Lenville Road Bouldering

I went out to Lenville yesterday to do some climbing and video shooting for a small video that Mark is going to make if he has enough time before the comp on the 7th of March. I hadn't been out there since the late summer when I wasn't in the best of bouldering shape. Guess I am now. I had tried Moose Muscles, a V11 that Mark did, over a few days and a lot of tries but never could manage to stick the crux move for me, which turned out to be moving my feet. Yesterday was a different story, I sent the problem in a few goes this time out, bringing the total of tries on the thing to about 30 or so over 4 days.

The Porcupine Traverse is a problem that starts on the far right side of the boulder and traverses (duh!) into Standoff, a V6/7 that Mark aslo put up earlier this summer, the total problem weighing in at V9/10. Mark had been working on a link of the two, the traverse into the V11 Moose Muscles, something I heard him casually dub Porcupine Muscles. Makes sense. I had tried the traverse and Moose Muscles at least 20 times each, but was still suprised when I sent the project on my 4th try that day. Pretty psyched, since I have been training a lot lately and refining my training program, along with eating ProBars (plug, plug) and drinking Indian Creek wine, to maximize what I think is the best way to get stronger. I think it might be working, so I am pretty happy about that. I rated the new problem V11 also, as once you get the moves down from both problems, it isn't anything tricky, just putting it together. Waiting for some more people to send these to confirm the grades (McClure????, Conrad-post back of course...) and we will see how hard people think that they are.

I am really going to try and get some photos still, it is just that the place is ugly, with all of the shit colored dirty snow now, but at least it can't be any uglier than Swan Falls...haha. And some photos of some training, like campusing and stuff on the way. So all for now, I am headed to Riggins, where I jsut sent a V11 called the Goverment Warning traverse, an add on to one of McClure's problems from years ago, so maybe he can do it and confirm a grade on that as well. If not, Polinski may come down this weekend as well.

Motivation

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.

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.