Monday, August 31, 2009

The Joy of Climbing

Sometimes, when climbing, you get that inexplicable joy. That feeling of contentment, accomplishment, thrill of completion, sheer happiness, whatever you want to call it. It doesn't matter if it's easy or hard; sometimes, it's just great.

Here are two videos that show that joy. The first is a nice 2007 video of Ethan Pringle on Iron Resolution V13 in Joshua Tree. You get the added bonus of a Michael Reardon showing (although he yaps a bit too much). I first got clued in to this video via the Narc's site.

Iron Resolution w/Interview Video by Cary Carmichael - MySpace Video

Shared via AddThis

The second is great video of a dude on The Power of Landjager V11 in Hueco Tanks. I've embedded it here. This guy's reaction is much simpler: a quiet sigh and look of contentment crosses his face upon the send.

Power of Landjager from Joshua Haynes on Vimeo.



Both reactions are priceless and both brought a smile to my face. Hope you like them as much as I did.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Jackson Falls - August 29, 2009

Climbers - Tony, Calvin
Weather - Superlative-inducing

In other news, Rob Armstrong captured the Second Annual Chili Cookoff (tm), hosted by Josh Behrends and Catherine Walsh. Rob placed first among 8 entries. There were rumors of a vote-counting controversy, but I didn't see any hanging or pregnant chads. Nice job Rob!

Also, Team Saucisson member Tony is headed back to grad school for a year of intensive study. We wish him luck as he starts on Wednesday and hope he can find some time to get out on the rock.

Early day. We saw that the weather was going to be a high of 79, with zero chance of rain, so we bolted for a day of climbing at the Promised Land. 4am had me swearing at the alarm clock, but I was packed the night before and made it to Tony's by 4:48. 5 minutes later we were on the road. 7:30 found us at the parking lot and by 8:15 we were at the Promised Land. Good start.

It was a bit humid, but I knew that moisture levels were supposed to drop throughout the day and they did. We warmed up on XOXO .10b, then moved over to Fashionably Late, .11a. I'd TR'd this years ago to clean it, and it was a very enjoyable lead. Very crimpy, a bit sustained through the crux, and a good way to wake up your forearms.

A few minutes later, we moved over to Hubba Hubba, .12a/b (sandbag?) which had thwarted attempts on our last trip around bolt 6 for Tony. Tony put up the draws, cleaned the route and polished beta. Thanking Tony, I tried the route (last time I did it bolt to bolt after bolt 3) and made it to bolt 5 before whiffing. The climbing is nice and intricate; you climb three bolts to a sidepull rest, clip the fourth bolt out right, where it begins to move diagonally right for the rest last 4 bolts. The last 4 bolts are progressively more difficult simply for endurance reasons... they're all probably V2/+ '-ish' boulder problems, albeit on a slightly overhung face and on sloper holds.

Tony redpointed it very nicely on his next try. Right before bolt 7 is a semi-good finger rail. He pulled the second-to-last crux and rested there for a few minutes. It looked like such a great rest, I thought all I had to do was make it there and recharge like Tony. Funny thing is, I didn't remember it being that good of a rest, but I figured Tony had found a better grip or foot placement. Nope. Turns out he just has more endurance and finger strength than I do. I couldn't rest on that piece of shit finger-rail to save my life.

I fell right before that bolt, and again right after, for a 2-hang try. So it went on the next try as well. Better luck next time, I suppose. Meantime, Tony tried Poseur, .12b (definite sandbag), the first route to the left of Team Honda. Poseur and its 2 brethren are on a band of striking orange rock, increasingly overhung as you negotiate the 7-8 bolts. They're also extremely dirty from lack of traffic. Tony found this out to his woe after grabbing dirt and sand bolt after bolt. With some cleaning, it looks to be a classic Promised Land route, but has several cruxes; I tried it on TR and there is a powerful crux at bolt 3, some strong moves, then a moderate crux leading you into another very powerful/balancey crux at bolt 6 or 7 (not remembering too well).

We only climbed 4 routes for a total of 6 laps, but that was enough to fry us both. Tired, but happy, we left around 3:45 and got back to St. Louis around 7:15, in time for the party at Josh's and Catherine's. Hope you had a great weekend as well!

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Exercise (Cure?) for Tennis/Golf Elbow - Lateral (Outside) & Medial (Inside) Epicondylitis

If you've climbed for any length of time, you've experienced elbow problems. As a group, it's no surprise to us that we're particularly susceptible to overuse injuries; think of all the finger pulley problems, wrist/ankle and shoulder issues, etc.

A NYtimes article has shown demonstrable success by researchers from the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

"After less than two months of treatment, the researchers terminated the experiment. The early results had been too unfair. The control group had showed little or no improvement. But the rubber-bar-using group effectively had been cured. Those patients reported an 81 percent improvement in their elbow pain and a 72 percent improvement in strength."

The best part? It's "effective and supremely cheap."

Check out this vid on how to perform the exercise (lateral epicondylitis):


Here's a link to purchase the Theraband Flexbar. I think I'm going to buy one soon.

Here's an updated vid for medial epiconylitis "Golfer's Elbow"

Monday, August 24, 2009

Yosemite Trip Report

A quick read through Team Saucisson and you can tell Calvin had Yosemite on the brain... I didn't climb El Cap in a day, I didn't dislocate a wrist with a finger lock, and I didn't climb A5, but I did manage to have an incredible trip. First things first - thanks to all of the St. Louis climbers who helped me train this summer, offering up countless belays and pushing me on harder routes. All of the work paid off; we managed to climb some 7000 vertical feet in our 10 days in the park, climbed a few 10's on gear, and learned how to aid climb. Yosemite definitely opened my eyes to what is possible in rock climbing. I'll organize this post by route, since nearly everything we climbed was a great suggestion from someone in St. Louis. Every day we tried to push ourselves with a longer route, or a more difficult route. Every day we came down swearing it was the best line we'd ever climbed. That's a good way to finish a trip.

Our first day out we climbed Nutcracker (5 pitches, 5.8) on Manure Pile Buttress. This route warns of a 'difficult mantle' on the fourth pitch, but Jackson Falls had us well prepared. I led the odd pitches, starting with a thin crack 5.9 variation. The crux move is a high foot on 'polished stone'. The crux occurred on the first move and I definitely learned the definition of polished! A two foot fall onto a yellow TCU and I was in the business. Thankfully, this would be one of only two minor falls all week long. The route featured fun moves, a two minute approach hike and an easy walk off. A great introduction to Yosemite.

The next day we climbed Central Pillar of Frenzy (5 pitches, 5.9) on Middle Cathedral. This route offered super consistent 5.9 crack climbing, with everything from fingers to chimney moves. I led the even pitches, which offered lots of fingers and small hands, a few lieback moves and a perfect double crack system. For the second day, this climb felt hard, but it was perfect to help us get more comfortable on the granite and the small and big stuff alike. Central Pillar also sits across the meadow from El Cap, so the entire day we looked out and saw tourists like ants photographing climbers. We also drooled over ourselves staring at El Cap.


Feeling confident on 5.9 cracks, we wanted to push our endurance, so we returned to Middle Cathedral to climb the NE Buttress (11 pitches, 5.10a A0). Pitch 5 features amazing variety. A slabby face goes 5.10c or A0 as a bolt ladder. I gave the onsight a try, clipping the first two bolts before falling. In the interest of time, I started pulling on draws and moving through the ladder. From there, the pitch traverses left into a 5.9 trad roof that offered a mental crux, and then a long section of 5.6 hands in a large flake. I love how hard pitches yield the best belay ledges: suddenly we had huge exposure and long sight lines far into the valley. A sea of pine trees and granite, plus the silence of having the wall to ourselves.

The rest of the climb passed quickly, with Justin taking some awesome leads, and then graciously letting me take the last three pitches (which link into two, with one 60 m rope). A steep two hour hike home, but we were resting in camp by 4 pm, feeling great about our adventures.

The middle of the week was enjoyable, but slow climbing wise. We took a rest day and headed down to Mariposa Grove and the Giant Sequoias. The craziest part of the day was the crowds. Hundreds of people swarming 200 redwoods, but if you are willing to hike 20 minutes uphill (on a huge trail) you have the entire grove to yourself. Rain threatened on and off for the next two days, so we stayed close to the ground. We got in several single pitch climbs, including several aid leads, chimney sections, and my first 5.10c: a long offwidth flake (5.9) to a finger sized roof, about 6 feet in length (5.10c). The roof featured great pro and excellent feet; for my money the squeeze climb was much harder. Learning to aid climb was... not fun. Justin and I both agreed that it was a means to an end, not an endeavor to enjoy in its own right (at least for us). We stayed on easy C1, hammerless, terrain. Plugging cams and nuts in seams that we could free climb, just working the movement out, and keeping the triple racks and etriers organized.

By now, our spirits were soaring, the climbing had been amazing, the weather perfect. It may be hot in August, but if you can climb at Jackson, then you can definitely handle the 90 degree sun. We had two big goals/dreams left: El Cap and Half Dome.

We headed out to climb the East Buttress of El Cap (14 pitches, 5.10b), which even though its not on the head wall itself, still has several super exciting pitches and great views. The route starts hard, with a long 5.9 chimney. Thankfully Justin led up, and offered up (in my mind) the much more manageable pitch 2 - a 5.10b face move protected by small nuts and then a 5.9 finger groove. The next few pitches went quickly, including a bit of route finding and ant smashing. Pitch 8 offered one of my favorite 30' of climbing all week: a slightly overhanging 5.9 lieback, with smears and edges down low for your feet. I used my first ever heel hook on a trad line, hugging in close to put in the finger sized pro.

From Yosemite 2009
Some more 5.9 chimney and 5.9 face climbing above, then Justin led the strangest 5.8 of polished, pancacked face holds ever, before we made the long stretch to the top. We took the tourist variation descent by hiking to the summit of El Cap
From Yosemite 2009
and then nine miles back down, pausing to stop and see the Upper Yosemite Falls, which actually stopped flowing for the summer on our last day! Our longest day of trad climbing ever, coupled with a long hike, and we were exhausted. Fortunately, we were sharing our site in Camp 4 with some nice people (including a professional surfer) and enjoyed a good dinner.

Next, we debated. Were we ready to climb Half Dome? Were there other routes we would enjoy more? Half Dome sits at the far eastern edge of the Valley, looming over everything else. Its almost always visible, and as for many others, just begs to be climbed. After carefully considering the topo (almost nightly), we decided we could handle the 23 pitches at the 5.9 Aid 1 grade on the Regular Route.
From Yosemite 2009
We didn't have a haul bag, so the second would carry a backpack with all the water and bivy gear. Little did we know jumaring the rope as a second would be the mental and physical crux of the route!

We climbed the route in three long, enjoyable days. Day 1 we packed and hiked to the base of the climb, then fixed lines on the first three pitches of the route. We rappelled and slept/laid awake that night at the base of the cliff. A few other parties showed up, and everyone was nervous about sharing the wall. We 'woke' up at 4 am and started jumaring the fixed lines. Good decision - with one jumar and one prusik apiece, it took over an hour to get to the top of pitch 3. Regardless, we were on our way! Justin and I decided to block lead the climb, since transferring the pig and aid gear would be terribly time consuming. I took the morning shift, leading several long 5.9 pitches, a short 5.11c section (on aid) and the Robbins Traverse bolt ladder. We reached the top of pitch 11 at 1:30, fully committed now to the summit. Justin led the afternoon shift and did a remarkable job starting up three long chimney pitches (5.6, 5.9, 5.9). I stayed behind with the haul bag, cursing the pig at every possible chance.
From Yosemite 2009


We made Big Sandy Ledges and our dinner/bivy at the fading rays of 8 pm. I couldn't believe how well I slept, on a bed of climbing ropes, rocks and backpacks. We woke up to a cold morning, and a red and black sunrise far off in the valley, with just the leftover light reaching us. I'm sure the 11 California wildfires gave the sunrise its tint. The top seemed close now, but it would still be another 9 hours of slow work. We aren't incredible seasoned aid vets, and the next three pitches of Aid 1 (or 5.11 fingers to 5.10 roof) took us 6 hours to complete. No problem, since we were in the shade all morning, slowly sipping our liter of water apiece. I then led the final three pitches, each with more enthusiasm than the last.

First up, Thank God Ledge. A 40' traverse on a twelve inch shelf, with 1800 feet screaming below you. A real mental crux, followed by an exciting 5.8 squeeze section to anchors. I was pumped, since this was my first real chimney/squeeze lead with any sort of exposure (and since I dind't have to carry the pig -- thanks Justin!). Then, another bolt ladder with a tricky gear traverse. And finally, nearing on 3 pm, the final pitch of 5.7 slab/finger crack and then a blocky 5.5 section of mantle moves. Then we're standing on the summit!

The experience of climbing Half Dome was incredible. What I enjoyed most was that it took all of our experience to date with long free routes, aid climbing and lightweight backpacking. No one part was more difficult than anything we'd done to date, but in totality, gave us a chance to see ourselves in new situations with new challenges. The hardest part was keeping the energy up after a long day of hauling, but the excitement and adrenaline of the exposure and route helped us push through.

Thanks for reading this far. Yosemite was a great two weeks of climbing, friendship and scenery. I know I'll be heading back, and I hope you all will be joining me! More pics from the trip can be seen here.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Crack Climbing

This is why I don't crack climb. Look at this horrendous picture - Alex Honnold. I think his right arm has dislocated at the wrist to allow for this finger lock.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Jackson Falls, Promised Land Aug 15, 2009

Climbers - Tony, Calvin
Weather - Sultry

In other news, as promised, Craig is back from Yosemite and will be posting soon. I've set him up with an account. Meanwhile, here's a TR from our last trip:

Sorry for the late post, but here's a quick update. Tony and I got up early to head down to the Falls on Saturday. We knew it was going to be hot and it was. After warming up at the Gallery (Group and Psychotherapy, .10c & b), it was off to the Promised Land.

I'd thought to maybe get back on Balance of Power, but it was pretty smarmy so Tony and I got on Team Honda .12a. TH is a great climb that begins on mostly vertical terrain for about 3 clips, then gets busy for the final 3. You move through good pockets/crimps and slopers with some high-stepping to start, then at bolt 2 use a left undercling, hike your feet high to fully extend to a good sloper. More dynamic movement to the next bolt finds your right hand on a good diagonal rail, a slightly awkward clip, then a left handed pinch. You hike your feet high again, and fully extend again to another sloper. This one is a bit more intimidating because you can't see the sloper and it's at least 5 feet away, but the move isn't as hard as you think it's going to be. Another sloper and you're recovering somewhat.

From here, it's game on. After a few shakeouts, you notice the rock begins to incline as you move up some moderate terrain to your final finger rail. This clip is also fairly easy. You shake again, knowing the first hard move is coming: right leg extended far right, right hand up to a decent crimp, left foot up and stab hard to a left handed crimp. Again, decent holds, but you're getting pumped; continue reaching up right to a vertical rail, move feet and reach hard to a left-hand sloper. One more lock-off/hard stab to a right handed sloper/pinch and your left hand has a complimentary sloper. I was really pumped here - and I knew I was a good 10+ feet above the last draw. Perfectly safe, but a bit airy.

From here, a final big move to a right handed jug, then you're at a roof traverse moving left, moving horizontally on massive iron flakes. If you can make it here, you can heelhook your way to the chains. Great climb. I put up the draws, cleaned it and shared beta; Tony then flashed it and looked quite comfy doing it. My redpoint attempt, I fell on the last big move at the traverse; I literally slipped off the bad part of the jug. Frustrating. I sent next try feeling worse, but realized I'd just hit the bad part of the rail and probably would have sent the prior try but for a stupid mistake.

Tony put the draws up on Hubba, Hubba .12a/b - a climb by some bolted projects to the right of Remove LaRopa. BTW, the climbs at the PL feel tough. TH felt .12b hard, and HH felt a good .12c. Pumpy bugger, and it's deceptively overhung. You aid start the first bolt (which goes at .13a if you can do the move), then climb three bolts before trending right. Climbing straight up is Ooh La La, another .12a/b. HH is characterized by slopey and crimpy power climbing, with a nice hard crux at bolt 3 traversing right, then another crux right at bolt 4, with another redpoint crux at bolt 5. There are two cruelly slopey finger holds right below clip 6; you have to remember to move one more move to a jug or have more endurance than I did to make the clip.

Tony refined his beta hanging the draws and almost made it past clip 5 on his redpoint burn. Right at the crux past clip 4, a telling but familiar grunt emerged. Immediately following came a less familiar grunt cum scream... with a breathless, "Please don't let me fall." I immediately reassured Tony that I had his belay, but later he told me he was saying that to himself. :) I gave it a burn, cursed my lack of endurance (TH beat me up) and Tony gave it another try but fell at around the same spot.

HH is a great climb and will probably fall soon, but it's definitely hard. Slopey, and moves diagonally right, which makes the movement atypical, difficult yet fun. Sorry I don't have pics, but you can't take any pics when you're either climbing or belaying.