Indian Creek

After Joe's, I meet up with Kevin and we spent five days climbing the amazing sandstone splitters of the Utah desert. As always it was really amazing and I am very excited to go back. I checked out a bunch of new walls that I had never been to and tried some of the best climbs I have seen in the Creek. I climbed a bunch of rad stuff but of particular note was a 5.12- offwidth that I was able to send. Brother from Another Planet ascents 50 feet of moderate climbing then cuts out a 10 foot roof which you climb upside down, with you feet camming above you. Tim tried it first, and while this method to get rightside up did not work, it was a proud effort and yielded some fun pictures.

View of the creek from the Fin.

Tim and the start of the inverted climbing.

Tim trying to rotate 180 degress to get back upright in the offwidth.

Tim's shoulder after one too many big cracks.

More From Joe's

Ryan Held on his problem River Runs Through It (V8). One can find this bloc by driving past the 6 mile marker in Left Fork and parking on the right, opposite of an access road to the dam, and walking up the drainage a minute or two.

Kelsey on one of Rocco's new problems, Raiden (V8). This problem is five to ten minutes uphill in Left Fork. Park in the first large lot on the left after Big Joe, walk back a couple hundred yards to the drainage and follow the cairns.

Ryan Silven's new problem Dunwoody (V8). This problem is located on the backside of the Raiden boulder. Start on the two good underclings and move up. If you are short the second move is hard, if you are tall the first is.

Ryan Held trying Silven's other new problem, Can I Borrow a Fellin'. This problem is the first boulder you pass as you hike up to Raiden and is only 10 yards or so off the road.

Ryan trying Trent's Mom.

Last days at Joe's

The last two days at Joe's have been very productive. On Tuesday, I onsited a cool problem across the river called Moment of Truth. V10 has been sugested for this bloc but as a taller person it felt a tad easier. That day I also flashed Black and Blue and Moby Dick, both V6. Then on Wednesday, I flashed an amazing problem called River Runs Through It (V8), then did Dunwoody, Raiden, and Love in an Elevator (all V8). I went on to get the second ascent of Silven's new problem, Can I Borrow a Fellin', which he suggested V10 for. I also sent Bow to the East after it broke, which is probably V9 or V10, then finished up the Ghost King (V11). Probably my best day of climbing ever.

I only take pictures of Silven...

Playmate of the Year (V9)

Playmate again

Ryan trying some hard beta on the Ghost King

Coming close to sticking the crux of Jitterbug Perfume

Back in Joe's

I got back to Joe's Saturday afternoon. I ran into Rylan Marshall and we worked Beyond Life, Lumberjack Low, and Eden. I came closer than I ever had on all of these climbs but could not finish them up. The next morning we headed towards New Joe's. I warmed up on an awesome slab that felt very hard and ended up spliting my tip just before doing it. Bummer! After a beta rundown from Jamie, I started working the Ghost Kingand and had some good goes. However, the combination of tape on my split tip and warming temps ended my day on it. I was going to rest for the remainder of the day but ran into Silven and his friend Phillip and got coaxed into trying Playmate of the Year and Battletoads. In the end it was worth it because both Silven and I completed these awesome rock climbs. Today was my fourth day on but I still made progress on the Ghost King, however I could not bring it all together for a send. I will be back for this excellent climb when it gets colder and my skin is not so oozy. Now I am hanging out in town to force myself to rest. Hopefully it will pay off with more good news to come.

Photo Published in Squamish Magazine

I got a picture that I took a while ago of my friend Eli (who also just started her freshman year at Colorado College) on Trad Killer published in the second issue of Squamish Magazine. I am really psyched on the recent trend of online magazines because it not only provides another outlet for amateur photographers like myself to get their work out there but forces the print publications to not publish crap like they do in order to stay in business. Check the second issue here.

Last Day in the SoCo

Yesterday I finished up Pretentious Vendor of Invention for the 3rd ascent. I am going with V10 for this one. I tried this problem for six days, which makes me think it might be harder than Silven's suggested V9+. I also climbed the other arete on the opposite side of the same overhang. The problem starts at head height with a good right hand sidepull and a small left hand crimp. A campus move to a sloper leads one onto the arete, where you continue up with heel hooks, bumps, and compression. I am calling it BEARS!, and suggesting V8.

Midnight Lightning

My friend Ted shot this video of me and posted it to my Vimeo account. It is a bit blurry on the first couple moves but captures the business well. Respect.

Last Update before heading to Utah

Despite some windows of bad weather here on the Front Range, I have been getting down south. Some problems were wet on Friday but we found some dry stone in places. First up was Walk Softly, in my opinion the best problems in the SoCo. Owen Anderson came very close but could not manage a send. Then we went up to the New Sector where Owen sent Uncivilized (V8). Owen threw to the lip left handed, which I had never seen anyone else do and felt nearly impossible to everyone else who tried to follow suit. Kieffer came very close and I think he will be climbing his first V8 soon. We went back on Monday with much better weather. On his first go of the day, Owen hiked through the crux of Walk Softly and then dropped after over a minute of trying to figure out what to do next. Later, Owen took the most ridiculous fall ever, pitching off near the top of Walk Softly and falling down the hill, past the pads, onto his back without hurting himself. Unfortunately, I did not get video of it. I also made good progress on Walk Softly, nearly sticking the crux move. We then moved up canyon to the New Sector but I was not able to finish off Pretentious Vendor of Invention. Hopefully I can pull it together tomorrow, which will be my last day in Southern Colorado for two or three weeks because I am heading to Utah. For now, check out this sweet picture of a black bear that wandered onto Colorado College's campus this weekend and climbed up into a tree.

Short Video of Failure

Quick Visit to Southern Colorado

We woke up to bad weather in Gunnison on Sunday and I made a quick decision to head to the Springs. I have spent the last two days doing some bouldering. The conditions are prime and beautiful golden trees abound. I made a lot of progress on Silven's arete in the New Sector, falling off the move to the lip a number of times today and yesterday. Hopefully it will go down on Thursday. Silven and I also tried another line on the backside of the Old Gaurd bloc that will be pretty cool. Interesting compression moves with toe hooks and some bad slopers. Sit looks like a 8B Schulte project. Got some video of a few sends yesterday. Enjoy.

Black Canyon

After the Creek I headed to Gunnison to meet up with John and do some Black Canyon climbing. John settled on us trying to do two shorter routes. The first up with Trilogy (5.12- R, 6 pitches) and the second was Midsummer Night's Dream (5.11-, 5 pitches). While we did not get climbing until 9:30 in the morning, we were off Midsummer by 6:30. A good pace I thought. Trilogy was an awesome route, definitely the better of the two. The first pitch was a 5.11+ R pitch that John led. In 120 feet there were three bolts and little other good gear. John led it smoothly, protecting the crux off of a fixed bashie head. I led the next pitch. The guide called it 11- but it was more like 11+ and after 80 feet of steep flared fingers I was pumped and fell just a move or two before the end of the business. Another 10+ pitch followed before the crux pitch. I led up the crux, firing it onsite, which I was very psyched about. 30 feet or so of hard climbing up a finger crack to delicate face moves, all of which was through a classic Black Canyon pegmatite band (read: scary choss). The route eased up a bit after that with another 5.10 pitch and then an easy exit pitch. We then banged out Midsummer in about two and a half hours and headed back to Gunnison for some pizza.

Indian Creek

After waking up to rain in Joe's last Wednesday, I headed south to meet back up with Rich and Kevin in the Creek. I had been having some nagging stomach issues which was keeping my psych at a slightly lower level than the Creek normally produces. I tied into the rope five times in two days, including two top rope climbs but it was a lot of fun and I am starting to get over my fear of #1 camalots. I also played around on fixed lines a bit trying to snap some photos. The light was never ideal but I got a few reasonable frames.

Kevin sending Ananaki (5.12-), his first of the grade on gear

Can you name this spot? Its within an hour of the creek but not in Utah.

Rich sending a 5.11+ at the Cat Wall

More Joe's Valley

After three days of wearing this sweet blue shirt, I finally captured a good picture of Wes. Here is works the stand to Team Effort (V8).

Paul Nadler sending Mass Hysteria (V11/12)

Paul working his project to the right of the Afterthought. A good line on the most amazing holds I have seen at Joe's. Paul has done all the moves and made a few good links. Probably around 12 or 13.

Paul on the project again

Paul on the Fiery Furnace (V10). The problem sits above The Hulk in right fork and involves a very hard dyno, which none of us stuck.

Daryl on the Fiery Furnace

Joe's Valley

So a crew of 12 from Colorado College came to Joe's Valley for first block break. I met up with them on Thursday night and we got some good climbing in. Max and Owen were very psyched and both were feeling pretty fit. Here are the photos from while they were there but I will get the rest of my Joe's shots up shortly.

Max on Planet of the Apes (V6)

Max on that one V7 right of Freak

Owen on Beyond Life (V10)

Such an amazing boulder problem!

Owen working out They Call Him Jordan (V8)

More Yosemite

Tuolumne Meadows at sunset

Half Dome from Olmstead Point

The north face of the Rostrum

El Cap

Media Dump Begins: Yosemite Bouldering

I did not get a ton of photos while in Yosemite. Probably cause I went bouldering by myself early in the mornings or in the evenings for the most part. I was very impressed with what Yosemite had to offer and would love to spend some more time there later in the fall when temps are crisp.

Rich on Bachar Cracker (sandbagged V4). I tried this problem once and tore a large flap of skin off on the back on my middle finger yarding the the lock Rich has with his left hand. Regardless, a very classic bloc and harder feeling than Midnight Lightning.

We headed up to Tuolumne one afternoon to hang out and do a bit of bouldering cause it was too hot in the valley. We drove by some cool looking blocks near the road and decided to stop. This was a great bloc in the classic Tuolumne nob style.

Me on the same problem

Kevin working Atlantis (V6) in Lower Merced Canyon. This was a nice spot to come bouldering since we could jump in the river if we got too hot. The V10 I did is just to the right of this problem.

Night session on Yabo Roof (V12), the best problem I tried or saw while in Yosemite. It was 11pm and still around 70 degrees.