Archive for August, 2011

An Embarrassing Memory!

Tuesday, August 16th, 2011

When people ask me when I fell in love with climbing, I say I was about 16 years old (a little late for today’s standards) but then my mom sent me this picture in the mail yesterday, and it occurred to me, maybe I’ve been in love with climbing for a lot longer than I thought!

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A few pics!

Thursday, August 11th, 2011

Two days in a row,  I’m on a roll.  Here are just some pics from my last day of climbing with Jeremy Smith.  Fun times, (before my gear ripped anyway).  Got to extend a huge thanks to Jer for such a great day, and one of the best catches I can remember.  We climbed a 7 pitch 5.12 called Never Never Land.   Then tried to link it into the Edge of Pan, also, 7 pitches if  you do it from Pan Tease.   It’s like Multi-Level-Cragging up there.  Big fun.

Jeremy entering the Guillotine crux 5.12 which he gracefully onsighted.

Jeremy following the endless slab pitch, 50 meters of 5.11+.  Golden.

Jeremy traversing the slabs below the Pan Tease corner.  A bit of route finding skills are recommended up there, but Pan Tease is a VERY excellent route as well and a tremendous way to finish Never Never Land.

Smith doing a hand traverse – this bit of climbing links the striking corner of Pan Tease, into the even more striking corner of Edge of Pan.  Looking forward to getting back up there.  Today I am filming a Canadian TV show called Restless Josie, I am taking her climbing, and we’re going to have some fun at Murrin Rock.  Then it’s back to the usual for me.

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Keeping Up

Wednesday, August 10th, 2011

I just can’t seem to keep up with myself these days.  One day I’m in the Canadian Rockies, the next in Salt Lake City, the next I’m connecting through L.A. and then flying over Yosemite Valley, which may be a bit of foreshadowing as I’ll be spending 6 weeks there this fall.  Even from 30,000 feet and with a wing in the way, you can still make out the Nose and Half Dome, as clear as day.  Check out this picture I took below. Click to enlarge.  Hope you like it.  I think it’s pretty sick if I do say so myself.

Hmm,  Media Stuff.  So, I guess I was on the cover of the Patagonia Catalog in Europe this Spring,  so that’s kinda cool and they also used a Ben Ditto Image from last year of me falling off Evilution Direct, V12, right before I sent it.  A very cool shot.  Ben is so RAD.  Hmmm, what else, oh yah, I guess an article I wrote for Alpinist just came out, I haven’t seen it yet, but people have said some really nice things to me, so that must mean they are lying,  ha ha, but Paul Bride did all the photo’s and those I know for sure are amazing.  I did see the article in the latest Gripped about mine and Ben Moon’s route from last year we nick-named the Butt-Face.  It’s really called the Squamish Buttress, North-Face-Variation.  But call it what you want, it’s 5.9, and a fun little scramble up the big rocks.  Also, please stay roped up until you’re on top, I goofed on the topograph.

A Keith Ladzinski photo, also SUPER SUPER RAD guy.

Anyway, I just really want you all to know that I have been climbing my ass off lately, and feeling stronger, fitter and having more fun than I have had in years, there’s some really cool stuff coming down the pipe, lots of new routes for me, a big day with TC on the Diamond Face, a long free route here in Squamish, I took a 50 footer yesterday and ripped 7 pieces of gear.  This thing might need a bolt.  Hmmmmmm.  Any thoughts out there?   I much prefer no bolts when I can, but there is a time and place for everything, and certain things make certain amount of sense,  this is starting to make more and more sense to me.  Other than that, I am planning my wedding with my beautiful fiance Lydia, and living in my van full time with her.  We are free birds these days, it’s a good feeling.  Less bullshit, more rock climbing.  Happy August to all.

Here’s a pic of Lydia and the DreamBoat in Levenworth, WA.

and here’s a great shot of the van after I finished the building process, took me 3 long hard days, but there’s enough room to still do yoga on the floor, even for my 6 foot long carcass.  BTW, It looks much more lived in now.  Ahhhh, home sweet home.

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