FOCM Rides Again

FOCM pronounced fok' em is an Acronym for Friends of Cedar Mountain. This benevolent and hardworking coalition was formed to clean and maintain the bouldering areas on Cedar Mountain in Cody, WY. Meetings are held Tuesday and Thursday evenings on the mountain during the Daylight Savings Time portion of the year ranging from March through November. During these meetings boulders are climbed (and sometimes moved), trash is identified and erraticated, spray, chicanery, heckling and other forms of banter are exchanged, six packs consumed and general revelry for the outdoors and the act of climbing are celebrated.

Occasionally this circus, er show, is taken on the road. Last year we headed to HP40 in a single 30 hour push to climb for a week on what could only be described as some of the finest boulders in one of the chillest areas found anywhere in the world. A great trip that predated any of this bloggety stuff for me. My friend Dylan put together a great 20 minute slide show but we didn't shoot any video.

This year we will be headed to New Mexico to partake in some bouldering around Soccoro and sport climbing at the Enchanted Tower near Datil. I have visited both before and was impressed.

My fitness is about as bad as it could possibly be right now. I have skiied a half dozen times and spent two days landscaping new boulders so my cardio and legs have seen some activity but overall I feel really weak after the two month climbing break. Since February 1st, I have had several hangboard/pull up bar sessions, one gym session, a day of bouldering and one freeze yer ass off 5.9 sport climb which combined has left me sore as hell. I will train in the gym Tuesday night and then we leave for NM Wednesday evening. I hope to feel stronger by Thursday afternoon. I'm no spring chicken any more so we shall see.

The FOCM crew has been busy bouldering in the gym and outside, weather permitting. They decided that the quality rock and caves at the base of the Carcass Crag are ripe for new development. So here is a video of one of the best and easiest new climbs churned out as of now. I managed to thrutch my way through this for a flash.

What's The Problem? V4 from Mike Snyder on Vimeo.