Enlightened Chuffer

Changes

2009-10-30T17:43:00.011-06:00

September 25, 2009: Kevin Cropp on nice and tall warmup on the Black Slab Boulder at Rumbling Bald. Kevin was scheduled to have his osteoarthritic elbow cleaned out yesterday in an almost unbelievable surgery called the Outerbridge-Kashiwagi Procedure (OK-Procedure) where they open your arm up from your tricep to your forearm and clean the whole freakin' thing up (glass, bone spurs, etc.). Unfortunately, as the docs attempted to gave him his nerve block, they also punctured his lung upon which he developed a pneumothorax and his condition spiraled. His lung collapsed a second time 2 days later. Heal up strong my man and goodluck with the surgery next time!

More bad news from China

2009-06-08T20:50:00.006-06:00

It's been ruminated over a million times ... climbing is both meaningless, yet so fulfilling. It is a hobby, a pasttime, a pursuit, a lifestyle. Your best friends are climbers, your vacations are planned around or involving climbing, treks to visit friends and family are coordinated with quick visits to out-of-the-way crags, we try to live close to good climbing, etc. Somehow, Wade Johnson's parents understood this and found the words to express it. Behold:

As parents, we are devastated by the loss of our son Wade. Our grief is profound as the reality of his loss sweeps over us. Yet he was a boundless joy for us as his parents. We are comforted by the fact that Wade lived and died doing the things that he loved. It has been transformative to experience the out pouring of support and love from literally all corners of the world. Every request for assistance from friends, colleagues, business associates, and government officials from both the U.S. and Chinese was granted. We are amazed by the number of people Wade touched in his too short life. But the reciprocal is true – many wonderful people touched and formed him into the summit-seeker that he was. Key among those who shaped Wade was his older sister, Kara, who influenced him in countless ways to become the well rounded man he was. Wade’s life may have been short, but it was a life that was lived to the fullest. It was filled with fun, adventure, excitement and love. Some say that the loss of a child is the worst thing that can happen to parents. But Wade’s death was not the worst thing that could happen. The worst thing would have been if he died because of anger or hurt. He died as all should live – with joy, purpose and meaning. Our hearts go out to the friends and families of Micah Dash and Jonny Copp. We want to specially thank Senator Amy Klobuchar and her staff, Terry Carlson, Robb Shurr and the wonderful people at Sender Films. As Wade’s parents, we were already prepared to pass Wade on to the people who were to be foremost in his future, his best friend Greg Larsen and his soul-mate and true love, Erin Addison. Their loss is the greatest.For the media in general: As a family, we would prefer not to meet with or be interviewed by reporters at this time. We are sure that you can understand that this is an unusually challenging time for us given the complicated nature of the circumstances surrounding Wade’s death.

—Bruce and Susan Johnson

CO dreamin' ...

2008-12-04T22:45:00.008-07:00

My last FA in the Mount Evans Wilderness Area for awhile.

September 6, 2008: Me on the FA of Bridge Builders, Mount Evans Wilderness Area. After rebuilding the bridge crossing to Area A in August, situner, SNeel, TJ, Cam, the Old Man and myself dragged ass up to Area C. This fun, tension-rich and moderate arete is located about 100 feet from The Headache. Fun for warming up, warming down or clearing your foggy oxygen-deprived head. Lots of rain my first two months in DC has put the kabosh on most of my climbing forays. I'll try again this weekend. Of course, it looks like I could be back in CO in a couple years, so enough with the drama queen weather-related bitchin'.

Hound Ears excursion

2008-11-23T22:08:00.004-07:00

So I made an effort to go climbing a couple weeks back. My good friend Kevin rented his wife's family's cabin for a 3-day weekend and we chilled out BIG TIME. Unfortunately, it was cold and rainy most of the weekend, so my climbing time was limited. We watched movies, made great dinners, had some drinks, hung out in Boone and walked his cool Chesapeake Retriever a lot around Hound Ears. We drove around between Banner Elk, Boone, Blowing Rock, Grandmother and Grandfather Mountain, trying to get my bearings. Getting used to the disorienting nature of windy roads in the smaller mountains of the East again won't be easy.

...

I did get to finally climb on Sunday although it was a whopping 27 degrees when I got out of the car at the Hound Ears garden dedicated just after the Triple Crown Event held there a few weeks back. I'm not sure how many resident/property owners in Hounds Ears will ever know about the climbing community's contribution, but there is a engraved tombstone-looking plaque commemorating the event. I managed to do 4 moderate problems on one block before the bone-chilling humid coldness got the best of me.

...

If you haven't been there, the rock at Hound Ears looks like eastern granite, but it's really quartzite. Think Skyland with a bit of Ibex/Black Hills quality friction, and you've got it. The bouldering area is a small tightly-knit boulderfield at the top of the Hound Ears enclave. Most of the landings are decent. There is a selection of short, medium and highball problems. One resource I saw says there are 200 problems, but on first glance that appears to be overstating it. From what I saw, something closer to 100 decent lines and variations appears like a reasonable assessment. I look to forward to getting back soon to sample more of the goods.

...
Unfortunately, I took no pictures all weekend. The rain, the cold, the 6 hour drives to & fro, blah blah blah ...

the next President of the USA

2008-11-03T22:59:00.003-07:00

It is time for REAL change. It is time for every American to have REAL access to health care. It is time for the securities, financial, insurance, mortgage and investment banking industries to be subject to REAL regulations again. It is time for American corporations to be encouraged to keep REAL jobs for American workers in America. It is time for capital gains to be taxed again. They are REAL income you know? A small shift in our progressive tax policy is not socialism, communism or anything else the GOP would have you believe. It is time for energy companies to further develop and invest in clean fuel technologies as well as wind, solar and nuclear power. It is time for this war in Iraq that costs $3 billion per week to end. We've spent more than a trillion dollars in Iraq. That is more than enough. It way past time that we turned our attention to hunting down OBL and his lieutenants. It is time for the division between races in this country to heal once and for all. It is time for change in Washington and in the United States of America.

This is going to be a landslide. WOOT WOOT!

Farewell Colorado ...

2008-10-21T00:03:00.003-06:00

I leave today for a fresh start in Virginia. Thanks for all the memories! To all my friends and family, thanks for your support, love and friendship. It's been a wonderful time in my life. One I will always treasure. This isn't goodbye though, I'll be just down the road checking some East Coast boulders out ... w3rd.

Nine years later

2008-10-12T22:55:00.008-06:00

Thanksgiving Day 1999 ... That's when I arrived in Colorado. Fresh out of law school, I had always wanted to give it a go and try to make Colorado my permanent home. Let's back up though:

...

My entire life has been one giant relocation project. Growing up in a military family and continuing this same nomadic lifestyle, I have lived all over the country, spending time in Arkansas, California (2X), Colorado (3X), Michigan, North Carolina (2X), Ohio and Texas. In 12 days, I will need to add Virginia to the above list, as I will be leaving Colorado for a dream job, one I started thinking about in 1996 as I was finishing up graduate school in Cleveland, applying to law schools and continued to think about and plan for while in law school. The new gig is one that I half-heartedly applied for numerous times over the years since 1998. I say half-heartedly, because - for a devoted climber - living in metropolitan D.C. is far from ideal.

How do I know this? Well, although I've never lived there, for eight years I was a climber in the Eastern time zone. First, between 1989-92, a fledgling chuffer spent 3 years driving from the sandhills of North Carolina to The New River Gorge for climbing adventures. Over the next 5 years in graduate school in Cleveland, I probably spent close to 140 weekends at "The New" making the 5 1/2 hour pilgrimage as often as I possibly could. I never got all that good at sport climbing, as I suffered and still suffer from a lack of slow-twitch muscle fibers that provide the endurance you need to send the long routes at The New. Nevertheless, the friends I climbed with and the adventures we had at The New remain some of the most memorable of my life.

In 1997, I departed Cleveland, intentionally breaking the rear-view mirror off of my truck on the way out of town in a stupid but symbolic gesture about my disatisfaction with relationships gone awry and the positively-shitty 5-day a week grey skies that messed with my psyche. San Diego promptly cooperated with 170 consecutive rain-free days upon my arrival, which is soooooo important when you're too busy to take full advantage of it - ha! I began my love affair with bouldering in California, although I certainly spent more time sport climbing and doing long trad routes, so I never really emerged from gumby status.

Two years later, as I was about to graduate, my options were essentially unlimited. I had no wife, no girlfriend, a nice resume but no job, the product of a military family who could relocate anywhere, make friends, make climbing friends and enjoy life. I had no constraints. Crash!!! It was at this time that two of the best people that ever graced me with their friendship were in a horrific accident heading back to North Carolina from The New. In short, their Ford Explorer hydroplaned, cartwheeled across the interstate and came to rest upside down. They were OK at this point, but they were sitting in the middle of oncoming traffic and promptly hit by a lady going 70 in a 55 MPH zone being chased by her boyfriend. Jay Binder, M.D.'s last words on this Earth were something to the effect of "it's going to be OK Kevin." Kevin Cropp, the intended recipient of those words, spent close to a year recovering from the physical effects of this devastating accident. Twenty-six broken bones, 3 fused vertebrae, too many surgeries to count later, he did recover and climb again ... often doing long approaches in cowboy boots or heavy leather mountaineering boots to the dismay of everyone present.

Those who know me understand what I did next and why. Shortly thereafter, I graduated and promptly moved to Colorado. I wanted to be close to the mountains and the rocks I like to climb. I wanted the weather to be cooperative most of the time. I wanted to work-to-live, not live-to-work. I wanted climbing/hiking/biking to be a part of my daily life, not an escape reserved for weekends at the end of long drives and return trips that nobody enjoys. Colorado has provided that, although less so over the last couple years as the viability of my insurance company went south with the real estate market and I had to work 2 or 3 jobs just to pay the bills. Before that however, I had plenty of time to become an avid and devoted boulderer. Now, I pretty much only pull out a rope and harness when it's time to clean and rehearse a tall boulder problem. In Colorado, I also found a woman that adores me through thick and thin and I have forged dozens of lasting friendships with like-minded folks.

Accepting this new job will be one of the most bittersweet experience in my life. This job has everything you want in a quality-of-life work environment, allowing me to fully use my scientific background, legal education and challenge myself. Time off, decent pay, federal pension, federal benefits, flex schedules, telecommuting, opportunities to advance, financial incentives for quality work and extra work, etc., etc., etc. The list literally goes on and on. That said, I will always think of Colorado as home. I hate sayings, but they say "home is where the heart is." I must have left mine here during one of about a dozen ski vacations my family took here when I was a kid. Without saying anything about the climbing, it was here that I was introduced to the music of John Denver in 1974. In 1976 and 1978, I saw the legendary Olympic Silver Medalist Billy Kid a couple times while skiing down Heavenly Days (at Steamboat), one of the most magical moderate runs in America. Colorado is where I've been awestruck by sunsets on the Western Slope and the Front Range, enjoyed some of the best single-track riding in America (Roaring Fork Valley) and learned to appreciate an occasional quiet walk with my wife (of course with the binoculars and bird identification book handy). It's where I began climbing in 1989 and learned to appreciate the subtle satisfaction and challenges that moving over stone provides. It's where my mind was opened at a Ziggy Marley/Neville Brothers concert at Red Rocks in 1989 and more recently, rewired, leaving the conservative beliefs and opinions of my parents behind. Go Barack!

So after 9 years, I'm relocating to Northern Virginia, a stones throw from the metrorail into D.C. It's gonna be more diverse. It's going to be crowded. There will be nothing even close to Red Rocks Amphitheater for a Widespread show. There won't be any decent rock within 2 hours. I will have to climb in a gym to stay fit. Parking anything anywhere will suck the big one. I will daydream about quick jaunts up to Flag and the Flatirons. I will long for big days at Evans. I will miss the quality of the stone and the independence of the lines in the Poudre, Eldo and Redcliff. But most of all I will miss my friends and our ability to get out and enjoy each other, if only for a few hours or days a year. Although I've always been blessed with great friends regardless where I've lived, my connection with many of you here on the Front Range of Colorado will be a lasting one that I carry with me. I look forward to hooking up with many of you fools soon, whether it's here or back East on some of the less-prestigious but awesome sandstone.

My wife will be here in Colorado for at least 7 more months, so I plan on spending a lot of that time traveling East Coast weekend-warrior style to bouldering destinations in VA, PA, NC, TN, WV and NY ... getting my bearings and soaking up as much beta as I can absorb. Maybe one of these days I'll be able to show you guys the goods at some of the following locales ... Cooper's, Haycock, Rumbling Bald, 221, Asheboro, Grandmother, Lilly, Gunks, etc.

Thanks for your friendships. You know who you are. Your energy, motivation and psyche has helped me weather some tough times over the past couple years. Hope to see you all soon.

Until then, see you on the intardweb.

-chuffer

Bouldering CO - the worst guidebook in the world

2008-10-03T23:37:00.006-06:00

There are errors of every shape and kind on essentially EVERY page of this atrocity. The author talked to essentially no developers over the years, chose to rename and grade problems and boulders whatever he liked, ignored the precarious issues that jeapordize access to alpine areas, provided descriptions of boulders and problems that are ON private property, provided descriptions of areas that no longer exist (dynamited 7 years ago), etc. The list goes on and on ... I couldn't make this stuff up.

I don't want to sound like an elitest here, but buy and carry this paperweight around at your own peril. You and Bob will be laughed at again and again. Trust in knowing you will be armed with misinformation of the highest order and the most unhelpful guidebook ever to grace the shelves of any climbing shop. A lot of us tried to get Falcon to reconsider publishing it in it's current format, to no avail.

I wish I didn't feel compelled to write this as I am not usually of the anti-guidebook ilk, but I did.

Continue to share good information and history with friends. If you know an area's history and problems really well, put it up on the web for free.

Peace.

Evans & it's moderates

2008-09-12T00:34:00.013-06:00

Add another to the list (see below)!!!

August 26, 2008: Ken Gibson on The Headache, Mount Evans Wilderness Area, CO. And boy did the Old Man have a headache 2 hours before this picture was taken. After our bridge building exercise at Area A and our hike up to C, we all split up. Ken and I didn't feel all that great and priority #1 was getting out of the fucking talus. After eating and drinking Red Bulls, we warmed up on another problem, then we pulled this one down ... Ken actually did it 3 times for fun, a strong indicator of how GOOD it is.

MOUNT EVANS BEST MODERATES (V3 and under)

The Warmup Overhang V0, Switchbacks Talus

Timeline V0, Area A

BS Squared V0/1, Area A

The Warmup Arete V1, Switchbacks Talus

The Bisher Dihedral V1, Roadside Boulders

The Ladder V1 sds, Area A

Last of the Ohitians V1, Area A

The Headache V1, Area C

Ben's Arete V1, Aerials

Broken Crystal V2, The Switchbacks

The Roadside Problem V2 sds, Roadside Boulders

The Roadside Warmup V2 sds, Roadside Boulders

Puddle Jumper V2, Area A

Reality Show V2, West Area B

Buddy Swalsack V3, The Switchbacks

Dark Crystal V3, East Area A

The B Seam V3, Area B

The Magic Bean V3, The Aerials

OMG - The Old Man & Red Bull @ Area C

2008-09-06T03:01:00.006-06:00

He crushed it with his bare hands, no less!!!

Willow Crossing / New Bridge to Area A

2008-08-27T19:25:00.007-06:00

It's never been better.

August 26, 2008: By completely removing both old log jams/beaver dams/bridges to Area A in the Mount Evans Wilderness Area AND rebuiding 2 new ones, I'm hopeful this swampy zone will no longer be a bog. By accumulating water and holding it in the area 24 hours a day for 7 months a year after the April thaw, the boggy mess encouraged folks to leave the main social trail in search of dry footing, resulting in a threadwork of exits from the log jam on the far side. No more. Stay on the main social trail as much as possible here and elsewhere in this sensitive area, as this increases our clout with the wilderness rangers as a responsible user group. And yes, the rangers have said so. There is talk of a designated trail to our precious little rocks which would indefinitely preserve access. Take care of this place people. It's one of the country's best bouldering areas. More about this issue and our day can be seen at www.straightintoyerfacelam.blogspot.com/

we've all been there ...

2008-08-21T02:05:00.013-06:00

High up and nowhere to go but UP.

April 21, 2007: Marcelo Montalva on Therapy Traverse, Lower Fern Canyon, Flatirons, CO. Ok, I'll admit I took these pics from too far away. That said, I was still close enough to sense the tension as Marcelo finished the first 30 feet of the "traverse" and began to slide across the sloping lip towards the perceived topout based on our best guess from Horan's Best of Boulder Bouldering guidebook. From the safety of my perch on a distant boulder, I felt bad for Ashley who was spotting the Meat Missile on a 45 degree slope. He was having enough trouble just standing on the hillside, much less spot the Delo effectively. What may surprise you though is that the sports action at the lip encounter scared even the Delo, if only for a moment. In that moment, he had to fully commit, trust his instincts, his balance, his kinesthetic awareness and to make smart movements that minimized his risk. He uncomfortably had nothing to actually crimp or pull on, just slopers to push down on, miles of air underneath him, a bad landing with a few pads that would have done very little IF he even hit them. The whole thing was a bad idea, but MM worked it out. Like I said, we've all been there ...

it's been awhile ... miss me?

2008-08-20T01:04:00.014-06:00

I've been a little busy with the other blog and hooking up some new employment.

March 26, 2008: SNeel & Andy Raether on Dogwalker and Skywalker, respectively. I'm still taking photos, although most of them have been for the Flagstaff Mountain blog-guide. Nevertheless, I did make a quick trip this spring to check out the Walker Ranch stuff and, although limited, it did not disappoint. Of note, the rock on the Burnout Block looks and feels incredible.

My e-mail to Falcon Guides

2008-08-04T11:12:00.006-06:00

"Dear Sir/Madam –

Your company is preparing to release Bob Horan’s “Bouldering Colorado”, a guidebook aiming to more comprehensively cover the outstanding bouldering opportunities found throughout Colorado. While I applaud the idea, it is with great disappointment that I learned that any of the bouldering contained in The Mount Evans Wilderness Area will be included and I hope Falcon will consider removing the section covering Mount Evans’ Area A or any other area located within the Wilderness Area.

Wilderness Areas are secluded spots, miles from roads and development of any kind. They are a place people go to get away, to enjoy the grandeur of the wild, which isn’t easy to do these days. In addition, the Northern Colorado Climbing Coalition has determined that officials for the management agencies in the Mount Evans drainage were not informed, consulted with or otherwise told of the upcoming guidebook’s release. Finally, access to the bouldering opportunities around Mount Evans is tenuous at best at this time. Local climbers are in the process of building relationships with the aforementioned land managers and release of this guidebook may irreparably damage those efforts. In addition, officials for the Wilderness Area are currently assessing spots already suffering climbing-associated impacts in an effort to get ahead of the curve and begin to assess ways we may give of our time to mitigate and/or reduce those impacts.

According to language contained within The Wilderness Act of 1964, Wilderness Areas “… shall be administered for the use and enjoyment of the American people in such manner that will leave them unimpaired for future use and enjoyment as wilderness, and so as to provide for the protection of these areas, the preservation of their wilderness character, and for the gathering and dissemination of information regarding their use and enjoyment as wilderness.” Recreation in Wilderness Areas is expected to be wild and dispersed. Release of this guidebook will certainly increase the total number of climber-days spent inside the boundaries of the Mount Evans Wilderness Area. More climber-days each season means more impacts. With a little logic, it’s easy to see that that more impacts means more administration by officials charged with managing the Mount Evans Wilderness Area.

I have spent close to 100 days inside the boundaries of the Mount Evans Wilderness Area - all without a guide - enjoying the bouldering opportunities that exist within its confines. A guide is unnecessary and by bringing more climbers, who will spent time hunting for the areas and problems not covered by Horan’s guide, social trails and other impacts will multiply.

At a minimum, please consider postponing inclusion of any bouldering found within the confines of the Mount Evans Wilderness Area until a later date. The other major publishers (Sharp End & Wolverine) have responsibly passed on their inclusion in upcoming guidebooks and responsible boulderers hope Falcon will do the same. It is the only choice, as closure of the bouldering areas within The Mount Evans Wilderness Area may be the unacceptable consequence of releasing Bouldering Colorado in its current form.

Warm regards,

Weldon P. Phillips, Jr., Esq.

the other blog is like my mistress

2008-03-18T01:57:00.040-06:00

515 problems now up ... ~285 to go.

http://www.flagstaffmountainbouldering.blogspot.com/

it's official: I'm a crusty old chuffer

2008-01-21T05:22:00.000-07:00

40 years young and proud owner of a new TOY.

Thanks for coming over to celebrate my 40th trip around Soleil, otherwise known as our Sun. I suspected Jen might be up to something, but nothing anyone did spoiled the surprise. Jen sends extra special thanks out to The Delo, Fi, Lori, Jennifire and anyone else who helped her out with the final preparations. Jen commented last night after several years of getting to know most of you guys/gals that she has finally begun to understand that part of the allure of rock climbing is the quality of the friendships you develop. She also said that - climbing aside - it is obvious that we genuinely enjoy each other's company. I suspect this is one of the reasons many of us are DRAWN to bouldering and it's social nature. Anyway, thanks for making it an awesome and very memorable birfday!!! You guys rock.

afternoons on Flag

2007-12-28T23:15:00.001-07:00

It won't be long.

June 22, 2006 & March 5, 2006: Scott Neel & Justin Jaeger on The Face & The Rib, respectively, 3 of a Kind Wall, Flagstaff Mountain, CO. I've been finally working to get my guide to Flagstaff Mountain bouldering online a lot recently, so thought I would put a couple Flag problems up. Right next to each other, one is a well-known classic and one is a Greg Johnson nightmare done only a few times by a few folks. Both are classic examples of highball Flagstaff. If you want to check out what I've put online so far, check it out ...

www.flagstaffmountainbouldering.blogspot.com/

oft-photographed classics vol. II

2007-12-19T01:47:00.000-07:00

37 seconds dancing in the shadows.

October 30, 2007: Ken Gibson on Short Chubby Demon, Poudre Canyon, CO. Just another Poudre classic the Old Man has on lockdown, SCD possesses impeccable granite and is considered one of the best for the grade in Colorado. If it were only taller ...

I want you ...

2007-11-21T01:42:00.000-07:00

... to show me the way.

November 18, 2007: Matthew Karasik on the presumed FA of Smokejumper, Sinus Block, Eldorado Canyon State Park, CO. We've been eyeing this one for years, looking for traces of chalk/cleaned holds and inspecting the topout. We've also asked almost everyone we can think of. Nope. Nope! Nope. NOPE!!! Well, Matty finally and properly cleaned the topout and last Sunday we had an appointment with this problem in perfect early morning conditions. It was initially frustrating determining the sequence, as we got sidetracked away from the proper beta again and again. Thanks for showing me the way Matty. Your beta was ALMOST perfect.

Trice B2+

2007-11-14T23:52:00.000-07:00

B3 is overrated anyway.

November 14, 2007: Jamie Emerson on Jim Holloway's Trice, Cloudshadow Wall, Flagstaff Mountain, CO. Very cool and inspiring evening and a nice way to start off your roadtrip JE!

A few thoughts: Both Jamie Emerson and Carlo Traversi topped it out last night under perfect conditions in the 4 o'clock hour. It was Carlo's 7th day on the problem and it was about Jamie's 10th. Both documented their sends with video and you can see them front and center at http://www.b3bouldering.com/ and http://www.climbingbum.blogspot.com/ right now. Impressive work was put in by P-Rob as well, who looked poised to send Trice on what I believe was his 2nd day on the problem, but just didn't quite stick the crux move amongst all the chaos going on around him. In addition, P-Rob did all but the uninspiring topout on AKR on his first try (dropping from the jug). Had you tried this before Paul, as that certainly would have been a nice flash? Both Carlo and Jamie used the high perching toe on Trice to make the crux reach to the bad crimp. For now, both rated it 8a+ (or V12 for those of you who refuse to become part of the http://www.8a.nu/ community or learn the Font System), but that's surely only under ideal conditions for folks who have spent some time learning the moves and how to properly grip the pocket, perch on the toe and snag the bad edge. Whatever the grade, it's been fun to witness a little of Colorado's history being rewritten and - from what I've been told - Jim is psyched that some folks are finding some merit in his historical testpieces. So ... there I was at Cloudshadow Wall when two people did Trice, another got close, CG rolled up with his dogs as the light was fading and Jim Holloway was on the phone to clarify the starting holds. All in all, a normal day in Boulder Colorado. Andy Mann will probably have some better pics up in the next few days at http://www.dropkneeclimbing.blogspot.com/, but I thought i would go ahead and put some of my thoughts out there.

And a couple more: Certainly not meaning to start anything, but as usual with historical lines with confusing histories about where they start, finish, climb, what's on and off, etc. ... there was a small issue as Carlo started on the LH sidepull + RH crimp next to it (as opposed to starting with your RH on the lower undercling). I just missed the send, but apparently he was late for something and had to cruise out of there in a hurry and I did not get a chance to ask him about it. The first move certainly isn't the crux, so in the end it probably doesn't matter anyway. Carlo has some interesting thoughts about his future plans up on his aforementioned blog. I do wonder if he'll come back to try Trice from the LH sidepull + RH undercling that Jim Holloway again informed us tonight he started on, or ... hell, start with a double undercling. I know we all climb for the fun of it and have our own motivations, but with a problem with a long and sorted history like Trice, I felt it was worth at least bringing up. Peace to all.

to dyno or not to dyno ...

2007-11-14T01:26:00.000-07:00

This is not a question.

March 25, 2007: Scott Neel and Alden Short on Sir Arthur's Lunge and "Sir Arthur's Gastons", Arthur's Rock, Lory State Park, CO. Not sure which way is easier or harder, but the static version avoids the 6.5' foot dyno via a long surf move from a good but slick gaston to a thin gaston in a seam and a bit of a bump to the top. Both ways are an interesting challenge worth trying on your way up to the classics.

long time comin'

2007-11-13T02:55:00.000-07:00

The send and the overdue photosequence.

March 25, 2007: Justin Jaeger on Childbirth, Arthur's Rock, Lory State Park, CO. I was there the first time JJ looked at and briefly tried this problem in 2002. I'm pretty sure he'd been daydreaming about Childbirth ever since. To satiate those demons, we finally got back with the appropriate number of pads, nice temps and a psyched crew this past March. Four tries later, he was standing on top of a problem that sat near the top of his ticklist for close to 5 years. Noice jorb there sockhands! Sorry for the delay in this post JJ, but believe it or not it was very hard to narrow the photosequence down to 9 shots from the 40+ I took that day. On the other hand, I'm sure there are some uber-camera snobs out there who think I posted 9 shots too many. Oh well.

3rd ascent of A.K.R.

2007-11-07T02:49:00.000-07:00

Trice's evil twin.

November 5, 2007: Jamie Emerson on A.K.R., Flagstaff Mountain, CO. Karn ... Moon ... Emerson. That's a pretty nice list to be on 19 years after the FA. Good on ya!!! Now let's get back up there and seal the rest of the deal. More soon.

still B3 ...

2007-11-06T01:31:00.001-07:00

... these things take time.

November 5, 2007: Jamie Emerson on Trice, Cloudshadow Wall, Flagstaff Mountain, CO. His best day yet on Trice. He gave it 8-10 tries from the start after taking 2 days off. Temps started in the lower 40's and ended in the 30's, so it was perfect. Four of his 10 tries were really good goes. On three of them, his left foot excused itself prematurely as he reached for or tried to grab the edge. The other time it stayed ... but he came up JUST short (see above photo). He's pysched. He seems really psyched. Jamie then switched it up - going left hand into the shallow pocket - and nabbed what is thought to be the 3rd ascent of Jim Karn's AKR. Established in 1988, only Ben Moon is thought to have previously repeated it, doing so during his Colorado visit in the early 1990's. AKR took Jamie all of 30 minutes and he figures V11. We all know what's next. Stay tuned.

exacting revenge ...

2007-11-05T15:19:00.000-07:00

... so sweet.

September 9, 2007: Me on Tendon Productions, Mount Evans Wilderness Area. This problem is one of the first you will come to when approaching the Aerials. I've had to live with the memory of flaming out at the topout 3 seasons ago, mostly because I was totally throttled from from the hike in. I remember JJ and I being infinitely psyched that day. It was no different a few weeks ago when Matty K and I made an end of the season trip and I was able to put this one away. Thanks for taking the photos Matty!!!