Gnarnia

Somewhere in the Adirondacks...


...Coming to a climber like you this spring

-WB

Lost City

"Dude when winter comes I'm gonna be out all the time crushing shit" Who hasn't said those words. Then winter comes..... You get busy, it snows, and that cold winter breeze. Almost January and I can count the times I have been out on one hand. But decent weather and a renewed psyche level has brought me to the Gunks a couple days as of late. Even a night session at fifteen degrees seemed like a good idea. So the thirst is back, once you taste a little you need more. Here's a quick video of a day at lost city middle. Typical shitty video, first problem is Harmonic tremors v9, second one is Alcoholocaust v10. Good day for all especially Icey cleaning up on a couple pestering demons. Left out the background audio so you could listen to Iceys primal screams.

FYI : Lost city is LOADED with dope problems !

Hard Guy Wall

Quick Video from the steepest wall in the area. No tape, no matching, no crimping. Just some of the hardest problems in the Capital region. Robot reigns supreme in these parts diabolically working to become part man part machine. This is a hard link up problem of three routes. 856

THERES A HIT COUNTER AT THE BOTTOM

WOO!!! SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THE AMAZING HIT COUNTER.

Feast your eyes on the incredible display of shiny digital numbers. Gaze in awe at the stylish red glow they emit.

Yes, while it may only be a little hit counter now... just a few digits... it will someday grow into an incredible number... hundreds? thousands? MILLIONS?!

In other news no climbing has been going on at all.

Well, that's not entirely true... a few people went to G.B. yesterday. Adam sent The Bump - V8 (HELL YEAH!) and Aaron made an impressive assent of Snooze Button the second person in our group to nab this tasty problem. Oh... I never made a post about the day snooze went... eh it'll have to wait for the video.

Here is a picture completely unrelated to the following two problems:

Adam grabbin' a gnarly heel hook on the freezing rock of Twisted Steel - V8.

Ah, yes it's the holiday season once more, and while no one submited photos to my contest (>:[) and Murph never did post any media (even though I made him an author) I can't help but be happy! It's been a good year. I can say that a lot of struggle, training, failures and successes have led to incredible progress this year.

Even with the loss of Electric City we trudged on had a summer filled with days at McKenzie, Nine, G.B. and Snowy. We made break-through's, had some rough patches and drempt of the next days out on the rock.

Some went, some joined, some have been here all along, and I feel like what started out as a few guys in the gym has really, truly turned into a sick band of climbers.

You guys know who I am talking to, and I hope all those folks from the Upstate out there representin' and crushin' should feel pretty good too. Good work guys. And to anyone else out there reading this blog...

Keep crushing,
sending,
training,
and doing what you love
because you love what you do.

Happy Christmas
Merry Hannukah
Jolly Kwanza
And have a good Festivus
And if you aren't celebrating and just climbing that's cool too...

Anyone down for climbing Christmas Eve Day in the Gunks???
Should be a good time.
K Bai.

-WB

Climbing Forecast - 12/16/09

So... I'm not gonna be here Saturday, my ski team is having its first on snow practice and I should probably go...

Anyways, I know most of you can't go out on Sundays, but if you can please text me at 5189441080... I really want to take advantage of the nice weather this weekend, the gunks are PRIME for climbing right now and yeah. I like to climb rocks.

AREA OVERVIEW:

Speaking of prime conditions, if you are headed to the Gunks this weekend, you're in for clear skies all weekend with cooler temps in the lower 30's. Perfect for sending.

Similarly, G.B. might be good to go too, with cooler temps though... and GB can be a hassle to get to in the snow.

Anything up North is looking cold this weekend... like... 10 degrees or less, so unless your fine with numb extremities than I would not suggest planning any trips to Nine Corners.

COMPS:

I don't know of any... but maybe there are some going on...?

PRIME AREA OF THE WEEK:

All year we've been waiting to climb at the road without the hefty price-tag it usually comes with. However, with the new fallen snow, the rangers have fled the Trapps leaving us cheap winter boulderers to fend for ourselves on the fast drying, sun-drenched rock of the Gunks.

So get out there, its gonna be a nice weekend for climbing, and I know you've still got some projects there. I know.

-WB

Phrases that make me want to quit climbing

You all know what I mean, almost everytime I go outside, climb in the gym or try to explain to someone what I do on my weekends (an impossible task I have come to find) the same questions and phrases always pop-up.



1. Oh, so is it like a speed thing?
What a classic line, after you tell someone you rock climb, it inevitably leads to how you compete, which is a taboo question in itself! What if I don't compete? At that point whoever I was talking to immediately loses interest and I feel all the more disconnected from the rest of the world. Like most people don't understand the point of doing something for fun, everything is a competition... always. Just look at things like Iron Chef, or American Idol. Even if you do compete, the question that always follows is how you win... is it a speed thing? who can get to the top first? At this point I apply a very heart-felt face-palm and call it a day. Yes, its a speed thing, yes, you're right, you did go to the gym and made it to the top of the hard wall, yes, you probably are a natural at rock climbing.

2. Wow, he looks like a monkey/spiderman or something?
Dammit guys the novelty wore off the first ten times this awful grouping of words entered my ears. I mean, I guess I can't be too angry, it is a complement, but I almost take it as an insult! Climbing is something I spend countless hours investing a large majority of my life into, and to have it reduced to such childish similes like this makes me feel... annoyed. So, thank you, sir or madam for comparing me to either something that flings its poo around for funzies or a fictional comic book character who didn't even climb that much... he just slung a bunch of freaking webs. On a side note, that monkey bears a striking resemblance to your average climber...

Nice shoes.

3. So what are those square things for anyway?
Yup, they are for sleeping on.
Yup, they're just big backpacks.
If any of you have ever had the "blessing" of having this asked of you then you know lying is the easiest way out. Don't even DREAM of trying to explain the usage of the seemingly incredibly advanced piece of rectangular technology strapped to your back because you won't be able to. In the end you will have just made things awkward for both you and your new friend and both your days will be a little more crappy. My advice? My friend Luke and I decided on the perfect answer for this question: They are for killing cats.
They don't ask any more questions after that one.

4. What is this... bold ... err ... ing?
When this question is asked, I find it best to walk away.

Lets face it, until climbing gets nestled between your favorite monday night sport shows, we are forever doomed with having to face the fact that no one gets us. I mean, to put it in perspective we enjoy putting ourselves into uncomfortable harnesses and shoes, putting ourselves through seconds, minutes, hours, days even of sometimes excruciating pain, in the most extreme conditions, and for what goal? I don't think anyone can understand why until they try it themselves. So until then, yeah, its a speed thing, yeah, I plan on sleeping in this large piece of foam I am carrying, yup, I am exactly like a monkey, and yes, oh god yes my legs/arms/ankles/feet are deformed and scraped up because I fell off my bike.

I am sure you guys know countless others, infact post your most hated phrase or question in the comments.

-WB

1st Annual Photo Contest!

Tis the season everyone.

That's right whatever holiday you celebrate here is a chance to get some more climbing garb
(no such thing as too much)

I am proposing an idea I had way back in November... but didn't tell anyone about.
Weekend Bouldering is about to hold its FIRST ANNUAL HOLIDAY PHOTO CONTEST!!!!

Just submit you're photos to WeekendBouldering@gmail.com or post them in the fan photos on the facebook page with the following information:

Photographer:
Climber:
Problem/Route:
Location:

Prizes will be awarded to first, second and third place winners!

For the contest to work, I need to acquire a large deal of photos from a large deal of people, and so if I do not recieve submissions from more than 3 people, the contest is not gonna work! Also, for now I am only allowing a max of 3 pictures per person, if I don't get that many that could change.

So go on, browse those pictures of yours (I know you've got tons) and email them or post them up and get in the holiday spirit!

-WB

Nine Corners and the Prison Boulder

Despite iffy weather forecasts and a lot of last minute destination changes, a pretty big crew consisting of Michael, Murph, a few guys from AIR, Spook, Ben, Kyle and myself headed out to a place I had never been before... the prison boulder.


Also known as the Caroga Lake Boulder, the prison boulder is a massive piece of rock that sits only a few yards in from the road to Nine Corners. Its face is tall, and slightly overhung and hosts a good deal of problems from V0 to V11. The problems are powerful in nature, long and a little scary. Sounds good to me.


We started off on a problem on the left side of the boulder called Conjugal Visit - V3, it's big, powerful and pretty dang cool. A large deal of us sent and managed to stay warm on the wintry day.

Murph, Ben and Michael gave some solid goes at the signature route on the boulder Pot of Gold - V11. Murph sent it a while back, but its been unrepeated since.

Michael, Spook, Kyle, Ben and I rolled on out to Nine Corners to put some work in on Thorazine - V8 and Over-Burdened - V11. Spook and I made excellent progress on Thorazine, linking all the way to the last move, and Michael managed to move through the crux on the V11, also unrepeated. He didn't send, and neither did Spook and I, but we both made awesome progress.

Ben figured out some INCREDIBLY POWERFULLY HARD BETA that he somehow could almost sort of do. Before we could finish up our respective problems, the flakes started falling... and then flurrying... and then all out snowing, the top got wet, the air got cold, and after a trechourously fun walk out of the woods, we were in the car jamming to christmas music and kazookeylele final countdown covers.

It was a pretty good day, and I hope we can get back before Winter really sets in.

Also, it was a fairly successful SWEET SHOTS round... fairly... I got a reply from Josh, one of the guys we climbed with, but no one else submitted their pictures. COME ON GUYS!

Srsly, send yo pics to weekendbouldering@gmail.com

Also, Murph is now an official author of the blog! WOO!

Also, Christmas is in like 16 days or something.

Also, I am calling a vote on the Facebook Page and here, you are allowed to vote twice...

NINE CORNERS?
GREAT BARRINGTON?
DARK HORSE COMP THING?
Argue, Discuss, Opinionate

-WB

Info on Sweet Shots

HERE'S THE DEAL!

As you can probably tell, this blog DESPERATELY needs some more media.

And I'm sure you all want your sick pics and vids to get recognized by fellow climbers.

So I am proposing something I am calling "Sweet Shots"... Let's say you go out climbin' and you get a ton of sick pictures, are you just gonna let em' sit on your hard drive? Hell nah! You're going to send them, along with problem name, climber name and any other info to

weekendbouldering@gmail.com

and I'll post the best up on the blog under a special section called "Sweet Shots".

But JP, what about videos!?! If you can figure out a way to get your videos to me (willhostforfood.com, get a youtube/vimeo account) I'll be happy to post them up... but you'll need to email me as to where I can find said video.

I know there is some sick media out there, and I would love to post it up here on WeekendBouldering.

-WB