ADK weekend, only a week too late.

So sorry for the wait, I was at my fathers house last week and couldn't upload pictures, and a blog without pictures is like me without a simile to compare that situation to. (that just blew your mind).

Two weekends ago, a group made up of Ben, Adam, Izzy, Aaron and I rolled out for a weekend in the wild of the Adirondacks, first stop, Nine Cornered Lake. Nice temps brought us to the lake and we began to climb some rocks.

After warming up a bit, we headed down to Dave's Problem - V3. Izzy worked it hard and made very good progress, but could not pull through. Meanwhile, Ben, Aaron and I took notice of a cool looking V7 called 007 directly left of Dave's. The long problem traverses through powerful, footwork intensive moves to a committing and pumpy top. We all made good progress, but nobody sent.

JP stretching for a foot on 007 - V7

It was then on over to Meat and Potatoes. A classic V1 that's stiff for the grade and a good climb for Izzy. She worked it hard, but couldn't unlock the last, crux, move. Next it was to Ben's project Thorazine - V8. After falling off once, Ben triumphantly executed the tricky top-out and was psyched. He then repeated for the camera.

We went back up to Meat and Potatoes after a little time working, and sending for a few members of our group, Origin - V4. After a bit of work, Izzy sent Meat and Potatoes! A proud send. Everyone else was working another classic V4, Pop or Drop. A tad highball and a little sketchy on the top section, Pop or Drop kept us entertained. (especially with snappy shots like the one in the post below). Even though the top section was wet, Aaron made a commiting send!!!

Aaron keeping his balance on Pop or Drop - V4

DAY 2:

McKenzie Pond.

Ah, McKenzie. After a pleasent... fringey stay at Adam's Camp, and a rousing game of Aquire (look it up) it was off to the far north to experience some of the best bouldering in the park. On the list of climbs for the day were Brock Lee Soars - V2+, Flux Capacitor - V8, Drop the Clutch - V5, Slobadon - V5, and Thrust Fault - V3.

First we headed up to the I.F. boulder and warmed up on some classic V5-ness. (I.F., Slot Machine) and one awesome V2+, Brock Lee Soars. Izzy began work on Brock Lee and made AWESOME progress, but couldn't link through the crux.

Izzy workin' Brock Lee Soars - V2+

We then went straight back to wear my project was on the Wall of Fame boulder. Drop the Clutch is an incredibly fun V5 that I gave a lot of work too on my last visit to the pond. And today, on my second go, I sent. Very happy. On the other side of the boulder is a problem called Thrust Fault - V3 which is also incredibly fun and a climb I like to do everytime I am there. Adam got on today and sent it for the first time!

Meanwhile, Ben was working Flux. Unfortunatly not much progress was made on this excellent line today, but Ben and the whole crew can feel the send coming on.

And once again it's back to the Catalano Household for some Ovaltine, Dinner, Fringeyness, and Aquire (seriously you should look it up though).

DAY 3:

Snowy Mountain Boulders.

Scoping out the impressive Never boulder.

Wow! Three days on? Yup we are milking every bit of time we can get out of this weekend and that means a visit to the crazy Snowy Mountain Boulders. On the menu today is Coitus - V6, SMAC - V8, IHOPP - V6+, The Cure - V8 and Never Left Hueco - V7. We went straight to the Coitus boulder and began warming up.

After working a very fun (but stupid) problem called Jump, Izzy, Aaron and Kyle began working Coitus. Ben was working another V8 called SMAC that he hopped on at the end of the day last time. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Izzy put all her saved energy and skin into... whats that? a V6?! Yes that's correct Izzy made some SERIOUS progress on Coitus, Kyle managed to send! and Aaron sent Pumpkins Arete - V5 directly left of Coitus.

Who's that on Coitus? OH. It's Izzy!

Ben then sent SMAC and had a... "fun" time on the down-climb.

Ben on SMAC - V8

Next we moved up to IHOPP - V6 at the Pancake boulder. Ben repeated, Kyle sent, and Adam came so close it wasn't even funny. Also on the boulder is a line called Insomnia - V6. Kyle, Ben and Adam all sent.

Adam coming all too close on IHOPP - V6+

Finally we all moved on down to Never Left Hueco and after sometime we moved on out and ended our great weekend in the Daks.

Ben chucking for the the top on Never Left Hueco - V7

Just need a little more footage of G.B. and McKenzie for the Video. I want it to be big.
Peace.
-WB

Sorry about the wait.

Summary of the Weekend:
(ABRIDGED)

Ben's got a little captain in him.


(more detailed summary later)

Buzz Crushin

For those of you who haven't seen:
Buzzy crushin' Double Down - V13. It should be featured in the next urban climber.

Cheap Bastard (Stomp Pad)

Never, ever, ever, ever, ever buy a Stomp Pad from Metolius. While talking with the guy from Organic yesterday via E-mail, I brought up my pad situation currently. I bought my pad from EMS a couple months ago, my friend Ben had the same pad (but and older model) and had no problems. My pad should be fine... right? HA! No.

Within the first month a fairly large rip about 2 inches wide cursed the front side of my pad. Yes folks, thats the side that is supposed to be on the talus. Soon, other little scratches, scrapes and rips began to appear. Stitches around the buckles and shoulder-straps began to pop. My pad was slowly becoming less of a pad and more of a cat toy.

But I learned to deal with it eventually. One can feel the difference in fabric between Ben and my pad, you can almost see the difference, but at this point it was just a fact of life. I'm the one unlucky guy to get a defective pad which fails at doing its one job; letting me fall on it without breaking it... Or so I thought.

After telling the man from Organic about this, he told me I was the 3rd customer that week to complain about it. He said he had tried to repair one of them but the fabric was too bad to salvage! He then proceeded to go on a well deserved shpeel about corporations making easy money with a mediocre product and so on.

And so, as I go to see about returning my pad today, I must advise you: learn from my misfortune. Do not, ever, buy a Stomp Pad from Metolius. Thank you for your time.

-WB

Deet - Free

Somewhere at G.B. there must be a huge pool of quiet water that just was waiting for us to make plans to visit the nice, dry rock to hatch its entire swarm of blood-sucking bastards upon us. Seriously, I am typing this with the multiple bug-bites on my hands, not my fingers.

Anyways it was an exciting visit to G.B. yesterday with one, wait no two, huge climaxes (what is the plural of climax). So we warmed up at the Warm-Up Boulder and got some cool footage of Scary Mantelo - V3 and Crystal Quartz Problem - V4. Kyle got this cool V? next to an easy warm-up and Mira sent this cool little rig next to Mantelo. NOW ON UP TO FOTOWA!!!

Ben's nemesis, Fotowa - V9, has been either wet or shut him down the last two times we have been here. And Ben, who has never sent a V9, knew today was the day. After a couple goes Ben stuck the crux first move and did the rest of the route solidly... and on camera... a first for the WB Crew, My Camera, and Ben. Good send bro.

As Mira and Murph went up and talked to some people climbing a stellar 5.10 finger crack called Endeavor to Persevere. We began climbing the tall, scary, commiting and beautiful Snooze Button - V5. This 30 ft. beauty is a crimp fest with a commiting high step at the top. Since I first saw it it has always intimidated me, and I wanted to do it SO bad. I grabbed on and started the ride to the top, only to fall at the crux, a move off of a sharp, little crimp to a good ledge. As Kyle and I worked the moves and began taking longer and longer falls, we realized this problem was going to be much different than anything we've ever climbed...

It didn't go, perhaps next time, but the climbing I did on that problem is some of the best I have ever done. It's a SWEET rock.

Anyways I busted out my camera and started taking pictures of Mira and Murph on their climb... I know I know its Weekend BOULDERING... but its all about trying everything right?


Stunned face kept saying its one of the best climbs they have ever been on. Just look at how happy Mira is!!!


I went left of it and saw a beautiful wall and some dirty but awesome looking boulders below it. Maybe next time???
-WB

Wurd.

These misquitos are a bitch!

I hate you conditionssss. You can suck mah nuts.

Bro, bro, these holds suck.

This is some good motivational talk goin on right now... Get it! It's mank!

-Ben Horgan

Sweet vid of us workin some manky green goddess for the camera. Ben and I nabbed repeats, Kyle will get it soon. Uhm yeah were going to G.B. tomorrow, gonna get some more footy for a compilation video. (The Song is Seventeen Years - Ratatat)

Peace.

-WB

Hope in G.B.

I know, I know we've been to G.B. a LOT lately, but thats only because its close, dries quick and has some super high quality problems. So we went there again yesterday.

It was a short visit, but a fun one. It was hard to keep the hopes up as rain dotted and often pelted our poor windsheild the whole ride down. However, for some reason the magical rocky-hillside seemed to reward us for our perseverence with a handful of semi-dry problems.

THE SPRAY:

We started up at Fotwa because we did'nt want to waste time warming up. Ben worked it for a little, but found it a little too manky. Back down to Green Goddess it was, Ben and I got repeats on camera (upcoming video) and Kyle made some sweet progress. Finally we ran up to Filter and a V5 next to it. I tried Filter a little but the V5 seemed a little more fun at the time. Ben found the feet on filter to be a tad slippery so no good progress was made. After working the V5 a little I moved past the crux, but didn't feel the need to execute the high top-out for fear of wetness up there. Thats it.

Video up later Fo Sho

-WB