Instead of the husband of the grey haired lady I am talking with, the son appears from underneath the kayak. My heart misses a beat. Thirty minutes later I drop H off at his car and leave him behind with a lined through phone number but a readable email in my hand. He stops shortly after to put my kayak in the Everglades waters and I watch him drive away back into his own world.
Now 3 month later I am waiting at a campsite in Cochise Stronghold to meet again. Its getting dark and I am getting nervous. With who am I actually meeting, will I even recognize H, what did I sign up for this time? Finally a car pulls up and a shape with a headlamp appears on each side of the vehicle. It becomes one of these awkward moments in life that I have no clue what to do with myself. Which light is it?
The next morning I can at least identify who is who. Recognition; No. But the feel I have around H is the same as back then, I feel a woman.
Over the next 9 days I get to know them both better. They are the classic climbing couple. One is serious and sweet the other one rough and attractive. They balance each other out, keep each other sane and create an environment that I feel totally comfortable in. 
As most of the time when I climb with an established climbing couple, I mostly do nothing except from climbing and hanging out on belays. Its in a sense boring as I like all the ropie stuff but that’s the faith of a third person. When hanging out with N on the belays, we talk talk talk. I like it. Even better though are the belays with H, when I can just be. For me its real when you can be with a person without talking, when somebody’s present is enough to feel comfortable. Its just sucks that I have to climb 200 meter up a rock and hang on a chicken head anchor to feel save and taken care of. Guess that’s my life.
After a couple of days climbing together I finally feel confident enough to lead some pitches. Not having lead with 2 ropes before, belayed on chicken heads and set up a guide XTR, I screw up the belay big time. N subtle asks if he should take the next lead. H however has still confidence in me. Nobody died and she won’t make that mistake again. (Where have I heard that before, oh jeh, when P took a little bit longer fall then planned.) Its all I need to hear, and the next 2 pitches I lead steady and safe. Thanks. The climbing over all is amazing. Free campsites, a running creek to fresh up, granite multi pitch domes and with no guide book, an adventure to find the climbs.
H: Guess we are in the wrong valley?....A morning of hiking is also beautiful here!
Me: Why does this 5.5 bolted lead feels like a 5.9/10a…Oh, because it is…so proud!
I really love it here.
The only draw backs are the evenings. I like to sit around the campfire with some good healthy food, wine/beer and talk. For me this is a big part of the whole climbing experience. As N has the early mornings by himself birding, and me some afternoons when I opt out on climbing, H likes to have the evenings to himself. With the now famous words: “Nothing ever bad happened in my tent.” he disappears again into his own world. I understand, just had it different in mind. The times when we sit at the fire, I enjoy double. I was so happy he came, so sad he left. If we meet again? I have no clue. I can only hope. One day I figure out these American men. For now, I keep struggling on. But if we meet again, I cook. Seriously!
Iris (Cochise, 37684 miles)
