Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Nothing New.

Obviously. It's summer here in Vegas. Nothing happens in Vegas in the summer... at least, climbing-wise. After nagging tendon pain in BOTH my ring fingers, I opted to take some much needed time off from climbing. I pretty much bouldered non-stop for over a year and then through in a finger stretching season at the Hood last summer before going all out and bouldering my ass off all fall/winter long. Surprisingly, only to me probably, I finished nothing and had one of the most unproductive climbing seasons of my life last fall and this winter/spring.
So, my sabbatical commenced, some time in late April or so. It's times like these that I can reflect on everything climbing related in my life that has brought me to this point and, wow, for the most part it has been a remarkable waste of time. But that is the great thing about climbing. It really is an amazing waste of time.
Sooo, I think I am over the narrow-mindedness of focusing solely on bouldering from now on. It was fun, and it's great that you can slog around a couple pads by yourself and throw your carcass at some god-awful sharp piss holds and scream and cuss and call it a day when you don't send. But, I think I'm over it. I used to laugh at people that only bouldered! Those were the good ol' days. Now I realize I am one of those unfortunate souls. So this fall, I am officially tying back into a rope... I think. There are so many routes here in Vegas it's redonkulous. And the best part is that I know all the beta for most of the hard ones, because before I focused my life's work on the ultimately egotistical sport of bouldering, I spent even longer dangling off a too-skinny cord cursing the sport climbing gods for shitty conditions, faulty draws, bad belays, worn out shoes, poor gas mileage, improper humidity readings from Jar Jar at the Blasphemy Wall, and so on. It's time for a new direction. And this time I'm gonna send all those hard routes I tried 100 times to no avail, even though I was in vastly superior shape than I am now. Because I think it is all mental... Actually, you know what? I am full of shit. I have no chance of sending those routes anymore. But damnit!, I'm gonna have fun trying!

Thursday, March 26, 2009

More news in Black Velvet

Last weekend, Jon Cardwell and Daniel Woods rolled through town and quickly dispatched the hard problems up in Black Velvet, to no ones surprise. Jon Cardwell got the first ascent to the sit start of the Fountainhead, naming it Atlas Shrugged v12. Woods got the second ascent. Next up was the 2nd and 3rd ascent of Abaddon v12, and Woods also dispatched Wetdream as well. Quite a busy season this spring, although temps appear to be warming so the season is coming to an end. All for the best, my fingers are aching and I have no psyche :)

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Black Velvet update again

Craig Berman sent Wetdream (v12) a couple days ago. I think this canyon has seen record traffic this winter and spring!

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

and even more BV news

Brian Capps got the third ascent of Wetdream (v12) yesterday.
pic: Andy R.

Saturday, January 31, 2009

More Black Velvet news

Another day up in the canyon with a fun crew of people. Craig Berman sent Wetdream Right, 4th ascent. Pete Lowell got the FA of the "Roof Project" on a boulder up past Wetdream. A very steep set of moves out an obvious roof to a nasty highball finish above a less than ideal landing. Named it Abaddon, and tentatively rated it V12... I'm thinking maybe a lil harder though. So now we have another hard problem to tend with :)

Pete on his new problem, Abaddon V12/13
pic: Andy R.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Black Velvet update

Although I was not along for this trip today, I heard that Brian Capps (who has been in Vegas a few weeks) got the 3rd ascent of Wetdream Right, hard v11. We both got real close two days ago falling dynoing to the pinch at the top. He will most likely send the original line soon too!

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Stand n Deliver! 2nd, 3rd and almost 4th ascent...

Well, I headed up Juniper Canyon today... finally. Slogging well behind Pete and Brian we arrived at Stand n Deliver with perfect conditions (read: cold). We swapped beta for a while then Pete crushed for the official second ascent, Brian for the third ascent shortly after, and me, falling just below the lip on easier terrain well on my way to the 4th ascent... but things aren't always how you hope. I fumbled and fell. And then I was too tired. Amazing problem, amazing setting, once you get through the heinous hike and no warmup. We then ventured down to a relatively new area to try a phenomenal project (hardest in the Vegas area, for sure). Made progress and can't wait to get back on both these rigs.

Pete attempting the Project (V Hard n stuff)