Where the Wild Things Are

Week in Red Rocks

2012-01-09T12:29:00.000-08:00

I met up with my friend Peter for a quick trip to Red Rocks this past week. The weather was pretty damn warm for the most part so we stuck to the shade. I didn't really focus on taking pictures or video, but I did manage to grab a couple of clips of a few random problems on my iphone.

Float Like a Butterfly...

2011-11-30T12:43:00.001-08:00

The Columbia boulder is the ever present campground host of historic Camp 4 in Yosemite Valley. The massive boulder sits and watches over tourists and climbers alike as they mill about the roughshod campground cooking, sleeping, drinking, and climbing. The boulder is graced with United States' most iconic boulder problem, Midnight Lightning, which was established by Ron Kauk in 1978. The last first ascent on this boulder, 'Don't Make Me Kick Your Ass'(DMKYA), was climbed by Greg Loh and named by Chris Sharma about 12 or 13 years ago. This boulder is surely one of the most visited boulders in the world and yet it still holds a few secrets.

Last spring, at the end of a long day, the group was winding down and getting ready for the drive home. As we walked by the Columbia boulder I pointed out a few holds just a few paces to the left of DMKYA and mentioned that I thought a line could be climbed there. After brushing off a dirty sloper Paul, Randy and I began trying what would become 'Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee.'

Our initial attempts revolved around making a very hard (as yet uncompleted) move up and right to a bad sloper. Jumping off the ground one can catch this hold without too much trouble, but pulling off the ground and doing the move is another challenge all together. After a few days trying the problem Randy got fed up and started to trying a new method involving a dyno back and left to the rail that marks the start of an unnamed V0 jumpstart. This method proved to be very difficult as well, and Randy's motivation began to wane. On the day of the ascent Randy was initially just playing cheerleader, but after watching for a while he couldn't resist. The video below shows what happened next.

Fall Update

2011-10-26T00:05:00.000-07:00

At the end of September I took a rejuvenating, but all too brief trip to Colorado to climb and hang out with my old climbing partner Kevin. I didn't take many pictures and I took even less video, but here it is, the only evidence that I made a trip to the Rockies. I'll warn you now, the video isn't very exciting.

Since my trip to Colorado I've been more or less consumed with taking full advantage of the fall Yosemite season. Over the past several years I've been kept away from my beloved stomping ground for most of the peak climbing seasons for one reason or another, but this fall will be different damnit!

So far I've wrapped up my one project from last fall (and last spring), which I've named 'Ursa Major'. This line is special to me for a lot of reasons and I have to say that topping it out was one of the most satisfying things I've done climbing for a long while. Here's a crappy picture of it.

Ursa Major

I made another first ascent last Friday that I think could end up being pretty popular (if anyone every visited the area). This one is called 'Snickerdoodle' and its next door neighbors with the awesome problem Merganser and it is probably about the same grade too. Here is the video of that one...

Anyhoo, hopefully I'll stay healthy and the weather will cooperate and I'll end up with some more cool shit to share. If not, fuck it, nobody reads this drivel anymore anyway.

Gold Bar Video

2011-08-25T19:47:00.000-07:00

Lyn and Paul just got back from their trip to Leavenworth and Gold Bar, which reminded me that I hadn't finished the second video from our trip back in June. Well, here it is.

We're Back

2011-06-27T00:14:00.000-07:00

Becky and I arrived home late last Thursday from our trip and I think we would both like to head back out on the road as soon as possible. Unfortunately, that won't be happening. We're moving into our new place in Berkeley at the end of the week and Becky starts her new J.O.B. on Tuesday so we're pretty much going to be weekend warriors for a while.

As promised, here is the video that covers the first part of our trip in Leavenworth. There will be a second part coming along shortly after that will cover the couple of days we spent in Gold Bar, WA at the end of our trip. More on that later...

All in all, Leavenworth was bitchin'. The climbing style was fun, the rock quality varied from 'just okay' to amazing, the 'hang' in the canyons is phenomenal, and even though the Bavarian themed town gets old real quick it offers all the visiting vagabond needs in a nice tight package just a few miles from the climbing. Basically, don't go there and ruin it for everyone else!

Leavenworth Report

2011-06-17T12:47:00.000-07:00

Becky and I are currently vacationing in Leavenworth, WA. It is a little post graduation/pre-new job trip for my lady. Becky just graduated from UCSF as a nurse practitioner and begins her new job at Life Long Medical Clinic in Berkeley at the end of this month.

So Far we've been blessed with unseasonably cool temps, which has allowed me to climb a fair amount of cool rock climbs. Becky has been getting herself reacquainted with outdoor rock climbing after a year spent mostly in the classroom, clinics, and occasionally the gym. Some things that have presented a challenge to her include: landings that are not flat, blue and carpeted, holds that are round, and top-outs. There aren't many top-outs in our climbing gyms. Still, she has done a number of very classic and tall problems as she slowly gets more comfortable. I know big things are in her future.

Personally, I've been really happy to climb a number of challenging problems of various styles. From the slopey 'Premium Coffee' to the dynamic 'The Shield'. I'm really stoked though to do a problem first ascended by my friend Herm Feissner, called 'The Practitioner'. I briefly worked out the moves on this sweet compression problem in the sun on our first day. I knew right away that I wouldn't be able to climb the whole line in those conditions with sweating fingers and warm to-the-touch rock, but I felt like with some decent conditions it might go quickly.

Yesterday, at the end of a long and productive climbing day, I decided to head over to 'The Practitioner' at about 8pm. Becky and I quickly hiked up from the parking lot, threw our two pads down, I practiced the last move twice, and then climbed it from the beginning first try!

Anyway, today is a rest day so we might drive up the road to check out the boulders around Gold Bar and Index. We've taken a fair amount of video too, so we should have a video prepared shortly after we get back to the Bay.

Booya!!

New Problem

2011-05-04T14:08:00.000-07:00

Here is a new problem from Monday evening. I first scoped this line out in 2007, but I couldn't figure out the top section, I thought it would be pretty hard. I ended up doing an easier variation that bailed out to the left on a good edge around the corner. I called this line 'Lost Shepherd,' it was fun but seemed like a cop-out. I went back on Monday and re-cleaned the top so that I could check out the moves again. Low and behold I was able to figure a sequence out that wasn't even that hard after all, so I sat down and climbed the full line. Yippee!

Here's the video. 'Slope Hand Pope Hand'

From the Archives: Part 2

2011-04-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple more problems from South Africa. Featuring my friend and boss Lyn Verinsky.

From the Archives: Part 1

2011-04-19T10:20:00.000-07:00

Here's some video of my friend Collin Horvat that was "lost" until recently. Becky originally shot this over the summer of 2009 while we were climbing at Rocklands.

More of these to come.

Home Again

2011-03-20T18:04:00.000-07:00

The view of Larchant from a hilltop

I'm back in California now, and aside from visiting some loved ones I haven't done much today. The last week in France was great albeit a bit frustrating on several levels. Of course my shoulder bothered me and there were times when watching everyone climb on things I longed to try was a bit too much to handle. Also, I somehow managed to destroy a bathroom counter top by simply leaning on it and we ended up getting fleeced by the gite owner (who more than covered his expenses with his replacement fee). Of course events in Japan and Libya remind me that these concerns are relatively trivial, although still damn frustrating. I did manage to do a bit of climbing before leaving. Mostly slabs and easy stuff, but it all felt great considering I wasn't sure if I'd be able to climb at all just a week ago.

Turtle?

Scott on 'Irreversible'

Social hour in Bas Cuvier

A few of us wandered into Paris last week as well. Checked out a terrific art museum, had a nice lunch, visited the Eiffel Tower, and walked around a bunch, it was a nice break and I'd like to go back. I think next time I may arrange for a few nights stay in the city and explore a little bit more.

Van Gogh at Musée d'Orsay

Louvre

Eiffel

The final few days saw the arrival of a few more friends in the forest. Ethan and Matt were supposed to be in Switzerland but the weather was crap so they joined us in Fontainebleau. Paul had already left font for the Swiss gneiss but ended up returning for the same reason.

Paul on 'Big Dragon'

Matt enjoying St. Patrick's day

I'm a bit wiped right now and don't have a lot of energy for reflection at the moment, but perhaps I'll post a wrap up or something in the near future. Maybe when I finish my little video...

One More Week

2011-03-11T01:24:00.001-08:00

There is about a week left in my Font trip and I may have climbed my last boulder problem.

Yesterday began with a lot of optimism. I had just rested for two agonizing days with the hope that my skin condition would improve to the point of allowing me to climb some difficult boulders. Our warm up at Elephant went well enough, the weather even seemed a little better than the forecast predicted. We then headed over to Rocher Greau so that Nora could try Conquistador and I might try Megalithe or possibly Tiger et Dragon. Nora's efforts on Conquistador were inspiring as she quickly made progress and reached her new high point three or four times. My efforts on Megalithe left me with two freshly split finger tips and no ascent to ease the pain.

Elephant

Next we moved over to Roche aux Oiseaux were things brightened up a bit for me. There is an old classic problem at Oiseaux that was once featured in the French bouldering film Bleau, the problem is called Le Mandarin and is notable for it's unique movement and interesting holds. For once this trip, despite the tape on my fingertips, I managed to do a somewhat difficult problem relatively quickly. I felt relieved, in a way, and rejuvenated. I wanted to move on to the next objective, Magneton. Magneton was the first hard problem I tried on the trip and I wanted a second go in better conditions. Ingar offered to spot so we headed over for quick session in the last light of the day.

Initially I could tell the problem felt much better in dry conditions and so after briefly warming up on a few moves I started trying from the beginning. After two attempts falling at the crux I knew I'd have to dig down a little harder to hang on to the terrible left hand sloper, the tape on my left index finger was definitely hindering my ability to hang onto the crux hold. On my last attempt I stuck the crux but my foot popped off it's foothold and I shock loaded my shoulder. I managed to hang on for another move fell off right after. Right away I knew something was wrong as my rotator cuff started to seize up and I started feeling some pain as I dug around in my climbing bag.

After talking with the on-call doctors of the trip, Noah and Siemay, I'm pretty sure I have torn or sprained one of my rotator cuff muscles and I probably have a small labarum tear as well. This effectively ends climbing for me on this trip and maybe for some time after. As Noah said, there is a chance it all feel much better by next week and I may be able to do a few easy classics or some slabs, but this is not all that comforting to hear.

If I were traveling alone I'd probably leave Font and just go see some more of France but that not really an option, nor financially responsible for me to do. So that's it, it was a good trip and I'm sure I'll still enjoy myself but I'd be lying if I said I'm not a bit devastated by this injury, especially following so closely on the heels of my finger injury.

At least Nora and Ingar made me dinner last night. It was delicious!

Lovely

2011-03-04T01:51:00.000-08:00

the road to P'tit Paradis

Inspired. That about sums it up right now.

The past few days have been simply blissful. I've climbed in the company of good friends, I've climbed alone, I've climbed amazing classics, I've climbed little known obscurities, and I've also just sat around and let my friends' climbing inspire me.

The weather here has officially improved as well! They've been the kind of cool crisp breezy conditions climbers dream of.

There is really nothing more to say....

....oh, I did loose my American Express somehow over that few days. I guess that little hiccup just goes to prove that I'm not dreaming and all this goodness is real.

Topping Out

2011-02-28T14:18:00.000-08:00

Kevin on de la Terra a la Lune

The beginning of week two...

Our routine is becoming much more comfortable. Everyone seems to be sleeping well, and everyone has become accustomed to imperfect weather. We have also continued the trend of visiting new areas just about every day. At 95.2 several of us enjoyed ascents of the classic l'Ange Naif utilizing various methods, while others played on Retour aux Sources. Gorge aux Chats provided the perfect location to wrap up one afternoon. There, several people tried the beautiful face of Rubis sur l'Ongle, many of our crew scampered around on named and unnamed moderates, all the while Ingar, Randy and I tried the powerful compression problem Magneton.

Scott on l'Ange Naif

Nora on Retour aux Sources

Yesterday we all started out at a leisurely pace in a quiet sector called Canche aux Merciers. There are two standout characteristics of this place, in my opinion, that make this sector one worth visiting. First, the outstanding circuits provide something for everyone. For the uninitiated, these circuits are a series of numbered climbs that are intended to be climbed in ascending order beginning with the first. These circuits are color coded and these colors refer to their relative difficulty. Orange, I believe, is the easy mountaineers circuit for example. Canche aux Merciers has an orange, red, and blue circuit of high quality. The second stand-out attraction is a very unique tunnel right through the heart of one of the boulders. Long story short, Noah, Monica and I tried to make it through but ultimately I was the only one to fit through the tight squeeze. I'd give it a 7C+ tunneling grade. Hopefully Randy will provide some photos or video so that it can be fully appreciated because words simply will not do it justice.

Yesterday afternoon we headed back to Cuvier Rempart. The highlight of my session there was managing to maneuver my way up the classic top-out problem Baisers Voles. The top out problem is something to behold. Whereas when a climber describes a mantle problem, pocket problem, sloper problem, roof climb, or slab it is fairly easy for most experience climbers to understand or even imagine the type of climbing involved on said climb. I would venture to guess that most climbers would not be able to fully grasp the nuances and unique qualities that define 'top-out' problems unless those climbers had every visited Fontainebleau. Yes, this type of problem occurs elsewhere but with nowhere near the regularity or quality of here in Font. Now that I'm aware of this type, I know that is a style I would love to master because at the moment it feels soooo desperate!

Today was a rest day for myself, but Monica, Scott, and Randy all headed out to the rocks. I tagged along and can report the Monica is progressing on her project at Apremont, Scott made a fast ascent of de la Terre a la Lune at Gorge du Houx, and Randy made some progress on his project Tajine, also at Gorge du Houx. At the end of the day Randy joined the local boys Gregoire, Kevin, and Moon whilst they through themselves at the stunning highball Londinium. It was difficult to keep my shoes in my pack today I can tell you that, but I'm optimistic that the rest will pay off for me tomorrow.

Until the next report,

A revoir!

Quick Update

2011-02-24T01:45:00.000-08:00

Markus of Austria on "Big Jim"

Sitting here in the gite waiting for rocks to dry. Scott and I have already been out once to get pastries and we may go again soon.

The last two days have been a mix of climbing and resting. We went into the town of Fontainebleau proper and had a walk around the Chateau's gardens. Afterward we headed over to Franchard Cuisinaire where the rest of the team was climbing. My head spun at all the rock.

Scott happy with baked goods.

Fontain at the chateau

Yesterday we had a nice afternoon at Petite Bois. I managed a few classics and everyone seemed to enjoy the nice conditions before the rain came at 4:30.

More to come.

Edit: Evening update. Today became a rest day. Below is a picture of the highlight of my day.

Welcome to Fontainebleau

2011-02-21T00:26:00.000-08:00

I'm here and I'm happy

I awoke on Friday morning at 6:40AM after Becky's alarm went off. I of course did not wake up to my own alarm, which I set for 6:30....PM We'll call that the first bullet dodged.

Our flight was delayed about 40 minutes because of poor visibility, our layover in Charlotte was only an hour...they held our flight because 22 other passengers were trying to make the same connection.

As we were boarding in San Francisco Monica noticed Scott's crash pad on the tarmac after they had finished loading all of the other luggage...I finally convinced a US Airways employee that the bag DID indeed belong to us and we would like it on the plane.

Aside from these near misses our travel was pretty seamless. Scott, Monica and I arrived in Paris to grey skies and a bit of rain about 30 minutes ahead of schedule at 9:45am Saturday morning. We quickly gathered our bags and claimed our rental car (a brand new Picasso) and headed south to Larchant. Our quaint little gite is just a stones throw away from the beautiful ruins of the town's Basilica and it will be a perfect little home form our month long stay. After dropping off our belongings we wasted no time walking around the corner to the nearest boulangerie where we indulged our starved stomachs in pan au chocolate and a fresh bagette.

Basilique

We would have loved to climb this day but the weather forced us to remain patient. We took the opportunity to walk around a couple of the local boulders though, and I wasn't disappointed. At Petit Bois we had a look at Big Jim, Big Dragon, L'Oeuf and La Baleine among a very nice circuit of moderates. All of these looked incredible. Just down the road from there is a small mound called Rocher Greau. Rocher Greau is perhaps a little less dense with

problems but it holds a few stunning gems. Both Megalithe and Tigre et Dragon were high on my "to do" list before I'd arrived and seeing them in person only reinforced that desire. Actually, upon viewing Tigre et Dragon I sorta lost my shit, here is one of the problems I'd daydreamed about for the better part of about two years and it looked even better than I'd imagined. This boulder which I'd used as a motivational tool to get me through countless training sessions and even more monotonous days behind the desk and here is sits in front of me begging to be climbed...except it was wet. Oh well, after not sleeping for 26 hours I probably wouldn't have faired too well anyway.

Tiger et Dragon

On Sunday I awoke at about 5am with bright eyes and hungry for boulders. I knew I had to be patient though because the sky was still overcast and it had rained the day before. Eventually though, we ventured out to Apremont where Scott thought we'd have a good chance at finding dry rock. Upon our arrival I doubted our chances. Every boulder felt damp if not soaked but we kept walking and eventually found some a small cluster of less wet boulders. At first I just planned on climbing a beautiful low angle slab 'just to get it out of my system' but that led to another slab, which led to a little overhang, which soon enough led me into a pretty decent warm up. At this time we were joined for the first time by Beth and Randy and shortly after by Gregoire and Kevin, two locals that Randy has know for many years. Lastly we were joined by a very slight breeze which started to blow though making more climbs increasingly possible.

By the end of the afternoon we'd all managed to get our fix. The highlights included several ascents of Motus Vivaldi and the classic Onde de Choc as well as both Beth and Monica topping out a beautiful highball called Anglomaniaque.

Nightfall could not subdue my enthusiasm and so I followed Randy out to the Cul de Chien for a headlamp session on the amazing roof of that area. I was able to do all of the moves on the classic Eclipse but was ultimately thwarted by fatigue and wet holds, Randy however was able to hang on for a quick repeat despite the dampness.

After a less than ideal night of sleep (I woke up at 3AM) I'm now eager anticipating today's action. I think we may go to Cuvier but really it doesn't matter. The feeling in the forest is magical, the vibe around the gite peaceful, and I am extremely content.

Just a Week Away

2011-02-11T01:29:00.000-08:00

Between my last post and now not much has happened. I've festered, I've moaned, I've worked and I've climbed a little in the gym. Outdoor rock climbing has been extremely infrequent. One brief trip to Mammoth/Bishop for Becky's family reunion with a little climbing mixed in and a day at Castle Rock, that's it.

The light at the end of this dark tunnel is that a week from now I'll be on a plane to Paris where I'll spend a month in the mythical forest of Fontainebleau. Eat. Sleep. Climb. That's it for a month, I couldn't be more excited.

My finger, and my grip strength, are not yet 100% but both have significantly improved over the last 3 months. I've been able to train a bit, albeit not to the extent that I'd like, but I'm optimistic that I'll be able to grapple my way to the top of a few boulders.

Honestly though I'm really excited to just forget about life for a while, and just do what I love. I'm going to try and blog regularly while I'm there for those of you that care. I know that when I'm unable to get out I really appreciate reading about other like-minded individuals that are. So I'll do my best to contribute to the psyche-building world of climbing blogs and try to steer away from the self-indulgent sprayfests that many blogs devolve into.

Man Date

2011-01-01T15:32:00.000-08:00

Early in December my friend, and coworker, Ryan Moon decided it was time we climbed together so he scheduled us a "Man Date" going so far as to write it into the staff calendar at Ironworks. Here is the video from our "date" at the boulders of Colombia College in Sonora, CA.

Man Date from Princess on Vimeo.

Castle Rock State Park

2010-11-19T11:39:00.000-08:00

Color that will soon be missing from the Valley

Yesterday I made an unusual decision. I passed on an opportunity to go to Yosemite and opted for nearby Castle Rock instead!? Crazy, I know. There was some reasoning behind this madness though, first of all I'm going to Fontainebleau in the middle of February and Castle is just about the best simulation of Font sandstone around (so I'm told) so this was first of many acclimation trips I plan on making to the area. Second, I'm still nursing my finger injury though it is finally improving. Castle has a bunch of nice friendly slopers and I figured it would be good therapy for my weak link. Thirdly, there was(is) an ass-ton of weather on the horizon that would have made the chances of climbing two days in the Valley less than optimal to warrant the drive.

Turns out I feel like I made a fine choice. My good buddy Skippy and I had a great day with prime conditions at Castle yesterday. I managed to do three new-to-me problems that were all high quality, the "Nature Nazi Arete", "Groundation", and "Egghead Arete".

Here a video of Skippy on "Groundation". I think I'm going to teach a clinic on iphone videos soon because I'm basically a pro.

Groundation from Princess on Vimeo.

There has been some notable activity going on in the Valley worth mentioning. Currently Tommy and Kevin are on their first push effort to climb the Dawn Wall project. Unfortunately this weather pattern doesn't bode well for them. I hope they succeed but their safety is more important to me.

Elsewhere in the Valley, my friend Thomasina Pidgeon made the first female ascent of "Drive On" yesterday. This is proud tick indeed and one I'd like to climb as well, if I can ever crimp again...

About a week ago Randy and I climbed a couple of new problems. The first was the old project on the King Boulder at the Cathedrals. This problem is just right of "The Stamp" and just left of "So Good". The problem is tall, beautiful, climbs up perfect rock, and has some really unique moves. The name of this soon to be classic is "Old Dog, New Tricks". The second problem we did is a line I scoped out and cleaned last spring but was unable to unlock. Randy figured out the beta for the distinct crux on this one and I followed up shortly thereafter. Here's a picture of the line that makes it look a lot shorter than it is.

We dubbed this line "Iwo Jima"

State of Affairs

2010-10-28T10:59:00.000-07:00

The short version of the story goes like this:

Working more climbing less
Injured finger equals regress

Often wanting to get out of this place
At least I have the Giants World Series chase

Ta-da! I'm a poet. That took me all of a minute to think up and I bet you couldn't tell. The longer version of the story includes my computer being in the shop with a potentially deadly (to the computer) and expensive problem. There is also the mysterious emergence of a finger injury whose origins and exact ramifications remain unknown. All in all I've been a bit down in the dumps lately, and for that I'm sorry to those of you I may have inadvertently brought down with me (especially Becky, she has enough on her plate). I'm trying to look at the long term picture not just the next two months, but that has been and continues to be a major adjustment for me.

On the Brighter side...The Giants are in the World Series and have already taken a 1-0 series lead. I'm incredibly stoked and grateful for the opportunity to be at the game tonight with my family. The last time I was at a World Series game with my Dad and my sister it was 1989 and it didn't go so well for the City or the Giants.

On the climbing front, though I've basically scrapped any attempt at training, I've been able to find and clean an amazing project in Yosemite that doesn't seem to require much out of my middle finger. The crux is actually a one-legged squat off of a dicey heel hook. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and I'll be able to finish it off soon.

So that is the state of affairs in my world.

Oh, this looks cool too.

Smitten Teaser from Smitten the movie on Vimeo.

30

2010-09-17T00:14:00.000-07:00

"The Shampoo Squeeze"

If you know me well at all, you know that I hate my birthday. I'm not so fond of the whole aging thing. I'm particularly concerned with how aging will negatively affect my climbing.

Bearing this in mind I thought maybe if I went bouldering with a bunch of old dudes I'd feel better about myself. It sort of worked until Noah pointed out the inverse relationship between the respective ages of the climbers present and their climbing abilities. Bugger, this only reaffirmed my fears.

Despite the looming cloud of misery I dragged around all day I managed to have a good time and climb a few problems. I even snagged a first ascent! The legendary Dave Hatchett was kind enough to show me around Sugar Pine 3, where he has put in a ton of work cleaning and climbing new lines. At the end of the day he took us over to one he'd tried the previous year but never finished, and after a few attempts I got to the top. Dave and Noah both followed suit soon after. I called the problem the "The Shampoo Squeeze" (there a story behind it) and it was the last thing I climbed in my twenties.

Two other climbing highlights included Charlie Barrett's "Space Balls" and Joel Zerr's "Freeloader".

Freeloader from Princess on Vimeo.

Serpentine

2010-08-03T02:30:00.001-07:00

Here's another iphone video, this time from Becky. We spent a week in Mammoth early last month. I only climbed two days though, the bugs sucked the motivation right out of me.

Way Lake 2010 from Becky Trafecanty on Vimeo.

Dog Days

2010-07-25T19:39:00.000-07:00

It is officially summer and I'm not so psyched on the weather, the driving, or pretty much anything other than chilling out. Actually, I'm pretty happy with my new iphone! Check out the video I shot with it. Pretty damn good quality for fucking phone!

Mosquito Season from Princess on Vimeo.

Victory!!!

2010-07-11T14:46:00.000-07:00

INIESTA!!

Not In Colorado Anymore

2010-06-23T15:59:00.000-07:00

On the way up to the Hallett Boulder, Melissa Strong's photo.

Work and Climb

2010-06-03T20:53:00.000-07:00

The theme for the past few weeks has been 'no rest for the wicked'. This is a good thing. I've been occupied with climbing, hiking, Adam's version of cross-fit (tree work) and not much else. The only downside is how tired I've been in the evenings (and mornings) as a result. I've even fallen asleep while talking to Becky on video chat.

Just about every climber I talked to about tree work warned me of the debilitating fatigue I'd suffer from. They all said every climber that does construction or some other type of manual labor for a living is always too tired to climb. In response I've tried to keep a positive outlook by thinking of all the burly climbers that manage to make the combination work, guys like Jesse Bonin, Adam Strong, and Ramon Julian Puigblanque.

Though the fatigue is definitely there, I feel like my body has adapted pretty well and I've managed to get up a couple of really cool boulder problems. This Wednesday was a perfect example of a very exhausting, but satisfying day. Woke up at 7am, at work by 8am. Work ended a little early around 3pm so I headed back to the house to run Turtle. Bolted from there to the grocery store for food and then drove up to the Rocky Mountain National Park to meet up with my friend Herm. Finally, we headed up the trail to Chaos Canyon around 5:45pm (approximately 1,500' elevation gain). Arrived to the 'Green 45' boulder in Chaos to find some cold dry conditions. Barely managed to warm-up and snuck in an ascent of an outstanding boulder problem called "Wildcat" before heading back down to the cars after 8pm. Got back to the house around 9:20pm, which left me just enough time to eat and video chat with Becky briefly before going to bed.

Its a good feeling being tired for the reasons that I'm tired.

I think I could get used to this lifestyle.

Brief Update for Estes Park

2010-05-24T16:37:00.000-07:00

The weather here has been rapidly improving for climbing (today's freakish mid-day cold spell aside). I've managed to do most of the early season problems on my list now, and I'm basically chomping at the bit to get up to Chaos Canyon. Unfortunately there is still a ton of snow up there and it will take a lot of work and sunshine to get things climbable.

No new media on my part, but fortunately Becky was nice enough to put together a little video of my ascent of "Shadow Warrior" in Yosemite a few weeks ago.

Shadow Warrior (V12) from Becky Trafecanty on Vimeo.

Getting Close to Summer

2010-05-12T13:49:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Estes was hit with a spat of late season weather and work was canceled before it even began. Unfortunately the shit weather wouldn't allow for climbing either. To salvage the day I headed down to Boulder to check out some of the local wet granite and to hang out with Robin and Theo. The Shed, their home wall is amazing I was psyched to climb on it. In fact, I think the prospect of having a home wall like The Shed is the primary motivating factor in my own hopes to someday be a home owner. I could train in the shed forever and never go to a gym again! Sick! The picture above doesn't do the place justice, that's basically 1/2 of the climbing terrain. If the weather is crap again tomorrow I'm definitely headed down for more.

Speaking of the weather...I awoke this morning to a winter wonderland. There are exactly 40 days till summer and this is what we encountered on our hike today.

Snow day!

Melissa and dogs.

Psyched Turtle

Psyched Cassidy

More psyched Turtle

First Week

2010-05-10T17:00:00.000-07:00

Turtle and I are making ourselves right at home

We've been away from Oakland a week now and we're starting to settle in. After a brief stop in Salt Lake City where we stayed with friends Chris and Emily Craft, Turtle and I arrived in Estes Park Wednesday evening at the home of my very good (and generous) friends Adam and Melissa Strong. They've set me up in my own room and I couldn't be more comfortable. They have a big fenced in yard too so Turtle is stoked.

On Thursday I went right to work for Adam's Tree Service. I had hoped to climb after work but some late season snow showers made the rock a bit too damp. The highlight on Friday was going for Turtle's first Colorado hike. We didn't see anyone else and it was lovely.

On Saturday, Robin Puro came up from Boulder and we went out to try the problem 'Veritas' in Rocky Mountain National Park (a.k.a. RMNP or 'the Park'). Unfortunately, I was feeling the altitude and pumped out at the top, which was pretty funny to me because its only about 8 or so moves to that point. It was really fun climbing with Robin none the less, and we were both glad just to be out climbing on good rock.

Saturday was spent climbing again in the Park, but this time with Adam and his friend Bryce (Melissa hiked up with us but had to leave for work). We got on two more great problems, 'Whispers of Wisdom' and 'Storm Shadow'. I had a similar experience on 'Whispers' as I did the day before on 'Veritas,' and again it was okay because I had a blast climbing on these classics. I'll be back to all three of these problems soon and hopefully I'll be able to complete one or two of them.

Bryce warming up at the Emerald Lake boulders.

For anyone in CO interested in Emerald conditions there was a lot more snow than we anticipated. Adam said there was less when he was there five weeks ago. 'Whispers' and 'Storm Shadow' where fine but 'The Kind Traverse' was wet at the beginning and the end. There was some light snow today in Estes and more in the forecast for the next three so we'll see how conditions hold out.

Adam whacked his finger on a boulder. It bled.

Till next time...

The Next Little While

2010-05-02T20:01:00.000-07:00

I just got back home to Oakland a few hours ago after an abbreviated trip to Yosemite. This was my last trip for the season and although it was a bummer to leave early it was the reasonable thing to do because Becky is feeling really under the weather. Fortunately for me on Saturday I was able to send my project 'The Shadow Warrior'. I had tried this a few times in the past but never put much effort into because it just felt too hard, but this spring Scott was psyched so I went with him to try it out. Randy came with us that first day, which was a good thing for me because he gave me all the beta he used on the second ascent!

After that first session I knew I could do it, and that it was just a matter of time. Last weekend I went back to it on two different days and I came painfully close both literally and figuratively. I fell several times with the good hold (that marks the end of hard climbing) in my grasp only to have my feet cut before I was settled. To make the matter more frustrating I was disturbed to realize my old bicep pains would flare up to the point of having difficulty speaking after each attempt. This Saturday I knew would be my last chance of the season. The weather was cooler than on the previous weekend, but it is forecast to be heating up from here on out and furthermore, I'm leaving for Colorado on Tuesday! Thankfully, after taking it relatively easy most of the day I was able to send on my first try of the day in the cool hour just before dark.

I owe several people some major thank you's for their role in this ascent, Scott for getting me motivated, Randy for the crucial shortie/kneepadless beta, and Becky for being a trooper for going up there with me on four different occasions (not to mention sitting around in the dark waiting for me to just get it over with).

Becky got some footage too so look for that in the near future.

Next time I blog I'll be in Estes Park, CO where I'll be climbing and working for the next month or so! Until then...Ciao.

Dr. Topo

2010-04-27T03:03:00.000-07:00

I'm up way too late re-watching old Dr. Topo videos. The Doc closed up shop not too long ago but his vids live on in youtube. By today's standards the footage is crap, but holy shit these little flicks had my palms sweating so many times. I think my personal vision for climbing was largely influenced by these gems. I doubt if many people watch them anymore but its worth your time if you've got it.

Night night.

Splinter

2010-04-26T11:01:00.000-07:00

I had to share this. My all-time favorite climbing short.

Splinter from ben pritchard on Vimeo.

TRS 4

2010-04-19T11:16:00.000-07:00

Another competition video from Berkeley Ironworks. I arrived about 2 1/2 hours late due to having attended the Giants home opener, which went into extra innings, so I didn't have high expectations of what I could produce. I think under the circumstances it turned out pretty well.

TRS 4 Berkeley Ironworks from Princess on Vimeo.

Spent this past weekend in Yosemite and despite feeling very lethargic all weekend I managed to have a good time. Randy, Scott, and I sessioned on 'Shadow Warrior' Sunday evening and have a renewed psyche for the problem as a result. Randy showed me the beta he used on the second ascent and it worked brilliantly, plus I don't use a knee pad anymore! I also figured out a way to do the first move finally. Now to the business of putting it all together. Hopefully Scott and I will get back to it fresh next weekend, he just needs one good attempt and it'll be in the bag.

The most exciting news of the weekend is courtesy of Mr. Barraza (duh). He managed to send the steep project at the Ahwahnee boulders on Saturday night, TWICE! On the first send he felt that his foot may have skimmed the pads with his foot. I didn't even realize there was an issue until I rounded the corner to see him top out again! The new line is called 'El Ray'. Good job Paul!

Home Again

2010-04-08T22:14:00.000-07:00

The last few days in Joe's were a bit disappointing. The weather crapped out on us and I was unable to finish off any more of the problems on my tick list. Before the weather arrived I managed to make an ascent of the mega-classic "Trent's Mom". This problem has a reputation as being one of the best problems in the country and after climbing it I can't argue with that.

On the way home I made a brief stop at one of my favorite places to visit, Ibex. Ibex is a trip, and I always want to spend more time there but for some reason never make it happen.

Here a simple video of the problem "Big Gulp". Turn your volume up and see if you can hear the echos on the two attempts when I yell a little, the sound really emphasises how alone you are out there.

Big Gulp from Princess on Vimeo.

More From Joe's

2010-03-31T14:36:00.000-07:00

On Monday, Becky caught a plane in SLC and headed home to Oakland for another semester of school. On Tuesday, Matt and Sandy hoped into the RV and headed east back to Boulder, CO. Today, the last of the devoted (Siemay, Noah, and I) took a rest day and got showers at the Emery county pool center, who knew this gem was here the whole time?

Becky has whipped out the video for the Joe's trip and I have to say she did a great job with all the footage.

I've got a few more things I'd like to climb in the next week with "Trent's Mom" and "Kill List" chief among them, then I'll be back home in time for a little Yosemite climbing before possibly relocating for the late spring and summer months.

Joe's Valley 2010 from Becky Trafecanty on Vimeo.

Utah Update

2010-03-25T22:41:00.000-07:00

We're taking another rest day tomorrow, Friday, so we've gotten a hotel room in Price for a shower and night out of the cold.

The trip has been going fantastic. Its been great hanging out with Noah, Matt and Sandy; meeting and getting to know Becky's old friends Chris and Emily and of course spending time with my ladies Becky and Turtle.

On the climbing front, the trip is going well too. I've had the chance to climb on a bunch of beautiful new (at least to me) problems. I've even managed to get to the top of a few boulders. The highlights so far have been "Dance With the Devil" a highball on perfect black rock and "The Ghost King" a challenging problem 'discovered' last year right beside one of Joe's Valley's most popular areas. Becky has also been sending. She climbed "Chips" utilizing a tricky toe hook and over the last two days she climbed "Sunshine Daydream" and "G2-07" in a single session each!

No new media from me of course, but since I forgot to post it before here's Becky's video from Red Rocks.

Red Rocks 2010 from Becky Trafecanty on Vimeo.

Look What Becky Made

2010-03-21T09:22:00.000-07:00

We're in Price doing laundry...very exciting. I'm going to clean a project I found later today, it is very pretty. I almost never take pictures or video when Becky is around because she always has her camera out. Here is the result of her efforts with the camera and my efforts at Moe's Valley in St. George, UT.

Moe's Valley 2010 from Becky Trafecanty on Vimeo.

Lately

2010-03-09T15:47:00.000-08:00

The fantasy continues! For how long? Who knows? I'm delaying the inevitable, as any reasonable person would, by road tripping. Over the past two weeks one would have found me on the eastern side of the Sierras. I spent most of the time in Bishop climbing on only the finest lines, except when foul weather forced me to the Tablelands.

In the middle of the trip I departed Inyo county for the northern Nevada mecca of climbing, Minden! Minden has a couple of things going for it that other northern Nevada towns do not: First rate tacos, a really nice cafe with food more reminiscent of the Bay Area, and most importantly Noah and Siemay's woody!

Noah's woody with 50% real rock holds!

Staying with Noah and Siemay not only gave me the opportunity to shower, but also to check out one of Jessie Bonin's creations in Hope Valley, 'The Future Present'. This line is not exactly a winter problem, but I had brought my snow shoes and shovel so I went ahead and put them to work. The problem was well worth the effort and I'm psyched to go back for the sit, which I nearly did, only falling on the last easy move due to a wet hold that succumbed to the snow that had been falling all day long.

Minden was followed by a second visit to Bishop. This time Becky escaped from her studies to join me and enjoy Bishop for one last time this season. She climbed really well too, doing two of her long time projects quickly and dispatching another easier but steep line (not her strength) very quickly. Her send of 'The Ruckus' was the highlight for me because it really stands out as a quality rock climb with a quintessential last move dyno. Good job Honey!

Relishing the post-send double flappers

Up next for the traveling hobo adventure...Utah! Becky wants to go to Joe's Valley for her spring break so I've broken down and agreed to go too (note heavy serving of sarcasm). We may stop in Ibex for a few days too, but as long as the snow doesn't force us south to Moe's we'll spend the majority of our time on the black and tan goodness.

Hueco Video

2010-03-01T17:19:00.000-08:00

Huceo and Wagon Wheel Ranch from Princess on Vimeo.

Finally finished the video. Its not greatest quality or anything near it, but there are a lot of cool problems and a lot of cool people in it. If I were to categorize this flick I would probably put in amongst these lowly brethren and not these elitist punks.

This season was a lot of fun for me and that was in large part due to all of the great people I was surrounded by. Here are just a few of the super sweetums that I spent my time with.

Adam and Kevin (Melissa's Picture)

Norwegians Stefan, Torstein, and Knut

Melissa

Ceder and Tomasina

Pete

Let's do it again next year m'kay?

Deadpoint Magazine

2010-02-17T23:23:00.000-08:00

In mid December of last year Deadpoint Magazine released an article about new bouldering in Yosemite. The article was lacking much in the way of content, which is often the norm in climbing journalism, and I felt compelled to write a letter to the editor about it. The resulting dialogue was ultimately very unproductive and basically a waste of my time. I nearly posted the back-and-forth emails but decided against it because doing so would only prolong the bitter taste it left in my mouth...that is until now. Deadpoint's newest issue has my first email printed in the letters to the editor (Matt Stark) section but with a minor edit and with a totally different, although equally snarky, response.

Here are the full emails, I've put Matt Stark's in bold to make distinguishing them a bit easier.

First of all I want to say that I enjoy your website very much. The videos in particular keep me coming back. The magazine often leaves something to be desired (content) but that seems to be the standard these days with all of the climbing rags, and yours seems to improve with each new issue. Typically when a new issue comes out I'll flip threw it online or at the gym and move on, sometimes I might point out a particularly good photo to a friend but that's it. Today I had a different experience. Reading the Yosemite article by Anthony Lapomardo left a really bad taste in my mouth. First of all neither Anthony nor a singe person pictured in the article has ever done a first ascent in the Valley. Not one of them has put forth the time and effort to find, clean or climb a single problem there. This guy is capitalizing on the hard work of others and doesn't even mention any of the names of those that did put in their time, nor does he mention the website from which he's gathered most of his beta, betabase.blogspot.com.

Don't get me wrong. I enjoy seeing stories about get climbing areas, but I prefer them to be written by people who actually know what they're talking about. I assume this is the case when I read the Cooper's Rock article, HP40 article, ect. ect. but I'm not a local at either of those areas so I have no way to know. This is not the case for the Yosemite article. My hope is this is just a one time oversight but my fear is that your magazine may be inadvertently endorsing this kind of 'journalism' on a regular basis. This type of article only gives those that put forth the effort of cleaning and discovering new boulders cause for keeping quiet about their new discoveries. I think we can agree that is something most of us would like to avoid.

Thank you for your time. I still look forward to reading your magazine in the future.

Justin,

We appreciate your input and would love to know how you feel we can improve our publication. Your opinion definitely does not fall on deaf ears. We are constantly striving to improve our platform and opinions like yours help us to mold a better product.
One thing I will say is I fail to see how "not doing a first ascent" disqualifies anyone to write about an area they frequent. Anthony's article was a short piece not intended to show historical perspective. It was just a "blip" to say new things were happening in the massive labyrinth of talus beneath the monolithic walls of Yosemite. I understand you feel your blog and long list of first ascents entitles you to be the one of the few people that has the right and privilege to talk about new bouldering activity in Yosemite, but we take a less elitist attitude. Anthony was psyched to write about Yosemite bouldering.Had you contacted us, we would have been just as psyched-maybe more so. My question is, so what if he only climbs established lines? Who cares that he doesn't have a BlogSpot or climbs v10? He sent us a query and some good photos and his article served the purpose we were looking for. We didn't want an elitist pro-centric article of "look what I did" or I'm the big man in Yosemite" we wanted something that was more relevant for climbers of all grades, but that just offered enough information to spark curiosity. Ultimately, that curiosity will lead them to your blog. I don't think anyone should feel threatened by what Anthony wrote. Let's face it, we all climb small rocks. Having a pissing contest about who did what first is silly. Maybe in the future we will do a more comprehensive article on Yosemite at which time we may solicit your help, but for this issue, we needed exactly what Anthony sent us.

Well, where to begin? First of all, I'm immediately struck by a tone of defensiveness in your response. I get it, this magazine is your baby and its hard to hear criticism. Just know that I wrote in the first place because I'm genuinely interested in the quality of the product you produce. I love climbing and I love high-quality climbing media. I'm also not the type of climbing media junkie that is unwilling to pay for my climbing media, if its good enough.

Second, I never said, "'not doing a first ascent' disqualifies anyone to write about an area they frequent." But if they are writing about doing first ascents, it would seem appropriate for the writer to know something about the subject. "So what if he only climbs established lines?" It would be as if someone who exclusively boulders wrote about big wall free climbing, it would ring a little hollow. The exception to this general rule (write what you know) is when the writer freely admits to being a novice and seeks the input of those with some expertise. Taking the big waller example a little further, you might read something in the article along the lines of, 'I asked Tommy Caldwell how he scopes out new free climbing projects."

I'll grant that the article is a short fluff piece and not a historical perspective so a detailed account of who FA'd, when was it done, and how many points do I get to put on my scorecard if I do it, would be unwarranted. A simple mention of some of the people involved would have gone a long way to make the article more substantial and meaningful. I wasn't looking for my name in there (I couldn't care less), but there are a few people that Anthony is acquainted with that have been putting up first ascents for years that deserve some gratitude, Paul Barraza, Randy Puro, Tim Medina to name a few. These guys will never read Deadpoint and they would never ask to be mentioned in it so printing their names isn't about feeding their egos either. It's about providing the reader with something of substance, not the crap we're asked to digest from Urban Climber.

Also, I never said anything about his climbing ability having anything to do with his ability to write this article. My complaint with the article has nothing to do with elitism, its about good journalism. Just for the record, I have nothing against Anthony.

"He sent us a query and some good photos and his article served the purpose we were looking for. We didn't want an elitist pro-centric article of "look what I did" or I'm the big man in Yosemite" we wanted something that was more relevant for climbers of all grades, but that just offered enough information to spark curiosity." Terrific, sounds like a great idea. I've only met Anthony once and he seemed like a friendly intelligent guy. As far as I know Anthony is not a journalist, but despite this his writing style is more than up to the task of handling a climbing article. Maybe he just needed the help of a good editor? Someone to provide a little direction.

"Maybe in the future we will do a more comprehensive article on Yosemite [...] but for this issue, we needed exactly what Anthony sent us." Hmmm, I don't think any journalistic magazine worth its salt would publish something exactly as it was sent. Every writer needs an editor.

Anyway its not just "climb[ing] small rocks." Anyone that puts countless hours of effort, countless hard earned weekends, and unbridled passion into anything knows that that pursuit more valuable than the sum of its parts. This is why artists name their paintings and climbers name their climbs, but I'm sure you already know this.

Best of luck,

Justin

If my tone came across as defensive, I truly missed the mark. I thought saying, "We appreciate your input and would love to know how you feel we can improve our publication. Your opinion definitely does not fall on deaf ears. We are constantly striving to improve our platform and opinions like yours help us to mold a better product." would encourage something more than what amounts to hate mail. Since that is not forthcoming, Unfortunately your points, although potentially valid, are somewhat lost in your hostility.
I know Anthony cares immensely about the boulders in Yosemite, and although he may have never have established a quiver of FA's,(neither one of us knows this for sure) he certainly is aware of the resurgence in development that has occurred in recent years. I can understand your desire to see more substance in an article about Yosemite, but like we have said, this article served its purpose. A feature on Yosemite bouldering could and should dive more into the history and give homage to those who conceived certain lines, but that is to be left for a feature.
I'll be sure to let Anthony know how you feel.
Thanks again for your input.

And he did in fact let Anthony know how I felt and Anthony sent me a message on Facebook. Our discourse was strange but a lot more civil.

Any thoughts people?

Sub Zero

2010-02-11T11:41:00.000-08:00

Here's a clip that won't make the cut for the Hueco movie I'm putting together. The quality sucks even for my camera, but its worth seeing for the historical value ;)

Now, without further adieu, here is Randy Puro making the first ascent of 'Sub Zero'. The line is in the corridor between 'Nagual' and 'Glas Roof' at the East Spur Maze.

Sub Zero from Princess on Vimeo.

Off I go to Bishop!

What Next?

2010-02-09T00:21:00.000-08:00

First of all, I did not climb 'A Single Word'. I could make a lot of excuses, but that would be a waste of time. Its an awesome boulder problem and I'll be excited to go back to it on a future trip.

Second, I'm putting together a short video of some of the climbing from the trip but I left my camera in Hueco and I'm waiting for Kevin to return with it (and a few more clips) before I finish the editing.

Third, I'm planning on visiting Bishop this coming weekend, which should be swell.

Fourth, there really is no fourth, but I'll make up for it with a few pictures courtesy of Melissa Strong, may her forthcoming ascent of the 'Butterpumper' be everything she hopes it to be and more.

The sit start to 'Sarah'

'Liane'

Extending My Trip!

2010-01-31T11:38:00.000-08:00

That's right, I've decided to stay in Hueco longer then I originally planned. After being encouraged to do so by just about everyone here (especially Melissa) and getting the thumbs up from Becky, I've made the big decision. Today I called my boss and quit my job, found someone to sublet my apartment, and sold my rack and rope to finance this extension.

Phew! What a weight off my chest. What does this mean for the future? Well, tomorrow I'm going out once again to try 'A Single Word'. I tried it on Friday with Randy and the Norwegians, but left without the ascent. I did refine my beta though, and I climbed it in two overlapping sections so I'm still optimistic.

No matter what the result is tomorrow, on Tuesday I will begin the drive home (insert wry grin).

This year my intentions were to focus on climbing diverse objectives with a priority on having a good time with friends. I did not want to get caught up too heavily in any particular project this season, I've done enough of that over the past year or two. As I sit here now typing on what was supposed to be my last day of climbing I can confidently declare that I've met my goal, and then some!

I think a lot of factors played into my success this season, not the least of which was my mental approach. Good weather, good company, training, and experience all played vital roles too. Still, the lure of a good project is there, and it's pull is mighty. Tomorrow will be my fourth day trying 'A Single Word,' double the amount of time I've spent on anything else this season. I'm going back because I'm just to damn close to walk away without another shot, but I'm only going back for one more day to assure I don't get too caught up in the success/failure aspect of it all. Either way its one of the best problems I've climbed on in Hueco. Our relationship has be brief yet rewarding.

That's all for now, see all you Californians soon! Thanks for the great trip Hueco!

Tick List of One

2010-01-24T10:48:00.001-08:00

The one problem I most want to do before leaving, 'A Single Word'. Sooo good.

Robert Sapolsky

2010-01-18T12:38:00.000-08:00

This man authored my favorite book, 'A Primate's Memoir'. I recommend watching the whole speech because it's very interesting, humorous and ends with a great message. Climbers may find the section beginning at 26:30, particularly interesting as it pertains to one of our sources of motivation.

Halfway Point

2010-01-16T11:46:00.000-08:00

Our 'Guardian Angel', she brings us good luck on climbing days

Yesterday I passed the halfway point on my trip, and if the second half is anything like the first I'll be one content little climbing bum. No big news to report other than a few more friends on their way out of town. Theo Merrin was only here for a few days but it was great to see him, and Herm and Melissa were here just a bit longer but we had blast hanging and climbing with both of them too. Hopefully I'll be seeing more of all of them in the near future...

A couple of pictures Melissa Strong took of us climbing on 'Whispers of Mortality'.

Adam Strong

Herman Feissner

Natural Disaster

2010-01-12T11:54:00.001-08:00

Another blissful rest day that has so far consisted of a short round of desert golf, lounging in the sun, and Internet time at Primos coffee shop, oh and Turtle went on a vision quest for 2 and 1/2 hours this morning meaning she's happy to be fully recovered from her Fall health crisis.

As promised, here are a few photos courtesy of young Keenan one of three Davis, CA youths to be hanging out here in west Texas. The other two, Charlie and Alex were once on a junior climbing team that I coached. Its really cool to see them out on real rock now being psyched little goofballs. They are here for 11 days or so and by the end will have only rested twice. Classic. I took a little video yesterday, but was again plagued by shitty batteries. I'll be compiling what footage I get into a single video, so that will have to wait until latter.

For now, here are some sequence shots from my ascent of a great problem called 'Natural Disaster'. This problem has it all, a tricky roof section, a challenging lip encounter, technical face moves, and a dyno finish! Sick!!!

Motivation is (a) High

2010-01-10T14:18:00.000-08:00

Apologies for the lack of media. I've either been engaged in climbing, menaced with battery issues, or my camera was eaten by a Chupacabra. One or more of these reasons has kept me from taking pictures or video I swear.

An unfortunate update: Peter's wrist was not happy with him climbing yesterday and so he made the decision to head home early. Leaving under the cover of darkness in the early morning hours saved him from an uncomfortably tight hug goodbye, but will probably allow him to make it back home late tonight.

Personally I'm really excited about climbing right now. Admittedly, I was in a bit of a lull climbing-wise after my near misses in South Africa. Maybe its all the new climbs I get to try here, perhaps its the day to day routine I enjoy, or maybe I'm getting high on the fumes emanating from one of the many meth labs nearby? Regardless, I'm psyched. I haven't really been projecting per se, just getting on a bunch of cool shit and seeing what happens. Yesterday, however, I did try a problem I'm feeling inclined to project (though maybe it won't take that long). 'A Single Word' was established last year by either Jason Kehl or GP Salvo and is basically a sloper climb on a roof. Its totally tubular. Hopefully soon we'll get some more cold (but not too cold) days like yesterday so we can try again.

A Different Kind of Cold

2010-01-08T10:04:00.000-08:00

Today is another rest day and another very cold day. Apparently the local meteorologists have been talking about this day for weeks. I find that kind of funny for some reason, one monumental day of cold being predicted for weeks...and the locals here have a hard time accepting years worth of predictions for global warming, but I digress.

Yesterday we had our first day out at North Mountain. We got on with little to no fuss but we paid for it with frigid toes and fingers. Kevin and I got up a classic neither of us had done before called 'Roughage'. We also tried our luck against 'El Techo de los Tres B'. I nearly did it, but couldn't hang on long enough for the final match. Hopefully I'll try it sometime soon in temperatures more accommodating to strenuous physical activity.

Peter attempted to get revenge against a dyno problem he tried two years ago called 'Smooth Move'. Its a big jump, I can't get anywhere close to the top (big surprise I know). Anyway, Peter had given himself a giant flapper the last time he tried it so this time he taped up before he began jumping. Alas, when we folded up the pads he was the proud owner of two new flappers on the SAME finger, and his wrist had started to bother him. CRAP! He came ridiculously close though, a couple of times I thought for sure he had it. He was pretty bummed, which I can completely understand.

Tomorrow is another day though and its all good as long as we're rock grappling.

Sick and Sore

2010-01-04T14:54:00.000-08:00

Just about to head to the airport where I'll be dropping Becky off for her flight back to Oakland. She leaves without being able to climb the last few days due to coming down with a cold. Now I have it and I feel like poo. I was able to have a couple of nice climbing days though, before succumbing to the illness. Hopefully it won't last long and I won't pass it on to anyone else.

Hopefully I'll be able to climb tomorrow.

New Year's Eve, Hueco

2009-12-31T15:24:00.000-08:00

Becky and I are here in west Texas enjoying some free Internet and catching up on Facebook (barf in mouth). We've had two nice days of climbing sandwiching a day of snow in between. The white stuff was pretty to look at but I'll be happier in the long run if the sunny but cold weather continues. Today, our second rest day, Kevin and I built the dog run on Adam and Melissa's property so now home base is all set for a long stay. I'll take pictures a post them soon so everyone can see the results of our hard work (I know the wait will be painful).

Climbing has gone well so far. Yesterday Becky looked great sending the three classics 'Hobbit in a Blender', 'Dragonfly', and 'Warm-up Roof'. I managed to tick two cool problems as well, 'Le Chninkel,' an excellent Fred Nicole problem, and 'Ultramega'. A good start to the trip, and we're off to North Mtn. tomorrow!

I hope everyone has a great New Year's!

Something Different

2009-12-22T00:22:00.001-08:00

What's different about this video? Anyone can play except Becky. Leave comments.

Compton Crips/ Bloc X from Anja Hodann on Vimeo.

Been Out Bouldering

2009-12-10T00:12:00.000-08:00

I have finally been released from the bonds of nursing my dog! Turtle's wound is completely closed now and for that I'm immensely relieved.

With all the freedom I now enjoy I've been able to get out to the boulders once again. I spent Thanksgiving week and much of the following week in Yosemite enjoying the company of friends, great fall weather, and throwing myself at the boulders. I haven't done much to capture any media, but fortunately Becky has been better about bringing the camera out. I'm told we'll have to wait to see any of it until after her finals are over though, so I guess we'll have to be patient.

I did manage to convince Becky to allow me to share just a teaser of what's to come, so that my devoted readers can better understand my continuing battle with the boulder problem "Dogwood". Yes that's right, I'm back at it once again. I Finally got around to trying this fall, not once, but twice actually. The first was a brief dusk session. I got one attempt in before headlamps were needed and after that I just wasn't committed. I've tried this one before in the dark and honestly its no fun. The falls from the top are hard on my back on the best of days, but at night when it becomes more difficult to time my landing it leaves me feeling wrecked. The second time I tried it was much better. I gave it eight solid burns and six of them ended with me falling from the top. Below is perhaps my best attempt yet.

Dogwood Attempt from Princess on Vimeo.

Unfortunately the weather has crapped out again, and I'm not sure if I'll get another shot until spring. Something about this situation feels familiar...

Berkeley Iron Works Comp

2009-11-19T15:57:00.000-08:00

Last week I attended a bouldering competition for the first time in ages. As has usually been the case in the past, I was not a competitor. For this event I offered my services (read: obligated) to shoot HD video and put together a short piece for the my good friend and gym manager, Paul Barraza. I had a great time doing this, and I really relished the opportunity to have a creative release. I'd love to hear some feedback on this, the video was an experiment for me and I had a high standard to meet. Also, I would be remiss not to acknowledge Becky's role in this project. In addition to providing me with a camera and lenses she deserves a credit as Key Grip. Invaluable.

TBS 5 Berkely Iron Works from Princess on Vimeo.

Not Out of the Woods Yet

2009-11-12T00:00:00.000-08:00

Turtle eating her dinner out of her dog-bowl, I swear her head is in there.

So the pet health issues have continued.

About a week after Turtle's surgery Becky and I came home from a late dinner to an apartment that smelled absolutely horrid. Rotting flesh. We were dismayed to discover that a patch of skin adjacent to her sutures was decaying and had become infected! I of course panicked assuming that the chunk of skin would fall off and her intestines would spill out onto the floor and Turtle would die.

Thankfully, this did not happen. Initially I was told a skin graft might be in order, but that it would be risky considering her condition. I was not keen on putting her through another surgery anyway so I was relieved when I was told that we could treat it as an open wound. It might just take longer for it to fully close up, and she would be left with a sizable scar.

The most difficult part (for me) about this course of action has been dealing with the sight of the wound because of the immense pity I feel for her every time I look at it. I can't escape feeling a little guilty for putting her through all of this because, unlike a human, I can't explain why we're doing what we're doing to her. As a result, every time I clean the wound or take her to the vet Turtle gets very unhappy and makes no effort to conceal it. That said, she's been a great patient overall. I know I'd squeal a lot more than she does if someone where scrubbing an open wound on my body.

For now she's improving and that's all I can ask for.

Something a little more light hearted...

Facial hair! I decided to shear the beard off much to Becky's great delight, but to her dismay I had a little fun with the remaining fuzz.

First up was 'the Deadwood,' inspired by the HBO show of the same name. I thought this was a winner that could be worn with pride for months, I'd probably be single for those months though so I opted instead for the...

...Anybody want a mustache ride? Hell yeah! This is the look for me. Fathers lockup your your daughters because here I come!

Destination Climbing

2009-11-04T22:21:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, while on nursing duty, I realized I needed to get out of the house for a bit to unwind. Since Yosemite was out of the question, I went for the next best thing...not Castle Rock, not Mortar Rock, not even Mickey's Beach, no I headed to Vacaville!!

The rock there is actually really cool in my opinion, there's just not that much of it. It's a really slick blocky basalt that unfortunately gets heated up pretty quick, definitely not an ideal quality in the sunny central valley. There is a project there I've wanted to do for a long time, so I thought I'd go give it a try. Its a lower start to a problem I established in 2004 called "Blood Sport" (I split my forehead that day when I broke a hold on another problem). Somehow this problem has made it into the Supertopo guide, but the description is totally misleading. Anyhow, I tried and came close but to no avail. I think it would be nice if it were about 20 degrees cooler for this problem because the crux sloper was just too difficult to hold in the heat.

For climbers debating where to go on your next climbing trip don't even bother with Font, Hueco, or the Rocklands head to Vacaville instead. To help convince you of this infinite wisdom I made a radical video that will blow your minds.

Vacaville Boulders from Princess on Vimeo.

The Tumor

2009-11-04T00:13:00.000-08:00

The "Cone of Shame"

For the past week my attention has been focused on getting Turtle healthy. About a week prior to leaving for South Africa I noticed a small growth on the left side of her abdomen, which closely resembled a nipple. I thought it was strange but was not overly concerned. When I returned, I noticed that it had grown, but not that much. Nonetheless I became a little worried. Fortunately for me I have several friends that are veterinarians and one of them, Heather was kind enough to take a look at it. She was definitely worried and recommended that I take her in to have it removed. Heather is no longer practicing, because she's working 0n a PhD, so I took Turtle in to see another friend, Jenny. Within a matter of days Turtle had the tumor removed and the results of her blood work and biopsy were in. The good news is we think she's out of the woods, though she has a higher risk of future tumors than a dog that has never had one. Now we're just waiting for the six inch incision to heal and she'll be set to go.

It was a stressful week for sure, and I want to thank everyone that gave us their well-wishes and support either by Facebook, phone call, or in person. Also, an extra big thank you to Heather and Jenny, Turtle is the most important thing in the world to me so I'm forever grateful for all that you've both done.

Jenny and Turtle post-op

New Look

2009-10-20T01:07:00.001-07:00

If you like what you see here, go get your own makeover too. I think I look soooo sexy.

Weekend Update

2009-10-19T11:20:00.000-07:00

Spent the weekend in the Valley again. I'm really missing just living there, ugh. All this driving too and fro sucks. The weekend was great though. It was Nora and Lyn's birthday and they arranged for everyone to stay at a house in Foresta, which was excellent because we could all prepare yummy goodness in the warm comfort of a big clean home and not the cold dirty nastiness of someplace like Camp 4.

Lyn's main squeeze Paul finally got around to loading some Rocklands video on vimeo and I'm going to share it whether he likes it or not. As bummed as I was not to have sent this line, I was really excited about Paul and Randy's sends. Oh, and speaking of Paul and Randy...them two of the both sent 'Thunderbird' in Tuolumne meadows this weekend. RAD!

Black Shadow [v13] from Paul B on Vimeo.

Yeah Rockclimbing (and dinner too)!

2009-10-13T23:48:00.000-07:00

This weekend, while I was bouldering in Yosemite, my cousin Cameron went abalone diving with my other cousin Brian. Cameron was nice enough to bring one back for me to try out. Above you'll see my creation. First I sauteed the abalone in olive oil with mushrooms, onion, garlic, and basil. Then I added some Heavy cream and let it simmer for a long time. Finally, I added some pasta, served it with a lite salad, and voila! I think it turned out pretty damn good. Thanks Cameron.

Now, in the spirit of awesome climbing weather, here is a little video with two great problems that were established last spring in Yosemite. The first problem is one I established that is still waiting for a second ascent. Not that hard but a little spooky (sockhands: it is your favorite grade so you should hop on a plane and do it). The second problem is called 'Adventureland,' Tim Medina cleaned and climbed this classic first but took FOREVER to name it. As a result I mislabeled the problem 'Something French' because he kept saying he was going to name it something in french to honor his new french friends from Fontainebleau. Whatever, its called 'Adventureland' now so get it right. Its awesome. Watch the video.

NewInYosemite from Princess on Vimeo.

Done With Trees

2009-10-12T00:06:00.000-07:00

Since I last wrote I've climbed a few more trees but I've also climbed some rocks! Actually to be honest the trees were more exciting. Particularly the Giant Sequoias. The last tree I climbed on Thursday was a 240 foot old growth monster. We had to invent a few new (to us) techniques to climb it, but we still managed to reach the uppermost branches right at sunset (see photo above). Unless something totally unexpected happens, this will have been my last tree for the year, at least the last I'll be paid for. Of course, I think I've said that at least three times in the last several weeks so you never know...

Trees from Princess on Vimeo.

As I said above, I've had the chance to do some bouldering on real rock recently. My favorite rock in fact, Yosemite granite. The last two weekends have been really nice. I've spent most of my time just playing on whatever happens to be near bye, trying to regain some bouldering strength. Hopefully I'll be ready for projects soon. I'm ready to be out of my post-rocklands doldrums now.

Captain Kirk is Climbing the Mountain

2009-10-04T21:04:00.000-07:00

This is priceless, behold!

A Lot of Falling

2009-09-21T01:01:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer:

The following post is more or less a climbing log I wrote over the last eight days of our trip to Rocklands this summer. Obviously its really long for a blog post, and to be honest I'll be really impressed if anyone reads it all. Its mostly for myself, but I'm posting it because I'm guessing some of you can relate and you may find it interesting. Or maybe you'll think it's dumb and never visit my blog again.

If you find yourself leaning toward the latter category feel free to scroll to the bottom of the page for some accompanying video. No music, no fancy edits, just down and dirty failing.

8-24-09:

My trip is winding down and I have just seven days before I leave for home, for my dog, for my friends and family, and hopefully to a job of some sort. Before I leave I have a few projects I’d like to do, but not much time to do them in. Where has the summer...er...winter gone?

After I climbed ‘Yabo Roof’ in Yosemite last Fall I made it my goal to push my bouldering capabilities to the the limit in preparation for my trip here in the Rocklands. My hope was to climb something that challenged me the way ‘Yabo’ did, but with the added challenge of it being on a an unfamiliar rock type and with the pressure of an impending flight home added in for spice. Projecting on a trip is challenging because of the investment in time it takes. Prior to this trip I’d never spent more than a few days on any given project while traveling. With a stay of over two months I knew this would be the trip when I could really throw myself at a project without feeling like I’d missed out on all the rest.

Over the course of our first month here I sampled many great problems, none required more than a visit or two to complete. Of course I tried harder problems as I looked for the perfect project, but I wasn’t “projecting” per se. The problem I was looking for had to be difficult enough to seem possible, but not so difficult as to seem impossible. Fortunately in the Rocklands hard boulder problems are bountiful so there were many candidates to choose from. Some of the early favorites included ‘The Vice’, ‘Quintessential,’ and ‘Nutsa’. In the end however, three different problems rose to the top for three different reasons.

‘Armed Response’ was the first to go on the short list, is the one I most covet, and is also probably the hardest (though at first I didn’t believe so). This problem involves two very powerful hand moves and (for me) five very tenuous foot moves that actually prove to be the crux. The meat of the problem is capped by two more relatively easy hand moves. So far I’ve tried this problem to varying degrees over the course of six separate days. I’ve come very close several times but it still eludes me. One of the nice things about returning to this problem time and time again is the setting. The sunsets at the Fortress sector (where ‘Armed Response’ is) are the best in the Rocklands.

‘Tea Time With Elmarie’ is a test of ones crimping endurance. After nearly flashing an easier variation to this problem, and subsequently doing the finishing moves to this problem in a matter of minutes, I wrongly assumed I could complete the full line rather quickly. After four sessions mostly spent falling on the last move of this problem I’ve once again been humbled by rock climbing. Its okay though, the journey is what makes it all worth while. While I’d be very excited to climb this problem, I’d be lying if I didn’t say the others hold more appeal. If this problem were in the Bay Area it would be a mega classic. Here, amongst so many world class problems ‘Tea Time’ is the consolation prize.

‘Black Shadow’ was the last to come onto the list, though I first tried it nearly two weeks before I saw ‘Tea Time’. My first experience was one of mixed feelings. The climb was definitely very cool, but I was afraid my lack of power endurance and the unexplainable difficulty I was having with the end would prove to be too much to overcome. After a second lackluster attempt at the problem I’d nearly written it off, having had no progress whatsoever on the ending sequence, a series of moves others were have no trouble with. On my third trip to the problem I was escorted out on the enthusiastic shoulders of my good friends and mentors Paul Barraza and Randy Puro. I had a breakthrough and enthusiasm was restored. On my forth and most recent visit both Paul and Randy sent. I came painfully close to being the third but in the midst of my final attempt I injured my ankle in a very peculiar way while heel-toe camming. I remain nervous as to weather my injury will prevent me from getting another chance at this phenomenal problem.

8-26-09:

After a full day of rest spent in the lap of luxury at a five star resort, which included a Swedish massage and gourmet meals, I decided to head over to ‘Black Shadow’ today for an evening session. My climbing did not get off to a good start. I felt tentative on the heel-toe cam because I was nervous about my ankle and I was having difficulty again on the ending sequence. I nearly threw in the towel when I started feeling some soreness in my LCL from the same heel-toe move.

Fortunately I discovered a much more straight forward way of doing the move that didn’t put any strain on the ankle or knee. Back in business right? Well, sort of. Turns out that climbing into the new sequence was harder to execute than just pulling off the ground and doing it. At this point I decided I was too tired to do it with darkness quickly falling around us but I was psyched to return after dinner with a few more headlamps for a second go.

After dinner, Becky, Kevin and Randy all joined me for a late night session. When we arrived my spirits were high and the temperatures low. After setting up I quickly set about to climbing into my new sequence. Immediately I realized that the sequence would not work, it was just to difficult to climb into. Again, I nearly resigned myself to failure. This time Randy pulled me out of the doldrums. He suggested a slight amendment to my new sequence, one that traded one large hand move for two smaller ones. In addition the amendment left me on a better hold than the one I was using previously.

Unfortunately, my next two attempts were thwarted by lazy foot placements and a diminishing gas tank. “You have to do this,” Randy says, “It’s too good not to come back.” Come back I will, but probably only once. There’s simply not enough days left for more. I’m still psyched but my optimism is waning.

8-28-09:

Today I headed back up to the Fortress to try ‘Armed Response’ for, what was most likely to be, my final attempts. I was not in a hurry to get there. The temperature forecast was not good and since no one else seemed eager to go climb we waited for cooler evening temps.

Cooler conditions did not greet us upon our arrival. It wasn’t scorching hot per-se, but the air was still and the overcast clouds seemed to be trapping in all the moisture. Without even warming up my hands began to sweat. With the conditions as they were I sort of checked out mentally. I climbed a few warm-ups with Randy but I almost didn’t even want to try my project. Finally, after some time had passed, the heat started to lift and, though the air remained still, I decided to have a go.

My first try was very good. I matched my previous high-point by hitting the left hand pinch, but fell as usual when my left foot skittered off. The more I’ve tried this problem the more I’ve come realize that the crux (for me) is a foot move. I have to place my left foot on a very small edge in such a way that it allows me to press into my right shoulder and stand up to the good left hand pinch. Pulling on from the ground, this move is easy. Climbing into the move is another matter altogether.

I tried the problem a few more times with varying results until finally, I stuck the pinch! Of course my foot slipped off a moment later and I was back on the ground. Still, I had made progress and my spirits were lifted.

My attempts continued once again into darkness. I was still fighting moist finger tips so long rests were necessary, but I also knew that the rest of the group’s patience wouldn’t last forever so I couldn’t delay too long. At about this time Randy decided to start giving the problem some attempts. Right away he started making progress on the first move and before long he was sticking the right hand gaston. Watching Randy gave me the psyche I needed for one last good attempt. I sat down, chalked up and pulled on. The three headlamps we had lit the holds well and I snatched up the first hold easily. I made the tenuous 1-2-3 foot sequence and started pushing up for the pinch. I was more secure on my feet than ever before, and as I engaged on the pinch I thought that this could be it. Sure enough I held the pinch, but just as before, my feet gave way and I was off.

Progress on this sort of climb is often measured in inches, sometimes much less. In the past when I’d fall off grabbing the pinch I’d land on my back. On those attempts, so much of my weight was still on my feet that when they blew off I had no chance of staying upright. On this last go my feet hit the ground and I remained vertical. A small victory in the face of defeat. I was done. The others convinced me to try again a few minutes later but my heart wasn’t in it. I was drained physically from my last attempt and I was emotionally spent.

Durring the hike out I was in a trance. I hardly noticed how beautiful the night was. I don’t know if I’ll ever get to try this problem again. Its kind of a sad thought really. At the same time, this was the challenge I came to Africa looking for so I’m really happy that I found it. Three beautiful and difficult moves.

On Sunday I’m going to go back to ‘Black Shadow,’ we leave on Tuesday, and I probably won’t have time to climb on Monday. I guess its time to let go... Harder said then done.

I washed the holds before leaving though, just in case...

8-31-09:

I didn’t have the heart to write last night. It was my last chance to do ‘Black Shadow’ and perhaps my last day climbing here in the Rocklands. The day began well enough at the Plateau sector. Becky, Beth, Randy and Kevin were all there and we each did a bunch of nice warm-ups, though the sun could have accomplished the same. Randy climbed a cool dyno called ‘Black Velvet’ on his third attempt, which inspired us all, and Becky worked out all the moves on a great roof problem called ‘Minki’. Before leaving the Plateau Kevin, Randy and I all played on another great dyno called ‘Hole in One,’ which Kevin was able to repeat.

When we left my expectations were low for ‘Black Shadow’. The weather conditions and the condition of my skin left me far from optimistic. When we arrived it only got worse. Not only was I sweating profusely but I was having fits with the last few moves again. I nearly called it quits then and there. Of course, I couldn’t bear to leave that way and everyone seemed content to play games on the iphone for as long as I wanted to try, so we stayed.

I never ended up sending the problem, unfortunately. I fell devastatingly close on multiple occasions, but it wasn’t in the cards. I could come up with plenty of reasons as to why I didn’t succeed, but the bottom line is I did not. I know the problem isn’t going anywhere, and I know that I can always come back, but that misses the point. The challenge I wanted was to do something approaching my limit, but with the pressure of a clock ticking in the background. I didn’t send, but I didn’t back off either. It would have been easy to go and try to tick off a lot of other climbs that were well within my limit, but I chose to stick it out on my projects. Not only that, but I could have spent at least one of my last days climbing on ‘Tea Time with Elmarie,’ which I’m certain I could have done more easily than the other two, but I didn’t. I realized that that would have been a cop-out, and I was no longer interested.

Today was a better day than yesterday. It began with Becky sending her mini project ‘Minki,’ her first of the grade. I say “mini” not to diminish the significance but only to reflect that it took her just two days to climb. The feat is even more impressive when you account for her MCL tear at the beginning of our trip.

After ‘Minki’ we headed into town for some lunch and to take care of some errands. Finally, just before sunset we headed back to the Fortress for one last play on ‘Armed Response’. Everything about this session was an improvement from the last few days of climbing. The temperatures dropped, a cool breeze was blowing, and I felt relaxed for the first time in days. At this point I didn’t really expect to do the problem, but that didn’t bother me so much. My skin was still shit and I was tired from the previous evenings climbing. Still, this is why I came to the Rocklands, to try and climb a problem like this, and on my last day here I couldn’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be.

Perhaps as a result of my improved disposition, I climbed better on the problem than ever before. I managed the pinch move multiple times and I can honestly say that I was just a foot move away from completing the problem on at least two attempts. I won’t say I wasn’t frustrated by how close I came without sending, but I will say that I walked away with my head up this time. I even enjoyed the walk out. The moon was bright enough fore go headlamps, and the breeze felt good on my face.

Tea Time With Elmarie from Princess on Vimeo.

Black Shadow Attempts from Princess on Vimeo.

Projecting 'Armed Response' from Princess on Vimeo.

One impression I'm left with, after re-reading my ramblings and watching the video, is how lucky I am to have supportive friends that are willing to hike to the same boulders over and over again, with nothing but positive attitudes. I hope I can repay the same kindness in the future. Thanks especially to Becky, Beth, Kevin, Lyn, Paul, and Randy for making multiple trips, carrying pads, and shinning headlamps.

I owe Becky an extra special thanks for taking all of the video and for putting up with my project induced mood swings.

Not Climbing

2009-09-19T13:21:00.000-07:00

Haven't been rock climbing since September 6th, not even on plastic rocks! This is the longest break I've taken in 8 years (I think), when I injured my shoulder and it just wouldn't heal. Fortunately I'm not injured now, I'm just broke. The South African sojurn really hurt my bank account so I've been working hard the last two weeks trying to build it back up, but more on that later.

I've got at least one more post regarding the big summer trip. After that, I promise a return to the present and future. I hope.

For a quick media fix I put together one more short video with a few problems I forgot to include in the longer one I posted a month ago. The highlight is Randy's 3rd try ascent of 'Black Velvet,' unless your name is Jaeger then it will be 'Minki' because of it's magical grade of v7. I hope you enjoy.

More SA Boulders from Princess on Vimeo.

The Joys of Internet

2009-09-04T10:18:00.001-07:00

Well, I'm back. I have at least one more post regarding my trip, but I have share these videos first. I've been without decent Internet for two months, which wasn't that big of a deal really. I am, however, currently enjoying surfing the web for nonsense and stupid bullshit the likes of which can be seen below. I've seen some tantrums in my life, and I've even thrown a few, but nothing comes close to this. Hilarious AND disturbing.

Long Awaited Media

2009-08-25T13:34:00.000-07:00

Becky and I are currently staying at a five star resort called Bushman's Kloof. Its amazing and totally out of our league. One of the many perks here is decent internet so I've uploaded a video with a bunch of problems from our trip. I hope everyone enjoys.

Rocklands 09 from Princess on Vimeo.

Not Much Longer Now

2009-08-14T08:12:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry for being so tardy with my posts. I'm sure this post won't saticefy any of you though. I have way to much to say and not enough time to say it. Please bare with me. Here's some random pictures of boulders I've seen out hiking anyway.

A Little Safari

2009-08-04T04:57:00.000-07:00

The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park straddles portions of the northern border of South Africa and southern border of Botswana and encompasses the much of the region known as the Kalahari desert. Being in this place has made reality a childhood dream to step inside a PBS nature documentary narrated by David Attenborough. I can vividly recall being mesmerized as a child by images of the nesting behaviors of the sociable weaver (Philetairus socius) and here we couldvsee them in nearly every large tree! I've included a few pictures but I left most of the photography to Becky and Alan.

Shortly after our arrival Friday evening we took a ranger guided drive through a small portion of the park. Normally the roads are closed after dark, but with the ranger we were given the privilege of seeing some of the Kalahari’s nocturnal wildlife. There were black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas), cape foxes (Vulpes chama), african wild cats (Felis lybica), steenbok (Raphicrus campestris) and spring hare (Pedetes capensis) among others. The highlight of the evening was definitely witnessing the successful hunting of a dove by a striped polecat (Suricata suricatas).

Our trusty safari vehicle

On our first self guided drive we headed to the far western side of the park, to a camp called Mata Mata. Along this there-and-back drive we had some very special sightings. There were two families of giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis), spotted hyaena (Crocuta crocuta), and my personal favorite, the honey badger (Mellivora capensis). Of course, there were other critters about. We became rather nonchalant about seeing secretary birds (Sagittarius serpentarius), kori bustards (Ardeotis kori), ostrich (Stuthio camelus), springbok (Antidorcus marsupialis), gemsbok (Oryx gazalla), and blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus).

We weren't supposed to get out of our vehicle, but we did often. Above you can see Alan trying to sneak up to some giraffe for a better photo.

On our last day we woke up early with the hope seeing some of the famous black-maned Kalahari lions (Panthera leo). While we were unable to see any of these amazing creatures we were fortunate enough to take in more of the surreal desert landscape and I even got some climbing in...

The drive home was long but uneventful. Now we've returned to the 'Ernie' house and I'm glad to be getting back to the fantastic climbing. I've done alot of stuff quickly on this trip and now I feel ready to put some time in on harder climbs.

A giraffe skull

There Are Flowers Here

2009-07-21T05:33:00.000-07:00

The rain is gone and we have been climbing again. We've also visited the beach and are currently making plans to see some very big critters. The last arrivals in our party come in on Thursday. Also, I think we're all still very excited about the climbing here. The only downturn is that we may have to pay for our climbing from now on. Most of the farms we climb at have begun charging for our recreating and Rangers have begun hanging out at the entrance to the Cederburg Wilderness and charging us day use fees. The fees are understandable and minimal compared to what we would pay in the States, but it does add yet another expense to the ever growing list.

On a personal note, I've had the unfortunate flair-up of the bicep pain I'd avoided for about a month. Just when I thought I was in the clear I hopped on a thrutchy, difficult problem without a proper warm-up and WHAM! my bicep yells at me. Typical really. Once you think you're rehabbed you neglect the things that got you healthy in the first place. Its not as bad as it was in the beginning so hopefully I can keep it at bay for the duration of the trip. I hope I have the discipline.

Rain and New Arrivals

2009-07-13T05:18:00.000-07:00

Today we are sitting out our third day of rain in a row. ARGH! I'm exceedingly antsy to go out and climb. My skin is rock hard and I have fresh muscles to exhaust. There is only so much to do around the house and Internet is WEAK in town so there is not much to be gained from that. Ideally we'd be doing something cool like a safari or brai but those also require good weather.

Alan and Amna arrived a few days ago and Lyn, Paul, and Cam arrive tonight. Hopefully they'll bring us some good weather.

Our first day of rain wasn't too heavy and it was a scheduled rest day anyway. After going to town for groceries Becky and I decided to check out a little more of the property that is owned by the Strauss family (they own the house we're staying in). The coolest thing we found was some amazing rock art in one of the small roofs by a pretty little stream. We did a modest hike too and found some boulders. Nothing mind blowing but some potential for sure.

Hopefully sun tomorrow.

The Fighting Zebra

2009-07-09T06:51:00.001-07:00

Peter, harnessing his inner Zebra on 'Springbok'...so good!

We returned to the Sassies' yesterday with several high class lines in mind. The 'Pinotage' boulder is perhaps the finest boulder in the developed Rocklands, certainly the best I've seen so far. It has a plethora of excellent warm-ups with friendly holds, several more difficult moderates of impeccable quality, a beautiful looking highball, and the boulder's namesake, which is one of my all-time favorites.

Its funny, each day we go go out I don't have much preference as to where we should go. This is a somewhat new sensation to me. Usually I have an agenda of sorts. Don't get me wrong, there are things here I really want to do, but I'm not feeling pressed for time. Its all new and its all fantastic. I'm sure that will change over time as I start to project a few things but for now, the Rocklands is my oyster and it is delicious.

Some post domino game artwork

Update

2009-07-06T04:57:00.000-07:00

Our back porch

Well, we've gotten our hands on some crutches, courtesy of a kind women in the administration office. There were none available in the hospital but she had some at her home and is allowing us to borrow them. Hopefully this will make it easier for Becky to get around and still enjoy the magic of this place.

Another relatively minor health issue, I came down with a bad cold from all of the travel. I'm hoping I'm over the hump and I'm taking two days off to recover a bit. I'm afraid I'm going to infect the whole house though. There's not a lot of room to quarantine ones self here.

Sunrise out our kitchen window

After waking every morning well before sunrise for most of our first week, I think I'm adjusting to a normal sleeping pattern finally. This, combined with clearing sinuses will hopefully translate to some hard sends in the near future. Off to lunch now, cheap cheap!

From Heaven to Hell

2009-07-04T08:13:00.000-07:00

There's no easy way to say it so I'll just state it bluntly, Becky seriously injured her knee today on our second day of climbing. She was trying another of the fantastic problems here, one that involved a slight dyno. She partially latched the hold but came loose and fell hard and awkwardly. Judging from her scream I expected to see a compound fracture. Fortunately that was not the case. Unfortunately, the doctor in town believes she partially tore her MCL. He did not have access to an X-ray or MRI but seemed very confident in his diagnosis. I'm not sure what we're going to do, all I know is that right now we're really upset and a bit bewildered.

We'll try an update everyone when we figure things out. Hopefully next time we'll have better news.

Publish Post

Heaven Is a Place On Earth

2009-07-03T06:46:00.001-07:00

Well, we made it. It was a absurdly long journey. About 50 hours from the time we woke up to leave at 3:30am Monday morning (CA time) till the time we arrived at the Ernie house where we'll be staying for the next two months. I got about 8 hours sleep mixed in there somewhere, but I'm not sure. I made a little video about our journey but the connection here is prohibitively slow so I won't be able to share that for a while.

The destination was well worth the headaches. This place is unbelievable. If I weren't a climber, I'd still be in awe. Its a gorgeous place. Its as if Dr. Suess and Albert Bierstadt collaborated with God to make this wonderland come alive. As a climber, I'm having a hard time coming up with reasons for why this isn't the best bouldering area I've ever been to.

I'm thrilled to be here with great friends and I feel so lucky knowing that even more are on the way. For those of you who haven't been yet (Paul, Lyn, Randy, and Alan) you won't be disappointed.

I already miss my Turtle but I hear she recently posed for some advertising photos and may be able to pay my bills when I return...Good Dog!

To wrap it up, I'll leave you all with a photo of Becky on a great problem called 'Schwupp' from our first full day out at the boulders.

Anticipation

2009-06-26T17:29:00.000-07:00

My upcoming trip to South Africa is easily the most eagerly anticipated trip of my life, climbing or otherwise. Its been over a year since I first started planning it, and more than three years since I first started day dreaming about making the journey.

Over the years I've often thought about following a regular training regimen for climbing, but a lack of discipline and my desire to spend my time on real stone has kept me from spending more than a week or two on any given program. Only with the Rocklands trip in mind, was I able to buckle down and spend six weeks on a Paul Barraza's training program. As a result, I feel like I'm in the best bouldering shape of my life and, right or wrong, I expect a payoff in the form of many coveted boulders.

My goals for this trip are pretty general at this point, but they are important. Most importantly I want to have a 'full' travel experience. I want new experiences, new faces, and unexpected things to cross my path. I want to see penguins, I want to learn something about South African history, and I want to eat white rhino like a great white hunter!

As far as climbing goals go...I want to climb a bunch of classics and I want to climb some harder stuff too. I'd really like to find a testpiece that will challenge me more than any boulder problem has before AND I'd like to climb it. A tall order, I know, but this may be a once in a lifetime experience so I want it all and more.

I'll do my best to update this blog when I can. There have been times in my life when I couldn't travel or climb as much as I'd have liked, during those times it was the climbing blogs of people like Sock Hands, Jamie Emerson, and others that kept me motivated for the times when I could. I'll do my best to pay it forward, as saying goes, for those of you who are stuck in a cube, broke, or injured and unable to travel this summer.

For those of you that have or will be making the pilgrimage this summer, I'll see you in Africa!

-Justin

Howl at the Moon

2009-06-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

I went back to Burnside Lake this weekend to climb with the one and only Noah Kaufman. I was really psyched to do the project we'd tried at the end of my last day there. Here's the video of our little session.

The Wolf Pack from Princess on Vimeo.

Afterward we went back to Noah and Siemay's pad and watched an amazing movie, 'King of Kong'. I can't recommend this documentary enough. The film follows an esoteric group of characters obsessed with old school video games like Donkey Kong and Mrs. Pacman. Watch this movie.

On Day two of the weekend, I found myself at the Saddle with a posse from the Bay. It was absurd how many people were there. Both parking areas were beyond capacity and there were people parked on the road. I goofed off there a bit, not too motivated. We finally made it over to the Future boulder, which I hadn't seen before, and it looked really nice. I didn't have much time so I chucked myself at a few problems but to no avail. I'll have to go back sometime for a more concerted effort.

A final note. I leave for South Africa in one week, YESSSS!!!

Reset

2009-06-16T01:01:00.000-07:00

We reset the training wall and now I want to climb on it but it's 1:40 in the AM and the gym wont be open for some time, so I'm not really sure what to do with myself...search Google Earth for boulders?

stealing holds from the course setters

Pretty sweet if you ask me. Must climb!

An Amazing Shirt

2009-06-15T10:54:00.001-07:00

Noah's amazing shirt climbing 'Fat Man in a Little Coat'

Yesterday Becky, Peter, and I were shown around a newish bouldering area by Noah and Siemay. I say newish only because some of the boulders there have no-doubt been climbed on over the years, but recently Noah hiked around a little and found a couple of blocs that far surpass the quality of the others. I used to hike here when I'd go camping with my family as a child at Grover Hot Springs, and I'd remembered there was a lot of rock around (though I wasn't a climber then). When I saw Noah in the spring I asked him if he'd ever checked it out for climbing and he said there wasn't really much there. Then sure enough, after some Google Earth exploration he found an "AMAZING" boulder!

There is more than one boulder at Burnside Lake, but from what I saw there is ONE main attraction. Actually, there is one other problem called "Goliath" that is totally worthy too. The rock here is essentially the same rock one would find all over Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite. The typical fare is near-vertical, knobby, and technical. The steepness of Noah's find, as well as the incut nature of the holds, make it really special.

Below is a video with three random problems from three different areas. The last problem is from the cool boulder at Burnside.

3Random Problems from Princess on Vimeo.

Happenings

2009-06-11T12:48:00.000-07:00

Most people that read my blog probably know by now about the losses of Micah Dash, Jonny Copp, and Wade Johnson. Some of you knew one or more of these guys. I had never personally met any of them and yet for some reason I've been affected more by their deaths than the deaths of the many other climbers that have passed since I took up the sport/religion 10 years ago. Alpinists are sometimes prone to romanticizing death in pursuit of their passion. I won't go so far as to say its a good way to die. It would be far better to live to a ripe old age after living one's passion to the fullest. Still, to die in pursuit of passion, refusing to play by the rules, is something I would choose over a long life lived in restraint. I just hope the friends and families of these three men can be consoled by the knowledge that their boys lived a blessed life.

Micah Dash and Johnny Copp segment of "The Sharp End" from Cedar Wright on Vimeo.

My personal life has been far less dangerous than climbing new routes in the remote reaches of western China. I've moved out of Peter's place and into a storage unit, I've been training at the Great Western Power Company, and I've made it outside a few random times to climb on some new stone. Last weekend Becky and I visited the Sierra Buttes for the first time. I'd been curious about this place for nearly 5 years, ever since I spotted it on Terraserver (a precursor to Google Earth). I left with a very good impression. The rock is high quality, steep, featured, and the setting is gorgeous! The only drawbacks are the steep hike in (not that bad really cause it'll keep the riff-raff out) and the inconvenient location if you're traveling from the Bay Area. From Truckee, where we stayed, it was a mild 50 minute drive. From Oakland it's nearly four hours. Thanks to Brian Sweeny, his friend Ty, and anyone else that put in all the hard work creating the trail to the boulders.

Becky's photo of a warm-up.

Last but certainly not least, Becky had her graduation ceremony for finishing her studies to become an RN! While she'll modestly tell you that it's not that big of a deal because she still has two more years to finish her master's degree, I can honestly say that its a huge accomplishment and I'm very proud of her.

Progress?

2009-06-03T13:26:00.000-07:00

Dogs and cats living together in peace?

Having some progress with the Turtle/Bishop relations, Tuscan however, is still to fearful to join the negotiations table. Time will tell (and it will take a lot) but I see good things on the horizon. Whether or not there will ever be peace between dogs and squirrels is another matter entirely...

I also believe I'm seeing some progress with my bicep. I experienced no flare-ups yesterday while climbing and training at GWPC. If you didn't know it already, GWPC is THE place to get strong for all of your future climbing trips, smile Lyn! Becky and I arrived at the gym at 5 and we didn't leave until 10, that's pretty much ideal for me. I'd perhaps like one more hour but five ain't bad. The first three hours were spent bouldering. I'm still being very cautious with the problems I choose to climb on, but I'm feeling less and less limited. The last two hours were spent up in the gym working on the training program. Finally we headed home and I cooked a pretty damn tasty meal I dreamt up that afternoon, check it out!

It feels like its been forever since I've climbed outside. We didn't get to climb outside last weekend because of a fun hippy wedding we attended. I could go during the week but I'm trying to be really disciplined with my training program. I'm really hoping the weather holds up so we can climb this weekend. The forecast is for thunderstorms all weekend though, ugh! It'll all be worth it though because there's only 26 days till takeoff!!!

Turtle's Birthday

2009-05-29T19:07:00.000-07:00

It's Turtle's birthday today. She's six years old, but still a puppy in my eyes. We went swimming at Lake Berryessa to celebrate and she got a new dog bed as her present. I'm gonna miss her like hell when I'm in Africa.

Loon Lake

2009-05-25T15:52:00.000-07:00

Becky and I headed up the Loonies this weekend. It had been a while since I'd been there and Becky had never been. It was really nice as far as the weather was concerned, the mosquitoes were a bit much but that's par for the course in the Sierras this time of year. I forgot my camera (unbelievable right?) so you'll have to settle for old pictures from about two years ago.

Peter on 'Flight Plan'

On Sunday some of the Bay crew showed up as well as Wick and his girlfriend Kristen. It was kind of like a mini preview of the Rocklands crew because everyone there except Daniel (and the dogs) will be in Africa this summer, SICK! We decided to come home a day early in an effort to beat the heinous traffic on Monday, and because Becky had a test to take today, AND because my bicep has been bothering me a bit. I aggravated it on 'Greener Pastures' in the Valley maybe two weeks ago and it flared up a bit yesterday. I'm anxious about it because I really want to train and be in top form for Africa, but of course I don't want it to turn into a serious injury that will limit what I can do while I'm there. Argh!

In other news I'm finally moving out of Peter's house in Davis. Its gonna be a bit of a pain in the ass but I gotta get it done sooner rather than later. On a related subject... Anyone interested in having a ornery but very sweet dog for about five weeks this summer?

Spring Rolls

2009-05-20T22:43:00.000-07:00

I made this for dinner from scratch and I lost the recipe before I started throwing things together. It turned out pretty well I think. In the future I'll make a few subtle changes but I'm psyched about my first ever spring rolls (with collard greens instead of rice paper wrapping). The sauce is peanut based with some rice vinegar among other things. I think it was too heavy on the rice vinegar but otherwise pretty good.

Spring Sucks

2009-05-16T12:16:00.000-07:00

Not Yosemite, but still good

Not entirely, but there is a lot not to like about Spring. First and foremost, it means that hot temperatures are on the way (or are already here). Second, it means no more bouldering in Yosemite for me. If I was working there it would be different because I'd be up late all the time and climbing at night wouldn't be an issue. Unfortunately I'm not there working, which means driving a ton (lame!) and climbing during the day when its hot and muggy and buggy and LAME!!!

So now I gotta go climb somewhere else, or go climb routes. I'm not sure which is the better option.

Kevin leaves for Rocklands today, which is exciting because it means I'm just that much closer to leaving myself!

I Want to do One of These

2009-05-15T12:10:00.000-07:00

The crimp.se warm up for bouldering from crimp.se on Vimeo.

Impressive one-arm lever at the end. Not quite as pretty as Mr. Gill's but impressive nonetheless. Also impressive are the ridiculous campus boards in that gym.

More of the Same

2009-05-06T07:15:00.000-07:00

The weather was a little uncooperative this past weekend. What was supposed to be a five day "weekend" in Yosemite was cut short by rain into a two day trip. Saturday was salvaged by going to a Giants game with Becky, John, and Shannon, so that was cool.

When we finally made it to the Valley, the weather was pretty accommodating. On Monday, Becky, Beth, and Randy all climbed 'Barrel O' Laughs,' Randy and I tried a new super-project, and Beth managed to keep her nerves intact and send the 'Woodyard Arete'. On Tuesday, Becky and I returned to the Woodyard so that she could finish up the same problem, which she'd nearly done the night before. Afterward, we wandered down the road a bit so I could try 'MSG,' which is surely one of the most overlooked problems in the Valley. We also made it over to Curry so I could finally climb on a problem I'd cleaned but never tried last fall. The problem is now called 'Fluffy White Clouds'.

A short video.

MSG and Fluffy White Clouds from Princess on Vimeo.

New in the Valley

2009-04-28T17:16:00.000-07:00

Becky's pic of me trying for the first ascent of "Snowball Fight"

There are always projects, both first ascents and personal projects. This past weekend people seemed keen to work primarily on FA's. Those of us smart enough to be in the Valley were rewarded with unseasonably cool temps. Those of you (Kevin and John) that were at home have to live with your poor decision making. Suckers.

Several new problems were established this weekend. Medina put up a gem called "Something French." Actually, I don't know what its called but he said he wanted to name it in recognition of the new French friends he made on a recent trip to Fontainebleau. I was fortunate enough to do "Snowball Fight" and "The Tea Room". Scott put up another problem near "Something French," but I didn't catch the name. Scott, Tim, and Raza were all trying a cool overhanging arete the last time I saw them but I'm not sure if it was completed.

There is a video of two of the new problems, but in the interest of keeping some things on the DL for a while longer you'll need to wait to see it. Unless you're super special, of course.

I'm flying to Seattle tomorrow morning to help my sister move back home to California. I'll be back on Thursday and I might head out for a long weekend of climbing soon after.

Oh I'm also very excited for baseball this year. I'm 2-1 at the Giants games I've attended so far, which includes the Giants victory over the Dodgers last night!

Go Giants!

What Would You Do...

2009-04-24T17:16:00.000-07:00

...If you were a billionaire? Richard Branson has some interesting ideas. If you were a billionaire would you shop here? If you were a billionaire you'd probably buy your drugs from this guy, but you'd party with a Russian. I know if I were one I'd get a hat like John D. Rockefeller.

Not Sleeping

2009-04-21T01:21:00.000-07:00

I know I've mentioned it before, but I sometimes have a hard time falling asleep or getting a good nights rest. Tonight is a perfect example. A little more than an hour ago I was feeling pretty groggy and ready for bed. Hopped in the sack, tossed and turned for a while, and here I am, sitting at the computer. I've found laying in bed hoping to fall asleep doesn't work so well, so I'm trying to keep busy.

Sometimes it is perfectly obvious why I can't sleep, anxiety, excitement, or thinking about climbing often keep me up. Sometimes I'll have had way to many cups of tea throughout the day, but I don't usually let that happen. Other times there is no obvious reason. I'm tired, mind and body, I'm comfortable, free of restless thoughts, and yet I just lie there awake for hours.

On occasion this can turn into a very creative brainstorming session. Fortunately, I usually do fall asleep at some point, but unfortunately by the time I wake up I've forgotten my brilliant ideas.

I guess you could say I'm exhibiting Insomnia-like symptoms. It comes and goes mind you. In Hueco I had about three weeks of amazing sleep despite sleeping in the back of my Subaru with my dog. Then, right near the end of the trip I started having restless nights again. I had it the worst when I was a young teenager. I vaguely remember a summer when I got about 1 or 2 hours of sleep a night. Its not that bad now.

Taking a Look in the Mirror

2009-04-16T23:21:00.000-07:00

This is an excerpt from and interview with Jean-Baptist 'Jibe' Tribout.

Most of the time I fail, but it doesn’t matter, because my goal is to succeed, instead of “not to fail”. This means I can be much more relaxed when I climb, and as every climber knows, it’s very important.

Jibe is 46 now and until recently had not been climbing seriously for about 10 years. He has already climbed as hard as 5.14b and he claims that he is nowhere near as strong as in his youth. He attributes much of his recent success to a new attitude toward climbing. The wisdom quoted above is a recent revelation, discovered in the absence of the self-imposed pressures many climbers subject themselves to.

I have to admit that when I'm climbing something particularly important to me the thoughts that creep into my head mid-climb are often along the lines of 'don't fail'. This bothers me for several reasons:

1. This train of thought doesn't manifest itself exclusively in climbing situations.
2. Its obviously counter productive.
3. This thought process can transform a recreational activity into something more akin to work.

Don't get me wrong, this isn't something I deal with everyday out climbing, far from it in fact. I can name a half dozen or so occasions (long term projects) when this became a real problem. Of course there are minor occurrences from time to time but they are usually insignificant. Last weekend for instance, while trying to top out a new problem I definitely thought "don't fail" but that was mostly out of concern for my safety and I have no regrets about that. Still, how does one deal with this type of negative thinking?

To be quite frank about this, I've been thinking a lot about going back to school over the last six months or so. I've more or less decided it is something I want to do and yet I'm having difficulty being proactive about it because of this type of negative thinking.

I understand the principals behind Jibe's wisdom but putting it in practice is something entirely different. What am I missing?

More Evidence That I'm Tired

2009-04-12T22:18:00.000-07:00

Shortly after writing the post below I hit myself in the face with a car door. I know you're probably asking yourself, 'why would you do something like that Justin?' Well, the answer is I'm sleepy and I can't be bothered with such questions.

I've been better

All patched up

Update: I just woke up and thankfully I slept pretty well. Unfortunately my forehead still aches. At least the band-aid makes me look tough, right?

Sleeplessness

2009-04-12T20:30:00.000-07:00

I need a decent nights sleep. I've had two really bad nights sleep preceded by one mediocre night and that resulted in a grump that can't climb much of anything. I didn't even bother going to 'Dogwood' today even though I had people ready and willing to spot. I did try 'X' finally with Raza, that was cool and HARD.

Yesterday was a bit more productive. First of all, a couple of Yosemite's finest highballs got totally gang-banged. 'Shiver Me Timbers' was the first to get the beating. I think Lyn, Beth, Becky, John, Theo, and some other dude all did it (not sure about the order). Then around the corner, 'Pinball Wizard' got shown who's boss by the same crew except for "some other dude".

Later, in a far off land that will not be described in this blog space, the posse descended upon several freshly scrubbed blocs courtesy of Mr. Chandler. There is one yet-to-be-named problem several of us did that is definitely first rate. A hard start, followed by a heady finish, with several solutions... Vintage Yosemite.

Speaking of vintage Yosemite, here's a video featuring two problems that fit that description perfectly. The first problem featured is 'Pinball Wizard,' the second is a new problem that Randy put up recently. If you don't already know where it is don't bother asking because I'm not at liberty to share. Deal with it!

A little slice of heaven from Princess on Vimeo.

Jealous?

Some Things I'm Psyched on Right Now

2009-04-09T12:17:00.000-07:00

Woodies

Cleaning new boulders

New Solutions

Training and Yosemite

2009-04-08T09:05:00.000-07:00

For the past month or so I've been driving down to Oakland to train at the Great Western Power Company. I could probably spend more time climbing outdoors right now, but my number one focus is to get into the best shape of my climbing life for my trip to South Africa this summer. Its okay too because I actually really enjoy the workouts. Last night, for example, I climbed, did some rings, some weighted hangs, and finished with a little more climbing for a 5 1/2 hour workout. I'm already feeling sore and I love it.

I'm really grateful for all of my friends who have been (and will continue to be) such great training partners. It really wouldn't be the same without you all. Training alone can be cool but the down time gets dull quick and the sessions become shorter and a lot less productive so thanks for all of your motivation and energy guys and gals.

Of course I'm not so loopy as to have forgotten real rock all together. In fact, I made my first trip back to the Valley last week and it was perfect. It felt so good to be hanging in the forest with good friends and perfect stone. I only climbed on stuff that was new to me too! Didn't even stop by to say hello to 'Dogwood', that's a big step for me. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and I'll have a chance to try it in the next few days though.

I have some video from one of my new favorite problems but its going to have to wait until I get some other problems recorded before I put the footage up. It'll be worth the wait, the newness is quintessential Yosemite climbing courtesy of Randy Puro. Very choice.

2009-03-30T14:11:00.000-07:00

Just returned from Joe's Valley. It was a great albeit brief trip. I had a blast hanging out with Becky, Chandler, Monica, Alan, Amna, Lianne, Noah, Siemay, and everyone else that we hung out with over the course of the week. The highlight of the trip, for me at least, has to be my last-day of the trip revenge send of 'The Wind Below'. My first attempt at this problem came exactly a year and ten days prior to the second attempt. The first did not end well for me. My second attempt (without the heelhook beta) ended with success.

Chandler and Becky both had great last-day sends as well. Scott, climbing for his third consecutive day, managed to put the outstanding 'Beyond Life' to rest. Becky managed to dispatch the somewhat heady and equally outstanding 'Wills of Fire'. She did it with the dramatic flair of Siemay's send just moments before and earned herself a second flapper to boot.

To recap the rest of the trip I've put together another poor quality video. I decided to use Vimeo this time because of the better resolution. Now if I can just get a tripod and an HD camera you might get something decent out of me. This video is a bit longer. I'm curious if this approach is better than putting together several shorts. Maybe a mix is best? Anyhoo, here it is.

Joe's Valley09 from justin alarcon on Vimeo.

I'm in a MAJOR Motion Picture!!!

2009-03-26T17:01:00.000-07:00

Check this out! I'm so excited, I think I'm going to go growl at something. Finally, after all this time I'm making my big screen debut. See if you can guess which character I am.

Also...Today was a rest day for Becky and I, but Scott, Monica, and Lianne decided to climb at the (slightly) warmer area Triassic. I'd never been before so we met up with them to scope the place out. We only visited one area and it seemed pretty sweet although a bit lacking in the more difficult boulder problems. A couple lines stood out, 'Desparete,' 'Lemonhead,' and a cool slab that isn't in the topo. The place is definitely worth a look.

Here is Lianne sending the cool unknown slab.

Joe's Valley

2009-03-25T17:24:00.000-07:00

Well, Joe's Valley is great. The problems are fun, aesthetic, and kind on the ego. The weather...well, its been cooperative so far, but its been reluctant. The wind has been the main issue. If it were not for the wind it would be perfect here right now. Snow is forecast for tomorrow and with gusts up to 45mph I think we're going to take back to back rest days.

Did some hiking today and looked for new boulders. I'd spied one in particular yesterday up on a hillside that looked promising. It was. Also, went to look for some of Isaac Caldiero's new problems. Found those too. There's some nice ones up there, I wish I'd brought my camera.

Alas, this trip is already too short. Each time I come here I leave feeling woefully unsatisfied with the length of the trip. Maybe if the weather sucks in CA when I get back I'll turn around and come back to Utah. Hmmm...

Monica on 'Filla Void'

An Irish Theme

2009-03-18T17:35:00.000-07:00

Well I didn't get back to 'Haroun' so it'll probably have to wait till next year, oh well. The crew wasn't motivated and I wasn't going to try it without a mess of pads. Tried 'Stained Glass' for twenty minutes or so and that was cool. Its easily some of the best rock in Bishop and I was psyched to make some progress on that.

My tips started sweating this weekend for the first time in a month or so. It was frustrating to have crappy skin again. Thank god for Antihydral.

Well, since yesterday was St. Patrick's Day I decided to make today's video fit the theme. Would've been better to post yesterday, I know, but I gots no internets at my house so DEAL!

So without further ado...

If you can't get enough of watching me climb stuff you're in luck. Dave Nunnely posted a video of Randy and I on youtube.

A Bit More Bishop

2009-03-16T17:16:00.000-07:00

I'm down in Bishop again. My primary motivation for this brief visit was to put "Haroun and the Sea of Stories" to bed. Unfortunately I keep punting at the top. I'll try again tomorrow, then its on to someplace else.

Yesterday I found myself out at Dale's Camp again. This time Nunsquach (Dave) was there and I witnessed him put on a clinic. A slew of younger, stronger, and handsomer lads and one equally strong lass were trying the "Zen Flute", a problem defined by the large dyno at it's end. Dave strolls up, having sat around without climbing for a while, and sends the rig first try and making it look like v2 (its v10). It was so fucking awesome I couldn't help but laugh. I'm pretty sure Dave could do this problem with a 20lbs. weight belt on. Alas, he refused to repeat the feat for my camera so as punishment I'm showing him flailing on on a much easier problem in the video below. Also, for those unfamiliar with the dog in the video, its schitso. It repeatedly jumps around snapping at invisible things that only it can see. Apparently its been known to do this for hours at a time.

As always the company has been great. This trip has certainly been no exception.

'A Maze of Death,' I will return for thee next year.

Spring Training...

2009-03-10T14:18:00.000-07:00

...of the baseball variety that is.

Went to Phoenix this weekend with my dad and my younger sister, Brooke. Watched some baseball, ate some...correction, lot's of food, and hung out in the sun. Nice.

Brooke and beer.

They're everywhere I turn!

Peter Magowan, formerly the Giants CEO (he is still a principal owner) and me, baller.

YES!!!

2009-03-08T22:09:00.001-07:00

This is how I look on the inside... Thank you Shannon for the link.