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....

next up

I often feel like momentum can be one of our greatest assets as climbers. It's easy to let go after a big win. We all want to celebrate, and enjoy the feeling of success and accomplishment - especially after hard work - it's important to enjoy it. It's these moments that give our months of training, our hours in the gym and our determination purpose. But I try to keep it brief. I've noticed over the years that this feeling is also a very powerful motivator. You just sent. You're confident, you're strong, and your inspired. Use this energy and put it forward!

smarvs books some air miles on the classic 'Gift'

good people

I took my stoke from La Lune and aimed it directly towards another incredible project. It's at a seldom visited, but truly special limestone crag outside of Red Rocks called The Promised Land. Several amazing projects were left behind at this stunning, remote crag developed in the 90's. I've visited this crag over the last few years and always had it floating in the back of my mind to one day revisit and get stoked on. It seemed like a good time and I'm so, so glad to be back up there. I'm very excited about the climbing up there. 

Seth Lytton reviving and projecting another forgotten PL rig. 

A few days back I finally got all of the moves done on this amazing golden, blue, bullet rock, super thin, bouldery and puzzling project. Yesterday I made such promising links that I decided to rest today and go hard for a redpoint tomorrow and monday. YES!

Neely Quinn riding the radical stoke train on 'Day One' 13b

Hope everyone has a great weekend out there.

also, check out a fresh gear review on the Metolius Bravo Quickdraw... 

La Lune

Early last March I wrote this blog post. At the time of writing I didn't know it, but I was close to giving up. The heat soon became overwhelming and it was not long at all before my efforts were futile. I got a late start trying the route, I had a rough time finding a solid partner, and my stoke gradually declined as I found myself driving northbound on I-15 again and again, making the same hike, returning by headlamp and doing the same warm ups in escalating heat. Projecting can be mentally exhausting, and this (last year) was my second year returning again and again to Arrow Canyon.

I love the place. I've certainly spent a fair amount of time there. I've dragged so many friends in there to show off its unique beauty, mind bending potential and its amazing climbing. I trained pretty hard through this past December anticipating my return to Arrow along with my remaining list of goals for 2014. Maybe it was a renewed psych, much better temperatures or maybe it was the hours spent on the hangboard and countless laps in the gym -- but something worked. The route felt considerably easier from the beginning. I made some great links on day 1, by day 3 I had two back-to-back 1 hangs and last Friday I finally ended my journey with this climb. La Lune was born, and my multi-season campaign in Arrow Canyon, on 2 neighboring and absolutely stunning routes, came to a beautiful close. 

Obviously I feel elated. I invested so much in this route and spent so many hours in 2013 dreaming about it. It was very difficult for me to walk away without success last year. It feels strange to have it done now, especially considering how damn hard I thought it was after last season. Could I have improved this much? Maybe I was completely destroyed mentally and physically last season and all I needed was a fresh start? I'm really not sure to be honest, and after being prepared for war against this seemingly undefeatable opponent, to claim victory after such a short battle almost seems unfair; it's almost as though I wanted the process to last longer. 

Climbing is such an interesting and varied pursuit, and likewise my experience with every major project has been as unique as the routes themselves. La Lune [9a] is free now, and my time in Arrow canyon will become mostly a memory - which is both exciting and saddening. I'm very proud of this route, and stoked to share it with the community. It really is one of the best out there.

Thanks so much to everyone - all the amazing friends - that gave me support and belays over the years in Arrow, it's been an amazing pursuit! I really, really appreciate it. 

Plenty more to do around here... on to the next project! 

2014

2014. Damn. 

2013 ended well. Surrounded with great friends, many opportunities opening up and exciting things in my future. One thing that I've always worked towards in my life is having something rad on the horizon, something inspiring to look forward to and something challenging coming up to motivate growth.

Since I returned from Bali in late November I've been steadily looking ahead. For the first time in my climbing I've been working with a trainer, trying new things and changing my habits. My goals have evolved and in an effort to really improve I wanted to finally check out what I could have been missing. It has of course been difficult but also awesome and very inspirational for me. I truly feel like I'm improving which is an amazing feeling.

In December I met new friends, and I spent invaluable time with some of my oldest friends. I honed my discipline into a radically different training program. I set routes in New York, I set routes at the Boulder Rock Club and I even set routes at a brand new gym at CU Boulder. I started shaping a line of my own holds - a vision that I've had for many years - with master shaper Ian Powell and Kilter Holds. I've been writing a piece for the American Alpine Journal, and working on several other editorial pieces. It's been a very successful, stressful and also an exciting month.

As soon as the year wrapped up, I packed my truck again. Said goodbye to lovely Boulder, Co and drove westward. This is my 4th year in Las Vegas. I'm sure it's evident by now, but I really love this place - the climbing, the landscape, the people, the experience, the lifestyle. In the last several years I've spent more time in Vegas than anywhere else, including my home state Colorado. It really is starting to feel more and more like 'home'. Although the truck, and wherever Zeke dog sleeps remains my most reliable place of rest.

Yesterday I was back in Arrow Canyon. Starring at the same wall as I did last year, and the year before that. I left empty handed after my battle last year but I'm ambitious and hopeful that I can make it happen this time around. Le Rêve's neighbor, 'La Lune' is my hardest project yet and one that I've been dreaming about all year. Wish me luck... and a very happy 2014 to everyone! Thanks for another year of support. Hope to see you guys out there...

America's Best 5.14

Not sure exactly why but I'm kind of obsessed with lists. Especially 'best of' type lists and, naturally, the banter surrounding the creation of said lists. What could be a better way to end the climbing day than a table slamming, opinion tossing, beer fueled discussion (read: fierce argument) about the impossibly definitive best?

During a myriad of rainy rest days in West Virginia, me and my good buddy Mike Williams got into the task of scribing our thoughts on what could be the very best 5.14s in the country. A conversation that is easily rousted by the level of quality one finds nestled in the depths of the New River Gorge. What does it take to be a true classic? Is classic merely a creation of consensus? Can time only tell? Is there a possible formula - a list of characteristics required to be deemed a classic - or is it simply a feeling that you have while climbing, something visceral but not quantifiable?

I tried to approach this dire question with logic (not usually my method of choice). Okay, so. A classic must be aesthetic, entirely natural, mentally and physically challenging, consistent, inspiring and perhaps even have an interesting history. Well, pretty much immediately I realized these were not gonna work for me. There were routes on my lifetime top ten that certainly did not satisfy every characteristic, but I couldn't bare to erase them from my list. They were just too damn meaningful or bad ass or amazing. So here's where I started wondering about what other people thought. What would happen if I asked a handful of the country's best climbers what they thought could be the most classic 5.14s in the nation? Would there be clear winners or would everyone's list be different - just as everyone's experience is unique - ??

Joey Kinder states that to him, a classic is defined by, "the style and character of the climbing and the personal connection or story that follows." He goes on to say that every route on his list represents, "lessons, challenges, enjoyment and processes that have fulfilled my life as a climber and shaped my climber's brain."

Mike Williams makes his list based on 7 distinct characteristics. A classic for him must have impeccable rock quality, be totally natural, sustained, have a beautiful or exciting position, good movement, be of a substantial height and ideally have historical significance.

Beth Rodden mentioned that, "I like a striking line, something that is inspiring, sustained and in a beautiful location. Climbing hard is like the cherry on top."

Alright let's get into the meat of this sandwich. I asked a bunch of my friends what they thought. I got the opinion of women, men, trad climbers, sport climbers, old schoolers and new schoolers. I asked first ascensionists. I asked many of the very best route climbers in the country. The only criteria was that you had to have at least tried the route, but not necessarily redpointed it.

Without further ado, here it is. According to 18 pros, these are the very best 5.14s in the country. The absolute mega classics....

Paige Claassen on 'To Bolt' 14a.

Joe Kinder exiting the crux on 'Golden' 14b

UPDATED: TWO MORE CONTRIBUTORS

1st Place
To Bolt or Not to Be 14a, The Dihedrals, Smith Rock, Oregon

Remaining Top 5
Golden 14b, Welcome Springs - Cathedral, Utah
China Beach 14b, Waimea Wall, Rumney, New Hampshire
Grand Ol Opry 14b, Vestibule, Monastery, Colorado
Bleeding 14b, Wicked Crag, Mill Creek, Utah

Runner's Up / Top 10
Golden Ticket 14c/d, Chocolate Factory, Red, Kentucky
Transworld Depravity 14a, Madness Cave, Motherlode, Kentucky
Sarchasm 14a, Ship's Prow, Long's Peak, Colorado
Mango Tango 14a, Lower Meadow, New, West Virginia
Necessary Evil 14c, Blasphemy Wall, VRG, Arizona

Sonnie Trotter on 'Necessary Evil' 14c

States with some of the nation's best 5.14s, in order of volume (according to all votes):
COLORADO -- 15 
California - 8
Utah - 8
Kentucky - 6
Wyoming - 6
Arizona - 5 (VRG... )
West Virginia - 4
Oregon - 4
New Hampshire - 4
Nevada - 2
New York - 2
Idaho - 2
Vermont - 1
Washington -1

Best Rock Type for 5.14 of all votes cast:
LIMESTONE -- 21
Granite - 10
Gneiss - 7
Corbin Sandstone - 6
Volcanic - 6
Dolomite - 5
Nuttall Sandstone- 4
Conglomerate - 3
Schist - 3
Mill Creek Sandstone - 1
Fountain Sandstone - 1
Quartzite - 1

Myself on the exceptional 'Grand Ol Opry' 14b - which in my opinion, is the single best 5.14 in the country.

Well people, there you have it, the maybe-not-super-definitive-but-pretty-rad-anyways list of the very best 5.14s on American soil. Among the top ten voted routes there's a nice mix of old school and new school with routes as new as 2009 and of course as old as they get around here with 'To Bolt' (1986). Length was not an issue for everyone with climbs as short as 40 feet and as long as 120. Almost every rock type is represented in the top ten and basically every angle of steepness, save a horizontal roof. If you can climb up to 14b you'll find all but two of these gems accessible, but the majority (62%) of all the voted routes are only 14a.

My hypothesis was that very few people would actually end up voting for the same routes, because not only is enjoyment quite subjective but also the way that I remember routes has so much to do with my experience with them. All of the variables matter-- what was going on in my life at that time? How was the weather? Was it a struggle or did things come together for me in that moment? Well as it turns out this hypothesis was only partially correct. It seems pretty loud and clear that regardless of all the personal subjectivity some routes really do produce a better experience than others. It's cool to imagine that myself, many of the people listed here, and many more, have all had such a memorable experience on the exact same chunks of stone.

I hope at least a few of you guys enjoyed this nerdy post half as much as I liked putting it together. Thanks so much to everyone who got back to me so quickly and helped me put together this list. Below is the raw data from the 16 different climbers I asked...

Bill Ramsey 
Direct Hit 14a, Mt Charleston, Nevada
Zulu 14a, Rifle, Colorado
Badman 14a, Smith, Oregon
Transworld Depravity 14a, The Red, Kentucky (Personal FA)
Planet Earth 14a, VRG, Arizona
Hold Your Fire 14b, Potosi, Nevada
Supertweak 14b, Logan Canyon, Utah
Golden 14b, Cathedral, Utah

Joey Kinder
Flight of the Concords 14c, Huricave, Utah (Personal FA)
Tiger Blood 14b, Sunset Alley, Utah (Personal FA)
Southern Smoke 14b, Bob Marley, Kentucky (Personal FA)
Center Fold 14b, VRG, Arizona (Personal FA)
Kryptonite 14d, Fortress, Colorado
Stockboys Revenge 14b, Rifle, Colorado
China Beach 14b, Rumney, New Hampshire
Livin Astro 14c, Rumney, New Hampshire
Super Nova 14b, Rumney, New Hampshire
Golden 14b, Cathedral, Utah (Personal FA)
Waka Flocka 14b, Rifle, Colorado (Personal FA)

Ben Spannuth
Grand Ol Opry 14b, Monastery, Colorado
The Bleeding 14b, Mill Creek, Utah
Golden Ticket 14+, Red, Kentucky
Golden 14b, Cathedral, Utah
Necessary Evil 14c, VRG, Arizona
Doubloons 14b, Mt Evans, Colorado (Personal FA)
Power Bait 14a, New, West Virginia (Personal FA)

Tommy Caldwell
Magic Mushroom 14a, Yosemite, California (Personal FA)
The Nose 14, Yosemite, California
The Dihedral Wall 14a, Yosemite, California (Personal FA)
Sarcasm 14a, Ship's Prow, Colorado (Personal FA)
To Bolt or Not to Be 14a, Smith, Oregon
Dunn Westby Direct 14a, Diamond, Colorado (Personal FA)

Chris Weidner
F-Dude 14a, VRG, Arizona
Zulu 14a, Rifle, Colorado
Scarface 14a, Smith Rock, Oregon
Vogue 14b, Industrial Wall, Colorado
China Doll 14a, Dream Canyon, Colorado
Golden 14b, Cathedral, Utah
To Bolt or Not to Be 14a, Smith, Oregon

Peter Kamitsas 
China Beach 14b, Rumney, New Hampshire
The Hardway 14a, Marshfield, Vermont (Personal FA)
Oppositional Defiance Disorder 14a, Silver Lake, New York (Personal FA)
Highline Direct Project, Moss Cliff, New York
Transworld Depravity 14a, The Red, Kentucky
Coal Train 14a, New, West Virginia
Golden Ticket 14+, Red, Kentucky

Beth Rodden

To Bolt or Not to Be 14a, Smith, Oregon

Changing Corners 14, Yosemite, California

Sarchasm 14a, Ship's Prow, Colorado

Meltdown 14c, Yosemite, California (Personal FA)

Grand Ol Opry 14b, Monastery, Colorado

Mike Williams
To Bolt or Not to Be 14a, Smith, Oregon
Mango Tango 14a, New, West Virginia
Coal Train 14a, New, West Virginia (Personal FA)
Galactic Emperor 14a, Tensleep, Wyoming
Trebuchet 14b, New, West Virginia (Personal FA)

Alex Honnold
Necessary Evil 14c, VRG, Arizona
Just Do It 14c, Smith Rock, Oregon
The Green Mile 14b, Jailhouse, California
The Leaning Tower Project, Yosemite, California

Ethan Pringle
All Around Routine 14b, Ibex, Utah
The Bleeding 14b, Mill Creek, Utah
Golden Ticket 14+, Red, Kentucky
China Beach 14b, Rumney, New Hampshire
Transworld Depravity 14a, The Red, Kentucky
Kryptonite 14d, Fortress, Colorado
The Iron Monkey 14b, Eldo, Colorado
Just Do It 14c, Smith Rock, Oregon
U-Haul 14a, Jailhouse, California

Sasha Digilian 

Transworld Depravity 14a, Red, Kentucky

Golden 14b, Cathedral, Utah

Still Life 14b, New, West Virginia

Atonement 14b, VRG, Arizona

Millennium 14a, Maple, Utah

Nick Duttle
Sarcasm 14a, Ship's Prow, Colorado
Grand Ol Opry 14b, Monastery, Colorado
Third Millennium 14a, Monastery, Colorado
The Bleeding 14b, Mill Creek, Utah
The Tube 14b, Red, Kentucky
Golden Ticket 14+, Red, Kentucky
Mango Tango 14a, New, West Virginia
China Beach 14b, Rumney, New Hampshire

B.J. Tilden
Golden 14b, Cathedral, Utah
Lungfish 14b, Rifle, Colorado
Orange for Anguish 14c, Baldwin Creek, Wyoming (Personal FA)
Moonshine 14d, Wild Iris, Wyoming (Personal FA)
Genetic Drifter 14c, Wild Iris, Wyoming
Kill Em All 14b, Wolf Point, Wyoming (Personal FA)

Paige Claassen
Grand Ol Opry 14b, Monastery, Colorado
The Bleeding 14b, Mill Creek, Utah
To Bolt or Not to Be 14a, Smith, Oregon

Matt Wilder

Cheating Reality 14a, Devil's Thumb, Colorado (Personal FA)

China Beach 14b, Rumney, New Hampshire

The Fly 14d, Rumney, New Hampshire

The Bleeding 14b, Mill Creek, Utah

South Face of Washington Column 14a, Yosemite, California (Personal FA)

Jonathan Siegrist
To Bolt or Not to Be 14a, Smith, Oregon
Grand Ol Opry 14b, Monastery, Colorado
Almighty 14b, Teton Canyon, Wyoming
Mango Tango 14a, New, West Virginia
All Around Routine 14b, Ibex, Utah
Necessary Evil 14c, VRG, Arizona
24 Karats 14c, Red, Kentucky (Personal FA)
Sarcasm 14a, Ship's Prow, Colorado
Enter the Dragon 14a, Fins, Idaho (Personal FA)
Dunn Westby Direct 14a, Diamond, Colorado

Drew Ruana 
To Bolt or Not to Be 14a, Smith, Oregon
Scarface 14a, Smith, Oregon
Lost Horizons, Little Si, Washington

Jon Cardwell
Grand Ol Opry 14b, Monastery, Colorado
To Bolt or Not to Be 14a, Smith, Oregon
7pm Show 14a, Rifle, Colorado
The Present 14a, Gorilla Cliffs, Utah
24 Karats 14c, Red, Kentucky
All Around Routine 14b, Ibex, Utah
Necessary Evil 14c, VRG, Arizona

a brief escape

Climbing means so much to me. It's my world - it's my passion, it's largely who I am, it's what I do, it's what I dream of and in the last few years it's even become my career. I could write countless blog posts about why and how much I love this pursuit (and I suppose that's what jstarinorbit is all about anyways). But it's also not quite everything to me, and recently I felt like I needed a little reminder. It had been a long time since I really took a break. 

I'm so thankful that I have the resources and support to enjoy this life - even a life without climbing. So what do I do without it? I would travel. I would listen to music. And I would be around friends. Take away climbing and thankfully I still feel driven by other passions, and despite how easy it can be to forget this - there's much much more to living. Climbing just makes it all better. 

It was exactly what I had hoped for. A brilliant escape. Not the most restful vacation, but we made a list of great memories - every late night and early morning was damn well worth it.

Now I'm back in Colorado where I'll be picking up a rigorous training schedule and looking ahead to the winter climbing season. I've got bigger goals on my horizon than ever before and it's going to take some growth on my part to make them happen. A muerte!

The New

West Virginia showed me a good time. I was just about as blown away as I expected by the New. The rock there is nothing short of incredible. The people are great, the scene is fun and certainly more 'livable' than the Red in my opinion. It gets a little rough spending months in the Red in my experience but I imagine being much more content in the cozy town of Fayetteville. As with most crags out east - if only we could give them Boulder's weather - they would be some of the best areas on the planet... but the weather out there sucks. No need to sugar coat it - even locals know the truth.

That's why I wound up in Colorado a few days early... it was going to be a gamble to stay into the weekend and I risked a few more rainy, humid, warm, no climbing days. So I cashed out after a few last great days of climbing and one last great trail run through dense forests and low lying clouds. Good trip, very excited to head back. 

As soon as it really felt like Fall had arrived we got into some great climbing and a few days conditions were near perfection. I spent a number of sessions at the amazing Cirque - the crowning hard cliff at the New. 'Trebuchet' 14b was a must do, and is a really cool roof and headwall extension to it's lower half of the same name. A few powerful and creative moves through a big roof give way to some easier deadpointing and pumpy, crimpy finish. 'Freedom Tree' 13d celebrates some fun jug hauling to a thuggy dihedral finish that's very reminiscent of Rifle. This one in particular had an enormous move out of an undercling that required yoga-like spine stretching out of me for success. The boulder problem entering the dihedral was the sure crux for me, although a taller climber would disagree. A killer route. Over at Beauty, 'Ruchert Motion' is a rad overlooked 13a, and around the corner 'Coal Train' 14a is one of the best in the East. Truly immaculate stone with incut edges and mind bendingly awesome movement. Pumpy throughout with some fun crux climbing. As my trip was nearing its end Mikey suggested we take a chance in some potentially warm conditions for me to have a go at Proper Soul before a formidable storm came in. He was absolutely right. The day was not perfect but the storm that sent me westward would have shut down my attempts. I had wanted to give a good flash go at 'Proper Soul' 14a for the last few years, and after a proper spray down from Mike I gave er hell. Unintentionally smashing hordes of ladybugs and battling some pretty serious heat I nearly let it rip using some on-the-fly beta exiting the crux dihedral but managed to stay on and take it to the top. This was, in some senses, the goal of my trip - so naturally I was super stoked. I finished the day on the neighboring 'Lord Voldemort' 14a and unknowingly packed up my final day in the New. 

if you can see past the awesome Star Wars characters that Tara added to this masterpiece - you'll see me on one of the New's best routes, 'Coal Train' 

It's funny how much the conditions, your height, and your strengths really affect the way you climb at the New. In the beginning of the trip I was confused and frustrated, but as I moved through the days at the crag - finding routes that suited me better or worse, climbing in crisp 50 degree, dry, breezy awesomeness as well as muggy, drink-out-of-the-sky humid 70+ degree days - I eventually gave up on grades or difficulty associated with them. More than any crag I've ever visited, the grades are straight messed up here. Several '5.12's took me as many or more tries than '14b'. I was only somewhat kidding when I proclaimed that sending Freedom Tree 13d was the hardest I'd tried all year and there was a single, super reachy move on Coal Train 14a that keep me coming back 3 days through a variety of conditions, trying hard to finally send. Moral of the story? Toss out the idea of functioning linear grades, especially if you're under 5'6, and just climb what looks awesome - they're all good and they're pretty much all hard - even the 5.11s!!

community at work -- NRAC on the grind

A few BASE jumpers off the Bridge ...

Well, so now I'm back in Boulder hanging out with family and friends. This past Halloween weekend I easily made up for the sleepy life of Lander, Idaho and Fayetteville throughout my summer - and I'm still recovering from a collage of late nights. 

In a few days I'm heading back to Asia for the first time in several years. This time, however, no climbing shoes in my bag. Yup. Climbing is a huge part of my world, but it's not everything. This will be the first non climbing trip - and the longest stretch of rest - that I've had in 7 years! Wish me luck... 

Change of Plans

After a few days at Logan Canyon early in the month I was headed to Colorado. The plan was to pack, temporarily say goodbye to Zeke dog and make a sharp turn back westward to Yosemite. Plenty of times my climbing plans have changed over the years due to weather, maybe skin or injury, lack of partners, sudden shift in psyche - but I can safely say that this was the first time that federal government indecision has effected my plans. In-fact, I think this in some ways is the first time in my life that a change in the federal government has had a direct effect on me at all.



Well regardless of the details I was antsy. My October was ticking by (with a trip to Asia coming up on November 7) and as I tirelessly checked the news it seemed like a resolution to the government shutdown wasn't at all close at hand. So, rather than waiting around I rolled with the punches and headed eastward to seize the closing window on my autumn season.

I've been wanting to visit the New River Gorge for several years but I always got sucked into the Red, and realistically, it's just so damn far away from the West. Well I finally made it, and just as I expected, I'm blown away. Naturally I'm bummed that I'll be missing the Dawn Wall push this season, but I have confidence in my friends out there and I'll be following along just like the rest of the world. Ironically I was actually in Washington DC on the very day that Yosemite reopened, I planned to stand in front of the Capital with a cardboard sign reading 'Free the Dawn Wall!' but I guess just my presence was enough.

Definitely saddened to be absent for the mission on El Cap, but it would be a lie to say that I'm not stoked to be here also - it's not that often anymore that I get to see entirely-new-to-me zones with this much quality. The NRG is truly world class.

Bullet hard textured sandstone featuring edges and ledges, slopey crimps and the occasional pocket. Beautiful streaks, striking aretes and features in a rad setting just outside of a pretty rad little town. There is an enormous list of classic routes, gear and sport, for almost everyone's ability level. Nice people, good scene. I can see why people love it here.

On my way to victory against a gaggle of gnarly spiders, mid-redpoint, up 'Ride the Lightning' 13b. Please note the Spider Wand - a tool of the trade in the New. Reynvaan photo

Bridge Day at the New. Hundreds of BASE Jumpers let it rip off the bridge while tens of thousands eat various hot dog dishes and devour funnel cake. 

The first week or so that I arrived was still every ounce of summer in my opinion although locals were diligent in telling me that, 'dude, it gets MUCH worse'. Well hats off to you people, seriously, because those were some of the worst conditions I've ever climbed in. Locals here climb at their limit in the summer months.... I am convinced that these people have some kind of genetic mutation because they are also drawn to wear puffy coats when the temperatures dip below a baltic 71ºF, meanwhile I am still bathing in my own sweat and rattling off complaints faster than my partners can even respond. 

Needless to say, I took it down a notch for my first several climbing days here. Which was something of a blessing in disguise because I got to sample some of the area classics that I may have skipped over otherwise. 'Travisty' 13b/c, the mega steep 'Apollo Reed' 13a, 'Dial 911' 13a, the world class 'Quinsasa Plus' 13a and stunning arete climb 'Satanic Verses' 13c, 'Pocket Route' 13a, the start to 'Trebuchet' 13b and the underrated 'Xanth' 13b, 'New World Order' 12a, 'Bullet the New Sky' 12b and 'Add Lib' 12d all stood out to me. But it was still muggy and hot, so I left. Visited DC, saw some rad stuff, and came back to shockingly better temps. 

Air and Space Museum. So rad.

Another kind of Astronaut -- Scott Franklin. Every ounce as American as walking on the moon.

In the new New River Gorge I was amazed at what was possible. Beloved friction had returned! I did a Mike Williams classic, 'Picket Fence' 14a/b that was amazing and checked out his also mega 'Coal Train' 14a - stoked to get back to that one. The best day yet was at the Meadow where I managed the 1988 All American Classic, 'Mango Tango' - one of the first 5.14s in the country thanks to Scott Franklin and remains one of the best. The neighboring 'Fruity Pants' 12d is without question one of the best sport routes in the nation, and 'Puppy Chow' 12c is... well... just do it.

Over the last 2 days I belayed Mikey as he continued his new routing mission at the New, with 3 new trad routes - the raddest being his new .13a R, 'Color Blind' which I did as well. A really cool vision on his part and a cool addition to the Central Endless.

Lastly, I just posted a new Gear Review on the ripper MSR Reactor Stove and there's a really cool new Five Questions with my buddy Steve Bechtel. Enjoy!

Hopefully much more rad stuff to come in my remaining 2 weeks here! For now, it's rainy and crappy again.

Super Tweak

I've never thrived from the pressure scenario one is likely to find in a comp setting, but sometimes a little environmental or circumstantial pressure has helped me put down projects. There are so many variables in climbing outdoors that it sometimes amazes me that they do occasionally line up. Especially when you're traveling alone, and decisions are made on the fly. Uncertainly is definitely incredible, thrilling and in a big way I search for it - but it can also make for some unanticipated stress.

upper logan canyon colors... 

Last week when I decided to quickly swing through Logan I felt the pressure. I had my beta for Super Tweak mostly honed in, but I was looking ahead at the weather and it was clear that Thursday was the beginning to a pretty substantial storm. Last Monday night inner dialogue - 'should I go 5th day on tomorrow after the Idaho Mountain Fest and two sessions on Super Tweak? or should I rest and then give it a hail mary burn on Wednesday before the storm hits?' Secondly, I had a for sure partner for Tuesday but Wednesday Pawel had to bail by 3 at the very latest - giving me 2? hours of shade? I chose to rest, and thankfully I felt recovered and ready to send on Wednesday morning. Okay. It was overcast too so I got lucky with early shade. The finishing crux of Super Tweak was giving me some trouble. I had climbed up to the last big move on Monday from the ground, but warming up on Wednesday I couldn't even seem to stick the upper crux in isolation. Shit. 

I threw myself at the upper section, trying out various methods. 'Who's bleeding anyways?' - 'oh, I am'. I ripped a sizable flapper messing with sharp holds trying to find a way. In the background the storm was brewing. I didn't have a few more days to waste - I needed to leave today - send or no send. So here I was bleeding, not confident in my beta with only a few hours before I needed to hit the road. When would I ever be back in Logan for good temps? Damnit. Pressure. But somehow it worked out. I tried hard, blood oozing through my tape, feet cutting as I pulled off the make-shift beta for the upper crux. 

Pretty stoked after sending - nearly 20 years after the FA... 

The man, Chris Sharma getting stoked just before his 1996 repeat of Boone Speed's 'Super Tweak' 2 years after the first ascent.

It's not as though Super Tweak is the hardest, or the raddest, or the most beautiful (okay, I'll stop here) route I've ever done, but it has significant historical meaning, and really it was the process - the stress - the desire - that made it so relieving to send. I was very, very stoked. Thanks for an incredible addition Boone! and thanks for the awesome Logan tour Pawel.. 

I finished the day with a flash of SlugFest .13d and another random .13a link up that I've forgotten the name of. That night I made it to Colorado and began planning for the next trip...