Horseshoe Hell Ends

Well, I’m alive. We have come full circle, and now I’m a safe distance away (physically and mentally) from Hell to give you a full analysis.

I look back on how excited I was when soliciting your advice in Horseshoe Hell Help, and I can’t understand…why was I so excited for an entire day of extreme pain? I suppose it is impossible to imagine the dread you feel in the middle of the night with no will to move and no bend left in your joints…but still. Truly, it all comes down to the community. We all know and love the climbing community—everyone is caring and happy to help; it is a safe haven we create for each other. Somehow, the Horseshoe Hell community brings that to a whole new level. Suddenly it’s everyone’s purpose in life to see you happy and to see you succeed; every single person is your ride-or-die best friend; every person (competitor, volunteer, spectator, etc.) is part of this crackhead family. Sure, all of us are a little insane—I mean, climbing for 24 hours straight is not indicative of rational thought…but we’re in it together. It’s not something you see often, and I’d claim the bonds you see on that ranch are unparalleled in most circles.

So, perhaps my goals and expectations changed some from Horseshoe Hell Begins…let’s see how we did:

1.) climb at least 115 routes each—YES WE DID (we re-qualified for next year, and Nick got mile high!)

2.) I win the women’s footrace—tragically, I got second place barefoot

3.) we eat so much food and absorb the chaotic energy—well obviously

4.) keep safe habits no matter what—we’re alive, aren’t we?

5.) enjoy the party—mostly sleep, but 100% yes

To get the full scoop, listen to Nick’s and my podcast revisiting Hell and watch through our archive of crackhead stories on @thedihdral Instagram. Keep an eye out for some extra details this Saturday!