Rock Climbing and Yoga
Joshua Tree National Park, California
March 21 – 28, 2009 (Saturday - Saturday)

"I loved the rock climbing. Wish I could get the message to every 55+ woman - there's nothing like success and a shot of adrenaline" JF, Washington

"This was one of my best vacations ever! I would recommend this to anyone and everyone. I met so many nice people that week of all ages. If you love nature, the outdoors and good company TAKE THIS TRIP!!" MM, Pennsylvania

"I was on last year's trip and it truly changed my life. The entire experience has given me the confidence to go out of my comfort zone in many different areas of my life. I feel it was an excellent way to start this third of my life. I would encourage any woman even considering going on the trip to do it. I had minimal indoor climbing experience before I left and it was not an issue. One of the best parts about the trip was the group I was with. We all connected and had a blast." SD, Minnesota

Our annual spring trip to magical Joshua Tree is the perfect place to learn rock climbing or to improve your skills. Climbing actively engages both mind and body, and every climb is a new puzzle to be solved. You'll learn new techniques and explore a variety of body positions, both on and off the rock. Yoga is a wonderful complement to climbing and the setting is ideal for both. But if you're not interested in yoga and would rather kick back at the end of the day, that's fine too.

The following itinerary may of course be modified due to weather, individual interest, or anything that would make it equally fun and educational.

March 8: The trip begins at 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 8 at our campsite at Indian Cove Campground on the north side of the park. For those who are flying, we recommend that you fly into Palm Springs and arrive not later than 4 p.m. We tailor our pick up times to flight arrivals, most commonly 12:30 or 1:00 pm and 4 pm. Once we're all at the camp we start with introductions and a welcome dinner. Women flying in from an earlier time zone often opt for an early night, while others may choose to sit round our campfire.

We enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of car camping, complete with solar showers and Coleman stoves. Weather in March is usually warm (60-85 degrees F.) and dry, although it can be windy, cool, or even rainy. The stars are incredibly bright and many women choose to sleep outside their tent in this bug free environment so they can stargaze.

March 9: After stretching (something we do every morning), we start learning how to use our hands and feet with some bouldering. This is a good warm up and starts to build our confidence as we find that our feet really do stay on the rock. We then learn the basics of tying into the rope, belaying, climbing signals, and everything else we need to start climbing safely. We spend the rest of the afternoon climbing on routes with names like Ambulance Chaser, Be Wary, and Brimstone Staircase. After we've finished for the day, an optional yoga session is the perfect way to unwind. It's a full first day and that night's dinner tastes particularly good!

March 10: Today we review the basics of face climbing, learn how to make tape gloves, and do lots of climbing on a different formation. The climbs here are varied, from one that offers a perfect opportunity to work on stemming to one that requires the use of finger pockets, to one that offers an interesting crack challenge. For those with climbing experience who are interested in learning how to lead climb, and for those who simply want to learn more about the technical aspects of the sport, we have an afternoon clinic on placement of gear. This evening, as every evening, we may sit around a campfire or in a circle and talk, go for a walk through what is usually a fairly deserted campground, or take some quiet time to ourselves.

March 11: Today's rock formation presents a huge array of crack climbs, face climbs, and a stemming problem. We start with a review of techniques that are helpful for climbing cracks and also demonstrate a lead climb, explaining the roles and considerations of both the leader and the second (the one who belays the leader and then follows her up). Our muscles are starting to feel tired but, knowing that tomorrow is a rest day, we can push ourselves as hard as we choose.

March 12: Rest day! And we all need it. We'll leave the Park today and visit the Visitor's Center in Twenty Nine Palms and go on a ranger-led hike to the Palms Oasis. This gives us a chance to see more of the park and also learn more about the natural history of the area. We then head to Desert Hot Springs for a soak (and hot shower) at the Hot Springs Spa there. After soaking to our heart's content, we go out to dinner at a local Thai restaurant.

March 13: It's up and out early today as we go over to the main part of the park for some great climbing. Our rock formation today presents an endless variety of challenges and the opportunity to put everything you've learned to good use. For those who are working on leading there is an excellent opportunity to do some mock leading (i.e. you're on a loose top-rope as you place gear and then have it evaluated).

March 14: Today we try to squeeze in every last thing we want to work on. There will be an option to try a multi pitch climb as well as climb in a new area with some really fun and challenging faces. That evening we share our final farewell dinner and campfire as we celebrate the week we've just shared.

March 15: After a stimulating week of activity, learning, and laughing a lot, our trip ends today after breakfast. You can plan your flight home for anytime after 11 am.

E-mail: Travlgrrl@aol.com or Call 1-800-842-4753.

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