

The morning began outside of Tro Gro at 630 in the morning. The air was cool and the sun began to turn the sky blue again. We met up in a circle and introduced ourselves in the normal fashion, first names then last names followed by the crucial info: favorite Pokémon, favorite outdoor activity, and favorite type of potted plant. Once the guides felt we could gauge each and every participant’s personality based on these criteria we set off up the 110 in search of the 10. Kevin decided to take the scenic route. Once we found the 10 we headed west towards a place described in lore as the land where the water meets the sand and where the sand meets the climbing rock. On the way we saw a coyote and we took it with us. The coyote was wise and guided us to our destination. We tried to repay the coyote for leading us so swiftly, but the coyote simply whispered, “A friend in need is a friend indeed”. At which point the coyote trotted off into some bushes where we saw him brutally maul a wild rabbit no more than 150ft from where we were standing. So, we unloaded our climbing gear and packs and headed to the wall of rock standing before us. We tried to convince our participants that climbing gear such as ropes and harnesses were just crutches, holding them back from their free solo glory. Then all three guides performed some complex free solo acrobatic climbing maneuvers to whet their appetites. The participants were very impressed. After climbing for a few hours in beautiful sun with cool ocean breeze, Ian whipped up some homemade guacamole and Adam fired up the quesadilla factory and we enjoyed a picnic in the sand. Post lunch climbing and relaxation ensued. Before we packed up to leave we ran into the ocean and swam for a bit in a surprisingly rough shore break. On our way back to USC we stopped at Malibu Ice Cream and Yogurt for some yummy snacks and to discuss philosophical things.