ryan campground, Joshua Tree

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See that big boulder up there. That's where Cryptic is.

JF did it!!

Cryptic is hands down the most popular sport route in Joshua Tree (and in the overall top 10 of the park). Headstone rock stands proud and tall over Ryan Campground and simply begs to be climbed. However, the scramble up is quite sketchy with big drops, especially for short legs. It was a real shame to turn around, especially since there is almost always a line up for this awesome route (and that now, there was only a party of 2), so I stayed down with the kids while JF and Jennifer went up.

The kids found an amazing cave and bouldered in it (then turned it into a two storey house). I chatted with a super nice woman climber from Colorado as the sun was setting and I watched JF make it to the top of that crazy high boulder. The top platform is about 6 feet x 6 feet and you can sit on top to watch the moon rise, then rappel down. What a life we live!

Kluane National Park: King's Throne Hike

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In white, you can see an approximation of the trail we did. A group stopped a bit before the bowl, while 2 kids and 3 adults went up into the bowl (Aïsha and Joel were determined to get to the snow!), then JF and I went up on the ridge to the left.

The Westy chose this beautiful spot to die. Good thing I am getting fast at fixing it with our little trick! Five minutes and we were back on the road!

Running with Kinder along Kathleen Lake. We borrowed this dog from our friend since it is much safer to hike with a dog in grizzly country. Kinder is an 11 yo retired sled dog - he was a lead dog! - and decided to turn around with the first group... We outlasted him!

Straight ahead on the lake, in the little bay, is where we started the hike.

Once we were high up on the ridge, the wind picked up and the rain started, so we turned around. Going down in that scree was very slippery and not easy... The first group that went down even got caught by a scary rock slide... But hiking in glacier-carved valleys sprinkled with alpine wildflower covered moss is a pretty unique experience. When you stand there and look around, you understand why this is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is actually the largest internationally protected wilderness area in the world, that includes Canada's tallest mountain, Mount Logan, surrounded by the St. Elias Icefields. 

There is a pretty high concentration of grizzlies in the park and one of the popular multi-day hike, the Slim's River West, is often closed because there are too many grizz on the trail! 

King's Throne is actually the first hike I did when we moved to Whitehorse. I was at the very beginning of the twins' pregnancy, 12 years ago almost to the day. It's quite special to be back here with them to hike it... Once I am high up on the ridge, feeling the wind and the rain on my face, looking down at the tiny twisty trail I walked down below, I am reminded of the long journey I have undertaken, the slips, the falls and the scary parts, the exhilaration and the long tough stretches where I simply put one foot in of the other.

“The path to our destination is not always a straight one. We go down the wrong road, we get lost, we turn back. Maybe it doesn't matter which road we embark on. Maybe what matters is that we embark.” 
― Barbara Hall

The Fiery Furnace, Arches NP

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The Fiery Furnace is a maze of canyons and slickrock where it is highly recommended to go with a guide in order not to get loss. You can however get a special permit to go in there by yourself. With JF as a guide, we felt pretty safe! 

It was so special to have this whole place to ourselves, to go explore slim canyons, climb on fins, crab walk over ridges, back track and explore some more.

It was the perfect last hike with our sweet friends. We went back to camp at sunset and ate our meal together around the bonfire. We watched movies we had prepared for each other from pictures of the last 6 months and GoPro footage. All of a sudden, in the darkness of the night, fireworks exploded from the other side of the mountain and colored the sky. It felt like a perfect ending to our amazing adventure.

I recounted our funny tour with self-righteous Ranger John in the Fiery Furnace two and half years ago.

Canyonlands National Park, Utah

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Canyonlands NP is covered by wave after wave of deep canyons that have been formed by the currents and tributaries of Utah's Green and Colorado rivers.

We went to the Island-in-the-Sky district of the park and hiked to Mesa Arch. This area sits atop a massive 1500 foot mesa, quite literally an Island in the Sky. From the viewpoint of the arch, we can see over 100 miles, a panoramic view that encompasses thousands of square miles of canyon country.

Last time we hiked here, it was covered in snow. 

Devil's Garden and Double-O Arch, Arches National Park, Moab

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Devil's Garden in Arches National Park leads to Landscape Arch (the longest arch in the world with a 306 feet span). After that, the path becomes a more challenging primitive trail along narrow slickrock fins, requiring some scrambling. This is where the fun begins!

When we arrived at Double-O arch (a hike I did 2 1/2 years ago alone with Aïsha), the kids started working on some bouldering problems (once you start rock climbing, you never look at a rock wall in the same way...) and Jennifer went walking on top of the arch. My legs were wobbly just looking at her. Karl and JF followed, while I happily helped the kids with their rock climbing...

But my friends know me and know I like to push my limits... but that I often need some support to do so. They helped me find my strength and confidence and JF and Karl came with me, while Jennifer snapped some pictures and cheered from down below. It was one of the most amazing view I had seen in my life... Fiery red rock fins fields all around with snow capped mountains in the background... I felt completely exhilarated. And very proud.

Then, the dads led their girls (one by one) over the arch. It was a very touching moment... Our mama's hearts were bursting with love as we looked at them conquer their fears and raise to the challenge.

I did it!!

JF with Mara and Karl with Ellie

Arches National Park is definitely one of my favorite National Park and Moab is just such a fun city with a cool, laid-back vibe. It reminds us of Whitehorse in a way. All those people in biking gear at the grocery store, super friendly staff that walk their talk in the outdoor stores... We could get used to such a place!

Delicate Arch at Sunset

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Watching the sunset at Delicate Arch in Arches National Park, Moab, is a popular attraction. We joined the crowd in that spectacular natural amphitheater for a moment of grace. Of course, many of the people wanted their photos taken under the arch, while the crowd standing on the other side was shooing them away in order not to have anybody in their pictures. There was a big round of applause when these "gooseneckers" finally got the message and moved out of everybody's sunset shot! We hiked down as night was falling and the bats were waking up. What a fantastic night!

Observation Point and other hikes in Zion National Park, Utah

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The wind was howling when the alarm rang at 6:30 on Saturday morning. We had decided to get an early start and beat the crowd on the hike to Observation Point, one of the most scenic hike in Zion National Park. It was an 8 mile hike with a 2100 feet elevation. We had packed lots of food, water and warm clothes the night before and were ready for another exciting adventure. When we got off the shuttle bus, we looked up at the many switchbacks that were cut in the very steep rock wall ahead of us and smiled! We love a challenge! 

We were pretty much alone on the trail as the sun rose in the canyon, illuminating the top of Angels Landing, a hike we had done a few days earlier and that some of us had done again the night before at sunset. We walked into a beautiful canyon and were greeted by the warm morning sun on the other side. We kept on pushing up, switchbacks after switchbacks, mesmerized by the ever changing colors of the rocks. At the top, the view was simply incredible.

As we started going down, we met more and more people. Huffing and puffing, some of them congratulated the kids for their accomplishment. The children kept on skipping to the bottom of the trail, smiling, proud and happy.

During the 5 days we stayed in the park, we hiked many other shorter trails: the River walk that leads to the entrance of the Narrows, a very popular hike in a canyon that require wearing waterproof pants/bibs, socks and shoes, and carrying a big stick to keep your balance in the areas of the canyon where there is more current. The water was at 45 degrees, so going without this equipment was not an option. In the summer, it is possible to do it in sandals and shorts (something we plan to do at some point). We also hiked up to Upper Emerald Pool and down to Lower Emerald Pool (the photo of the little waterfall and chain along the wall is from that hike), as well as to Weeping Rock. It is a fascinating phenomenon that in the limestone rock layer called travertine, a more porous formation, plants grow and water seep through.

Zion is simply a majestic place that one must see (and hike!) in its life to really appreciate it. If you plan to visit and are in shape enough for a moderate to challenging hike, I highly recommend you do Angels Landing and Observation Point for a total Zion experience.

Zion National Park: Hiking Angels' Landing trail

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Zion National Park is well known and the amount of people in the shuttles (you are not allowed to drive your own vehicle in the park) and on the trails only confirmed its popularity. But of course, there is a good reason for it: it is a spectacular place and the hiking trails are epic. We hiked Angels' Landing, a beautiful steep climb full of switchbacks that leads to a breathtaking viewpoint. But the magnificence of Zion can only truly be appreciated if you keep going after the overlook (not recommended for kids) and take the challenging path to the very top. Once there, you understand why they call it Angels' Landing. It is that grand!

As we started our hike, we met a French-speaking family that was from my hometown! We quickly found out that we had more than our birthplace in common and stuck together for the whole hike, chatting away as old friends. Their two girls quickly grew attached to Mathilde, who loved being in the big sister position. Thanks to the energy of the group, their 3 and 5 yo girls hiked all the way to the overview and back! 

Pinnacles National Park

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The first 2,500 acres of the rugged Pinnacles were made a national monument in 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt. Since 1908, the monument significantly increased in size to 26,000 acres and in 2013, President Barack Obama designated the expansive terrain as a national park.  The park's namesakes are the eroded leftovers of the western half of an extinct volcano that has moved 150 miles (240 km) from its original location on the San Andreas Fault. The rock formations are made of Rhyolite breccia that is composed of lava sand, ash, and angular chunks of rock that were explosively ejected from the Pinnacles Volcano and provide for spectacular pinnacles that attract rock climbers. The park features unusual talus caves that house at least thirteen species of bat.

It was so fun to walk through the dark caves on Bear Gulch Cave Trail and enjoy the beautiful view at the Reservoir while soaking up some sun. Touching the smooth bark of the Manzanita trees, talking with friends as we go, kids exclaiming how incredible this place is... Days like this remind us that this is why we do what we do!

To Haines, Alaska

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Haines is only an hour from Skagway by ferry, so we decided to do the loop and go visit that town that we love so much. Haines is not on the cruise ships run, so it has a very different and authentic feel. We used to come to Haines every summer with the girls when they were little. If you want a better idea of this small town feel, read this great book called If you lived here, I'd know your name by Heather Lende.

There, we met another traveling family that we connected with online. Joy and her two boys have spent the last 3 winters in Costa Rica, Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Peru and Ecuador. We connected instantly and spent most of our time there around the bonfire, talking. It is so awesome to meet like-minded family on the road.

On the way back, we stopped at Kluane National Park to make dinner in the shelter and enjoy beautiful Kathleen Lake.