Can't Stop, Won't Stop: 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell

It has been one week since the adventure at Horseshoe Canyon Ranch. This was my first time at “Horseshoe Hell” and Dane’s first time to HCR. We arrived Friday around noon, and spent the first day doing a little climbing and bouldering. Calvin worked Leather Face, a V7 crimpy roof problem. I did not get to see his attemp

t Saturday, but Friday he was putting it together nicely, and will hopefully send it next trip!

The 24 hour competition itself was intense. The first ten hours were easy; everyone climbed hard, spirits were high, and energy was flowing. Dane and I got on some 5.11s, while John and Yusuf sent some .12s. All four of us were cruising, s

ticking to our motto of “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop.” Once it started getting dark, the first wave of exhaustion hit. What we had accomplished so far was a normal day of climbing, but instead of going home to cook food and drink beer we were to climb for another fourteen hours, the next eight of them in the dark.

By midnight, I found the atmosphere was becoming surreal. It was no doubt partly due to fatigue-induced delirium; the glow of all those headlamps flying along the rock, the climbers heard but not seen, the mixture of people napping, hanging out, and madly scrambling upwards – everything blurred together, and as we continued to fight our way through the routes, people would appear out of the darkness. What kep

t us going, other than the red bull and sugar we inhaled between climbs, were the cries of “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop” that frequently permeated the night air, letting us know that Yusuf and John were not too far away. We repaid the favor in kind.

By 10 am Sunday we were past tired. Luckily Calvin drove us home: I would not have made it out of the ranch’s gates. St Louis’ performance in the comp was extraordinary. Russ and John Richard placed 7^th and 8^th in the Team Total Points category, with John and Yusuf right behind them. Dane and I accomplished 101 pitches each, breaking the century mark at 9:52 am on Sunday morning! All in all, an amazing experience. If you haven’t done it yet, clear your calendar for the last weekend of September next year, because whether you compete or volunteer, it is a great weekend.

We all have t-shirts with our motto.

-Marc C. (guest blogger)