I could have sworn we were just moving into fall when I checked the 5 day forecast to see the words 'Wintery Mix' adorning this weekends weather prediction. Hmmm. After some hurried typing and logically thought out cross-weather-website-referencing I realized that something of a perfect storm is CRUSHING the front range over the next few days. Only one answer to this riddle and it's not climbing inside- I'm OUT!!! Given the size of this beastly storm system Paige and I are heading WAY over the divide and I'm finally going to have the chance to climb at an area that has fascinated me for a long time- Mill Creek. VERY excited to check this spot out, although my time there will be kind of short.
Friday morning is feeling extra welcome after a long week of varied work (and varied success). Last Monday I helped out a good friend of mine by stepping into all five of her middle and high classes at the Bruce Randolph school in Denver and giving a 45min shpeel on rock climbing, showing some photos and letting the kids check out some hardware. They were STOKED to say the least, and of all 160 kids I spoke to over the course of the day, I can only hope that a couple check out rock climbing on a weekend or after school. This experience definitely fostered a new appreciation for the pace and hustle of a school teacher- that's endurance.
Tuesday I had a chance to get back up to the Industrial Wall with Paige. Temps were definitely a bit warm and the sun was crankin, but we were stoked up and both FIRED our routes. I am very excited to have finished up 'Terminal Velocity', which was yet another difficult Industrial Wall reach problem that I found unique and interesting short person beta for. I was forced to add a few desperate moves to the crux sequence, but what it really came down to was a very hard, ultra low-percentage (average about 50% off the hang) dynamic reach that required pulling with a depressingly small footer and accurately stabbing a three finger dish. The rest of the route offered a really nice pump on super enjoyable corners and edges, but the route was always this one move for me. I definitely hesitate to say this sans knee-bar, short person beta is 14b, but I will admit it took me more efforts than any other 14a I've ever done, save my first (Sarchasm). Shortly there after Paige took a cleveland steamer on T.G.V. (13c), making it her second 13c in a week, and I finished the day with the last worthy route at the wall I had yet to red-point, an enjoyable little boulder-route called 'Tunnel Vision' 13b. Wicked day. We even had time to check out and support a special GORE-TEX / ARCTERYX / BLACK DIAMOND event in Denver - the Proforum. Free food, good friends and a fancy electronically controlled bidet- wicked night.
Wednesday had been hanging over my head for a while, given that Andy Mann and I had planned our first big slide-show at the Boulder Rock Club titled 'Colorado Burl' - sponsored by Arcteryx, LaSportiva, Avery and the BRC. We entered the show with some minimal stress, but in the end had a hell of a good time and were super stoked on the success of the night. We definitely pushed the maximum capacity of the yoga room and got a bunch of laughs out of the seemingly pleased crowd. It was a ball, and I wanna thank all those who made it out to support us and check out some killer front range images!
I'll be around Boulder for a couple days next week and also will be setting some ridiculous plastic climbs next friday (16th) for the first edition of the BRC's BCS comp series. Makes sure to check it out!! then I'm off to Kentucky...
photos: (Justin Roth) Thanks for coming out! never been good at baseball but check out my swag tossing arm!!
