Kicking around Moscow

1/5/2010
Thawing out from an active morning in Moscow is an active endeavor. Justin Spain and I had had to cruise in to the Kremlin (where we were ejected from with our Avalung backpacks previously) to see what all the hubbub is about.
There were tons of kids being separated from their parents at the checkpoint. That would freak me out as a parent. Ya, just send my kid into the Kremlin and I’ll pick them up in a couple hours. Hmmm. They let me go through and Justin followed, trepidatiously. Why they let the tall American with a yellow jacket through is beyond me, but we just kept going and didn’t look back. All the rest of the locals were ushered off somewhere and we rolled into the Kremlin somewhat unattended.
It was 09:30 and the sun was barely above the horizon. The center of the main plaza was empty except for about 4 other people. We rolled into some of the cathedrals and witnessed some impressive history I’ve only seen or read about in history books. Some of the artwork on the walls dates back to about 1030 a.d. and graves of many Catholic Saints were laid to rest inside of metal caskets. The Muslims had built some incredible structures that the Catholics had laid claim to and subsequently placed golden crosses on top of. The struggles of religion have always been a major point of strife and more lives have been lost due to holy wars than any other reason. This became very clear standing among these cathedrals.
The fortress of the Kremlin is impressive. The hand cut cobble stone roads frozen at -10C this morning have seen so many people come and go through the ages. Nobody talks, perhaps because of the lack of having the freedom of speech, but the silence here as opposed to the bustling Capitol Hill undeniably reflects the cultures differences. There is no laughing or joking around. Being light hearted is somehow unacceptable, unprofessional, and inexcusable. I’d be in a lot of trouble if I lived here.
Justin’s got the iPod cranking and I think that’s the most music our hotel floor has ever heard! No complaints by the other people here yet.
Tomorrow is a big day. We have to meet our sponsors to Russia and get on the train to Kirov. We will say good-bye to Moscow and take a night train across some of the 51% virgin and uninhabited territory of Russia. It’s time to relax and try to stay warm and recovered in preparation for trying to give it our best shot in the competition. The temps are suspected to be about -20C at competition time – sporting for sure.
Marcus Bendler is the present World Champ. If you’ve never seen someone like Bendler or Will Gadd climb, it’s impressive. Bendler is featured on YouTube with some inspiring ascents during competition. The IWC competition presents itself that any competitor has a chance to do well. I’m hoping to do well, and rise to the level of the competition. Justin and I are representing the USA in this competition. I’m sure that the other competitors will be out to trump us. Anything can happen, so we’ll just do our best and hope to get this first competition off to a good start for the remaining three. It’s just the beginning of the 6 week circuit.
We’re sharpening tools and crampons tonight. We have a train to catch. I don’t want to think about anything besides sleeping tomorrow night and I want to stay out of the cold for a change!!!