Taylor Valore

Last year I spent two weeks in a remote corner of the Amazon rainforest for a jungle survival course. Three hours by car from the nearest village, then two more by boat to our first camp, then another hour and a half deeper in. The first ten days were training. We learned to fish, set traps, shoot a bow and arrow, identify edible plants, build shelter from palm fronds, manage water, and manage anxiety. We caught enormous catfish, saw capybaras, and picked up spectacled caimans on night expeditions on the river. Conditions got progressively sparser, from bungalow to hammock camp to a campsite we built ourselves, until we were each dropped alone for three days of isolation. What I carried in: a machete, iodine, basic fishing tools, a fire starter, and a first aid kit. No food, no tent, no tarp, no hammock, no GPS. The physical environment was grueling. Mosquitoes, flies, spiders, snakes, piranhas, stingrays, bullet ants, howler monkeys, torrential rain, and the constant problem of staying dry. I set up my shelter next to a bullet ant nest by accident. Bullet ants are said to have the most painful sting of any insect on Earth. I bathed in a river with stingrays and piranhas nearby. Torrential rain started every evening and ran past dawn. On day two I spent two hours trying to start a fire and failed; I burned the instruction manual from my first aid kit, and nothing took. With no fire I couldn't cook, so I couldn't fish. I ate two palm hearts over two days. For most of those 3 days I was hungry, wet, bitten, and sitting through 12-hour nights with nothing to do but manage my own mind. The hardest part was the psychological endurance of being alone in the dark, in the rain, surrounded by noise and movement, trying not to let fear take over. It was a continuous state of psychological survival. At one point, sitting in the dark and damp, I managed through the onset of a panic attack. I admire the people who did this with me. A strange group, all there for their own reasons, choosing to do something difficult and unnecessary because something in them wanted to know what would happen.

I fully led my first 13-pitch sport route, which was full of surprises: a snow patch that forced us to turn back early, rain, getting lost on the rappel down, a snagged rope that forced re-climbing a pitch, a lost friction hitch, and multiple rappels in rainy darkness. Although we didn't make it to the top, my co-pilot @acslira and I were happy with our decision making under stress. We were 5 pitches away from the top when we decided to turn back because we weren't confident we could safely cross a snow gulley. That was a good call! The descent was harder than the climb. Rain and darkness set in and the long mid-pitch hikes were hard to navigate, making the next rappel stations difficult to find. Through shivering, water-soaked shoes, and longing for pizza, we kept our heads cool and spirits high. As soon as the snow clears, we're back to finish it 💪

This past Saturday, I climbed at Thunder Ridge in the South Platte, one of the most striking landscapes I've seen. The 2002 Hayman Fire burned 138,000 acres here. More than 20 years later, it feels other-worldly, with forests of tall burned trunks overlooking new vegetation. It was windy! 35mph winds with 50mph gusts made climbing a battle with rock and wind. Between climbs, I admired the V15 Defying Gravity problem and saw Daniel Woods' crash pads and Coca-Cola, but not the legend himself.

This super fun tr route supports the @hera_foundation and its mission to fund research and education for ovarian cancer. Founded by a climber. Donate! Climbing it made me reflect: it’s been 58 days since I moved to Colorado and I’ve climbed inside or outside on 47 of them. My kind of place.

Nothing beats being able to drive 25 minutes, walk 9 minutes, and be climbing on an awesome wall. The Colorado honeymoon phase continues for now...

Last February in Rio, I was looking for a challenging activity and someone proposed a 20-mile trail run. What a hot and sweaty endeavor! I'm still rehydrating. Totally worth it to see 3 peaks (Cristo Redentor, Morro do Queimado, Pico da Tijuca) in Rio's massive national parks 19.6 miles, 5 hours 50 minutes, 5,300ft elevation gain, at least 1.2 gallons of sweat

Badass dog was definitely the first crux in this route today

One feature of my autism, I'm learning, is a high tolerance for flavorless, repetitive meals. Frozen salmon and vegetables defrosted and cooked in the microwave is one of my proud staples. I made this video nine months ago and literally have had this exact same meal five out of seven days of the week since then. It's carefully calorie-, cost-, and time-optimized (yes, in a spreadsheet). I've calculated the cost per calorie, the average prep time, and macro balance. In my mind, it's perfect and there is no reason to deviate from it until the input variables change. Cookbook for the hyper-optimizers forthcoming 😚

Before moving to Denver, I spent a year traveling the world, which meant leaving the love of my life, my dog Yafa, in the exceptionally capable hands of @sandramundoiborra and @joseantoniomezlau outside Valencia, Spain. They took such great care of my dog that I'm pretty sure she didn't recognize me when I picked her up! I think she's since forgiven me, though she probably still prefers the open pastures of Spain to my studio apartment in Denver 😝

First time climbing in Colorado's most classic winter crag, Shelf Road. Camping in below freezing temperatures was totally worth it and I see many projects ahead here.

I miss this! Can I convince someone to join me for the Spartan Death Race? It was a turning point in my life. "When your body is screaming that it has nothing left, that's when your have exactly 50% left" - Words of wisdom from a true inspiration, @queenofgreen77

A couple of years ago, I tried out dogsledding in Norway. Damn, those dogs were excited! I was a bit skeptical of how much the animals would actually enjoy pulling a heavy sled. Seeing them in action left no doubt in my mind. The musher of my sled was an inspiration. A former UX designer for a tech company, she gradually realized and developed her passion as a musher. One day, she decided to take the plunge and commit herself fully to it, now competing part of the year and leading groups another part. People are out there doing their crazy passions outside the echo chambers we sometimes find ourselves in.