I just spent almost 3 weeks in Southern Spain which has officially stolen my heart! Needless to mention there is…ahem….quite amazing climbing in abundance to choose from, an amazing culture to sulk up and lots of great food and VINO to devour away.  In fact, I lost over 12 pounds on my trip without even trying!

This trip indeed proved to be amazing in that I did not crank super hard stuff 24/7 like I did in November 2011, but I tried getting on climbs that had climbing moves and qualities that I am generally not as good at, which meant lots of lay backs, cracks and overhangs….oh and lots of whippers! I also was an FA on 6 slabby, technical climbs (ok, I lied, I climbed a little my style, my way here and there!) in a small crag that is being developed.  On the lower, I used a small broom and yard tools to sweep up dirt and yank more plants off the wall….this non-green thumb chick got some gardening skills all of a sudden thanks to Spain?!?!  See what climbing does, it teaches you to defy gravity, reach new heights and learn how to garden and bushwhack.

Bottom line, for reflection, I left feeling like a better climber who achieved new heights, experienced new things and grew not just as a climber but as a person. For reflection, how has climbing helped you improve something in your life?  Or what has climbing taught you about yourself?  Something to think about, we can all grow and learn something from our climbing, an amazing sport it is indeed!

And I promise a big review is coming on Spain this weekend with lots of nice beta so that you can start planning your next climbing trip to Spain or wherever you want to make an adventure!

Adios Espana and hello…Utah, Colorado, NY, and Connecticut…oh yeah!