No News is Good News

I came home to Davis this weekend for my mom's wedding. Not long after I arrived I was informed that one of my friends was particularly worried for my health because I had not posted in a while. I assure you all I'm fine and have just been consumed with work, climbing, and visiting with friends.

While many of you may have already heard that Alex and Thomas Huber have broken the speed record on the Nose by about 3min., most of you were probably unaware of another attempt on this rout that was only interesting because of how it ended. Apparently a couple of gumbies trying their luck on this route could properly attach there "poop tube" (a modified bear canister) to their haul bag properly and launched it from just below the "stove legs" pitch. By the grace of God there had yet to be any fecal matter deposited in said container and fortunately no one was hurt by the falling receptacle. Word on the street is that the two would be ascentionist have not given up yet and may be returning in the spring for a second attempt. Be very afraid.

If you're interested in more bouldering news I've made my first contribution to the Betabase website. Check it out.

Noah's Arc

A busy weekend here in the Valley. First of all, the Yosemite Facelift organized by Ken Yager was in high gear. Ken deserves a lot of credit and one of your beers for all the hard work he's put into this event. Ken personally invested $6,000 of his own dough to make the fourth annual event a reality. This year over 41,000 pounds of trash was collected. The majority of the weight came from abandoned construction materials and even a 1950's era car, but the majority of the garbage included candy bar wrappers, bottles, cans, and everbodys' favorite...used toilet paper.

Here's George at headquaters on Saturdauy. George volunteered everyday of the event.

Here's a picture of Alex Honold climbing the new classic "Atlantis." Alex recently free soloed "Astroman" on Washington Column and the "Direct Northwest Face" of the Rostrum in a day! It makes me quiver just thinking about it.

In bouldering news, there was a genuine posse of boulders in the Valley this weekend. Paul, Lyn, and Tim from Berkeley, Ian, Wills, and Lisa from Bishop, Dave and Lana from Sacramento, and Ryan and Peter from Davis were all motivated to trash themselves on new and old problems alike. First to go down was "That's How Murder Happens." I believe Wills was first to send but Noah was equally responsible for making the line possible, it is a phenomenal boulder problem. I was lucky enough to get in on the action and do an amazing first ascent this weekend. Noah Kaufman first cleaned the line and was really psyched about trying to send. I had scoped it out previously, but had dismissed it as either too hard or too reachy. Noah's enthusiasm was infectious however so I had to give it a try. Unfortunately, Peter and Ryan had to head home and I wanted to accompany them back to my house. I asked for them to wait so I could try it just once, "I'm sure... only one try" was Ryan's sceptical response knowing full well that I'd probably get really excited and want to work on the problem until I sent or was bleeding from my fingertips. I assured him that I would only give it one try from the time I made it to the starting holds (the problem required me to jump awkwardly off of another small bloc to reach the starting holds). Sure enough, after a few false starts, I stuck the starting hold and continued up to the top. I called it "Noah's Arc" because without Noah's influence I wouldn't have done it and because of the dramatic arc created by one's body when they latch the starting hold. Unfortunately there are no pictures because it all happened so fast. It'll just have to wait until Noah returns to send for himself. Here instead is a Picture of Lyn trying almost as hard as her spotter Paul on "That's How Murder Happens."

Que Sappy Love Song

Is that not the cutest face you've ever seen? I'm talking about the bear cub of course not my goofy mug. This big baby weighed a whopping 63 pounds! That's a ton for a bear less than a year old. I thought about stealing him and trying to teach him to fetch the newspaper and such. I'd have named him Bunny and given him a blue collar. Seriously, this was way cooler than going climbing today. Everyone loves a baby bear, but this one is mine.

By the way, the Yosemite Facelift is off and running again so get out there and pick up some garbage. If you can't make it here go somewhere locally and do your part...Unless you're Alan Moore and locally means the Riverside Quarry. Then, if you're Alan Moore, go find an abandoned 1986 Honda Civic that has been reincarnated as a homeless shelter in its second life and tow it the crag so that it can be with all of it's relatives.

Rain

Its raining, which is nice for the scenery but not for the climbing. Still, I did two new problems today, both on the same boulder as "Merit." "Atom Smasher" in particular is excellent. Pictures will have to wait until some more of my friends with normal jobs or my lazy unemployed friends get up here to pose like Madonna for me and my picture taking machine. Sorry.

Here is a picture of Fire instead. Cool eh?

Birfday Visit

I had some visitors this weekend. Vicki (see above), Peter (seen below on "Battle of the Bulge", which he sent), and my dog Turtle. We went bouldering and had a super time. I have to recommend a problem that I had previously been more or less unaware of. "Hammerhead" in Camp 4 is a super-awesome-mega-classic not to be missed by the highball connoisseur.

You know what the best part about my birthday was, aside from seeing my dog? Treats. I was buried in yummy treats by my friends. Tammy Lynn made cheesecake, Vicki made lemon poppy seed, and my mom sent a poppy seed cake as well.

In a bit of climbing news Tommy Caldwell has made the possible second ascent of Chris Sharma's boulder problem "Thunderbird" in Toulumne Meadows. He also made a rare repeat of Ron Kauk's "Peace". Expect more exciting sends from him and Beth later this fall.

It is cooling down here, which means it is time to get serious and send some hard stuff. If you haven't heard yet there is a ton of climbing to be done in the Valley, don't miss out.

Late Nights

"Seat of the Pants"

After several long nights working as late as 6:00am, I have a couple of days off. Yesterday I went bouldering in Camp 4. I met a nice Austrian dude by the name of Deiter? He told me to just call him "D" so I did. He has been travelling the world for a while and is planning on staying in the states for several months. Recently D has been in Peru and and Brazil. His stories of Brazil were quite intriguing and made all the mo' betta by promises of fantastic beachside and inland climbing.

D on "Baby Bear"

"Team America"

Today I took my housemate, Tammy Lynn, on her first mountain climbing adventure. We went to the Glacier Point Apron and climbed "The Grack," a perfect introduction to Yosemite climbing. Here are some pictures of her making her first "summit" and first rappel. Way to go Fucker!

Merit

I established a new boulder problem recently that required a bit of vision and tenacity. Not to climb, of course, but to clean up. This problem raised the question that every first ascentor faces, "is it worth it?" Of course what makes one climb worth while or not is different for everybody but I have a few specific questions I ask myself before scrubbing. Is the environmental impact of cleaning a particular line going to be egregious? Is the problem going to be worth doing? Is anyone besides myself going to enjoy it? How long will it take to clean? and vice-versa, how long will it take to recover if it is never again to be climbed?


I named this problem in light of this internal conflict, I thought it was worth it.

"Merit" (V3)

Oh, and if you were wondering why you are supposed to clip those carabiners on the dumpsters in Yosemite, or any bear habitat for that matter, this is what happens if you don't.