Monday, January 26, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Mid-Week Release
With my school schedule this semester, I'm fortunate enough to be finished with my classes by 12:30, and my bud Kevin and I took advantage of that today by heading down to King's Bluff in Clarksville, Tennessee.
King's Bluff can be best described as a chossy short little bluff that has been grid bolted, almost as badly as some things down in Boulder Canyon. However, it's proximity to Murray and the fact that it faces to the South make the crag a pretty convenient place to go and climb during cooler days when shaded climbs might just not be reasonable.
Today was a pretty relaxed day too. Kevin and I started by heading down to one of the farther and less climbed areas and knocked out five different climbs - all dirty as hell- all 5.9 or less. We then headed back in the other direction and knocked out three more pitches before the end of the day. One of which was a pretty cool little .10c that I flashed called Short and Sporty. A pretty appropriate name since the route only has two bolts and anchors.
Anyways, that pretty much caps the day. Needless to say it was pretty awesome and provided just the time off from school that I think everyone needs during the middle of the week!
King's Bluff can be best described as a chossy short little bluff that has been grid bolted, almost as badly as some things down in Boulder Canyon. However, it's proximity to Murray and the fact that it faces to the South make the crag a pretty convenient place to go and climb during cooler days when shaded climbs might just not be reasonable.
Today was a pretty relaxed day too. Kevin and I started by heading down to one of the farther and less climbed areas and knocked out five different climbs - all dirty as hell- all 5.9 or less. We then headed back in the other direction and knocked out three more pitches before the end of the day. One of which was a pretty cool little .10c that I flashed called Short and Sporty. A pretty appropriate name since the route only has two bolts and anchors.
Anyways, that pretty much caps the day. Needless to say it was pretty awesome and provided just the time off from school that I think everyone needs during the middle of the week!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Three Day Weekend
Well, we were fortunate enough to have a three day weekend this first weekend back to school, and I was able to make as much of it as I could with some climbing.
On Saturday, I woke up with the intent to drive down to Nashville and spend the day climbing in the gym there. Except, when I stepped outside and realized that the sky was clearing off and the temps weren't extremely bad, I placed a call to Mike and we were on our way to Drapers Bluff in So iLL within the hour. It was a pretty cool day too. We started out doing a little bouldering and we both made quick work of an interesting V4. I then worked an interesting little V7 dyno that I got pretty close too (tips went right over the jug), but I just couldn't finish it up. We then moved up the hill to a different boulder called the Egg. It has some pretty sweet problems, one of which is the super classic Gun's N Roses V9. A definite must...if you're climbing at that level. Mike and I however worked on two little V5's for a bit, Scrambled Eggs and Barfly. We figured out most of the moves for each but just couldn't quite put together a send on either one.
After this we decided that we were sort of disheartened with the bouldering and headed back down to the cars and picked up our rope gear, and I suckered Mike into trudging up the hill with all of his trad gear. I also suckered him into leading up a super cool 5.6 pitch of trad called Bloody Nose. Definitely a classic climb and we then set up top rope on a cool .10a on the rappel down. I flashed it! .10a TR flash! Sick! After this we moved over and tried to finish up on a pretty cool .11a there called Leap of Faith. I thrutched through the first two bolts and the cruised right up to the fourth where there is a pretty good rest. Then it gets down to business with small crimpy sidepulls to bad open hand slopey sidepulls. Once you gain the highest slopey side pull you make a right hand move to a terrible backhand undercling (?)then have to get these really awkward feet and make a move up to a shallow jug. From there I just bypassed the last bolt and mantled out onto the large ledge and clipped the anchors. Unfortunately, I didn't figoure out this beta the first time...nor the second...but the third was the charm.
Sunday was a homework day, and then yesterday we went down to the gym in Nashville to climb. There, we met up with Chris and Carmen and proceeded to tear the gym to pieces. Everyone climbed pretty well and it was a good time climbing with that group.
The weather is looking good for this coming weekend, and hopefully things will stay that way and I can finish up some of my long standing projects from the fall! Today though, I'm glued to the TV for this inaguration!
On Saturday, I woke up with the intent to drive down to Nashville and spend the day climbing in the gym there. Except, when I stepped outside and realized that the sky was clearing off and the temps weren't extremely bad, I placed a call to Mike and we were on our way to Drapers Bluff in So iLL within the hour. It was a pretty cool day too. We started out doing a little bouldering and we both made quick work of an interesting V4. I then worked an interesting little V7 dyno that I got pretty close too (tips went right over the jug), but I just couldn't finish it up. We then moved up the hill to a different boulder called the Egg. It has some pretty sweet problems, one of which is the super classic Gun's N Roses V9. A definite must...if you're climbing at that level. Mike and I however worked on two little V5's for a bit, Scrambled Eggs and Barfly. We figured out most of the moves for each but just couldn't quite put together a send on either one.
After this we decided that we were sort of disheartened with the bouldering and headed back down to the cars and picked up our rope gear, and I suckered Mike into trudging up the hill with all of his trad gear. I also suckered him into leading up a super cool 5.6 pitch of trad called Bloody Nose. Definitely a classic climb and we then set up top rope on a cool .10a on the rappel down. I flashed it! .10a TR flash! Sick! After this we moved over and tried to finish up on a pretty cool .11a there called Leap of Faith. I thrutched through the first two bolts and the cruised right up to the fourth where there is a pretty good rest. Then it gets down to business with small crimpy sidepulls to bad open hand slopey sidepulls. Once you gain the highest slopey side pull you make a right hand move to a terrible backhand undercling (?)then have to get these really awkward feet and make a move up to a shallow jug. From there I just bypassed the last bolt and mantled out onto the large ledge and clipped the anchors. Unfortunately, I didn't figoure out this beta the first time...nor the second...but the third was the charm.
Sunday was a homework day, and then yesterday we went down to the gym in Nashville to climb. There, we met up with Chris and Carmen and proceeded to tear the gym to pieces. Everyone climbed pretty well and it was a good time climbing with that group.
The weather is looking good for this coming weekend, and hopefully things will stay that way and I can finish up some of my long standing projects from the fall! Today though, I'm glued to the TV for this inaguration!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
The Shield
The Shield has to be one of the most aesthetic and coolest lines that I've ever seen and can definitely say that it is one of my life goals to send. Here are some pictures of the sweet line and a cool video of Jason Kehl on the second ascent. Lines like this are why I climb!
Friday, January 9, 2009
Back Home...
Well, I made it back to Murray yesterday evening. We woke up early, around 8 or so, and were at Horseshoe at 9 to try and finish up a few things real quickly. This morning I was with Josh, another friend from UCA that I've met through Wayne and Lindsay. We quickly went up to the North Forty and warmed up then went and I finished up Good Daze V5 on the second go. After this we met up with Wayne and Lindsay briefly, and then booked it over to the South Idaho boulders to work on Even Dirtier V5, a cool variation to Dirty Bitch V3. Although I was able to work through all of the moves, I couldn't put it all together and decided that it would be a good idea to go ahead a cruise on home.
My time in Arkansas was amazing and never have I experienced such hospitality. The Hartlerodes were extremely generous in all manners and I couldn't have imagined a better family to spend so much time with, and to get to know so well. It was also great catching up with all of the good friends I made last summer, and having such an awesome community to climb with. I really hope that I can do this again in the near future!
My time in Arkansas was amazing and never have I experienced such hospitality. The Hartlerodes were extremely generous in all manners and I couldn't have imagined a better family to spend so much time with, and to get to know so well. It was also great catching up with all of the good friends I made last summer, and having such an awesome community to climb with. I really hope that I can do this again in the near future!
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Horseshoe...
Well, today we ended up just sticking around closer to Compton, and Wayne's house, which put us at Horseshoe again. I was pretty cool with it too, although I did a have a few things that I would have liked to finish at Fontaine Red.
Anyways, the weather was gorgeous and it was an awesome day to go and work on ticking off a few of the things I put on my list. The morning started with us cruising up to the warm-up boulder, and quickly getting our muscles worked out and ready for a day of some hard sending. Directly after that Wayne spotted an interesting V6 on a boulder directly behind us called Static Tang. The line starts on two crummy crimps and pops out to a gaston with your left. From there you do you a hand foot match with your rights, and then bring your right hand over to the gaston. Next, you pull up hard onto the foot and nail a pretty decent 3/4 pad crimp with your right, get your feet righted up and hit another 3/4 pad crimp and throw to the top. Pretty sick problem and everyone made pretty quick sends of it. I was surprised and sent it second go!
Next, we headed over to the Leatherface boulder and I worked at a few of the moves on Leatherface V7, a cool problem on my ticklist. Not feeling too psyched on it, I ended up thrutching my way through Chainsaw V4, another problem on my ticklist! Sweet! Day one back at HCR and I've already dented the to-do list. After this we headed over and worked a few problems that I just wasn't feeling and towards the end of the day I found my self back a Trouser Chili V4 (on the tick list for '09). This problem gave me a helluva time earlier in the trip and it proceeded to to so again. I worked the beta from the end though and found a cool sequence that worked and was able to put it all together right as the sun finished setting.
Pretty sweet day I'd say. I've already been able to make a decent dent in the things to-do list, and I'm going to be on my way out of HCR tomorrow for Murray. I do have plans to hit up a few problems tomorrow morning for my last dose. Hopefully I'll have some good luck and will leave HCR in high spirits!
Anyways, the weather was gorgeous and it was an awesome day to go and work on ticking off a few of the things I put on my list. The morning started with us cruising up to the warm-up boulder, and quickly getting our muscles worked out and ready for a day of some hard sending. Directly after that Wayne spotted an interesting V6 on a boulder directly behind us called Static Tang. The line starts on two crummy crimps and pops out to a gaston with your left. From there you do you a hand foot match with your rights, and then bring your right hand over to the gaston. Next, you pull up hard onto the foot and nail a pretty decent 3/4 pad crimp with your right, get your feet righted up and hit another 3/4 pad crimp and throw to the top. Pretty sick problem and everyone made pretty quick sends of it. I was surprised and sent it second go!
Next, we headed over to the Leatherface boulder and I worked at a few of the moves on Leatherface V7, a cool problem on my ticklist. Not feeling too psyched on it, I ended up thrutching my way through Chainsaw V4, another problem on my ticklist! Sweet! Day one back at HCR and I've already dented the to-do list. After this we headed over and worked a few problems that I just wasn't feeling and towards the end of the day I found my self back a Trouser Chili V4 (on the tick list for '09). This problem gave me a helluva time earlier in the trip and it proceeded to to so again. I worked the beta from the end though and found a cool sequence that worked and was able to put it all together right as the sun finished setting.
Pretty sweet day I'd say. I've already been able to make a decent dent in the things to-do list, and I'm going to be on my way out of HCR tomorrow for Murray. I do have plans to hit up a few problems tomorrow morning for my last dose. Hopefully I'll have some good luck and will leave HCR in high spirits!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Video is Up!
Check it.
Big up to Wayne for being a bad ass at editing and what not. If it weren't for him, this would just be another soundless, crummy video clip but this is instead something much more! Thanks!
Tomorrow we are off to Fontaine Red again and I will hopefully be able to finish up Always Lead the Possum V6 (it was soaking wet last Sunday). Keeping my fingers crossed. We're also going to check out an area called Fred's Cave/New Wave Wall, which is notorious for such lines like One Inch Pinch and Chunk up the Deuce from Dosage V. Pretty psyched and hopefully tomorrow I'll have some problems already gone from my tick list for 2009!
Big up to Wayne for being a bad ass at editing and what not. If it weren't for him, this would just be another soundless, crummy video clip but this is instead something much more! Thanks!
Tomorrow we are off to Fontaine Red again and I will hopefully be able to finish up Always Lead the Possum V6 (it was soaking wet last Sunday). Keeping my fingers crossed. We're also going to check out an area called Fred's Cave/New Wave Wall, which is notorious for such lines like One Inch Pinch and Chunk up the Deuce from Dosage V. Pretty psyched and hopefully tomorrow I'll have some problems already gone from my tick list for 2009!
Tick List 2009
Well I've put together a list of things that I would like to be able to tick off this year for climbing. It's mostly routes, but there are a few boulders for the trips that I intend to make down to the HCR area. Here is what it looks like:
Routes:
.12b
- Cro-Magnon Warrior - J-Falls
- Tasmanian Devil - J-Falls
- Space Cowboy - J-Falls
- Remove La Ropa - J-Falls/Promised Land
- Balance of Power - J-Falls/Promised Land
- Nagual - King's Bluff
.12a
- Hidden Treasure (!!!) - J-Falls
- Everybody Needs Friends - J-Falls
- Lavender Eye - HCR
- Detox Mountain - J-Falls
- Tacit - The Red River Gorge
- Energizer - J-Falls
- Cranial Implosion - J-Falls
- Cowboys and Crossdressers - J-Falls
- Team Honda - J-Falls/Promised Land
- Industry - J-Falls
- Prelude to Harvest - King's Bluff
.11d
- The Vow - J-Falls
- The Reckoning - J-Falls
.11c
- Access Denied - J-Falls
- The Twist - J-Falls
- Blue Velvet - J-Falls
.11b
- Splinter Faction - J-Falls
- Stand and Deliver - J-Falls
- Fancy Feet - J-Falls
.11a
- Captain Crunch - J-Falls
- Yuppie with a Gun - J-Falls
- Horseshoes and Handgrenades - HCR
- Flingin' Hog - J-Falls
.10d
- Fragile Egos/Into the Sun - J-Falls
- King's Jester - J-Falls
- Wild at Heart - J-Falls
.10c
- Group Therapy - J-Falls
- The Minstrel - J-Falls
.10b
- Psychotherapy - J-Falls
Boulders:
V8
- Numerical Methods - HCR
- Orbital Mechanics - HCR
- Project V8 by Miho - HCR
- Zig-Zag - J-Falls
V7
- Cloud of Stars - HCR
- Black Snapper - Fontaine Red
- Leather Face - HCR
- David & Goliath - J-Falls
- Space Invaders - J-Falls
V6
- Always Lead the Possum - Fontaine Red
- Newton's Law - Fontaine Red
- Pinball - J-Falls
- OBD Direct - J-Falls
V5
- Gak Traverse - Fontaine Red
- Bag Piper - J-Falls
- THC (sit) - J-Falls
V4
- Chainsaw - HCR
- Trouser Chili - HCR
- OBD Left - J-Falls
V3
- Cold Fusion J-Falls
- THC - J-Falls
Routes:
.12b
- Cro-Magnon Warrior - J-Falls
- Tasmanian Devil - J-Falls
- Space Cowboy - J-Falls
- Remove La Ropa - J-Falls/Promised Land
- Balance of Power - J-Falls/Promised Land
- Nagual - King's Bluff
.12a
- Hidden Treasure (!!!) - J-Falls
- Everybody Needs Friends - J-Falls
- Lavender Eye - HCR
- Detox Mountain - J-Falls
- Tacit - The Red River Gorge
- Energizer - J-Falls
- Cranial Implosion - J-Falls
- Cowboys and Crossdressers - J-Falls
- Team Honda - J-Falls/Promised Land
- Industry - J-Falls
- Prelude to Harvest - King's Bluff
.11d
- The Vow - J-Falls
- The Reckoning - J-Falls
.11c
- Access Denied - J-Falls
- The Twist - J-Falls
- Blue Velvet - J-Falls
.11b
- Splinter Faction - J-Falls
- Stand and Deliver - J-Falls
- Fancy Feet - J-Falls
.11a
- Captain Crunch - J-Falls
- Yuppie with a Gun - J-Falls
- Horseshoes and Handgrenades - HCR
- Flingin' Hog - J-Falls
.10d
- Fragile Egos/Into the Sun - J-Falls
- King's Jester - J-Falls
- Wild at Heart - J-Falls
.10c
- Group Therapy - J-Falls
- The Minstrel - J-Falls
.10b
- Psychotherapy - J-Falls
Boulders:
V8
- Numerical Methods - HCR
- Orbital Mechanics - HCR
- Project V8 by Miho - HCR
- Zig-Zag - J-Falls
V7
- Cloud of Stars - HCR
- Black Snapper - Fontaine Red
- Leather Face - HCR
- David & Goliath - J-Falls
- Space Invaders - J-Falls
V6
- Always Lead the Possum - Fontaine Red
- Newton's Law - Fontaine Red
- Pinball - J-Falls
- OBD Direct - J-Falls
V5
- Gak Traverse - Fontaine Red
- Bag Piper - J-Falls
- THC (sit) - J-Falls
V4
- Chainsaw - HCR
- Trouser Chili - HCR
- OBD Left - J-Falls
V3
- Cold Fusion J-Falls
- THC - J-Falls
Monday, January 5, 2009
Hidden Treasure
My friend Carmen that I climb with from Nashville e-mailed me some pictures today of me climbing on Hidden Treasure .12a at Jackson Falls. Pretty cool pictures and it shows just how small and thin it is in the crux.
Pulling off of the rest hold and onto the face crimps:
After you traverse right, clip, and traverse a little more you come to a point where you have to continue up. For me it's a big reach with the right followed by a high foot with the left. This is the crux for me and is what's holding me back from a send.
Here is after I've worked the crux and am moving up through more small, but larger edges and to the top:
This is definitely one of the routes that I'm most psyched on at The Falls for the spring. Hopefully, the weather is going to stay good for us and we'll have lots of good temps and dry weather! I'm also getting together a tick list of projects I'd really like to send during the year 2009. I've got big expectations and hopefully I'll be able to do the list some justice!
Pulling off of the rest hold and onto the face crimps:
After you traverse right, clip, and traverse a little more you come to a point where you have to continue up. For me it's a big reach with the right followed by a high foot with the left. This is the crux for me and is what's holding me back from a send.
Here is after I've worked the crux and am moving up through more small, but larger edges and to the top:
This is definitely one of the routes that I'm most psyched on at The Falls for the spring. Hopefully, the weather is going to stay good for us and we'll have lots of good temps and dry weather! I'm also getting together a tick list of projects I'd really like to send during the year 2009. I've got big expectations and hopefully I'll be able to do the list some justice!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Font Red
Sent Rings of Your Anus V3, second go, and La Beak V4 in about 5 goes or so. Worked Always Follow the Possum for a while and fell off of the last move a couple of times. Towards the end I really got the beta dialed in and it should hopefully go early in the day the next time I'm able to make it to the Power Wall! It's looking like we're going to have to take a few rest days because of exhaustion and weather so updates may be sparce. Mom, I will call you tomorrow!
Rest Day and Today
Well, yesterday we were intelligent enough to take a rest day, which really seemed to play out well for our bodies and worked well since most of the boulders were soaked with moisture from the previous days rain. Lindsay, Wayne, and I ended up heading out to some property Wayne's family owns and did some scoping out of the cliff lines and boulders on the property. Unfortunately, there wasn't a load of potential (at least in the sense that I've been spoiled with lately at Horseshoe), but there are definitely some cool lines that would deserve some attention on a top rope.
Today, we are all going to be heading out to an area called Fountain Red to do some bouldering and it's looking like its going to be chilly (30 degrees but feels like 20 right now). The humidity is kind of high right now too which is scary, but hopefully it will start to go down and things will be perfect! I'm really hoping to tick off a few of these problems today: Rings or Uranus V3, La Beak V4, Always Lead the Possum V6, and Black Snapper V7. Hopefully all will go as planned! We've been editing the video from the past week too. Its looking sweet!
Today, we are all going to be heading out to an area called Fountain Red to do some bouldering and it's looking like its going to be chilly (30 degrees but feels like 20 right now). The humidity is kind of high right now too which is scary, but hopefully it will start to go down and things will be perfect! I'm really hoping to tick off a few of these problems today: Rings or Uranus V3, La Beak V4, Always Lead the Possum V6, and Black Snapper V7. Hopefully all will go as planned! We've been editing the video from the past week too. Its looking sweet!
Friday, January 2, 2009
Random Pictures...
The luscious Brian Martin was ever vigilant and creative with photos during this trip and here are some of the awesome shots he dumped on my computer! Hopefully, he doesn't mind me sharing this goodness! Props to the man for the awesome job! He's got an eye for it!
Lindsay cranking out a V2 warm-up on Sloping Joe's:
K-Mart working his bum off on Miho V7:
Lindsay making quick work of Udaho V3:
Udaho V3:
B-Mart topping out Chuckwagon V6:
Wayne crimping hard, two-finger style, on Memento V5:
Tim, with the tongue action:
Joel pulling down hard on Slopadon Milosevic V5:
Wayne, getting crazy and liebacking Wild Flowers V3:
Lindsay cranking out a V2 warm-up on Sloping Joe's:
K-Mart working his bum off on Miho V7:
Lindsay making quick work of Udaho V3:
Udaho V3:
B-Mart topping out Chuckwagon V6:
Wayne crimping hard, two-finger style, on Memento V5:
Tim, with the tongue action:
Joel pulling down hard on Slopadon Milosevic V5:
Wayne, getting crazy and liebacking Wild Flowers V3:
Update...
Well, I think that I might have some new things to mention. Today, was a pretty eventful day. Started out warming up in the North Idaho Boulders and I just decided that it might be cool to try Memento V5 again since it was right there so close. First go, I didn't feel so awesome and fell off at the same spot. Second go, I ended up stick the tricky left foot smear and high inside right and reached right up to the finishing jugs. Sweet!
After this we headed over quickly to the S. Idahos and watched a friend nail Dig Dug V4 in perfect style, first go. After this sweet send, we cruised right down the hill to work on Razors Edge V7. Pretty sweet problem, and thankfully today I was able to put together the send right after Lindsay was able to get hers. Wayne sent two days before. Next, we went over to the Moondye boulder and did some work and eventually we ended up back in the S. Idahos. There I was able to send a cool direct mantle finish to The Crescent, which ticks in at V6, and has to be one of the scariest problems that I've ever sent. And I did it twice today. I also repeated a silly little V3 dyno "Dirty Bitch", a V2, and a V1 arete. Pretty busy day and needless to say I'm pretty worked right now. It's looking like a rest day.
Here are some pictures that Matt Duck took of sendage on Moondye Boulder, New Years Eve!
Working Chuckwagon V6 with bad beta and really missing the chuck:
Chuck stuck:
Kind of a highball topout:
Working on Cloud of Stars V7. It's soooo hard:
Hitting a big move to a dimple. Can't really call it anything more since there isn't hardly a hold there. It was very cold too:
Sending Moondye Stand V4. Ignore body my slamming into the wall and the manky topout:
It's looking like some rain will be moving in tomorrow and we'll be taking a rest day to rejuvenate and get psyched for Sunday at Fontaine Red! Pretty pumped as I've been wanting to make it there for like a month. Hopefully, I'll be coming back with more good news of sends!
After this we headed over quickly to the S. Idahos and watched a friend nail Dig Dug V4 in perfect style, first go. After this sweet send, we cruised right down the hill to work on Razors Edge V7. Pretty sweet problem, and thankfully today I was able to put together the send right after Lindsay was able to get hers. Wayne sent two days before. Next, we went over to the Moondye boulder and did some work and eventually we ended up back in the S. Idahos. There I was able to send a cool direct mantle finish to The Crescent, which ticks in at V6, and has to be one of the scariest problems that I've ever sent. And I did it twice today. I also repeated a silly little V3 dyno "Dirty Bitch", a V2, and a V1 arete. Pretty busy day and needless to say I'm pretty worked right now. It's looking like a rest day.
Here are some pictures that Matt Duck took of sendage on Moondye Boulder, New Years Eve!
Working Chuckwagon V6 with bad beta and really missing the chuck:
Chuck stuck:
Kind of a highball topout:
Working on Cloud of Stars V7. It's soooo hard:
Hitting a big move to a dimple. Can't really call it anything more since there isn't hardly a hold there. It was very cold too:
Sending Moondye Stand V4. Ignore body my slamming into the wall and the manky topout:
It's looking like some rain will be moving in tomorrow and we'll be taking a rest day to rejuvenate and get psyched for Sunday at Fontaine Red! Pretty pumped as I've been wanting to make it there for like a month. Hopefully, I'll be coming back with more good news of sends!
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