Thursday is typically a climbing day for me. I usually have the evening to myself to train or climb outside if the weather permits. Today the weather has decided to be unsuitable and has snowed enough since early afternoon that its actually starting to accumulate. That, and the simple fact that my eldest daughter has a school play and you just don't miss that sort of thing, has conspired against any sort of climbing this evening.
The local climbing gym has a comp this weekend and the owner asked me to come down and help pre-run the routes and set a few hard ones. This is something the whole fam can participate in, so we will spend some time there Friday evening. I hope I can create something cool and hard and still have enough energy to help sort the routes. These pre-comp days usually leave me so gased I'm useless for days afterward as far as climbing goes. I seem to be more psyched to set routes in the fall when I'm looking at a long inevitable winter than the spring when I am dreaming of outdoor routes. Nevertheless, I will try to help out as best as I can.
Here is a video I shot a few years back of my friend Tad and his quest to complete Lewistown Pharmacy V7 which at the time was a recent addition to Cedar Mountain. This isn't his actual send but some stitched together stuff. He fired it later in the year. The climb is somewhat unique because it is at the mouth of an actual cave which exhales air that is roughly 57 degrees. This serves as a source of warmer air in the winter and a built in air conditioner in the summer months. Pretty cool, indeed.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
LC
Much to the chagrin of the fam, I snuck away for a quick sess Monday evening, more unfinished business to attend to. Fortunately my oft climbing partner and good friend Clint was already on the mountain up at the Antelope Boulder. He was more than willing to meet me for something new.
I had my sights set on a lip traverse higher up in the roadcut close to the highway. This had a quick and dirty landscape job done a few weeks back on a dreary 'work' day. Looking at it again I now realize a little more TLC would make an even nicer landing surface. I had been trying to climb the spine to the right of the traverse before Clint showed up, but kept getting freaked out by the rate at wich the elevation was gained and hillside sloped downward below me. Yikes! Maybe another time, a solid kejones day. So around the corner to the traverse.
The line is strange, as most traverses tend to be, but with challenging and enjoyable moves. We worked out each section and sewed them together and before I knew it I was attempting the top out which is cruxy enough on its own. Twice I made it there and twice punted off mere inches from the end. My shoulder was beginning to bug me so we left it for another day.
On the way back to the truck we passed Business Time, a short climb which I established a few days ago. Clint saw it and was immediately psyched. I gave him my usual spray down of beta and yadda yadda, the game was on. Now, my buddy Clint is a shorter climber, 5'3" to be exact and I am a hair under 6 foot, so our climbing styles and beta typically vary. Little Clint or LC is one nickname so dubbed by my brother and his flagstaff crew of my 'strong-like-bull' buddy Clint. To make this long story shorter, LC threw down Business Time in 3 goes claimed it was fantastic and concurred with V6 as a grade. He used the same climbing holds I did, but did a standing start on holds 10 inches higher and found different footholds. All in all a strong effort and great send but different somehow than mine yet still valid at the same time. My quasi sit start forced me to do a full extension move that Clint just couldn't reach without uncontrollably flying around on a sloper. Great send and a good evening session.
I had my sights set on a lip traverse higher up in the roadcut close to the highway. This had a quick and dirty landscape job done a few weeks back on a dreary 'work' day. Looking at it again I now realize a little more TLC would make an even nicer landing surface. I had been trying to climb the spine to the right of the traverse before Clint showed up, but kept getting freaked out by the rate at wich the elevation was gained and hillside sloped downward below me. Yikes! Maybe another time, a solid kejones day. So around the corner to the traverse.
The line is strange, as most traverses tend to be, but with challenging and enjoyable moves. We worked out each section and sewed them together and before I knew it I was attempting the top out which is cruxy enough on its own. Twice I made it there and twice punted off mere inches from the end. My shoulder was beginning to bug me so we left it for another day.
On the way back to the truck we passed Business Time, a short climb which I established a few days ago. Clint saw it and was immediately psyched. I gave him my usual spray down of beta and yadda yadda, the game was on. Now, my buddy Clint is a shorter climber, 5'3" to be exact and I am a hair under 6 foot, so our climbing styles and beta typically vary. Little Clint or LC is one nickname so dubbed by my brother and his flagstaff crew of my 'strong-like-bull' buddy Clint. To make this long story shorter, LC threw down Business Time in 3 goes claimed it was fantastic and concurred with V6 as a grade. He used the same climbing holds I did, but did a standing start on holds 10 inches higher and found different footholds. All in all a strong effort and great send but different somehow than mine yet still valid at the same time. My quasi sit start forced me to do a full extension move that Clint just couldn't reach without uncontrollably flying around on a sloper. Great send and a good evening session.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Everything Old is New Again
Sunday afternoon found me done with household stuff and a bit antsy since the weatherman was wrong again. I grabbed my bouldering stuff and a few other things including a short static rope, harness, brushes and rappel/ascending tools and set out to finish cleaning something a friend and I started a couple weeks ago. This is a proud and hard line up the Other Gully Boulder, stupid name eh? Perhaps when someone gets up this rig they will offer a proper name. The start is the same as an established V9 called Pistol Whipper, yet another inappropriate or disgusting name that seems to so often be the case in Cody. There once was a large block at the base of this boulder, my buddy Dave and I Reengineered the base to allow the first few moves and viola, ready to go. These pics show what was there, what was done and what now awaits.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Scrappy Little Devil
It seemed like the Snow came down all day Friday. Its April, and I expect snow from time to time but this was all day. I knew this weekend would be my last opportunity to get out for a while, what with a family vacation beginning next week and summer months rolling around when we get back. Outdoor bouldering in Cody has been at a premium this spring. Fortunately a crap forecast for Sunday was punctuated by a decent day on Saturday. Laziness in the morning gave way to a sudden motivation in the afternoon, when shuffling of children around for play dates and sleep overs left us left us with only the boy. He is only 17 months and easier to handle when its just him. Meg and I got psyched and decided to head into the canyon to try our respective projects. She is working the V3 East Face Traverse on the Space Oddity Boulder and I, a short two move problem around the corner on the Roadcut Boulder. We went to hers first because she needs me for beta and spotting and I needed to warm up. She worked out the last puzzling cruxy section and was able to link all the parts together. This is phase one, a 30' long problem that is the first quarter of a 120' long traverse called Fired Youth V5. She will sew the East face together this week I'm sure.
We then went around the corner to my little project. Seems silly to obsess about such a goofy little problem, but the moves are hard and had rejected my attempts thus far. The right hand starting crimp, a toothy half pad deal, had torn the top layer of skin on my index finger last week. The temperature seemed right and my finger had healed so maybe today it would submit and allow me passage. Everything went well and after a few goes it was done and Business Time V6 was created. Most of the climbs on this boulder recieved Flight of the Conchord themed names and this one seemed to be the hardest so that is that. I put toether a quick video of the send, hope you get a chuckle.
We then went around the corner to my little project. Seems silly to obsess about such a goofy little problem, but the moves are hard and had rejected my attempts thus far. The right hand starting crimp, a toothy half pad deal, had torn the top layer of skin on my index finger last week. The temperature seemed right and my finger had healed so maybe today it would submit and allow me passage. Everything went well and after a few goes it was done and Business Time V6 was created. Most of the climbs on this boulder recieved Flight of the Conchord themed names and this one seemed to be the hardest so that is that. I put toether a quick video of the send, hope you get a chuckle.
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