Evening Sends blogger, Andrew Bisharat, just did a review of three different climbing shoes.  One little piggy was Evolv, one little piggy was Scarpa, and the third, more superior, little piggy was La Sportiva.  I am unflinchingly, and unapologetically, biased when it comes to La Sportiva.  My first climbing shoes were Nagos and my first approach shoes were the Boulder X. If it ain't broke....  

Anyway, here are the reviews if you are interested:

Evolv Shaman – http://eveningsends.com/2012/01/evolv-shaman/
Scarpa Instinct – http://eveningsends.com/2012/01/scarpa-instinct/
La Sportiva Pythons – http://eveningsends.com/2012/01/la-sportiva-pythons/

I am also on a hunt for my next great shoe.  My love affair with Sportiva will most definitely continue.  And as a reminder to all, I'll be in Bishop in 4.5 days.  Don't be jealous.  Ok you can be a little bit jealous.  In this wonderful town resides a wonderful store, full of magical things and hopes and dreams.  Obviously, I am referring to Wilson’s Eastside Sports.  There I will have the opportunity to try on almost any climbing shoe I desire. 

The local REI only carries three women’s Sportiva shoes: Nagos, Mythos, and Muiras.  My Nagos are an amazing shoe, but I definitely feel ready for something a little more aggressive.  While the Mythos is incredibly comfortable, I believe, without a doubt, that it would be a step backward for me.  I had the opportunity to try on the Muiras, and I really liked this shoe.  My only hold up is that I think I want to try velcros this time around.  The lace-up Muiras are totally sweet with their checkered pattern along the laces.  But the velcro Muiras, for whatever reason, have flowers on them.  FLOWERS.  I’m a grown woman.  I don’t want little daisies on my shoes.  Nevertheless, the shoe itself fit like a glove.

I’ve been eyeing the Katanas for a couple months now.  I have yet to try them on, but I think it could be true love.  From what I can tell, they are slightly less aggressive than Muiras, but definitely a step up from the Nagos.  I wonder which shoe I will choose!? The suspense is hardly bearable, it must be killing you as well!

Sincerely,
It's time to go shopping! yayyy!

It was July 2011 when I was invited on my first real climbing trip.  My first rock climbing classes weren't on rock at all, but on plastic in a gym.  It was a great way to learn, but for the first 8 months of climbing, I only went outside on three separate occassions.  It was a completely different experience each time.  

First, I went to Stoney Point on a REI guided class.  Next, I went with a group of new friends to Point Dume in Malibu... because of the nature of the trip, which was celebrating a birthday, I only climbed one easy route and then it was time to go home.  Finally, I went to Red Rock Rendezvous, appropriately named since the event took place in Red Rocks, Nevada.  You might consider that event my first real climbing trip, but it was aimed more at the celebration of rock climbing versus spending all day on the rock.

Up until mid-2011, I considered myself a rock climbing hobbyist.  I really enjoyed climbing, but only spent 1-2 days in the gym every week.  When I met my now boyfriend, Steve, that all changed.  He invited me to come with him and a group of his friends (and fellow gym rats) to Bishop, CA.  From that point on, rock climbing played a much more significant role in my life.  Now, I knew someone that could show me the ropes.  To this day, he pushes me to be a much better climber.

But this post isn't about my climbing self-discovery.  My weekened in Bishop would eventually be followed by another trip to Bishop in the Fall of 2011.  In one week, Steve and I will be going back to Bishop for a "6-month-versary" - if you will.  

I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Bishop.  I climbed in Bishop, I loved in Bishop, I made friends in Bishop, and I found a new calling, photography, in Bishop.

Below are some of my pictures from the two weekends spent in that little town at the base of the Eastern Sierras.

Sincerely,
Dreaming of Bishop

Steve and I decided to hit up Stoney Point this past Wednesday.  I had worked 9 hours already, but somehow, playing with my camera around real rock sounded perfect.  We only spent two hours in the area, but I had the opportunity to focus on learning the shutter settings mode (Tv) of my camera while Steve worked the moves on Powerglide (v7).  While it wasn't a send-day, I was able to capture Steve sticking the first crux of the problem.  Now he just needs to commit to the last move...