flashback friday

Girltalk in The Red edition:

I learned about Girl Talk from my buddy CWJ (second from the right) who was a dj at WXYC while we were in college at UNC. His taste in music was impeccable and I wished I could be as cool and nonchalant about it as he was. He busted GT out on a road trip to Kentucky as we were headed to go climbing in the Red River Gorge.

Last night was Girl Talk's show in Raleigh at the Disco Rodeo. Imagine Top 40 hits from the past 20 years mashed with a thumping beat, glowsticks, confetti, and 2000 of your closest, sweatiest friends dancing in their favorite sequined spandex. Needless to say, it was amazing. It went a little something like this:

I got a little nostalgic for my days of being a climbing bum and heading to a destination crag somewhere in NC, WV, KY, or another distant land in search of rock. Of all the places I've climbed (and I've climbed in 7 states from Washington to New Hampshire, as well as Peru), The Red is my favorite.

Besides having really sweet people (who would drive 30 minutes to return your forgotten gear), great food (Ale-81), and a climber-friendly place to crash at Miguel's Pizza, the Red has the most variety of rock I have ever seen.

This is Miguel's:

There's slabby granite, sandstone, overhangs, huecos, and giant plates. It's been a while since I've climbed, due in part to an injury that I'm still recovering from and also to my busy life of grad schooling and living in Africa. This route was called Special K-- it was my first 5.10b lead.

Rock on.