Echo Cliffs! It's located in the Santa Monica mountains after a winding, rollicking 75-minute drive, and a winding, rollicking 35-minute hike. It's a beautiful, peaceful area to be. However, it's become extremely popular due to its being written about in a recently published guidebook, and every time we go there the parking lot is crowded. Oh well.

Frank's back in shape. I'm so proud of him: he did a 12c after 1 try, very calmly, despite all the yelling and talking going on the ground. He did the same route 2 years ago after a handful of tries, but this time he did it after just one! He's definitely got a healthier attitude about climbing as well; his goal is to climb well, not attack every 12 for his tick list. It may be that his being injured last year forced him to stand back and rediscover climbing as a fun albeit meditative experience and not as a series of numbers...

This year my focus in climbing will be getting back to the level I was in before I dislocated my elbow. It's been 6 weeks since the accident, and my range of motions is at 90%. I can't hyperextend, that is, to stretch my arm past 180°; and I can't fully bend enough to grasp my shoulder. While I can toprope the 10s and 11s well, doing Frank's 12, even to the first or second bolt, is very difficult. I deadpointed to a hold with my right hand--caught it--and got a weird tweak in my elbow. I'll give myself another 2 weeks. I have to be zen about this experience; in Frank's case it paid off.

◊ Jon on Hijacked (12b) in the Cave.