These days, as the temps plummet into the negative ranges at night, the idea of climbing outside is entertained through watching videos on climbidaho and youtube, while in reality I am trapped in a gym. Two I guess, I just got a membership to the one in Pullman WA, so I got nothin to bitch about. Having nothing in the immediate future to look forward makes it hard to psyche yourself up to do those last sets of campus touches, pull ups, core workouts, front levers, or whatever. In the case of Jeff S(ucks) I suppose it would be that last 12 oz. curl of a bottle of Dead Guy Ale. Generally the person who is always psyched, I am having some days where it is just easier to climb a little bit, fuck around on some stuff that I was running laps on in prep for Hueco, and then lift a little, going home early. That was what I did for the last week. Then yesterday came around. I don't know if it was some weird post road trip lull that I was experiencing, or if I was just STILL recuperating from destroying myself in Hueco, but I finally had a good day and a good workout. Kaiya thinks it might have something to do with the fact that I am sick, but I don't see an M.D. in front of her name, so I say I have been a little sissy.
Training is something that I actually enjoy doing, torturing myself and getting stronger. The feeling that you cannot make moves that were "piss easy" or "not that hard" at the beginning of the session is an awesome one. I have over the last two months gotten on a regular training schedule that includes three days a week of climbing, and two days a week of running, lifting weights, campusing, pullups and other exercises. It was outlined by Mike Doyle and is the best thing I have done for my climbing since I started 9 years ago. I would be very interested to hear what others do for a training schedule and why they do it, resting or no, weights, running. I know one person that is just plain strong so he doesn't need to tell me what he does.
I want to make some quick plugs here: Big props to Josh Vale, who despite his fear of falling off of the lip of boulder problems and the anchors of routes has had a pretty good fall/winter in Bishop Cali. Josh sent Bubba Lobotomy (V12), Toxic Avenger (V9/Vreally really hard), Acid Wash (V10), and last I heard from him was making some pretty good links on the Buttermilker.
I picked up a sponsorship from ProBar over break, really psyched about that fact, I had one bar once and loved 'em, and now I get to eat them all the time and tell people like you guys that they are the best bars ever!!! The two sponsors I have are the best, and it's really nice to be able to tell someone genuinely that the product that you plug is the best, cause it is, not cause you got it for free....hopefully headed to Riggins this coming weekend, and if not, I am heading to Boise to boulder at Swan and Reynolds Creek to get out and do some climbing.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
Massive Photo post from Bishop and Hueco
I have obviously (for those of you who can't tell) posted a bunch of photos from my Thanksgiving trip to Bishop and New Year's trip to Hueco. More to come and hopefully video of Kaiya sending the FFA of Tots in Riggins, Idaho from the long weekend.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Updates: Bishop, wintertime and Hueco
The last time I checked in, Bush was still in office, we were officially headed into a reciession(not that anything has changed on that front) and I was headed to Bishop California to go bouldering for Thanksgiving break. Ain't school great? Structured vacation time and everything. No wonder professional students exist.
So did the usual thing drove through the night got some shit food at a casino in Winnemucca Nevada and rolled into the Pit at about 5 am just barely coasting into a gas station on fumes. Thanks to Brian. Made it though, Pilch didn't get her paper done, so she got dropped in town and to the Happies we went. My girlfriend who from now on will be referred to as Kaiya had never been there so it seemed appropriate to introduce her to Bishop in the lowball dirt burgaling paradise of the Volcanic Tablelands.
Josh Vale met us there, right after I made a quick ascent of Human Contra-Ban, a V10 that traverses through a few moves on low pockets and then goes up next to Action Figure. I suprised myself be doing it in about 30 minutes and in only 5 goes. Felt harder the year before...TRAINING!!
Next was more easy bouldering for the day and a 2nd go send of Highbrow, a beautiful steep prow that is on the west rim of the canyon across from Atari. A highball by Happies standards, it follows the prow by slapping on good holds for a few moves, a big lock off and then a few committing moves on tiny crimps and a big move at the end to a good hold. Not to hard, just a bit sketchy. Josh Vale also sent the V8 on his 3rd go. A flash of Disco Hulk to end the day, and to the store for beer and food for dinner.
For the rest of the week, I worked the Buttermilker. I know I don't need to walk everyone through the moves so I won't. I fell off the left hand move to the sloper almost 10 times a day, unable to link the bottom moves all the way through to the top. Pulling on in the butter dish and the underclings I could send the problem on command, but couldn't link all the moves together. Climbidaho.com for the vid that Conrad Piper-Ruth put together from the trip shows me on one redpoint go when I fell on that move. Periodically I would take breaks from my project to go and send something easier to keep from throwing things and screaming. I flashed a couple of V7's at the Milk's and cheered Kaiya on to her first V5 in Bishop, a quick 3 day send of Go Granny Go.
Failing to send the Buttermilker taught me a lot about myself in working a boulder problem. I learned quite a few things about sending on the road. Kaiya did too, although she had a better trip than I did. She made a super quick ascent of Sucker Punch, a crimpy two move wonder V4 in the Happies, and Beekeeping for Profit and Pleasure at the Pollen Grains. Those were the highlights of her trip, The Rising, Jedi Mind Tricks and High Plains Drifter are projects in her sights for Spring Break....and on to Hueco.
All the Hueco vids can be seen at Mike McClure's site www.climbidaho.com, of me on sends of Barefoot on Sacred Ground V12, Dark Age V11, Black Mamba V10 and working on Skidmark, a V11/12 that I started trying on the last day and didn't have enough gas to send. Kaiya had a fuckin dope trip, sending her hardest to date, a V7 called the Guns of Navarone. It is a 20+ ft gently overhung wall dotted with small crimpers that requires lock off strength and poise to keep it together, as the crux move is at like 15 feet or so. Kaiya also put down Lobster Claw V5, and also did two V4's, Donkey Head and See Sharp. Mike McClure had a first this trip too, sending 2 12's in a day, Right Martini and Loaded Direct. Keeping with the firsts, Tammy McClure sent the Beer Can Traverse sans dab (which after watching vids of the problem seems very uncommon)
So did the usual thing drove through the night got some shit food at a casino in Winnemucca Nevada and rolled into the Pit at about 5 am just barely coasting into a gas station on fumes. Thanks to Brian. Made it though, Pilch didn't get her paper done, so she got dropped in town and to the Happies we went. My girlfriend who from now on will be referred to as Kaiya had never been there so it seemed appropriate to introduce her to Bishop in the lowball dirt burgaling paradise of the Volcanic Tablelands.
Josh Vale met us there, right after I made a quick ascent of Human Contra-Ban, a V10 that traverses through a few moves on low pockets and then goes up next to Action Figure. I suprised myself be doing it in about 30 minutes and in only 5 goes. Felt harder the year before...TRAINING!!
Next was more easy bouldering for the day and a 2nd go send of Highbrow, a beautiful steep prow that is on the west rim of the canyon across from Atari. A highball by Happies standards, it follows the prow by slapping on good holds for a few moves, a big lock off and then a few committing moves on tiny crimps and a big move at the end to a good hold. Not to hard, just a bit sketchy. Josh Vale also sent the V8 on his 3rd go. A flash of Disco Hulk to end the day, and to the store for beer and food for dinner.
For the rest of the week, I worked the Buttermilker. I know I don't need to walk everyone through the moves so I won't. I fell off the left hand move to the sloper almost 10 times a day, unable to link the bottom moves all the way through to the top. Pulling on in the butter dish and the underclings I could send the problem on command, but couldn't link all the moves together. Climbidaho.com for the vid that Conrad Piper-Ruth put together from the trip shows me on one redpoint go when I fell on that move. Periodically I would take breaks from my project to go and send something easier to keep from throwing things and screaming. I flashed a couple of V7's at the Milk's and cheered Kaiya on to her first V5 in Bishop, a quick 3 day send of Go Granny Go.
Failing to send the Buttermilker taught me a lot about myself in working a boulder problem. I learned quite a few things about sending on the road. Kaiya did too, although she had a better trip than I did. She made a super quick ascent of Sucker Punch, a crimpy two move wonder V4 in the Happies, and Beekeeping for Profit and Pleasure at the Pollen Grains. Those were the highlights of her trip, The Rising, Jedi Mind Tricks and High Plains Drifter are projects in her sights for Spring Break....and on to Hueco.
All the Hueco vids can be seen at Mike McClure's site www.climbidaho.com, of me on sends of Barefoot on Sacred Ground V12, Dark Age V11, Black Mamba V10 and working on Skidmark, a V11/12 that I started trying on the last day and didn't have enough gas to send. Kaiya had a fuckin dope trip, sending her hardest to date, a V7 called the Guns of Navarone. It is a 20+ ft gently overhung wall dotted with small crimpers that requires lock off strength and poise to keep it together, as the crux move is at like 15 feet or so. Kaiya also put down Lobster Claw V5, and also did two V4's, Donkey Head and See Sharp. Mike McClure had a first this trip too, sending 2 12's in a day, Right Martini and Loaded Direct. Keeping with the firsts, Tammy McClure sent the Beer Can Traverse sans dab (which after watching vids of the problem seems very uncommon)
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