Start your Monday morning with something beautiful.  Images of "DAWN" via Flickr.

I am participating in a fundraising event on April 28 called “Climb for Cancer” – an event hosted by First Descents that challenges rock climbers around the country to reach the goal of climbing 70,000 vertical feet, while also raising money to give young adults with cancer a First Descents Experience. 

A First Descents experience is a free outdoor adventure experience for young adult cancer fighters and survivors. It is designed to empower these young adults to climb, paddle, and surf beyond their diagnosis, defy their cancer, reclaim their lives and connect with others doing the same.

I am pledging to climb one foot of a route graded 5.10a or harder for every dollar that I raise!  Rockreation Climbing Gym's walls are 25-feet-high. So, if I raise $300, then I have to climb a minimum of 12 routes (5.10a or harder) in the span of four hours. 

If you have the means, I would love your help!

My Fundraising Page: http://climbingforcancer.firstdescents.org/2012/cfc/rockreationlosangeles/MonSend/

Thank you!

Just a quick recap of yesterday's first day of training....

I reconfirmed two things about myself: A) I'm a total weakling; and B) my head game sucks.  What kind of self-respecting rock climber can't do a single pullup?

While I don't want to give away Steve's whole training regimen, we worked on leading and taking falls, lock offs, downclimbing, campus board (I totally called it!), and deadhangs on jugs, crimps, and pinches.  While it wasn't the easiest two hours spent in the gym and I can definitely feel the painful results of my efforts, it wasn't the worst experience either.

Let's take a moment to be realists: while the human race is very superior to other living things in many ways, we are definitely not the strongest nor the most graceful creatures on this beautiful planet we call Earth.  Because it's Friday and I'm feeling less-than-lucid, here are some pictures of animals climbing things (I bet they have awesome head games):