Pine Creek Canyon

We spent the day in Pine Creek Canyon at the enormous Ariana Boulder, home of Ariana V6 and The Shining Path V13. Both are likely the most beautiful, committing and horrifying sandstone feature climbs I have ever seen.

Looking down the canyon.

Beta miming for The Shining Path.

Butterfly.

Pine Creek Canyon is very lush. There was a surprising amount of water running through the stream bed, no doubt a result of the recent snow melt, and the trees were blossoming with bright green leaves and purple flowers. Spring is here.

Back to Red Rocks

Getting used to the style of Red Rocks once again. We have spent most of our time at a new area in the wash, also known as Gateway Canyon, climbing on a freshly developed boulder with V2-V10 on it. Though don't be fooled by the numbers, all the lines are difficult and committing.

A beautiful 5/6 arete with a V11 low start that traverses in from the left.

Andrew working Bill McLemore's new line Innocent Exile.

Photo: BLOCHEAD

He's going to this crimp next. Yikes!

Max on Craig Berman's Keystone Light, likely V10.

Keystone Light is on a previously established boulder just up the hill. Video here. The problem to the left is called Almost 36 and I thought it felt about V6. At first glance the holds look big and comfortable but that is deceiving because the movement fairly is difficult and it took me three days to finish. Or I just suck at rock climbing. Maybe when more people climb these problems there will be a better grade consensus.

It almost looks nice from here.

Classic Monkey Video

Here is a video from last year:

Classic Monkey V6 (AKA Monkey Bar Right) from BLOCHEAD on Vimeo.

The right hand crimp that I match in the close up is now gone but I think most people use other beta. That is the fragile nature of stand stone, I suppose. Also, don't climb after it rains.

Back to the Gym? Never!

Adjusting to real life is simple. I eat inside, I sleep inside, I scour craigslist and other websites, and try to apply to at least one job a day. It's simple with one glaring exception, one that I knew was unavoidable. The rock gym.

Rain and snow poured from the clouds for several hours yesterday and not wanting to risk breaking any fragile sandstone we went to the gym. It has been five months since we have climbed on plastic and we had a hard time getting through the door.

The gym was packed with people and children were somehow everywhere but we made it inside and managed to warm up. It was mostly fine, we ran into some friendly faces and stayed fairly motivated despite the trouble I had reading the tape. I was also worried about my weird finger tweak flaring up again so I tried to stay away from anything other than jugs.

Generally, I find the gym completely demotivating (this is also completely my personal problem). It often helps to have a work out planned so that it feels less like indoor climbing and more like rewarding training. This is something I need to get over, and I will, for all too soon the outdoor season will end. I'm just indulging myself in a few days, perhaps weeks, of post climbing trip depression.

I'll try to post something happier with more photos of someone actually climbing next time.

Nine Months and Nine Days

Nine months on the road, three of those spent in Hueco, has come to and end. And the last day was fantastic. We went to East, and a little bit of West, where everyone climbed a new boulder from The Maiden and Sledgehammer to Mojo, Ides of March and a flash of Crimping Christ on the Cross. It was the perfect way to end the season and the entire road trip.

Simul-bouldering on The Maiden.

The very next morning we packed the car for the last time and, sweating from the warm spring weather, drove away watching West Mountain disappear behind us. We spent the night in hell (Phoenix) and drove the remaining 4 1/2 hours to Las Vegas this morning.

Most scenic yet least comfortable sleeping spot in Leavenworth.

This road trip changed my climbing tremendously. I climbed, what I would very personally consider, four high balls. I began practicing tactics that are key to bouldering outside. Chalking up before touching holds, brushing, ticking, brushing those ticks, and one that I believe is most important; not trying the problem from the start each time but working all the moves, including the top out, and linking the problem together. Simple projecting methods that I just didn't learn or practice in a gym setting before this trip.

Then there's the grade aspect of the trip. In Leavenworth I was projecting a V4 called Gatorade Bowling Balls and hadn't ever climbed anything harder than V5. Between September and mid-February I broke in four new V grades. I still can't really believe it. I know a lot of it had to do with the month we spent rigorously training but there are other factors. I was, and still am, psyched to climb and try as hard as possible. Time is also important and it is something that you have a lot of on a nine month road trip.

Nazgul, the first V9 I ever tried (still need to finish).

The grades are also the most subjective and often confusing part. Numerically the hardest problem I climbed did not match up in difficulty but I really can't be bothered to worry because I know that for every easy or soft problem I climb there will be more climbs as equally difficult. This subject deserves another blog post entirely, one that I will probably never write.

All of all the terrible things that happened, such as the sudden car problems, Max being verbally harassed by a belligerent drunk person, the epic windstorms and finger injuries, I will forget those and only remember the good. I will remember the amazing friends we made, the beautiful settings in which we climbed and the freedom to roam.

Hueco, I will miss you.

Now the time has come to search for a job, earn an income again and train. Train, train, train until we return to Hueco!

West is Best

With the season rapidly drawing to a close we have been seeking motivation in the areas of Hueco Tanks that we haven't climbed such as the tip of the Spur and the top of West Mountain. This method has proved successful and the energy has been high on the last two back country tours.

Looking down on North Mountain.

Yesterday we hiked to Best of the West, The Feather and Planet Zeist. It was the first time any of us had been up there and we had a blast. Best of the West looks amazing and climbs as good as it looks. At first I thought that the moves were too big for me but after a few attempts and some feet cutting I was able to grab almost all the holds.

Big moves to big holds on Best of the West.

Photo: BLOCHEAD.

The move out to the right hand rail, pictured below, is powerful and fun but also difficult. Unfortunately the pressure of the big move on my hand was too much and it's possible that I felt my season end yesterday.

The big move.

Photo: BLOCHEAD.

It didn't happen right away. I stuck several of the moves higher on the climb and came back to try the big move after a rest and when my right hand hit the rock I instantly felt a jolt of electric pain shoot from fingertip to elbow. Thankfully there was no audible "pop" but it hurt enough that I fell to the sea of foam and couldn't climb the rest of the day.

Not knowing much about hand injuries leaves me with nothing to do but rest, ice and take some time off; at least we are nearing the end of our road trip. All I know right now is that it hurts more in my palm than in my actual ring finger which leads me to believe that it isn't too serious and everything will be fine in time.

Honestly I'm not angry or depressed about it. It's probably just a strain and I am due for some much needed rest. I might even feel fine in a few days, just in time for the next adventure tour and Best of West is definitely at the top of my list for next season.

Extreme Wind and Mouse Droppings (Ew!)

Last night I forgot to put up the cast iron skillet. It sat on top of the stove all night long. This morning I went to make a breakfast snack of Vista tortillas, pumpkin butter and peanut butter and the pan was still sitting there. It usually tastes of garlic from dinner the previous night so I make my breakfast tortilla first since Max doesn't really like the lingering taste of garlic in the morning. Completely understandable.

I prepare one and take a bite. Then I take another. I look down and notice a hand full of tiny, black turds. Holy fucking shit. I spit out my food and throw it away. Then I stand there for a few seconds in shock. I think I just ate mouse poop. But maybe there weren't any droppings on the bite I swallowed. Maybe? I take a close look at the pan and sure enough it is dotted with feces.

I'm just going to go ahead and say that I didn't ingest mouse poop this morning because if I did then I would have to worry about this little thing called hantavirus and really, who wants to worry about a thing like that. I'm fine, I swear. But if I start to feel flu like symptoms I promise will go to the hospital.

Anyway, back to happy things like climbing. I climbed yesterday. Tried Something Different again and it almost felt harder than the first time I tried it. Then we went to North and I fell of the very end off Baby Martini twice. My right quad is sore from toe hooking.

A few days ago it was extremely windy.

Dust in the air.

West in the distance.