Batman and Abstraction Video

Here is a short little video of two problems in Leavenworth, Washington. I thought I had lost this footage until yesterday when I found it on a random thumb drive. I climb Batman (V8) and Bryan Boyko climbs Abstraction (V11). Abstraction is one of those very unique blocs that is suspended between other boulders in a talus field. I was able to climb this line just after Bryan and it is still one of my favorite in Leavenworth. Enjoy.

Milky Dreams

Owen Anderson got the first ascent today of a cool crimp line a few minutes up Highway 24 from Ute Pass. He named it Milky Dreams and we think V9 sounds about right. The line is great, right up the center of a large block. Unfortenatly, I split my tip and will have to wait a bit before repeating this sharp gem of a climb.

The line starts matched on a good incut where Max's right hand is.

Me almost sticking the crux second move. The difficulty revolves around perching on a very poor foot and catching a crimp before swinging out from the wall.

Clear Creek Canyon

Today I took a rare excursion to the north. We started our day off at the New River Wall. After a good warm up and some not so good burns on Dark Waters, we headed back to 268. We made the death march up to Stanley Kubrick. After a lot of failed effort, Nick and I were both able to put the climb together. Getting it done back to back and the end of the day felt nice, not to mention the nice feeling of finishing up a hard boulder problem in a day.

Cold, Cold Southern Colorado

It has been sunny but cold in Southern Colorado. Today, Kieffer, Julia, Ben and I headed south to seek some quality stone out. It has been a bit since I climbed outside and it felt nice. Overall, a good day with friends.

Nick's Trailside Sloper Problem (still to be named)

Austin's Side Canyon Arete (also still to be named)

Playing with my flash

A large ice waterfall above Austin's arete

Bobba Fett Arete

Today I went up to Ute Pass with Byron and his cousin Chris. We met up with Nick and Than and after some delay decided to try an old project of mine. I had dubbed it the Bobba Fett Arete but never been able to figure it out by myself. The group psych came together today and Than managed the first ascent of this very cool line. It starts left hand on a crimp and right gastoning a sloper about a foot to the right, both about head height. Than decided to stick with my old name and we think it is probably around V8.

Evilution

Here are a couple of photos that my friend Brian Sweeny took of me trying Evilution. Despite getting through the first crux many times, I could not put the middle of this rig together. Next trip I will have to try it at the start of the day instead of last...

Goldbar

Today Owen and I made the trek up to Goldbar. It was a nice day and everything was dry. We warmed up and I was able to repeat Twisted (V10) and the Rubix Cube (V9). I came very close to also getting back up Equinox but could not manage it. We spent most of our day at Lighten Up (V9). A large amount of work had been put into the landing since I tried it last and it was much less scary. I stuck the crux move in isolation and came very close to latching the same hold from the start. Guess I will have to try it in six months again like usual. I also put some effort into the newly done Positive Vibrations, which was fun and interesting but also very hard feeling. I probably will not get back out until January 5th or so when I am back in Colorado Springs. Until then.

Bret Johnston gets a blog

My good friend Bret just created a blog to chronicle his travles. He will be in Bishop until just after the first of the year and should have some good updates when he gets back. Check it here.

Bishop

I arrived back in Seattle for the holidays last night. I have been in Bishop since my last post. I will write a bit about my trip there in the next couple days, but for now I will just share a few photos.

Kyle on the Mandala

Max on Evilution

Bret on Green Wall Essential

Saigon boulder by night

Big Bend

After a long hiatus from real rock, I am back on the road. I spent the last day and a half at Big Bend. For the size of the area, this is one of the best places on can go, especially in the winter. My primary goal was to work on Hellbelly. I had two long sessions on it and came away with still not having done all the moves. I am already planning a return visit in January for another round with this prize line. In other news, I did manage to get to the top of two V10s today. The first was Return of the Jedi, a low traverse that has surprising fun movement. I then polished off Big Horn Beaver, an amazing upwards rising sloper battle. I came very close to sending early in the morning but had to wait until the sun went down (and the rock to cool off) to hold the tension of the crux from the start. Tomorrow I will be in Red Rocks to check out the bouldering of Black Velvet Canyon, before Bishop on Friday.

Castleton Tower creating its own weather

A snowy and cold north side of Big Bend

Blurry self-portrait on Big Horn Beaver

Back at Last

I have been traveling for a while now and have finally settled into Colorado Springs for a couple days. I will be leaving again on Monday to Moab, Red Rocks, then Bishop. Very excited. I have been training a bunch to try and get some fitness back and am starting to feel good again. Today Max and I headed up to a new block a bit past Ute Pass and worked on a cool line. Crimps and pinches up a slight overhang. Probably around V9 or 10. Here is Max sticking the opening move.

The Black Dahlia

I posted about a project a couple weeks ago in Joe's Valley. I got a text from Silven yesterday saying that Mike Bockino had completed it. This problem can now join the ranks with the best Joe's has to offer. A true stunner. Check out the video:

Last days at the Red

The end of my time in the Red was good. I continued to check out new crags and on my second to last day I decided I had developed enough endurance to head to the Motherlode. WOW! That is a crag! I got on some amazing lines and managed to top a few of them out. Tomorrow I am heading to Rome, Italy to hang out with my family for two weeks. Until then, cheers.

Matty on No Redemption, Bob Marley Wall

Undertow Wall, the Motherlode

Ander trying Kaleidesope, Drive-by Crag

More from the Red

I decided to take a rest day today. Being as I have climbed for as many as 25 days on, I thought I could stay on for 10 days here. But I have never sport climbed at a high level for so many days and while I still had power yesterday, I could tell my endurance was starting to be drained and my muscles wanted a rest. I did not bring my desktop to Kentucky (duh), so I download Picasa as substitute to Lightroom and Photoshop. Between working on my senior thesis proposal on developing a new paleothermometer using Strontium/Calcium ratios in carbonate nodules (I know, I am dork), I messed around a bunch with Picasa as a break and came up with these. Enjoy.

RED RED RED

Climbing has been going great. I feel like I am getting endurance and leaning how to keep the pump under control as I continue to move quickly up walls. I feel alright resting on jugs but things seem to work better when I just keep moving and shake a bit on every move. We have been checking some sick walls out: Roadside, Left Flank, Military, Solar Collector, Gold Coast, Biblioteque, and Midnight Surf. I love the names of some of the walls here. I have especially enjoyed going to less popular walls. The routes there are just as amazing but there will "only" be 5 mega classics as opposed to 15 (plus nobody else at the crag). Today I was able to fight my way to the top of Shiva, an amazing 13b at Midnight Surf, on my second go. It is as hard of a climb as I have ever sent and while it was cool to connect with something harder, some of the 12s I have onsited have felt a lot harder. It will be interesting if I can really take a step forward for myself in the next week here. Huge shout out to Dan Dalton for spending some serious hours on a rope today and snaping some photos.

Me sticking the dyno at the end of the crux sequence on Shiva

Ander on Iniquity

Me trying to "manage the pump" through the easier climbing of Iniquity

Red River Gorge

Dan and I survived the epic drive out to the Red. We were pretty inefficient at leaving and did not get out of Denver until 1 pm on Saturday. We crashed at the gate (which locked at 10pm) to a state park in Missouri for 4 hours before waking up to a shotgun going off somewhere nearby. We got in the car quickly and continued east. After getting in yesterday afternoon, we headed straight to the Roadside crag, where I onsited a couple of low end 12s. Today, I woke up with all the symptoms of the flu. I have about 10 more days here, so the first order of business is to get better while still trying to develop some endurance. I will take some photos soon and post again.

Entry on Five Ten's Blog

I recently wrote a little blurb for the Five Ten blog. If you read my stuff normally, then you will have seen the photos but the text is all new. Check it here.

Project...

The Obelisk

I took a bunch of shots of this amazing line because it was so beautiful. I got to the lip once and it took everything I had. The mantle seems to be a whole other crux that I was not able to do. Amazing incuts on black rock into a outstanding compression sequence up the arete with a left hand undercling. Totally my style of climbing; I thought it was one of the best things I have been on at Joe's. 1st tier for sure and on the very top of my list for when I return.

Drawn back to Joe's

Silven and I spent the last four days climbing and exploring Joe's Valley. The weekend was busy but we managed to avoid all crowds with short hikes up to new problems. This trip more so than any previous one really showed me how much potential is left in Joe's Valley. This fall I have spent a combined three weeks in Joe's and have seen undone lines that are as good as the best established problems and that are only a few minutes from the road. I honestly think Joe's Valley is the best bouldering area in North America for its quality of stone, amazing variety of holds, beautiful lines, and great movement. The ease of camping there is a huge bonus too. There are some undone projects that I am really excited about and I will be returning at the start of December, weather permitting, to try them. Here are some photos.

Silven trying Gentleman's Project. Getting the spot from Douglas!

Ryan Young on Godsend. One of the best new problems I have seen. Head straight up the drainage from Eden for longer than you think you need to for this one.

Silven on Skull.

Barracuda, above the Wills boulder just a bit. This guy has the best mantel I have done in Joe's.

Ryan getting his pinch on for the crux slam dunk move on Barracuda.

Me on Botox Stand.