Trad Killa!

Back in Squamish

Went up to Squamish on Thursday night for an extended weekend trip. Unforenatly it was rather unproductive but I had a good time none the less so its ok. I went up with Elise and Eli from Portland and on Friday Bret Emma and Chris came up. We tried a lot of good problems, including Defender of the Faith , Jim Carey , Black Hole , The Great Esce , Worm World Low, The Egg, Backseat, and Sesame Street. Bret got a nice send of Sesame Street and I managed to send the Bulb but that was about it. Chris fell off reaching for the top out jug of Worm World Low on his second go and I feel at the same point the next day. Eli did Razorburn, a problem that I am convinced is actually like 3 grades harder tha n anyone calls it and Elise did Trad Killer. Here are a few pictures, and if some footage edits up nicely I will post that later. Unfortenatly it rained on Sunday making climbing difficult and that was followed by a fun 3 hours sitting at the boarder.

Bret tries the first move of Defender of the Faith

Chris sticks the dyno on Defender of the Faith

Eli on Trad Killer

Bret on the Great Escape

Eli on Trad Killer

Squamish, Part Two

Simon on Frontside (V12)

Simon nears the crux mantle of Ride the Lightning (V8)

Me on Backseat

Boyko on Blackhole

Frontside

Squamish, Part One

Just got back from five days in Squamish. Climbed a few of the things I wanted to including Sharma's Link and No Troublems, both V10. Simon continued his rampage of doing everything he puts his mind to and Boyko continues to improve from his finger injury with sends of The Egg (V11), Backseat (V10), Blackhole (V10), and Velcro (V10). James also continued to improve his outside climbing abilities with a send of World World Cave (V9), the first for him of the grade. Here is a little video I put together but it is nothing special. Stay tuned for pictures.

Leavenworth Photos

Simon on the Epoxy Flake (V10)

Simon sending the Practitioner (V12), Forestland

Simon on the Flake Problem (V7), Forestland

Boyko on the Hueco Project (V11?)

Me on Atomic Energy

Simon on Atomic Energy (V4/10)

Simon on the Ram (V12), Mad Meadows

Me on the Peephole, V11 Mad Meadows

James on an unnamed V6, Mad Meadows

Back in Leavenworth

Have not posted for a while but it guess it is cause I have not been outside for far too long. Finally got back to Leavenworth for Friday Saturday and Sunday. We had quite the crew and ran into a lot of people we knew. Here is what went down: On Thursday night we arrived and at midnight Simon sent Big Booty Bitch Slap (v10) second go. He also did the Peephole at around 2 am third go (v11). Simon continued his rampage the next day sending The Ram (v12), The Cotton Pony (V10), The Coffee Cup (v10 after break), onsited Atomic Energy (v10), and flashed The Lonly Fish (v9). I had a very disapointing Friday and Saturday of climbing was did not manage to climb anything. However, Sunday everyone had a pretty good day. Simon sent the Practitioner (v12), a problem put up by Herm Fisner, and the Epoxy Flake (v10). Boyko and me sent the Coffee Cup and I also got Musashi (v9) on my first go of the day. Sorry for all the spray but it was an eventful trip and I had to put that out there. I was also psyched to see that people from out of Washington are starting to make stops at Leavenworth because it is fully worth it. Rob, Dave M. and Seth all had good sends two weekends back. Tonight or tomorrow I will post some of the pictures I got, I think there should be some dope stuff.

Good day at Goldbar

After a late start we arrived at the Five Star boulder late in the afternoon. I had a good day. Did Rossbongo my second try of the day and I am going to have to call it V9. Then I chilled for a while and did Ebreosity first try. I had been climbing ropes a bit and I guess the little endurance I gained helped. Here is a video Boyko shot and I edited.

Worked

Boyko and I got in a short trip to Squamish this weekend. Returned late Sunday night after hearing reports that it would be raining for the next week there and because of how absolutly worked we had gotten. Back to back 8 hour session days with almost non-stop climbing had reduced our psych on getting on anything hard. I managed to climb my first V6 in Squamish and also Rookie and Boyko got a quick ascent of Salad Shooter (V10). I am psyched to return for Worm World Cave Low, Backseat, No Troublems, and Sharma's Link.

Boyko on The Serpent

Me on Backseat

Back at the Five Star

Yesterday I went back to Goldbar with Boyko to try and finish off the two climbs I tried on Monday at the Five Star Boulder. I first went to Ebreositeey and spend a good deal of time trying it and made some clear progress but could not manage to stick the move to the lip from the start. After a while I moved onto Rossbongo, which felt extreamly hard because my tips were hurting at this point in the day. I decided to give the topout a scrub to get some of the moss off and come back for it another day.

The crux move of Rossbongo

Above and below: Ebreositeey

Goldbar Yo

So my new V10s are SO small but that is ok cause I also found a pair of pretty new pair of V10s that I totally forgot that I had under my bed so I was ready for whatever Goldbar had to throw at me. At least I thought. I wanted to flash Ros Bongo, which I got the the last hard throw and could not hold. After a bit more work I got to the top out but the key slot to pull over the lip was full of wet moss from a rainy spring. I guess I will have to return for the actual send when it has been drier. Next I did this cool thing Boyko said was V7 but I am upgrading it to V8 cause it felt impossible for a long time. Then I worked Ebreositee, a V11 that at first felt really hard but I was albe to do in two pieces and if I am less worked then I think I would be able to link. I shall return on Wednesday.

Using the Flash

Unnammed V7/8 just to the right of Ebreosity

New Shoes

Shoes have been an issue for me for a while and I finally took some inititive and solved my problems. Shelia, the sponsorship person at Five Ten, quit and her replacement is on his honeymoon, which leaves me high and dry for getting free shoes any time soon. I should have a pair of dragons coming but they were supposed to be here weeks ago so in light of all this I ended up buying a pair of new V10's. I actually got a good deal, 60 bucks brand new, but I still had to pay. They are size 9 which is smaller than I have worn in the past so we will see how they handle themselves at Goldbar tomorrow.

Leavenworth is the Shit

I got back to Seattle from Colorado on Wednesday and Thursday afternoon I headed out to Leavenworth on the east side of the Cascades. I think this place might be some of my favorite granite I have climbed on. Boyko and I headed to the Beach first with the intention of me doing Goicoechea (V10) while I was fresh as to not have to return later to finish it off. Things worked out and I was able to send in a few hours. Next we went to Mad Meadows we I was able to do The Sail (V9) and then worked The Hueco Project and The Ram to no avail. At Mad Meadows we ran into a crew from Portland including Adam and Kendra. We camped with them and the next day went to Forrestland where I saw many of the classic climbs I have heard about. Worked this V10 for a while but could get all the moves and then Boyko ran up this highball V6 with a hard topout. Next we sessioned The Coffee Cup (V11) and The Practitioner (V12). Good progress was made on the Coffee Cup and I feel like it could go with some more work. We finished off the day with a little work on this classic unnammed V8/9 but my tips were shot so we headed back to Seattle.

Trying the first (and crux) move of Goicoechea

Boyko getting high on an unknown V6

Adam near the end of a new V10 linkup done last weekend by Jonny

Locking off on an unnammed V7 at the Beach

Night Session

No climbing since Saturday and Ander and I had begun to develope a hardcore case of cabin fever. Plans to go to Evans on Monday fell through with a loss of transportation and rain all day today kept us inside until around 7 pm when we finally got out to the Millennium Boulder. Everything was dry and we were able to get on a number of different problems. I actually was able to stick the first two moves of Moonchild, something that felt impossible a couple days ago. Purity Control seemed about as hard but could also definatly still go. Ander and I ended up just messing around on this V3 that we should not see any of the holds on and then bouncing around 11 pm. Tommorrow I head back to Seattle and Thrusday it is off to Goldbar for some good Washington granite sessioning with Boyko.

School is Out!

So I cannot put stuff onto the Colorado College servers while not at school cause my computer is an old school pile of crap so I decided to make a temporary blog for the summer. A little less control this way but way easier for the time being. The last block of the year is over and I am hanging out in Colorado trying to get a little climbing in before I head back to Seattle. Max Ben Andrew and Ander have all been here at various times but all have left now but Ander. We have had some good sessions at a variety of areas but have not yet been able to make it up to the alpine bouldering that Colorado offers. Hopefully tomorrow we will be able to head to Evans or RMNP but we will have to play it by year. So far we have been to the Millennium Boulder, Clear Creek, the Flatirons, and Flagstaff. I managed to send Captain Hook and The Turning Point in the Flatirons and some V7 at the Millennium Boulder. I have also decided that Ghostdance and Moonchild are impossible and discovered that the Dark Waters boulder is unclimable due to a raging Clear Creek. I will for sure be back next year for The Animal, Purity Control, and Hallow's Way. Here are a few shots of climbing and a few random ones I took using my new flash.

The Animal Clear Creek Canyon at 1 Am in the morning

Ben at Ute Pass below his Project

Byron chillin before Ben arrived for a session

Ben on Purity Control at the Millennium Boulder