Web Crag

2009 SLC OR Mammut Bouldering Championships

2009-07-24T15:39:00.000-07:00

The Mammut Bouldering Championships at the 2009 Summer Outdoor Retail (OR) show started off slow, with both the initial women and men competitors not topping out a single route. At first you questioned the route setters, thinking it may be too tough for anyone. Or, maybe it was the 90+ degree heat and sun beaming down on slopers and crimps that was making it impossible for anyone to top out.

Then, Alex Johnson, Alex Puccio, Lisa Rands, Daniel Woods, Paul Robinson and Julian Bautista took their turns -- some of them flashing several of the routes. Both Alex' flashed the first three routes and timed out before topping out the final route. Johnson won by completing two more moves than Puccio, who had previously won over Johnson at the World Cup finals. The last route for both genders seemed to be the hardest and required the most juice.

For the men, the last route typically included a rose move or some sort of 360 cross-through over three separate holds. In the men's division Daniel Woods took first place by flashing all but one route. Julian Bautista made a surprising triumph over Paul Robinson by topping out all routes and placing second. He definitely appears to be one to look out for.

Photos by Leland Marshall

You can see video of the comp by going to http://www.video.ne2cproductions.com/
or through http://www.boulderingcomps.com/

Final comp results: http://www.boulderingcomps.com/index.php?id=26

AF Hole

2009-07-01T16:15:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Brady Robinson, Access Fund's executive director, was in town to test out the local limestone, discuss access issues with Central Texas Mountaineers (CTM), and on other business. Myself and Gary Ellis, CTM president, took him out climbing on Lake Travis on my boat to appease his appetite for water soloing. On the way out we discussed some access issues in San Antonio and our interest in aggressively assisting in educating locals and building relationships to open new and old areas to climbing. Hopefully we'll have some progress there to discuss in the coming months.

We arrived at Pace Bend Park around 8:30 a.m. and headed straight to Cow Creek Cove to do some soloing. The crags are a little chossy, but what do you expect from rock that has been submerged for over a decade? Austin is experiencing quite the drought this year and water levels are dropping about a half a foot a day at the lake. This is good and bad. Bad for obvious reasons, but good for the fact that it's opening up new climbing areas, new first ascents and onsights. It's also making what were once mere boulder problems into 30+ foot routes, which doesn’t seem so short when you’re topping out a crux on an unknown route that has never been cleaned.

We were spent after a short three or four hours, but were all satisfied. Brady even ticked what was most likely an FA on a great route that spat me off several times when I relied too heavily on some loose footholds. If it was an FA, he's calling it AF Hole. Check out the pics from the day after when we had a crew of six boats representing. If you haven’t been water soling in Austin you are missing out. Come on!

Deep Water Soloing in Central Texas - A Growing Armada

2009-06-24T16:08:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I went out on one of many water soloing excursions to come this summer. With Texas being so hot (102 degrees today), climbing outside has been about as motivating as paying to work. Even the gyms here don’t see the need to turn on their AC’s – combining Bikram Yoga with pulling plastic. I haven’t climbed more than a handful of times over the past month or so due to this reality, ultimately becoming a fair-weather climber.

The rock wasn’t bullet hard, but it was super steep and crazy fun. Top outs were around 30 feet, with the crux often conveniently positioned at the top. There’s nothing like that adrenaline rush you get from sending a crux move that would otherwise have left you doing a reversed belly flop. There were nearly a dozen of us out on three boats. The Austin armada has grown to six boats now and I wouldn’t doubt it if more flee the gym and join the fleet. The lake is evaporating, but there are so many limestone crags on the Colorado that I think we’ll have plenty of updates to come as the summer continues to heat up.
Photo credit: Erik Moore

Positive growth in outdoor retail - OIA news release

2009-06-22T18:41:00.000-07:00

This news release was originally posted on The Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) - See link at end for full release.

April Outdoor Sales Indicate Declines Easing, Shoppers Returning

Boulder, Colorado, June 10th, 2009 — Retail sales for all core outdoor stores combined (chain, internet, specialty)* grew 2% compared to last April, moving from $339M to $347M, according to the most recent edition of The Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) Outdoor Topline Report, produced for OIA by the Leisure Trends Group. Sales for the four months of the year totaled $1.4B, down 5% from the same period in 2008.

Outdoor Chain – Shoppers Return
According to the OIA Outdoor Topline Report, chain stores saw sales surge 20% in units and 18% in dollars. Every major product category (equipment, equipment accessories, apparel and footwear) and most sub-categories gained. Products that appeal to families and car campers fared especially well. Recreation tent sales shot ahead of last April by 78% in units and 64% in dollars. Sun shelters were up 88% in units and three-season recreation tents, retailing for $124, jumped 71%. Synthetic fill rectangular bags, retailing for $32, increased 82% in units whereas the more technical synthetic mummy bags, at $99 retail, grew 31%.

Outdoor Specialty – Declines are Slowing but Not Yet Reversing
In specialty stores, April declines were not as severe as in past months, as total sales fell 1% in units and 4% in dollars compared to April 2008. So far this year, all specialty unit sales declined 6% and dollars fell 10%. Each major product category (equipment, equipment accessories, apparel and footwear) saw single-digit declines compared to last April. There were bright spots this month, too, as synthetic sleeping bags, medium-sized packs, climbing gear, multisport shoes, hiking boots and various equipment accessory categories posted gains.

Outdoor Internet – Retail Prices Rise, Units Fall as Online Retailers Rein in Clearance Product
Internet sales totaled $54M this month, falling 20% in units, rising 4% in average retail-selling price and dropping 17% in dollars. All year, Internet sales have been sporadic, up 35% in January on huge carryover sales, down 9% in February, back up 14% in March and now down 17% in April. Higher retail-selling prices across many categories coupled with dramatically smaller carryover sales (defined as old and/or discontinued merchandise) point to either a lack of available merchandise and/or online retailers reigning in the amount of rock-bottom clearance priced product they are offering. If this is the case, total sales may have fallen but profit per turn might go up.

For more on this, see the whole release on the Outdoor Industry Association's news page: http://www.outdoorindustry.org/media.oia.php?news_id=5435

Competition is heating up in the outdoor industry in Texas

2009-06-22T18:22:00.000-07:00

A decade ago there was really only one place to shop for outdoor gear and apparel under one roof in Central Texas – Whole Earth Provision Company. Yes there were a few fishing or outdoor stores that carried one-off products and maybe even some climbing gear, however, they were short lived and rarely had everything you needed in one go.

Fast forward to 2009 and Austin alone has nearly a dozen stores that carry a decent variety of quality apparel including Whole Earth Provision Company, REI, St. Bernard’s, Backwoods, Patagonia and others. Each have their attributes and none carry a decent selection of climbing shoes. Whole Earth still has one of the more comprehensive apparel selections even over the three local REI stores, which I found surprising since the retail space is so drastically different.

One factor that makes this growth even more interesting is the increasing use of online mega-stores like Mountaingear.com and Moosejaw.com. It’s a good sign that there’s still a place for physical stores. It shows that each is creating a niche that is working for them and exceeds the experience of shopping online – since it’s nearly impossible to beat the deals you can find throughout the options provided online.

Myself, I still need to know it’s going to really fit. I want to try it out. Hold it in my hands. And, perusing the grounds of an outdoor store can actually be a stress reliever as compared to some of the other places we are forced to shop throughout our lives. It’s almost like you are feeding that itch to be out climbing or looking to inspire yourself to take a trip – can be a good break from the monotony of the work day.

It will be interesting to see how these companies stay competitive and how they position themselves to emerge as leaders in their own niches. They all have great potential.

Links:
www.wholeearthprovision.com
www.patagonia.com
www.backwoods.com
www.stbernardsports.com
www.rei.com

Granite Gripper Film Contest

2009-06-22T15:13:00.000-07:00

This year the Granite Gripper is hosting a climbing film contest alongside the regular comps. With all the locals picking up cameras and honing in their skills at documenting the climbing at local crags I look forward to this.

There have been several good videos dropping lately that get me as hyped as any pro sponsored feature (see example below). I hope there are some serious competitors and some great films that come of it. Film on!

Lake Travis Deep Water Soloing from VTP on Vimeo.

Links:
www.vimeo.com/4855697
www.centraltexasclimbingcommittee.com/gripper_files/Rock_Climbing_Film_Contest-1.pdf

OR is one month out!

2009-06-20T18:40:00.000-07:00

The outdoor retail and sports mega event, Summer OR, is coming up on July 21. The summer event is in SLC and hosts tons of fun for those involved in the industry. There's always time for hitting the local crags on the surrounding weekends. Check out the site for more details. I'll post more as the show gets closer. Let me know if you plan on going.

Link:
http://www.outdoorretailer.com/

Review: Arc'Teryx Rampart Long Shorts

2009-06-17T13:41:00.001-07:00

I never envisioned reviewing a pair of shorts; however, my recent trial of the Arc’Teryx Rampart shorts inspired me. I was pretty tired of the elastic waistband shorts that could barely stay up against the weight of my wallet, mobile and keys. Or, there’s the ones that are made for climbing and outdoors that all but deteriorate the first time you chimney or even sit on somewhat abrasive rock – you know who you are.

I kind of took a gamble with these just to see how they were and at the end of it I ended up ordering another pair. They are excellent for climbing, swimming or even just lounging. The material – a nylon/spandex blend – is sturdy, lightweight and breathable and the pocket design actually makes sense. Also, they are fit to size so no worries about relying on the elastic band being just right.

Overall I would give it a 9 out of 10. Price is $69.

Link:
http://www.arcteryx.com/Product.aspx?Mens/Pants-Shorts/Rampart-Long#Light-Athletic

Registration opens for 2009 Granite Gripper

2009-06-17T08:06:00.000-07:00

(Posted on behalf of CTCC)

That's right folks. This will be the 18th consecutive year for us!

We're really excited about this year's event as we'll be debuting a companion film contest to the climbing comp. We've taken input & lessons learned from year's past and poured our creative juices over trying to make this the best year yet.

Everything is made possible by our sponsors, volunteers and, of course, you! So mark your calendars for the weekend of October the 17th, 2009 as Gripper Weekend and come on down for a great time climbing on central Texas' best granite and socializing below the domes among our awesome climbing community.

As always, all money raised goes directly to the Friends of Enchanted Rock... our local ERock stewards who have tirelessly worked to not only maintain, but improve the quality of our trails and our experiences while visiting the park.

Please visit the granite gripper site at granitegripper.com (or you can just as well start at the CTCC's home page) for information regarding the film contest and how to register online. Act soon as we're offering incredible deals for online registrants!

Here's an early "Thanks Yall!" for everyone who can make it or help spread the word. We'll see ya at our beautiful Enchanted Rock SNA.

Wishing you safe & happy climbing!

The members of the Central Texas Climbing Committee,
Bill Gooch
Matt Twyman
Conrad Schaefer
Barry Wilson
Corey Fields
Gail McClanahan
James Faerber

Links:

http://centraltexasclimbingcommittee.com/gripper.html
http://www.centraltexasclimbingcommittee.com/home.html
http://www.friendsofenchantedrock.com/

Let’s try this again

2009-06-17T07:52:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know it’s been a while, but sometimes you have to take a break to have a quality return (no promises on that one). Just like with climbing – often you need rest so you can come back even stronger. Now that the temps are boiling once again in Texas, I must resort to getting my partial fix through the Webcrag. Not to say there aren’t positive aspects of the hot summers.

For instance, there’s water soloing in Central Texas, something that has grown exponentially over the past year (more to come on that). The other is getting pushed to take road trips seeking out fair weather. Plans are currently brewing for climbing trips in Montana, SLC and Cali. Let’s make the best of it. Stay tuned!

It's water soloing time

2008-07-25T15:14:00.000-07:00

Getting acclimated back to the Texas heat has been tough. As early as April I was seriously doubting my return and wondering if people could really climb in this heat and humidity. Then, I went to Pace Bend and reminded myself what climbing in Texas' summer is all about.

I didn't remember there being so many routes at Pace Bend when I lived here before, but the heat has apparently driven the growing Austin crowd to seek more routes above the cool waters of Lake Travis.

There's almost always a crew of folks out on the weekends and no matter what the lake levels are at there's typically a place that is safe to climb. If anything, the top-outs will just get more and more mental as the crags get taller and taller.

The routes are pretty consistent with other Austin cragging in that most of it is juggy and overhung. However, there are plenty of routes with vertical/technical features as well. Also, routes range anywhere from 5.5 - 5.13 so you are sure to be entertained for many summers to come.

Links:
http://bloodyflapper.com/main.php

Fontline airs "Storm over Everest"

2008-05-15T16:45:00.000-07:00

This week PBS aired a Frontline special covering the May 10, 1996 epic on Everest that was earlier revealed in Jon Krakaeur's book, Into Thin Air.

Go to the PBS link below to view an online version, explore a "Roundtable" of climbing ethics, view an interactive map that takes you through the events, and read other interviews/discussions around the special and epic Everest events.

Link:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/everest/
http://www.abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=4844914&page=1

Endurance and Competition

2008-04-02T20:57:00.000-07:00

I recently participated in my first climbing comp – The Limestoner in Austin, TX. In the past I avoided competing for a fear that it would potentially affect my passion for the sport. I always had this notion that mixing commercial interests (sponsors) and competition (climbing for a reason other than connecting with the environment) would take away from climbing’s purity.

But, I see it as a way to compete with myself. I entered the endurance portion of the competition. This awards the climber who climbs the most routes and at the hardest levels. And, since I had climbed 32 routes for my birthday a month or so earlier, I figured this would be a good opportunity to really push myself and see how far I could go, a notion I doubt any belayer could be as excited about. Luckily, I had a great buddy (Randy, a climber profiled in an earlier blog article) who was willing to help out.

Actually, when it came down to it, the fact that there were other competent climbers in the endurance portion pushed me even harder to keep going and try harder. Maybe I am competitive after all.

Regardless, the comp helped me push myself beyond any point I had experienced in the past and helped fuel my confidence for upcoming challenges.

Link:

http://www.ctmrocks.com/web/Limestoner_Summary.htm

Tufa City

2008-03-11T21:55:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back I went down to Mexico with a couple friends to climb the enormous tufa cave at El Salto, Mex. First of all, El Salto was unexpectedly at a pretty high elevation – considerably speaking at least. There were pine trees and the weather was nice and crisp…perfect sending weather.

The scenery was pretty amazing. The trees were sagging with long moss and we were crammed in this rocky valley about 200 meters across with towering limestone crags on either side. There seemed to be the potential for multi-pitch everywhere. But, you can climb multi-pitch in Potrero, we wanted to pull down on tufas.

The drive in was a sketchy 4x4 trail where we kept getting passed by teams of ATV weekenders that seemed to be barely making it themselves. The climbing was well worth it though.

Once we finally got on some routes, we found it to be some of the most amazing overhanging routes we’d touched. Nasfuratu has become one of my top ten routes and I still can’t stop thinking about the moves. It’s that perfect route that has consistent moves, requires technique and makes you think about every second you’re on the wall. Then, once you think it’s over, you have a huge throw to a semi-blind slot that you either get or you miss…

I plan on getting back out there again soon. Who wants to go?

Motivation: 31 routes and one for good luck

2008-03-02T09:09:00.000-08:00

It's crazy how much motivation plays as a factor to reaching certain goals in climbing. I have had days where I feel great physically, but am just not feeling the motivation from my climbing partners. It can be hard to concentrate and push yourself when your partner isnt saying a word and you have to look down to make sure they arent sleeping.

On the other end, if your climbing partner is psyched and wants to see you succeed, he/she will push you, read your emotions and even scream for you. That's when I do my best. Recently, I had my 31st birthday and I wanted to celebrate it by climbing my age in routes. The whole day I had a great friend belaying me and my girlfriend keeping me motivated. As a matter of fact, almost everyone at the crag was cheering for me and letting me run through on their routes and on their gear.

This kept me going and kept me psyched and not even considering giving up. Fear and tiredness didnt even enter my mind that day, whereas if a climbing partner is a wet blanket, I will sketch out on minimum run-out and take on a route I know I can crush.

It's important to stay psyched and climb with people that challenge you to push on. At least that's the case with someone like me who feeds off of the people around me. I also feel its important for me to keep my partners and other climbers psyched to keep the vibe up -- so go SEND IT!

Cobras are back?

2008-01-23T19:09:00.002-08:00

Apparently La Sportiva is bringing back the sorely missed Cobra. Currently available in Europe, the near perfect shoe is slated for a Fall USA market return.

Bout time La Sportiva!

http://lasportiva.com/catalogue/catalogo.php?cat=10&cod3=976&Language=EN

Sir Edmund Hillary 1919 - 2008

2008-01-13T20:23:00.000-08:00

The first to send Everest has passed. Hillary died at 88. The humble conquerer attributed most of his accomplishments to motivation and drive once stating, "I think it all comes down to motivation. If you really want to do something, you will work hard for it," a motto we could all live by.

New Years Resolution - To CRANK in 2008!

2007-12-28T07:54:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it's hard to stay motivated in climbing. Either you get sick of climbing at the same crags and on the same routes, you get injured, your partner keeps flaking, the weather sucks or dozens of other things keep you from staying psyched about climbing. One of the best things I have found is that setting hard, yet attainable goals can get you out of your funk.

If you have the discipline and the motivation to stay up with it, setting goals can make you stronger and more confident in your climbing than ever. Set a goal with a timeline that is reasonable and at a level not too high above your current ability. Then, create a "regiment" that will get you there. There are several training guide books you can pick and choose tips from.

If you have a goal in mind and a training schedule to stick to, even climbing at the gym will be motivating (which is near impossible for me). Also, sign up for e-newsletters or RSS feeds from online publications or blogs like Rock and Ice, Climbing Magazine, Lynn Hill's blog and Nicros' Training Center (link below). Having this available while at work will keep you going throughout the day and you may even learn something new. Be sure to keep climbing magazines, guide books and videos around too. Seeing people sending and researching potential routes you will send will keep you good and stoked.

So, stay psyched and motivated by setting a goal and sticking to a routine that will get you there. Happy New Year!

The below Nicros Training Center article touches on the same subject with more tips. Check it out:

http://www.nicros.com/archive/goal_setting.cfm

http://lynnhillblogs.com/

http://www.climbing.com/

http://rockandice.com/

34-mile Green Belt Expansion: Climbing?

2007-12-09T16:03:00.000-08:00

Article from Austin American-Statesman
New jewel planned in crown of trails: Walk-for-A-Day
November 10, 2007

For years, the City of Austin has quietly acquired thousands of acres of open space in western Travis and northern Hays counties but has offered the public few opportunities to enjoy them. Now, a nonprofit conservation group wants to use a small portion of that land as the foundation of a 34-mile trail from Barton Springs Pool to the city-owned Onion Creek Preserve at FM 150 near Kyle. The exact path and cost have not been determined.

The project is expected to take as long as five years and to be paid for with contributions from numerous public and private entities. The Hill Country Conservancy believes that city land can be used to form all but eight miles of the trail."Because of what the city has already done, it's not a task that seems to me out of reach," said real estate attorney and conservancy President Steve Drenner.Many details concerning funding, construction, maintenance, ownership and permitted activities have yet to be determined, but Austin is supportive of the project, which the conservancy has named Walk-for-a-Day.

See links for more info:
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/11/10/WEB1110bartonspringstrail.html http://www.hillcountryconservancy.org/news.php?a_id=42

Monster Rock

2007-11-21T09:19:00.000-08:00

With names like “Invisible Slayer of the Mad Arab Abdul Alhazrad” and “Nyarlathotep Arises from the Blackness of 27 Centuries” you can easily gather that the route developer and landowner, John Hogge, is a sci-fi and horror fan. The story behind “Invisible Slayer,” as I call it, is that once one reads this book (or climbs this route in this case) you become possessed with evil demons. After climbing it I didn’t feel possessed with demons, but I did feel possessed to keep coming back and climbing it.

“Invisible Slayer” in my opinion is now one of the best 5.11 routes in the Austin area. Around the corner in “The Pit” there are several other routes that would likely top the charts as well. Actually, there are many other, even harder, routes that have yet to be sent, leaving opportunities for a few first ascents (FA).

The area is small and has limited parking, but is an amazing climbing spot with routes that are sure to become Austin classics. When you walk in you are not horrified by a long approach. It’s actually only about 20 yards. You then make your way down a series of steps and ladders (sorry no dogs allowed). At the bottom you find a small canyon reminiscent of the Black Corridor at Red Rocks. The Pit hosts about 10 + routes on either side ranging from 5.8 – 5.12.

On the other side, facing the river, there is a monster traverse with several exit options and a witches stew (ok, that was bad) of routes ranging from 5.7 to 5.13. And yes, I mentioned river. The area is about 20 yards from the Pedernales River, making this a good spot to hit in the summer. Not only for the swimming, but because the temperatures in the canyon appear to be about five degrees cooler.

What? You only boulder? Don’t worry, there are over 20 boulder problems and likely more development to be had. So, if you want to check it out, visit John’s website and set up a visit. It’s private land so you have to check in with him first.

Web site description:
“Monster Rock (MR) is a private rock climbing area near Austin, Texas, currently hosting day-pass climbing for $5 on scheduled weekends announced on Austin Climbers, Climbing Buddies, and Erock Online forums. The day pass also lets you compete for prizes in a laid-back ongoing climbing contest. Soon, access will be available via affordable annual memberships.”

Link:
http://monsterrock.info/

Sharma on NPR

2007-11-05T11:20:00.000-08:00

"Climbing is [an] evolution. Where the standards today are the combination of the efforts of all of us who are climbing right now and all the people before us … standing on each others' shoulders," Sharma is quoted saying in the NPR article (link below).

The article introduces Sharma's new film King Lines and does a good job of introducing readers to the sport via Sharma's words.

Check the article out for more...

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15825820

Onsight contest at Monster Rock in Austin

2007-11-03T08:09:00.000-07:00

From John Hogge

Please register now for Monster Rock’s Onsight Contest. Simply email me (hogge@pobox.com) with:

1. your return email address

2. phone in case you change emails

3. your highest redpoint in the last 12 months. (I’ll confirm this with witnesses when determining the winners.)

The property is small, so I’ll schedule manageable sized groups (16-20) on weekend days 11am-sundown, until everyone’s done. We can exchange emails to coordinate a day when you can come. The cost is $10 on that day.

If you aren’t interested in competing, register anyway to climb recreationally on your scheduled day. This is a cheap way to preview MR to help determine whether a membership will be worth your money.

Forms and Information on the contest are at http://www.freewebs.com/johnhogge/onsightcontest.htm (but the rules are subject to change prior to the comp).

Information on Monster Rock is at www.monsterrock.info

This is a simple, mellow, two-bit back-woods Podunk one-horse-town comp run by 1-2 people to provide an interesting game for previewing MR. It will look pretty simple compared to those big city-slicker productions Limestoner and Gripper; no freebies such as t-shirts, Cliffbars, or discount coupons. No slide show at the end of the day. No bling besides the rock and some intense fun.

$8 to climb?

2007-10-26T13:40:00.000-07:00

I recently moved back to my hometown crag from a near three year “sabbatical.” During that time I was lucky enough to climb on some of the best rock from the Gunks in New York to Bishop in California. For the last year and a half of that time I have been blessed with SoCal weather and access to tons of great rock and route diversity.

I definitely feel like the different styles I climbed and different rock types, ethics, partners, etc. all helped me improve. However, the move from Cali to Texas definitely didn’t help my endurance. I don’t think I have climbed more than a handful of times in the past three months. I don’t even want to talk about my diet.

Regardless, being back at my hometown crag, where I started climbing, has been great. Not only because I have great local climbing partners and tons of limestone to crawl, but because I get to come back to the rock that I have plateau-ed on so many times with a new skill set and a new, diversified background.

The only bad thing is I think the NY and CA prices followed me back. My once $3 entry fee at the local crag is now a whopping $8. But, it was still worth it.

Rest?

2007-10-04T22:21:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back I went to Vegas to visit some friends, Jarrett and Crista, and climb some of the area crags. Our first stop was the Roost out at Mt. Charleston.

The area is named after the tourist attraction, Robber’s Roost, which often results in climbing becoming more of a spectator sport. The Roost is one of Vegas’ local summer crags with climbers visiting weekly. The drive is comparatively short as is the approach and many of the routes even have fixed draws to speed up the process, at least when hikers or other climbers haven’t snagged them.

I found a great route, Highway Man, which I thought I might try to flash. This did not happen. I actually didn’t even send it. Best I could guess, I rested too much. The route was long. The crux was at the top. Actually, the top 20 feet out of about 80.

My theory at the time was that I would climb up right below the crux and rest on these two decent crimps. I would shake out for a minute or two, then head half way through the crux before trying to rest again on crimps about half as good for another minute or so trying to get my heart rate and pump down. I hadn’t been climbing much lately and felt my endurance would crumble in the long crux.

This turned out to be my biggest mistake on this route. Although my pump went down slightly and my heart rate leveled out, I still had to finish out about 10 feet of strenuous crimpy climbing. Resting on crimps was not the answer. If the remainder of the route had been steep jugs, resting would have been a good idea, but it wasn’t.

The best thing for me to have done would have been to just bite down and go for it from the bottom up. At the least I should have left that last rest out. I almost always try to get a good shake out before a crux, but that apparently isn’t always the answer. You have to find a balance of resting for endurance yet not resting too much and ruining your power, especially on crimps. Although I didn’t send the route, I definitely walked away with some knowledge.

Review: Black Diamond Momentum Harness

2007-09-26T15:27:00.000-07:00

I recently bought the newest version of BD’s Momentum harness. The new harness has several upgrades and technical improvements that made it worth the buy. What I am most excited about is that they added an elastic Velcro band to prevent you from having to do yoga moves to keep your harness on your waste while strapping in. The material is also finer making it much more comfortable and allows it to glide through the buckles with more ease.

Overall the weight of the harness seems significantly less as well. The fabric seems to be much less rigid and the foam more comfortable. My biggest complaint about their previous version was that the plastic “stays” on the waste belt portion that hold the gear loops into place would dig into your waste if you were hang dogging or if you were belaying someone who was hang dogging. That was one of the most annoying things I had ever experienced about a harness. Luckily, this is not the case with the new version.

Although the new version is much more comfortable than the previous, my first day out I took two really big whippers and had bruises on my waste I had never experienced before that lasted about four days. I am not sure of the harness constricts more or if I am just gaining weight.

Black Diamonds description of the Momentum harness:

“The Momentum is functional across all disciplines. The waistbelt and leg loops are padded with seven millimeter closed-cell foam for comfort and lined with BD-Lux for breathability. The anatomically contoured, bullhorn-shaped waistbelt and Y-style leg loops allow unrestricted movement yet still provide support. An excellent, affordable all-around harness, it is equipped with four molded gear loops and a full-strength haul loop, so it’ll hold enough draws for a bolted endurance fest or enough pro for a gear-eating crack.”

I agree with everything except the last statement. That is actually my only complaint with this harness is that the gear loops are super small and really only hold about 5-6 draws each – not ideal for trad climbing or long multi-pitch routes requiring a lot of gear. Also, the main loops connected by the belay loop is smaller and a little harder to work with. It’s not restrictive, but will take a little getting used to.

Overall I would give it a 9 out of 10. Here’s the breakdown:

Waste belt: 10
Leg belts: 10
Belay loop and connected harness straps: 8
Gear loops: 7
Comfort: 10
Weight: 10
Ease of use: 10

Price: Low at $43

Link:

http://www.bdel.com/gear/momentum.php

Rest days in La Bufadora

2007-09-14T14:39:00.000-07:00

The area referred to as La Bufadora means blowhole in Spanish and is essentially a marine geyser that spouts every time a wave blasts through an area of underwater caves sending a spray of ocean water and a thunderous roar. According to WikiPedia, “folklore describes a baby whale entering the underwater cave over a century ago and becoming stuck. The spout of water is from the whale’s blowhole.”

La Bufadora is located on the Punta Banda Peninsula in Baja, Mexico. The peninsula is just south of Ensenada, Mexico, which is about an hours drive south of the border. Most American tourists don’t make it much further than Ensenada or Rosarito, making La Bufadora a bit of a retreat from the shot bars and pollution.

Jen and I headed from LA down to Ensenada, where we picked up fellow Austinites, Sean and Kristen, and cruised down to La Bufadora to Casa de Candaele(link below). The Casa was this solar-run, U-shaped house that rested on a mountain top overlooking the ocean. It was on several acres and had very few neighbors. We ultimately had the area to ourselves, which included crazy tide pools, lagoons, cliff-bands towering over the ocean, little private beaches and a Bocci court (of course we used it).

The crags were deceiving. They looked like perfect climbing spots, but would crumble in your hands as you applied any sort of pressure. The tide pools were amazing though. They were like little underwater gardens spread all along the beaches. Each pool had its own diverse set of sea life.

Although we only saw a few, in the distance we always heard the constant “barking” of sea lions off in the distance. It sounded like there must have been a beach full of them, but we never ventured far enough to find them. We did go fishing one of the days and caught a fish that I have yet to identify. Stay tuned for that.

The Sunsets were madness. Each night the sky would explode with color over the ocean and the mountains behind us with all the succulent plants would contrast against the brilliant colors. Some of the best sunsets I have ever witnessed.

On the way back, Jen and I stopped by Porto Nuevo to sample their famous lobster and margaritas. If it wasn’t for the heat we may not have ever left.

Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Bufadora
www.casadecandaele.com

Tahquitz and Suicide Rock

2007-08-31T16:25:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month my friend Justin and I packed up the truck and headed to Idyllwild to see what all the fuss was about with Tahquitz and Suicide Rock. Right off the bat we were impressed with the 45 degree uphill hike that put a burn in our legs and about drained half of our water supplies. Our first day we hit Suicide Rock and climbed a mellow two-pitch route to get a lay of the land and give me a chance to get my trad feet back under me. It had been almost two years since I was climbing trad regularly out at the Gunks and I had only placed gear once or twice since out at Joshua Tree.

Suicide Rock was amazing and the climbing was excellent with great gear placements. Everything was super sticky and the belay ledges were comfy. Not to mention, the views were spectacular.

Day two we headed straight to Tahquitz with a very slow start in our day not even reaching the crag until about noon. We decided to take down an “easy” multi-pitch 5.7 on the north side of the rock. Pitch one was kinda dicey in that I definitely didn’t have enough small pieces to be on that route and had to get creative and run it out at the top. The belay ledge was confusing in that it seemed non-existent, was very uncomfortable and there weren’t great placements to make it a relaxing experience.

Next, I headed off on pitch two where I was about twenty feet from the next belay ledge and about fifteen feet run-out before I realized there were no placements under a #4 cam, which I had none of. Evidently, the guide book stated you need plenty of small pro and up to a #4 cam. Ooops.

At this point I didn’t feel like taking any more chances and getting to a belay ledge where I had no pro that would fit and would be belaying for a beginner who was only on his second day of trad climbing and maybe sixth day of climbing at all. We were also out of water, baking in the sun…the list of excuses goes on and on. Instead of continuing to run it out and top the mysterious route, we decided to bail – submitting to Tahquitz.

Regardless if I got put in my place, we got some great experience out of it and enjoyed the time we had on the rock and in Idyllwild. Overall I highly recommend the area, but would definitely suggest you climb only the starred routes, which this was not one of.

Merrick Ales gets cover shot on Rock & Ice

2007-08-24T14:21:00.000-07:00

Merrick Ales, a photographer in Austin, Texas, is known for having a picture or two grace the pages of climbing magazines, but this time his shot earned him September's cover of Rock & Ice magazine. The shot of Andrew Oliver soloing a route over the waters of Lake Travis is definitely spectacular.

Water soloing in the area isn't new, but its long been a local secret that rarely made it outside of the Texas borders. The proliferation of water soloing on the lake outside of Austin has grown dramatically as people like Andrew, Merrick, Rick and others have been searching high and low for new rock in the Texas Hill Country.

I highly recommend grabbing your floaties, a pair of old shoes and cooler and hitting the cliffs of Lake Travis.

Links:
http://www.merrickales.com/

Texas Limestone Bouldering Guide Book

2007-08-23T11:04:00.000-07:00

In late September Jeff Jackson's new "Texas Limestone Bouldering" guide book should be arriving on the shelves of Whole Earth Provision Company, REI and other Texas outdoor shops. You can also order an e-copy today if you just cannot wait to get your hands on it.

According to Sean's site, www.erockonline.com, the book will cover "nearly every" boulder problem in the areas covered (central and north Texas) and includes 1,350 routes with just about any rating known to climbers. The book goes at $24.95 plus shipping and handling unless you pre-order getting it at a cool $12.

Here's the description posted on erockonline, which is also found in the link below:

"Jeff Jackson's magnum opus comes in the form of Texas Limestone Bouldering. This book covers so many areas around Texas that the local and visitor alike will never be without a new project at every destination. Complete with amazing pictures from local Austin photographer Merrick Ales, a forward by Andrew Bisharat from Rock and Ice, and excellent maps and topos, this guidebook is a must have for anyone who has ever carried a pad on their back! Descriptions are included for nearly every problem."

I just ordered mine. Stay tuned for a review later this fall.

Links:
http://www.erockonline.com/newbook.html

Elvis was at Devil's Punchbowl

2007-08-12T20:46:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it wasn’t actually Elvis, but Elvis was invoked by my legs as I found myself run-out on a slab route in the blazing heat at Devil’s Punchbowl, a conglomerate crag outside of Los Angeles.

It was so hot the other day when a climbing partner and I went out to no man’s land to get a change of scenery from the local crag. The sun was beating us down and the dirt was so dry it felt like we were walking in an ash tray, but the climbing was still excellent.

We got our warm ups in and even sent a stiff 5.11 with a slabby crux before heading to the true 5.10 slab routes. We were super dehydrated and worn out from the sun when we decided to test our balance and mental strength. As I cruised through the bottom section, and even through the crux slab section leaving me a little over five foot run-out I was fine. It was when I got about 15 foot run-out when Elvis started playing.

I had made it through all the hard part and was on pretty descent sized holds when I decided to look down and see my rope blowing in the desperate wind leaving me to believe a fall would deliver me about 30 feet down and about 10 feet above the ground (before rope stretch). All of the sudden those big holds didn’t seem good enough. I have to give myself some credit, the rock wasn’t as solid as you would like, but still, I feel like I should have the experience to hold it together and not get the Elvis Leg Syndrome in that situation.

Since then, most of my training has been mental. Went out to Tahquitz and Suicide Rock to run-out some trad routes on easy grades (more on the successes and failures of that trip to come), have been pressing for hard top-outs at the gym and went bouldering today at Horse Flats where there were plenty of high-ball bouldering problems. So far it seems to be helping, but if anyone has any other tips for strengthening your mental…please comment with your beta.

Review: The New Five.Ten Anasazi V2

2007-07-27T13:57:00.000-07:00

Of course Five.Ten’s Anasazi isn’t a new shoe, but they did make improvements to the heel and slap their new Stealth Onyxx rubber on it for a V2 release. Five.Ten claims the new Onyxx rubber is “25percent more friction and twice the durability of other rubbers.” And, after trying them out for a few weeks, I have no doubts about that. I will chime back in later about the durability claim. My last two Anasazi’s blew out fast.

The heel improvements were supposed to make it more comfortable, but I never had an issue with the original heel from the V1. The new heel also has texture holes on the outside, which has come in handy more than once.

Before switching over to the new Anasazi I went through five pairs of the La Sportiva Cobra (R.I.P.). The rubber on those was just as sticky as the Anasazi only the toe was so precise. If I were to have one complaint about the Anasazi it would be the toe. Although I haven’t had much of an issue, the toe doesn’t seem to be as precise as it was with the Cobra. Also, I think a slight curve at the toe would help with precision. Nothing too severe, but just enough to give you that edge when you’re toeing in on a horizontal foothold and rocking over.

Overall I would give it an 8 out of 10. Here’s the breakdown:

Rubber: 10
Toe: 6
Heel: 9
Comfort: 8
Shape: 7

Price: High at $135

Relevant Links:
http://www.fiveten.com/

Big Bear Lake: Holcomb Valley Pinnacles

2007-07-19T13:11:00.000-07:00

After about two hours of commuting through the smoggy urban sprawl that is the Los Angeles metropolitan area we started our ascent into the San Bernardino Mountains . The drive up until this point is mind numbing with repetitive strip malls, In & Outs, condemned looking buildings, warehouses and what appear to be dumps. Los Angeles can sometimes seem to be a paradise that has been abused for way too long.

Once we get close enough the mountains start to appear through the haze. Next thing you know we're at over 7,000 feet elevation and what appears to be 100s of miles from LA. The Holcomb Valley Pinnacles are hidden in the San Bernardino Mountains outside of Big Bear Lake. The free camping, remote location and amazing climbing make for an excellent escape from the local sweltering crags and bustling city. Although still quite hot during the day in the sun, you can still find plenty of shade and sticky granite to cling to.

To get to the crag you end up driving for about 30-45 minutes down a 4x4 trail that seems to be made only for dirt bikes or horses. But, once you arrive, you are parked within 10 meters of the nearest climbs and can set up camp wherever you please. As my friend Hong likes to put it: You could literally roll out of your tent and grab the first hold on the route.

The climbing is excellent with ratings ranging from 5.fun to 5.12c(ish). Although mostly bolted, there are also many opportunities to whip out the gear and make your way up cracks or chimneys. The routes offer slab, flakes, roofs, mantles, jugs and just about anything else you could imagine. And, not only is the area aesthetic, but the routes often feel exposed (well, exposed for single pitch routes) yet are well protected. Most of the routes are 5.10, but there are plenty harder ones to keep you busy for a weekend.

Justin rapping in fine form. SoCal Ladies: If you're impressed with this stud call 281-300-8392 for rapp lessons.

After two days of hand numbing cranking we begrudgingly made our descent back down under the cloud of haze and eight lane highways leading to five days of commuting to work before getting back out to do it all over again. Who knows, maybe I'll finally get up to Yosemite this weekend…if it's not too hot.

Links:

http://www.rockclimbing.com/routes/North_America/United_States/California/San_Bernardino_County/Holcomb_Valley_Pinnacles/

http://mountainproject.com/v/california/san_bernardino_mountains/holcomb_valley_pinnacles/105805238

Roasting in SoCal

2007-07-13T12:43:00.001-07:00

Although primarily arid, it’s starting to get quite hot here in SoCal. Most of the climbing areas either have long approaches with no shade or no relief at the crag – in the LA area at least. Most people are heading for high altitude areas around Big Bear and Idyllwild. In a sense it’s good because it forces you to venture away from the local crags. I was really hoping it would give me an excuse to get out to Yosemite or Bishop, but it appears to be just as brutal up there.

On the east coast it seemed to be the other way around. It was impossible to climb during the winter and the best times to get out were all throughout the summer months. I guess some folks would venture up into the Adirondacks to get a break from the sun exposed Gunks routes, but coming from Texas I was more than content with sticking to a full summer at the Gunks.

I was in central Texas climbing this past week and not only was it unbearably hot and humid, but it was slimy as hell from the unrelenting rain they’ve been getting. I had nearly forgotten about the mosquitoes there too.

I hate to make it sound like I am complaining…I mainly wanted to point out this change in seasons which forces us to venture to new or at least different crags. It naturally influences us to change up our climbing routine and keeps us from developing a comfort zone and resorting to the same ol’ same ol’. Use it as an excuse and get another road trip under your belt.

Crankin' so I don't get cranky

2007-07-03T16:04:00.000-07:00

Climbing sometimes seems like medicine to me. If I don't take it, I get sick. I am sharpest at work, best in my relationships and happiest in life when I am getting a fair share of climbing. If I get too busy or things come up and I go a week or so without climbing, I definitely feel the repercussions. I get cranky. I fee irritable. And, can become unhappy in general.

I have to catch myself and make it happen sometimes before I go completely insane. I find that if I have had a hard day at work or if other things are getting me down, climbing will always bring back to a good balance and put a smile on my face. It's sometimes hard to explain to people, not everyone gets it unless they have an obsession as well.

Climbing isn't the easiest passion to have. It often takes your entire day to get out to the parking spot, hike to the crag and get a few routes in. It also can often wear you out for the night – killing your social life. Also, to keep from getting bored you need to change it up on occasion by taking a road trip or if you're lucky going to some climbing spot overseas. It's not as easy as picking up a guitar for a few hours or taking paint to a canvas in your garage (not to discount any of those passions).

Climbing can be high maintenance, but it worth every minute and ounce of energy...we just need to convince our significant others of that.

I guess gyms arent so bad after all

2007-06-27T00:08:00.000-07:00

I will have to take back what I have always said about climbing in gyms. I always hated climbing in gyms and couldn't understand why people would bother. But, now that I have a couple climbing goals in mind and have been training three or four days a week, climbing in a gym is making it all possible. I am getting stronger than ever.

And, lately I have been working 60 hour weeks and couldn't possibly have the time to climb outside during the week. It's great to train during the weekdays at the gym then go outside on the weekends and be able to see a clear difference in performance in just one week.

So, don't sell your self short...stay motivated and strong.

A Tribute to Red Rocks

2007-06-22T00:26:00.000-07:00

I have been climbing in a handful of spots around the globe and have yet to find a crag that tops those at Red Rocks. Yes the rock isn’t the most solid, but the overall atmosphere, variety of climbing, grip of the rock and movements created from cruising through the routes are top quality.

There are great multi-pitch routes, cracks and trad routes, challenging boulder problems and tons of pumpy, technical or slabby sport routes. Really, the only thing I would change about it is the camping. The camping at 13-Mile campground is not great, but it’s enough. Beyond that, you can always find a good deal at one of the casinos. Your flight would typically be cheaper if you booked the two together anyway. Just fight the temptation to play craps all night or you’ll be napping at the crag rather than performing at your peak level.

Lago Atitlan, Guatemala

2007-06-01T22:01:00.000-07:00

Jen and I just got back from an amazing trip to Guatemala. We weren’t 100 percent sure what to expect when we got there, but as always, things fell into place.

We started our trip by taking a shuttle directly from the Guatemala City airport to Antigua about 45 minutes away. Antigua is a city in the central mountains of Guatemala that is famous for its baroque architecture, church ruins and flowing volcano. We ended up having a mellow day exploring the market, cobblestone streets and a bit of the nightlife before moving on.

The next morning we took a bus to Chichicastenango (Chichi), known for its indigenous market that caters partly to tourism, but also provides much of the goods and services for locals. You can get anything from chicken feet or textiles to machetes there. After about four hours of haggling vendors, Jen and I headed straight to Panajachel (Pana) on Lago Atitlan (Lake Atitlan).

After getting a feel for Pana we decided to go on to one of the more low-key lake villages about a 30 minute boat ride away. The village of San Marcos ended up being our home for the next two nights and was one of the most amazing places we went. For the most part there weren’t any streets or automobiles. There were just cobblestone or dirt paths that traversed the bay. You could easily get from one end of the village to the other in 15 minutes. Many people visit the area for its yoga and meditation retreats, but several travelers were just there to soak up the tranquility like us.

The entire lake was surrounded by volcanoes that peaked at over 10,000 feet. It was a sort of highland jungle and the water was clear green and warm. The lake was surrounded by limestone crags, yet most of the rock looked loose and chosy. There were however several cliffs breaching the water that looked quality.

Regardless, San Marcos was a mellow place that had low cost accommodations and food. You can also load up on plenty of Gallo (local beer) with an amazing view for next to nothing. I highly recommend it.

Austin: A model climbing community

2007-05-24T15:34:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a long weekend in Austin and had the opportunity to get out to both Reimer’s Ranch and the Green Belt (New Wall & Great Wall). Although it was slightly humid, the conditions were ideal.

The crags in Austin are definitely getting crowded. I think it has a lot to do with the open climbing community and social scene in Austin. Having been out of Austin for a couple years now, I have realized that Austin has a very unique climbing community. It’s the only place I have climbed where you can just show up with your shoes and a harness and have no trouble meeting a crew of folks to climb with…almost any day of the week.

Many of the climbers are active in ensuring access and developing climbing areas as well. Just recently, the future of climbing in Reimer’s Ranch was solidified with help by the Central Texas Mountaineers and the Access Fund who assisted the county in purchasing the land rather than it going to a private developer. Additionally, the county bought up another area next to Reimer’s that holds the promise to nearly double the amount of routes in the area.

In my opinion Austin is a benchmark city for climbers to strive for. It would be excellent to have that camaraderie when road-tripping.

Access to Williamson Rock

2007-05-16T17:16:00.000-07:00

This week I have received several “calls to action” by fellow climbers and the Access Fund aimed at reestablishing access for climbers in one of LA’s most popular crags that had been shut down years ago for conservation reasons. I invite you to assist us in regaining access to the crag.

The below Action Alert was sent to me by the Access Fund:

ACTION ALERT

Forest Service Proposes Williamson Rock Trail to Reopen Climbing Opportunities in the Angeles National Forest at Williamson Rock, CA

Your Comments needed by June 6th

The Angeles National Forest is requesting public comments on a proposal to construct a trail from the Angeles Crest Highway to Williamson Rock, located in the upper reaches of Little Rock Creek within the Angeles National Forest. The proposal will analyze reopening the popular recreation site and rock climbing area to the public, while protecting the mountain yellow-legged frog (MYLF) and its critical habitat.

The information can be found at: www.fs.fed.us/r5/angeles/news/2007/news-2007-05-10-comments-on-williamson-rock-access.shtml and www.fs.fed.us/r5/angeles/documents/final-williamson-rock-scoping-ltr.pdf

Positive comments from the climbing community are URGENTLY NEEDED in the form of a written letter (preferred over e-mail).

Quantity is CRITICAL we need a lot of climbers to write in, so forward this to your climbing partners!

Here are some points you may wish to include in your comments:
1. State why climbing at Williamson is important to you.
2. The climbing resources at Williamson Rock are very valuable to climbers locally and around the world.
3. Due to its high elevation and proximity to the Los Angeles basin, the High Desert region, San Bernardino, and even San Diego, Williamson Rock is the most heavily used and most important resource available to climbers that live in or are visiting the Southern California region in the summer.
4. The MYLF and climbing can co-exist.
5. Climbers respect the wilderness and are committed to access and conservation.
6. Climbers are willing to help with monitoring and to work with the USFS and other agencies to mitigate the problem.
7. Contact info (include name and email)

Your comments may be sent through the mail to the following address:
John F. Capell, District Ranger
Attn. Jonathan Schwartz
Santa Clara/Mojave Rivers Ranger District
30800 Bouquet Canyon Road
Saugus, CA 91390
or preferably via email to:
jschwartz@fs.fed.us

Background: The Williamson Rock area is a well-known recreation site used predominately for rock climbing. It has been used by climbers since the 1960's and is widely regarded as a unique rock climbing resource for the entire Southern California region.

The Williamson Rock area has been temporarily closed since December 2005 to protect a frog, which is an endangered species listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Populations of the frog are known to exist within the closure area. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated approximately 615 acres along Little Rock Creek within the closure area as critical habitat for the MYLF in October 2006.

For more information, please visit www.williamsonrock.org or email troy@williamsonrock.org

Trinity Rocks – Bulgarian Climbing

2007-05-11T17:25:00.000-07:00

The north central Bulgarian limestone crag is over one kilometer wide with hundreds of bolted routes (some of the routes are up to 80 meters tall) according to the Trinity Rocks Farm website http://www.trinityrocks.eu/. The rock seems to have plenty of juggy overhanging goodness and vertical climbing, but it’s hard to tell what the rock quality is like from the pictures.

Beyond the views, it seems there is a bit of history in the area as well with a 14^th century convent located near the central area of the cliff band. As far as accommodations go, it appears there is affordable and conveniently located cottages for rent as well as camping. The crag is also near a university town, Veliko Turnovo. “Veliko Tarnovo is one of the oldest settlements in Bulgaria, having a history of more than 5 millennia,” according to Wikipedia. There also appears to be plenty to do at Trinity Rocks to occupy rest days and tons of water for swimming or fishing.

I have been in contact with Cliff and his wife Morag who seem like solid folks that are running one of the accommodations out there. You can check them out on Myspace (link below) to get more info on accommodations and things to do. They also seem to be largely responsible for the development in the area and are actually offering a few climbers free accommodation in exchange for route setting and help around the accommodations.

Here’s Cliff’s add:
Climbers needed to work for Board and lodgings.
Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria. Trinity Rocks Farm Accommodation.

Climbers needed. climbing routes and writing notes, bolting new routes on virgin rock and a bit of work on the Accommodation centre. free board and lodgings. limited numbers obviously.

Contact me through: www.trinityrocks.eu

If you’ve had any first hand experiences with Trinity Rocks or have any beta on the climbing there please leave a comment or email me with more info: bradypaul@gmail.com

Links:
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veliko_Tarnovo
Trinity Rocks Website: http://www.trinityrocks.eu/
Cliff’s Myspace: www.myspace.com/trinityrocksaccomodation

My rant on rallying climbing partners

2007-05-04T16:47:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it seems like pulling teeth trying to get climbing partners together these days. I started climbing in Austin, TX where the climbing community is exceptional and have yet to find a similar scene. In Austin you can be 90% certain that if you went out to one of the local crags that you would have no trouble finding someone to climb with…even if you didn’t know them.

When I moved from Austin to NYC a couple years ago I realized it was going to be nearly impossible to find people to climb with. We were within an hour and a half from one of the world’s most spectacular crags, The Gunks. I posted notes at climbing gyms, left messages on forums for climbing partners…nothing. It seemed no one wanted to take a chance with someone they didn’t know. I even got so desperate I offered to pay a guide to belay me on some routes…with my high rent at the time I ultimately couldn’t afford it. Luckily, an old climbing friend from Austin, Bill Pierson, ended up moving to the area and I gained a climbing partner and trad climbing mentor for the entire season. But, in NYC it almost made sense that it would be a struggle. There aren’t many climbers living in the “Big City” and if they were, they were likely busy like everyone else trying to afford their rent.

A year later I moved out to LA…surprisingly enough, finding consistent partners has been my crux. I have a couple friends that climb, but our schedules often do not match. I have tried heading out to the crag solo and received mixed results. Most people don’t seem to be open to sharing their rope with strangers, but I did end up lucking out once or twice. It’s still surprising. LA has a huge population and a ton of climbing, but you rarely run into the same climbers…making it hard to meet consistent partners.

This weekend I ended up posting a “climbing partner needed” add on Rockclimbing.com and a local Myspace climbing group. I am excited to say, I will be roping up this weekend. Luckily, a few climbers saw my plea and were in a similar predicament. Maybe I can get the Austin-style unspoken agreement to meet and share ropes every weekend to spread in LA…

I need my fix

2007-04-27T11:23:00.000-07:00

I notice a drastic change in my mood and overall happiness when I don’t get my regular “fix” of climbing. This past month I have only climbed outdoors twice and it seems to be taking a bit of a toll on me. A month ago I had just sent my project and I felt great, a feeling that would be hard to top. Then, next thing you know…a missed day here…a missed day there…it’s been a month and I haven’t hardly climbed at all.

You might say: Go to the gym if you don’t have time to go outside. Well, I went to the gym one or two times this month and am noticing that even though I cannot get outside, my motivation to climb in-doors is dropping. I have never been a big gym climber. Climbing for me isn’t just about the physical act of climbing. It’s about the entire experience – being outside, hiking to the crag, being with a trusted friend(s), scetching out on a run out and exposed crux, connecting with the rock and nature, and yes the physical act of climbing.

Nothing is natural about a gym. The routes are contrived, you are restricted to a set path and that path can force movements your body would normally avoid, which can cause injury. The 20+ 14 year olds that are running around screaming and acting a fool (Not to say I wasn’t a bit out of control at that age) don’t help either. Not to be negative, because there are plenty of benefits to gym climbing, especially if you’re trying to get past a plateau or are training for a project. But, it doesn’t seem to cure that itch, the “fix” that climbing outdoors provides.

This weekend, I am definitely getting outside.

Climber Profile: Randy Ho a.k.a. Crag Napper

2007-04-19T16:15:00.000-07:00

Age: 28

Height: 5' 8"

Ape Index: -3"

Favorite Climb / Crag: "Hoo Doo you love?" – Hoo Doos, WY

Current Project: That climb that keeps giving me whippers

Portfolio: Alpine, Sport, Trad, Bouldering

Motto: If you can't reach it, dyno

A profound quote from Randy: “You can't drink beer _and_ climb at the same time...or can you…hmmm…this give me an idea.”

More than just a narcoleptic, Randy Ho is quite an active person. He’s the only climber I know that will run a full marathon on Saturday and be out at the crag either later that day or the next.

He’s a time optimist, which sometimes leaves him napping at the crag to recover from the previous night’s “clubbing marathon.” When I lived in Austin, Randy was one of the only fellow
climbers that would be out with me till the late hours in the night promising to rendezvous in the morning for some hard cranking…and actually show.

But, credit is due. One prod and he stirs out of sleep to step into his harness and jump right onto his latest project. And, as these photos prove, he may need that rest to push through the extreme emotional states he experiences in sending a route. He’ll go from happy, to serious, to ANGRY in seconds.

One reason why you don’t disturb him from his sleep.

2007 Limestoner Comp - Austin, TX

2007-04-14T00:59:00.000-07:00

By Tommy Blackwell

March 24th marked the latest annual limestone climbing competition in Austin. This year, like last year it was held entirely at Reimer's Ranch. The new county park that the local climbing club (Central Texas Mountaineers) worked hard to get on the public ballot and even harder to get the voter turnout to buy the 1,000 acres on the Pedernales river just west of Austin.

This was the biggest turnout yet and we expect it to keep growing. Over 100 people attended with 86 registered competitors (63 in 2006, 42 in 2005). Threat of rain may have kept people away, so next year I would expect over 100 competitors.

Besides the sport climbing, this was the first year we held a separate bouldering comp. We had recently put up 90+ new problems in the park.

We raised $2,115 that is used for our trail work and route maintenance throughout Austin.

The county normally does not allow over night camping, but for our event they allowed camping both Friday night before the event and Saturday after. Gary Ellis (our president) estimated that about 30 people camped both Friday and Saturday night.

After the comp we held the dinner, event awards, silent auction, door prizes and a slide show by Merrick Ales .

On Sunday after the comp we held seminars. Jason Kehl provided instruction on bouldering techniques ( Yes, that Jason Kehl). Rock About guide service put on self rescue clinics. Other clinics were held as well.

It was an excellent weekend.

For more on the event or to see more pictures, go to the Central Texas Mountaineers site.

http://www.ctmrocks.com/web/Limestoner_Summary.htm

Tommy Blackwell

Climbing Accidents: We need to brush up on climbing safety

2007-04-09T15:27:00.000-07:00

Recently, it seems like there has been a rash of climbing accidents. Rock climber accidents and even deaths are nothing new, but with a new generation of climbers and equipment on the rocks, it seems like a subject well worth revisiting. Whether its hardware failing, rock fall, human error or pure gross negligence, most climbing accidents can be avoided. I am not an expert – any suggestions made here are purely common sense and resulting from personal experience. I recommend reading a climbing safety book and even taking a course on the subject.

A New Generation

The recent propagation of climbing's popularity has created an influx of new climbers, new vendors and new technology to our crags. Gym climbers blinded by the safety and expediency of gym climbing are seeking to try their hand at outdoor rock; increased traffic at local crags is spawning the birth of easy clip anchors for effortless cleaning and quick turn around of routes; and the birth of a generation of convenience is pushing people to climb with less training, less understanding and a lack of proper climbing safety knowledge. While many of these things are nice and make life and climbing more convenient, they can also create safety concerns. I am sure there are other climbing safety sources, but I highly recommend reading Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills and Self-Rescue to brush up on playing it safe at the crag.

Hardware

Hardware requires the eyes of all climbers in the community to inspect and inform local climbing regulatory agencies to rebolt when necessary. The weather, traffic, rock fall or erosion, and improper use can, and will, wear down hardware. If a bolt is spinning, has lots of rust or just looks plain haggard, it likely needs to be rebolted. Also, be weary of webbing or draws that have been left behind. Visit The American Safe Climbing Association (ASCA) for more information. http://www.safeclimbing.org/

Rock Fall

Rock fall, although sometimes a natural occurrence, can be either avoided or the risk mitigated. Its common sense to wear a helmet in areas with tons of rock fall (El Potrero Chico). Avoid pulling on loose or hollow sounding rock. If it flexes when you pull on it or sounds like a bongo when you knock on it, don't use it. Also, if you can redirect your rope to not let it dislodge loose rock onto your belayer or climbers below, it's always ideal. Most importantly, yell "ROCK!!!" if you knock something off.

Human Error / Negligence

Many of these accidents occur when climbers don't tie-in appropriately, don't tie a knot in the end of their rope when belaying or rappelling, fail to set up an appropriate anchor, or aren't paying attention when belaying. As climbers and as human beings, if accidents don't happen regularly, it's easy to become lax on safety, especially when double checking knots and equipment, and belaying. When the crags get crowded we have to stay focused.

Be Prepared

Beyond the recommended reading, I would also highlight the importance of having some sort of wilderness medical training and even potentially rescue insurance. Having the know-how to resuscitate and check for spinal injuries could mean the difference in your climbing buddy making it at all, much less climbing again. Additionally, the American Alpine Club offers rescue insurance, which could come in handy when climbing in back country or international destinations where assistance may financially ruin you. Insurance at all is key. Think about it, if you’re already surviving on a shoe string camping out at crags, what’s going to happen when you owe $30K in hospital bills because you wanted to save $60 a month in insurance?

Support

As climbers we rely on each other for support in pulling the crux and topping out our projects. The same goes for recovering from a serious injury. If you know someone who has been injured reach out to them with moral or financial help if needed. Same goes for others involved in incidents, whether it’s the belayer or someone at the scene, it’s always best to do what we can to keep them stoked and not traumatized.

It seemed important to highlight some of the things that came to mind when I heard about several of the recent climbing incidents. And, since climbing incidents happen and are sometimes unavoidable, it's always best to be prepared. Most importantly, have fun when you're climbing. That's really what it's all about. After all avoiding accidents will allow you to avoid missing more climbing.

Know of some good climbing safety resources? Have a case study or injured friend in need? Leave a comment and let us know what's going on.

Resources:

*The American Alpine Club, particularly their Accidents in North American Mountaineering book http://www.americanalpineclub.org/index.php

*The American Safe Climbing Association (ASCA) http://www.safeclimbing.org/

*Book – Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills http://www.amazon.com/Mountaineering-Freedom-Hills-Mountaineers-Society/dp/0898868289

*Book – Self-Rescue http://www.amazon.com/Self-Rescue-Rock-Climb-David-Fasulo/dp/0934641978/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/10394605455014209?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1176141930&sr=1-2

*Tradgirl Climbing Safety FAQ Page http://www.tradgirl.com/climbing_faq/safety.shtml

*Yosemite Staying Alive article by John Dill, NPS Search and Rescue http://bluebison.net/yosar/alive.htm

*The forum pages of Rockclimbing.com can host some good recommendations and case studies http://www.rockclimbing.com/

*Wilderness First Responder on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilderness_First_Responder

The Crux

2007-04-02T14:06:00.000-07:00

Working through the crux of a route can be one of the most rewarding and exhilarating things about climbing. That anxiety that you have to fight back. The patience you have to develop in order to think it through accurately. The guts you have to evoke to pull through that “heady” section. But, a crux can also be a show stopper. If your heads not in it, your motivation drops and your energy all together fades.

You have to stay psyched and know when to give it a rest and come back to it another day. I get excited about projects. It’s nice to have climbs to think about while you’re laying in bed or at work. It gives you something to look forward to. A genuine challenge you can set your sites on.

I often compare climbing as an analogy to life obstacles as well. In work we get bummed out if we aren’t being challenged. We prefer being engaged and to set goals and work towards achieving them. The same goes for relationships, but I am not so sure I want to go there right now.

I feel lucky to have a passion that pushes me to try harder, forget about pain and climb on. I think it’s important to have something to look forward to, especially if you’re stuck working behind a desk many of your days.

Red Rocks Rendezvous

2007-03-27T14:01:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a trip to Vegas for the annual Red Rocks Rendezvous climbing event. It was my first time to the event, to any climbing event actually. I had always avoided them in the past cause I felt they represented a separation of the purity I sought in the outdoors and especially in climbing.

I remember this quote from Ron Kauk, a famous Yosemite climber, who summed it up well: "I live in two worlds, the one where nothing is sacred except money and the other where everything is sacred." And, that's how I felt about climbing. I felt that it was my refuge from the daily 9-5 grind that I was partaking in to "make a living." I wanted climbing to have nothing to do with capitalism. But, just like life, ultimately we don't have much control so you might as well go with the flow. Plus, I ended up having a good time, meeting some cool folks and running into old friends. And, most of the vendors are some of the most down to earth people you will find. They are people who actually turned their passions into a career...pretty much what most people seek out of life.

There were many companies present: Black Diamond, Petzl, Blue Water, Prana, Climb On!, Windstopper, etc. As climbers, we have likely touched all of these companies in some capacity, but the last thing I wanted was to hear some sales pitch and be "sold" on one product versus the other and luckily that wasnt the case. Most of the vendors were on the level. Pretty much climbers like the attendees...they would rather be out climbing, and likely were at some point in there day. After all, we were a short mile or two from the gates of Red Rocks.

By the way, the climbing was excellent as always.

Paul