After living on the wall for one week with no physical rock ledges to sleep or stand on, I finally reached there Bismark ledge. Today has been a much much needed rest day: slept in, lazy Cricketflours oatmeal breakfast, two cups of coffee and gear sorting.
After some whole roasted Next Millennium Farms crickets snack and C-fu mealworm soup lunch, it’s trime for a little reading and and afternoon nap. Then a little more great sorting, dinner and an early bed time.
Tomorrow is the dreaded Bismark offwidth (will require some strenuous and free climbing), followed by 3 – 4 more days on the wall.
This wall has been every bit as rough as I imagined it would. I feel like I’ve been hit by a car. Took my first aid fall onto the rope yesterday, blowing my first ever placed copperhead (little piece of copper on a wire that you hammer into a shallow crack) and pulling the one I was placing out of the rock, hitting me in the face, giving myself a black eye in the process. Chipped a front tooth the day before putting an open carabiner in my mouth. Tendonitis in my right hand and elbow, swollen fingers, and enough bruises to probably be admitted to a leper colony … Gotta love the Capitan!
Despite the physical wear and tear my psyche has been very high. Bigwall climbing is suffering and suffering sucks much more without purpose. Climbing a BugWall to spread awareness of edible insects as a sustainable food gives me the purpose I need to crawl out of my sleeping bag bag morning. Thank you for sharing this journey with me.
* Sorry for the lack of pictures on the sight, I don’t have enough 3g up here to upload to my server, but there are now loads on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – so follow me here for more timely updates.
Don’t forget our Indiegogo campaign to benifit Little Herds with awesome edible insect food perks is still live!
Thanks for taking us along on this amazing climb, Meghan. You are truly an inspiration. We met at the University of Arizona insect festival and it was the first time I had had eaten bugs or known about your Edible Insect campaign and this climb. At 75 (next month) I find it a wonderful gift to share your enthusiasm and experiences. I also find your vision and your commitment to those of future generations to be a hopeful solution to the ecological mistakes of those who have gone before. Patricia
Meghan, I’m super psyched about your project! I also have a big, arduous slog coming up next year and wondering if I might eat bugs on it and spread the world across to the UK!
Safe last few days up and when you’re back down on the valley floor would be great to have a chat about – get in touch! Jen 🙂
Hi Meghan, this is Little Herds founder Robert Allen’s mom and dad! We are so awestruck by your commitment to this project! We are cheering you on from Waco TX.