a week off-ish

Life continues here in the french country-side. Nice and slow. Most days are quite mellow and the pace is very relaxed. My gite is just across from the trailhead so between eating, sleeping, walking to the crag and back, there is plenty of time to just... chill. The last week I've been by myself here - Tommy and Becca had moved on to their next objective and flew over to Kalymnos for some fun in the sun.

In some ways it was perfect timing to have a lack of partners, because the weather over the last week has been less than desirable. The wind is mostly what made things rough. Temps were typically comfortable but when the 'ice wind' - as we've been calling it - started up it was over, for me at least. I took the chance to take some rest and tried to remain patient as I waited for my skin to heal, weather to improve and partners to emerge. It all worked out quite well really. I met some amazing people and shared a few belays, took plenty of rest and also got to escape a few times and enjoy some other amazing parts of Southern France.

As for my project- it's been going really well. I felt like I was getting closer and closer before Tommy left, which made it difficult to take basically a week off from the route, but this last Saturday I had without a doubt my best try yet. I stuck what I imagined to be the 'last move' for me - literally shocked that I had made it there - only to fumble the crux exit while trying to adjust my grip. It was inspiring and exciting and also humbling. I was beginning to worry about sticking that move from the ground so in that sense it was an enormous break through. For a moment I felt like, maybe, just maybe, I was sending. And despite the fact that only a second later I was in flight, I remained exhilarated. Back on Earth I was describing to my friend Thibault that sometimes for me, these attempts - the ones that are so close, the one hangs, the near misses - sometimes these are the most exciting moments. Knowing that something is within your grasp, that it could be a reality, is a cool feeling.

Unfortuntely I tore a pretty big hole in my skin, so after a rest yesterday, I will go up to the crag just for some fun, taped finger climbing, and save a good attempt for tomorrow. It really feels close to me, but I'm still not expecting anything. Patience is the key for me at this point. Patience and psyche.

Wish me luck! 

the route

Ever since I first visited Southern France for climbing 2 years ago, it's become a pillar of quality in my mind - the near perfection of routes and the beauty and purity of the stone. By all means, the climbing here is the standard to which I measure almost everything I see - consciously or subconsciously. This doesn't necessarily mean that everything must measure up, it only means that I am aware of how unique these places are, and also how special this degree of quality really is. Just as I remembered it, I'm again blown away by the climbing, the setting, and the almost impeccable nature of experience that is Ceuse climbing. 

I've been dreaming of my return ever since I left 2 years ago, and furthermore, I've been anxiously planning for an objective. Since last December I've been approaching my climbing differently. For the first time in my climbing life I solicited the help of a trainer. I've quite dramatically changed the way I train - finally trying some new things. I've adjusted my lifestyle, and like I once did many years ago - in pursuit of my first 5.14s - I've anxiously looked ahead and worked hard towards a lofty goal. It has been an awesome awakening for me. I had a great line of success in Las Vegas, while also maintaining a relatively strict training program, and continuously looking ahead. In general, I feel like I saw the end of the line for my long used methods for training and my general approach to climbing - and that line did not include my new climbing goals, so I made some changes and now I feel more prepared.... hopefully. In the end, I'm satisfied knowing that I've improved, and knowing that I worked really hard - so in many ways, regardless of the outcome of this specific trip, I'm quite happy that I took the plunge and made a change.

Rest day exploring Briancon.

So, as some of you know, I, in essence, came to France to climb Biographie, or as many Americans know it, Realization. I can remember the first time that I saw the route - it is truly magnificent. I was shocked to see that such a bold and impressive, seemingly perfect line exists. Add to that, the historic significance of this climb not to mention its unique and brilliant holds and movement -- it really is a proud route. I trained to improve my climbing, not necessarily for this climb specifically, but I had it in mind all throughout. I've been here in France for a little more than a week, and already it has been an exciting journey. 

Alpine glow every night from our brilliant gite!

I met the always stoked Caldwell family here right away, and on my first climbing day I began trying this amazing climb. Immediately off the ground is a burly 4 move boulder problem - which broke in 2010 - rendering it several V grades harder. To me it feels similar in difficulty to the opening boulder on Necessarily Evil. Some 5.13- climbing right after leads to the main rest - a huge right facing flake. It's a very good rest. After the pause, a series of super resistant two and three finger pocket moves, with cross-throughs and underclings and high steps and all kinds of interesting and varied movement, lead you to the old anchor (now removed). To here the route is considered 14c, although some have suggested an upgrade due to the bottom boulder breaking. I'm not sure really, it's hard though! There is an okay rest at the old anchor, then a bolt more of resistance climbing leads to a slightly better rest just below the finishing crux. The finishing crux is essentially 12 moves, with a bunch of foot movement, and some very fickle pockets and crimps. It's hard to say how difficult this crux section is on its own, but it is certainly the effects of climbing from the ground that make this crux - and thus the entire route - so difficult. From above the crux there is an okay rest, and some 5.11 climbing (that is deceptively hard when you're pumped!) for another 50 feet leads to the anchor at around the 35 meter mark. 

It took some time for me to suss the route, especially the finishing boulder which has quite a few options depending on your size and strengths. On my third day I climbed up to and beyond the old anchor, which was very very exciting for me and also encouraging. But I was still quite baffled by the upper crux. It took some pretty serious time hanging and experimenting to find a method that worked well for me. The next step was a one hang on the route - falling setting up for the crux move and then taking it to the top. And yesterday I fell off what I feel personally is the *last* hard move, and also I have linked now several times in various states of fatigue from the final rest below the biz to the very top - an important link both mentally and physically. 

Find the longest, darkest, most prominent blue streak on the left side of this photo. This is Biographie. 

So, on paper, it seems I've very close. But I also want to remain extremely humble in my efforts. I know how many times climbers much greater than I have fallen in this upper crux and yet never broke through. I know that even though I have 2 more months, there are a plethora of ways in which my efforts could be fruitless. I'm confident that I can do the route, but that's not to say that I will do the route. Sorry if that sounds pessimistic, but the best road for me is to stay stoked on the process and to not get too hung up on the results. I'll keep trying my ass off, resting well healing skin and giving it everything! 

Wish me luck! 

made it.

Well... I made it. Back in the French countryside. Quite surreal really. A landscape and a pace of life that's something from a dream. And of course the climbing... is as close to perfection as I've ever tasted. It's fun to revisit this area and this country 2 years after my last adventure here.

I landed in Nice last week and spent the first afternoon relaxing by the beach, catching up from the long flights. The next few days I met up with my good friends Tommy, Becca and Fitz Caldwell and we settled into our wicked little gite nestled in the hills below Ceuse. Life is good here.

For now, I'll offer up a handful of photos from the last few days. In time I'll write a proper blog, but just know that things are going great and we're all so stoked to be here!

Nice. Always been one of my favorite European cities. Beautiful stone beaches, a melting pot of the Italian and French Med culture and charming people and downtown area. I'm excited to spend more time here. 

I'll never get tired of the view from Ceuse... 

Becca and little Fitz man.

Street art in Aix. 

Fondation Vasarely. An impressive and very unique art museum in Aix. 

The beautiful and unrelenting Biographie, and the expanse looking towards the Med from Ceuse. Becca Caldwell Photo. 

Aix. 

training. 

a few days left

Well, I'm off to France in under a week. I've already been checking the weather there, corresponding with friends in the area and making a packing list. Needless to say, I'm really stoked. My trip to Southern France 2 years ago was such a magical and eye opening experience I really can not wait to return. That trip was by all means a success and radical but now I feel much, much more prepared and even more inspired. I'm hopeful that the past several months of training and climbing will pay off, but I know that regardless of my sending, I'll be drinking wine, sharing laughs with many different great friends and waking up to the sound of goat bells in no time!

Plan B. Super good. 

Like I mentioned I've primarily been on the training program but I did get out this week to a new (to me) crag in Boulder Canyon. I had essentially written off the whole canyon, after several pretty crappy climbing experiences there over the years (there are a few good routes.. I think I'm just spoiled) but I was very surprised and stoked to get out there. I did a pretty damn fun little climb that Peter Beal established 13 years ago and has somehow remained unrepeated since. It's called 'Agony and Ecstasy' and it's a little 3 bolt boulder problem direct start to a fantastic 12d granite arete. It was rumored to be 14a - I'd say it's like v9 to 12d so maybe 13+ is a better fit but who knows? It was fun! And the crag classics 'Plab B' 12b, 'The Juice' 12d and 'Hot Wire' 12c are all pretty damn fun too. It was a good day out. But I think at least to some extent I was just stoked to get outside and climb rocks instead of hang on hang boards and lift weights for once!

Okay.. more training and packing.
Wish me luck over there...

And in the meantime - have a look at this new video from Smith, produced by my good friends at 3 Strings. It's a unique piece and one that we're all pretty stoked on. Hope you guys enjoy it!

GREAT DAYS 2: Jonathan Siegrist's Spectrum from smith optics on Vimeo.

TBPodcast

As I mentioned in a past blog, some of my very good friends have been working hard, putting together a really cool new online resource for climbers, called Training Beta. As part of the site, they are doing a podcast series - basically sitting down with a slew of random people (pros and trainers and more) and asking training questions and also life questions and all that. I did one with Neely a few weeks back before I left Vegas and she just recently put it up. If you've got an hour to kill have a listen... and let me know what you think!

Here's a link to the site and this podcast, or,

here's a direct download link. 

It's also available in the iTunes Store. 

And while I'm at it... have a little peek into a new web series from Smith Optics on Great Days. I did a really cool and unique short piece with Andy Mann / 3 Strings back in Vegas and it should launch on this series any day now. I'll keep you posted..

Great Days Teaser from smith optics on Vimeo.

Enjoy! 

leaving las vegas

Last couple weeks were pretty burly. After success on the Buffalo Wall, I remained pretty fired up for a while. It reminded me of my experience in years past - the bigger the objective, the longer the red point buzz lasts. Walls are so cool because they force you to adopt a strategy for not only climbing so many pitches in a day and avoiding fatigue but also for things like gear, water, approaching and descending. I think in part it's this extra stress that makes an accomplishment more rewarding.

A throw back from the first time I tried Crystal Dawn, a day with Tommy a few years back - Andrew Burr photo of the crux pitch. 

My legs were blown out from the long day but I had plenty left for climbing so I spent the next 2 days training hard - which was likely a mistake in retrospect. Sunday I followed my good friends Seth and Neely up to the Promised Land to finally get a chance at Seth's rad new route, 'Crown of Thorns' 13d. It's seriously an amazing pitch - certainly one of the best of its grade in the Vegas area.

Seth on his route, 'Crown of Thorns'

Monday and Tuesday I was back to Lime Kiln Canyon outside of Mesquite. I hooked up with a good friend and talented photographer / videographer Celin Serbo and worked with him and Dan Gambino, alongside a hovering drone to put together a short piece for Outside TV. I'll let you know when more details emerge. They got clips of me bolting what would become a stunning pitch - a 165 foot mega route that I called 'Voyager One' 13a/b.

On day one, Seth and I climbed the hyper-classic 2 pitch 'Vesper' 5.12 and as we were lowering off I spotted a line of barely there rounded pockets and Verdon-esque edges on the clean wall below. It's moments like this that we route developers straight freak out. We were all set to wrap the day and jet as the sun was low in the sky, but suddenly my mission was to get a static line back up there. I was so shocked by its exceptional quality and the fact that it had not yet been bolted that I seriously think some part of me was worried that someone would come and bolt it that night in the dark. How could people have missed this!?

Seth ran back up Vesper and hung a line for the next day. Tuesday we went out and finished up shooting and afterward I hurriedly jumared up the line and sunk the metal, easily cleaning the entire route with just a brush in under an hour. In a state of extreme fatigue from 6 days on, I threw myself at this beautiful route. It gradually gets thinner and harder as you approach the shared finish with Vesper - and on my first two tries I couldn't quite keep it together til the end. Thin, sloppy and slippery pockets pepper the otherwise blank face. Absolutely bullet stone. I puled the rope knowing that I probably hard energy for just one last try (not that I had energy for the first try) and that with just 5 busy more days left in Vegas I may not get back here.

Keith Ladzinski shot of Whitney Boland crushing 'Vesper' - my route 'Air France' ascends the dotted line below here to share the same finish. 

Somehow I put it together and 'Air France' 14a was born. It's truly one of the highest quality pieces of stone I've ever touched and certainly ever put bolted in. So excited to get it done!

The rest of the week I trained and packed up before doing 2 full days of clinics at the Annual Red Rock Rendezvous, which went very well as usual. I had stoked people in my clinics and despite some other-than-ideal weather we got a bunch of climbing in. Big thanks to Metolius for bringing me out there!

The morning after the event I hit the road. With Vegas once again in my rearview, I was especially saddened to be saying goodbye. It was a particularly great year for me, no doubt thanks to my training efforts beginning in November and also thanks to a great crew of motivated people out there. Every year I return to the desert I find a hundred new rad things to sink my teeth into and I love the place that much more. I'll sincerely miss you Las Vegas! Until next time.

One quick note. If you're in the market for a training resource - this is the single best book out there, and it's just about to be available. Mark and Mike have their science and methods nailed down - and both have seen the process work very well for them. Have a look here. 

a show, a wall and whatnot

Last week for my slideshow in Vegas I presented something a little different than I usually do. Typically my slide-shows are trip focused, or just a slew of geographically focused climbing porn to get people stoked and show off some rad images. On a few occasions I have also done the 'here's how I got into the whole climbing thing' show, which I really like presenting. But after a conversation over drinks and a game a pool with my roommates here in Vegas a month back, they convinced me to try something a little more meaningful. At the time I was expressing to them my nervous / excited energy about my goals, and about preparing and also looking back at failures and successes. Maybe it was the hard cider but they thought that this could become an interesting topic for my upcoming presentation and after several hours of deliberation and collecting images, collecting my thoughts I came up with a slide-show about failure, accomplishment and ambition. I presented it to an awesome crowd last wednesday.



I'm really happy with the way that the show turned out and with the feedback I've received. We raised nearly $2,000 for the Las Vegas Climbers Liaison Council to help fund rebolting among other efforts. My sponsors came through in a great way as they always do. Maxim Ropes, Smith Optics, La Sportiva and Metolius all made sizable contributions to the event and the LVCLC had beer and pizza on the house. My always rad friends at the Access Fund helped promote the event and sent some give-aways as well. It was cool to raise money and try to inspire the community but the main win for me is just to see over a hundred climbers in one place - a rare occasion in Vegas - and share a beer with a passionate group. I wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone that attended and donated and heckled and everything. Thanks. Photos are here. 

Brilliant Andrew Burr photo of an effort I had with Tommy a few years back. 

Otherwise I've been training and climbing and preparing. I went back out to the Cathedral and finished up 'Slaughterhouse Five' 14b/c, I got back out to a rad little spot called the Grail (Lime Kiln) and started bolting an enormous pitch out there. I also got fired up on this incredible wall in Red Rocks - the route is called Crystal Dawn and it's a truly amazing free route on the Buffalo Wall. I tried the route one day a few years back with Tommy Caldwell and loved the experience. It had been in the back of my mind for the last couple years and I'm so happy that I revisited it. All three of the hardest pitches have super reachy sections so it ended up being actually something of a battle to figure out. I spent a day sussing on mini-trax and then came back yesterday with the help of my good friend Seth Lytton to finish the route up. On paper the route breaks down to pitches of 12a, 13a, 13c, 12c, 13a, 11 R, 11, 10 R but I would not hesitate to bump all 3 of the 5.13 pitches in difficulty for my size, most notably the crux, which felt like it could have been 14a honestly. I had such a rad day up there yesterday finally taking this thing down. Thanks so much to Seth for the support and also to homeboy Nik Berry for sharing beta and large cams and whatnot! - Nik did the route a few days back as well. I really love getting into long routes and walls from time to time... always such a cool change and just dealing with logistics and all day fatigue offers such a unique and interesting challenge.

Andrew Burr photo

Seth Lytton turns the corner on the first 5.13 pitch. Sick. 

what rope?

Alright, now I'm off to Ibex! See you in the west desert...

march so far

3 weeks left in Las Vegas. It's been an incredible winter for me out here. The weather has held up beautifully, I've had a plethora of psyched and awesome partners, and I nabbed a handful of incredible new and old routes. As you may have gleaned from this blog, I'm something of a list fanatic. I always make a list - of only in my head - before a long climbing trip or season. A few goals, ambitions and otherwise, to keep me stoked. It usually helps motivate me to set intentions or make plans for what's to come. It offers me training stoke and just inspires me to look ahead. Another interesting experience relating to said lists is that I get to reflect on my expectations for a trip as that event is winding down or after it's passed. It's rare - if ever - that I complete the list, but it's still fun to see how I anticipated the trip and how it actually happened.

Shooting Horse at the Black and Tan on a terribly windy day. Great route. James Lucas Photo 

It'll be a busy few weeks left here between my slide-show with LVCLC this wednesday, a few days in Utah's West Desert, a cool film piece that I'm doing for Outside TV and of course the Rendezvous - not to mention friends and maybe I'll even get one or two more things wiped off my list. Oh and then there's training. Got plenty going on.

Speaking of which..  The last few weeks have been busy and great. I revisited the Gorilla Cliffs to have another go at Dave Grahams bouldery test-piece 'Psychedelic'. My first try on it was after a hard training day so I wanted to give it a fresh effort. I did feel much stronger on the holds but I still had a really hard time finding the length (no feet high enough) I needed to properly reach the crux hold. I found an alternate sequence that could work, but by then my motivation was waining. Darn. However, just around the corner my spirits were lifted. 'The Present' 14a was exceptional! Super fun to finally do such a classic route. I finished the day on 'The Realm' AKA 'Connect the F*cking Dots' 13c to the right of the Present.

The short and powerful - and amazing - Present. Misty Murphy Photo

Next up was to check out a crag that I'd heard a lot about over the years but never quite made it out to. The Grail - in Lime Kiln Canyon - is a massive limestone wall just a short drive outside of Mesquite, NV. It's always been really hard to find accurate info about this zone but I pieced together what I could and despite some confusion finding the place and the exact routes I had a killer day. The hang is amazing, the stone is unbelievably high quality and the density of routes is great. The main objective was a Todd Perkins classic, 'Magnum Opus' 14a, that is tall and wicked thin through edges, tough footwork and a few very small pockets. Can't really compare the difficulty to a 14a at the neighboring VRG, so maybe 13+ would be more accurate. Next I did an amazing and quite hard 13b called 'Horse Platitudes' with a rowdy thin finish and lastly, 'Homofaber' 12d/13a was nothing short of amazing. The 12's we did there we incredible as well. Cool crag. Highly recommended if you don't mind climbing on your feet and grabbing bad holds.

The Grail. Much bigger than it looks. The blue rock on the left side is featured and incredible. 

Last week I journeyed back to The Cathedral in the Utah Hills to see if a couple of notoriously wet routes had finally dried out. Even after a pretty intense rain storm the previous weekend I was pleased to find them both dry. On day one I took down the massive cave route 'The Incredible Huck' 14b, featuring a powerful and tensiony finish. Day two I tried my luck at Andy Raether's 'Slaughterhouse 5' 14b/c, essentially a tough bouldery ending to the classic 'Treebeard' 13c. It took me a little while to suss out beta for this powerful route and unfortunately by the time I had it figured out I was quite pooped. Not sure how awesome my beta is but man, there's a few super hard moves up there! Something to get back to.

Hope to see some of you at my slide-show this week! Cheers.

update

Alright, I'm just going to get right into it. It's been a pretty rad week or so since I last updated. Several years back when I was passing through Smith Rock, climbing 'Just Do It', I met a dude named Brian Mosbaugh. While we were hiking back to the Monkey for the enormous routes he was hiking back there for the high-line potential. He's since moved to Moab and linked up with the Moab Monkeys and furthermore gotten into all the gnarly stuff they get into - BASE, etc.

Anyways, he and the Monkeys were here last week and they were cooking up some next level shit. I was lucky enough to tag along when Andy Lewis (better known as Sketchy Andy) made a world's first - thrilling BASE-Line traverse between two hot air balloons above 3,000 feet as Jona-Marie Price hung upside down from the neighboring balloon and then shortly after a gaggle of wingsuiters made a within-a-few-feet fly by. I really had no idea what I was getting into but it was a really unique and bad ass experience. I think this photo basically sums it up.

Andy is a rad guy. Surprisingly cool headed for how gnarly he gets, and a strong leader for such a stoked emerging community. I think for me the coolest part of the day was just feeling how stoked these people were and momentarily peering into their world. Cool stuff.

Anyways. After the adrenaline dissolved from my veins I was back on the program. Part of my aim right now is of course to climb routes and enjoy the sun, but I'm also trying to think ahead and keep my eyes on the prize. I started training in late November and despite all the temptation to get outside every day in beautiful weather I'm really trying to stick to my program and continue my efforts inside, in anticipation of an extended stay in France - I leave in just under 2 months.

I did manage to get a coupe days outside however. I went to check out the Black and Tan. A stout little (very little) crag in the Utah Hills. I had spent a brief afternoon there a few years back but was lacking motivation for the tiny crag. This time around I was stoked - thinking of the routes as simply boulders and psyched to change up the style a little bit. The rock here is nothing short of fantastic, and several routes are easily reminiscent of Verdon or Ceuse quality - just hundreds of feet shorter... The main goal was to do 'Breakin' The Law' 14b and 'Old World Lullaby' 14a/b. BTL is a very short power climb. With a difficult section exiting a dihedral and gaining a slab above it. It definitely boils down to an extended reach around a corner, difficult feet and then a strange press up off a poor right hand undercling crimp / pinch. It has become something of a test piece for the passing climbers, especially in the sense that it's very low commitment and also caters to the boulderer quite well. I did this one on the first day and saved OWL for day two. Old World is slightly longer, and the crux is primarily a powerful, crimpy leftward traverse. It's a perfect power endurance route, that climbs stunning rock. I really liked this one. After doing OWL, I finished the day with Sniffing Glue .13d and Talking Smack .13c, both of which were awesome although certainly quite easy for their respective grades.




Yesterday I went to check out another Utah Hills short climbing mecca - the Gorilla Cliffs. Here the main objective is to try and do Dave Grahams 'Psychedelic' 14+. It's essentially a really hard boulder problem at the 15 foot mark to a 13a finish. Not at all the type of route I would usually seek out. But this one is stunningly beautiful - near perfect rock - and I figured it would be a great trainer for me. After one try yesterday I'm pretty concerned that I might not fit the specifications well enough to send (too short for conventional beta), but I'm going to give it another try this week and see if I make any progress. I did the crag classics 'Nintendo' 13c and 'Gorilla' 13b instead, both outstanding, albeit very short lived.

Revisiting my ascent of 'The Sacred and Profane' a few weeks back... As I mentioned before I've spent most of the year so far climbing on my own projects, with little room for comparison to established grades. While I don't necessarily feel like Breakin The Law or Old World are gold standards for their grade (both probably in the very hard 14a realm I'd say), it was good perspective to climb on them. This experience, along with my good friend Seth (who has been trying S&P) recently trying the Cathedral test piece 'Golden' 14b and offering his insight, leads me to believe that The Sacred and Profane is probably better suited at .14c. So yeah... that's my official suggestion for now!

Okay lastly, here's some other rad stuff going on. My very good friend and current room-mate Neely Quinn sat down and did an interview with me for my 5 Questions Page, and she got into some details about her new endeavor - TrainingBeta.com - which is a rad new way to get specific training plans from a variety of kick ass climbing specific trainers, all in one place. Plus it's got podcasts, videos, and all that jazz so read Neely's interview and check out Training Beta!

And also... I'm doing a slide-show here in Las Vegas (technically in Blue Diamond) to help benefit the Las Vegas Climbers Liaison Council and if last year was any indication this should be a rad community night! Please come out and heckle me, donate some money, drink free beer and eat free pizza and hang with the crew. It'll be a blast!

Sacred and Profane

The variety of weather conditions out here in the winter still amazes me. Just last week we made the arduous hour hike to the Promised Land - filled with somewhat hopeless optimism - only to find that what we feared was true. It was freezing, pretty brutal actually. Then yesterday, only days later, without breeze and full on Nevada desert sun - it was gnarly hot - too hot to climb until quite late in the day. In contrast to most of the nation, the winter out in Vegas has been crazy warm. Warmest I've experienced in my four months here. It's been perfect for our most recent objectives though, and I'm pumped to say that those objectives are now mostly finished. 

Last week my good friend Seth Lytton opened up a sick addition to the crag - an extension to a rad, existing 13b called 'Day One'. From here the route follows a series of huge moves through mostly good grips. Underclings, some amazing tufa pinching and interesting movement get you to the summit on this power endurance masterpiece he called 'Crown of Thorns' 13d. 

Andy Mann photo of Seth on the take down. 'Crown of Thorns'

I also had some success up there. Yesterday I finished off the last remaining project at the crag. A proud line that takes the middle of the cave to the very top. This was a cool process in that myself, homeboy Joe Kinder and Seth all put in effort cleaning and sussing moves on this forgotten project - a cool group effort. The first half of the route is sustained tension climbing through edges and pinches to a breaking point half way with a not-so-awesome knee scum rest. To here the route is somewhere around .13d and then you fire into the crux (around v10/11 itself) on a line of arching pockets, finishing with an enormous move off a terrible undercling into beautiful rock. The last 2 bolts are mellow, fun climbing on near perfect stone to the tip-top. It's a rad route. I'm calling it 'The Sacred and Profane' and as for the grade I'm going to just suggest mid 5.14. All of the hard climbing that I've done so far this year has been on projects - without grades - and thus it's tricky to make suggestions without a recent confirmed route to use as a standard. I'll get back to this one after I wander into the Utah Hills and elsewhere over the next few weeks... but I suspect at the very least it is upper end 8c. 

Another Mann photo. This time Seth is working out beta for what yesterday became 'The Sacred and Profane'

I also spent a day at the crag last week shooting a short promo piece for my sponsor Smith Optics with 3 Strings Productions. This turned out to be a really cool piece, something very different and I think it really represents a new level of quality from 3 Strings and Andy Mann. Look forward to the release soon! 

okay... onward! 

spectrum and beyond

'Spectrum' 14c. This was an incredible project at a crag just outside of Las Vegas called the Promised Land. The day of I warmed up on the bottom as I had been on days before -- a unique slab on drippy, cake white and smooth limestone into a pumpy series of movement through better holds which lands you at the routes main rest just below the crux. Previously my best link was from the ground and falling off exiting the first major crux -- a very tension intensive sequence on bad edges and small tufa pinches (rad!), maybe in the V11 range. On my first try this day I fell here again, but made an inspiring link from below this crux to essentially the last hard move way up high. It was an exciting feeling but I was also thinking to myself that a redpoint could be still several days away. It felt hard. The last 4 bolts are power endurance crimping with a couple pockets thrown in. No rests up there. In-fact, there are barely clipping holds. The finish is certainly solid 13d and maybe even 14a in itself.

Seth Lytton Photos

I let myself rest and tried again. Getting through the crux I sucked air at this high elevation crag and prepared for the long, pumpy crimp finish. I let my skin have it, crying out as I grabbed holds and sacrificing my tips; lunging upward again and again. I was nearly off a few times, even in the easier terrain near the very top, but kept screaming as I narrowed in on a win. It was surprising, and also very fun. I love this feeling - trying at your limit, surprising yourself with each additional movement. Nearing victory, with every next move testing you. With a few more sessions I think I could have made the route feel easier - working out subtle beta and simply getting more fit and efficient for links - but I'm so glad that I had this experience of trying hard and pushing forward. I love this kind of thing. This feeling is largely what I climb for. Sure, numbers and styles and holds and all these things may get us stoked and motivate us, but this feeling - of pouring all your body's energy, your heart and your soul into a few moments - this is what projecting is all about for me. I will remember that feeling far more clearly than I will remember a crux hold or a certain difficulty or even a route's name.

Seth, narrowing in on another project..

Since this day I've been exploring a few other options and staying busy as the temperatures have plummeted around Vegas - we even saw some rain! Shooting some photos with my good friend Jorge Visser in Arrow Canyon, training indoors and shooting some catalogue stuff with Brian Goldstone of Arc'Teryx. Now the temps are starting to rise and we're going to head back to the Promised Land and give it a shot tomorrow.

I feel like I can't say enough how fortunate I feel for my life, for the support I receive from my sponsors and also of course from the community. Just wanted to take a quick moment and say thanks to everyone for all the continued support over the years - your stoke and enthusiasm for my passion and what I'm doing makes my life possible and for this I feel so, so grateful!

Lastly, mark your calendars and keep a look out on my events page for a Slide-Show in the Vegas area on March 12 and also for the upcoming Red Rock Rendezvous....