A Return

Over the last year I haven't really posted here at all, most of my efforts have been concentrated on being a contributor to climbidaho.com so my attention to this has been more than insufficient. I have branched out a bit in the last year and made some more connections in the climbing world and I decided that in addition to posting on climbidaho, I am going to re-up my passion for writing here. I recently started working with 5.10 and needless to say I am pretty freakin psyched! I have been ranting and raving about the Dragons for a long time and I guess all that paid off in the end. I will be traveling here and there to the "less traveled by busy reps" areas of Idaho, Montucket and Washington to do shoe demos and clinics.

I will probably post less photos and video here, this will be a place for photos, musing, rants about certain parts of climbing that I cannot stand, and general updates that seem a little too demure for the pages of CI.

I wanted to start the year on a good note, by sending some projects in Riggins Idaho. I have been climbing there for almost a decade now and it will always hold a special place in my heart. I learned what real bouldering was there, finding, cleaning and sussing out new lines, building landings, and through the whole process failing. A LOT. I have had the privilege this entire time to be supported by one of the coolest guys in the industry, Josh Helke. Josh is a regular guy who just happens to make the best crashpads on the planet. You can check out his website here. Organic pads have been with me for a long time and I consistently count on them to catch me as I proceed to flail some more.



As some of you may know, Kaiya has been out for almost 18 months now, but thanks to the efforts of some amazing people who finally figured out what was wrong with her arm/entire body she is back. And stronger than ever I might add. She recently completed the first female ascent of Tots, a super technical mantle crux highball boulder in Riggins. The video of the actual send is pretty bad, but I saved it for JE, and Kaiya and I will take some time next trip up to shoot some better video for the blog. For now, here is a photo of her, back in action on Flows on top of Flows at Reynolds Creek Idaho.



Just this past weekend we were able to make it up to Riggins for a day to try and send some lingering projects (Kaiya is in the process of putting together a Monster Epic post for shits and giggles) and to show some Boise transplants where the good rock is. Adam Bradley and his girlfriend Nicole who is recovering from a broken hand, but still braved the cold, came up to join us. Here is Adam sending LaFawnduh, on the Napoleon boulder. Bullet beachfront granite anyone?



In addition to climbing and running the Front Boise I have been trying to finish up school at 15 credits of math, chemistry and geology classes now. Both Kaiya and I are busy from about 7 am through the day until we crash around 10 at night. Nothing like the days of the road where all the worries were what amazing lines we were going to climb on the next day.

Speaking of the road, we just made it down to LA this weekend to watch Darryl Dodson marry his longtime girlfriend and highschool sweetheart Claire Hayati. It was super fun and we got to meet some really cool climbers from the SoCal area. Being back around Darryl made me realize how great climbing is, when we could sit and talk about rock climbing for hours with no boring awkward time where there was nothing to say. Being passionate about something is essential to life. Climbing just happens to be what I am passionate about.

Here is a short video of a couple of problems from Riggins. Kaiya finally sent Tots and I decided that the footage of the actual send is more important than something I could cut together and make it look great. For now you will have to suffer through the crap video quality, but if you had been in Riggins when she finally topped that boulder you would know how special it really was! Enjoy!

Back for More

I have been a bit of a slacker over the past couple of months in terms of posting, I have been posting some on www.climbidaho.com, and am going to start posting again here as well.

Kaiya and I just returned from a trip to the Southeast, and although it was a dismal adventure that included some pretty questionable weather I had a good time, got to meet some great new friends and climb on some of the best sandstone in the country!

Photos to come and a vid of Kaiya on a particularly cool warmup at Horse Pens 40

Sawtooths video

This is the long awaited much promised video from the Grandjean boulders in the Sawtooths. Jeff Smith on Milk Roof Variation V8 and Wild Raspberry V6/7 and myself on the Prow and Crossing the Boundary.

A few words about the climbing: Milk Roof is amazing. Mike McClure put this problem up and I ended up figuring out a different sequence that completely changes the problem/grade. A difference of one move and 3 grades, the version that he authored is a much more powerful and complete line of the roof. Wild Raspberry is essentially two big moves on 1/2 pad flat edges. Mantle a heel hook and grab a good crimp, switch it to a toe and rock up to a good right hand gaston then jump to the lip, or if you are tall enough just reach up and grab it.

The Prow is the best problem I did all summer. Aside from the questionable rock quality (all the holds are solid as of now and will clean up further with more traffic) it is one of the best climbs in the state. Mike McClure plucked the gem of the area with this one. Big moves on good holds with good feet to an all out pogo dyno to a giant sloping jug. Heady yet easy topout at around 20′ makes this boulder the total package that we as climbers look for upon finding new boulders. The last climb in the video marked a milestone for myself. Every move of that problem is hard, foot moves and hand moves alike. The days I would work on it made me realize that I had never done such a physically demanding problem. Ever. I would hike the 51/2 miles out and feel like I had been beaten up. Over the course of 5 days I hiked almost 80 miles to send that problem, the first thing that I have ever done that I would consider V13. The last thing that took me that long was my very first V11, Brass Monkey that I did over 3 years ago in Riggins. Crossing the Boundary is what it is called. The rock quality is bullet granite, the holds are perfect and the climbing is amazing, compression at it finest. Enjoy!