Pre-trip Shenanigans

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6-17-2019
DAY 0

With one day left until we set off to the Pyrenees, there is much prep to be done. All bags are (mostly) packed thanks to my mom's detailed packing list, and now we are working on the final touches. One of the gear things we are working on is creating harness butt pads for canyoneering. They serve to protect both the harnesses, and our rears, when scooting down rough rocks. 


Now, for those of you who may be new to our family's adventures, canyoneering is when one makes the crazy decision to embark on a journey down a canyon by using a variety of techniques, including repelling off of cliffs, swimming through questionable water, and scrambling through sometimes pretty tight places. Three years ago, we ventured into our first canyons in the deserts of Utah, where we relied upon my dad's thorough research and our own sense of adventure to make it through. While there was definitely some type two fun at times, we all came out alive and with an abundance of new tales to tell for years to come. Below is a link to a canyon we did that summer, along with a few pictures from both that one, and some others we did then.
Neon Canyon/Golden Cathedral 2016


Another uncommon activity perfect for adrenaline-seekers (like ourselves) are Via Ferratas. The term "via ferrata" comes from the Italian translation "iron way", and is a trail along a cliff with steel cables, ladders, bridges, and other fixed anchors. These lofty trails are scarce in most parts of the world, but in the Alps, Italy, and the Pyrenees, they are all too common. In Italy alone, there are over 150 total! We tried out our first one on the cliffs above Telluride, CO - while it was slightly terrifying at times, we made it through and are planning on doing more this trip on our mountainous travels. Here are some pictures from the Telluride Via Ferrata:


In less than 24 hours, our flight leaves from New York to arrive the next morning in Barcelona, Spain. In that part of the world, it is currently around 4:00 in the morning, so hopefully we can make it through this time change! In the meantime, I am going to try and get some sleep.

Celia

Comments

  1. UnknownJune 18, 2019 at 4:53 AM

    Wow! Thanks for inviting us along - through the magic of internet! Henry

    ReplyDelete

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