Lazy Dayz

I really shouldn't say that this summers been lazy, in fact I am busier than I have been in a while, and times when I'm free, I'm climbing.

Climbing feels like a rest day from life for me. I don't have to think about any other stress besides the constant frustration of bouldering. However, instead of resenting this frustration and the sport in general, bouldering has taught me to turn this frustration into motivation.

Summer is sinking in, and so is that feeling of my whole world slowing down. Hours mix together and I lose track of the time constantly. Days lose their common titles of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and turn into days when I'm climbing, working, or simply relaxing.

It's a trip.


This past weekend I spent some quality summer days with my friend, coach and mentor, Spook as we ventured to both McKenzie Pond and Peterskill.

Up north the weather was beautiful, dry and sunny. We warmed up and then gave goes at Giant Sucker - V2, I am convinced I will never do this problem...

We then spent some time on Shut Up Machine - V8, and ran into our friend Max and his girlfriend. Spook and Aaron were psyched on Star Chores - V8, so they gave goes and got close, but couldn't piece the tricky traverse together.

Our day was then graced by the presence of our good friend Buzzy. Buzzy's motivation and psyche is unfaltering and that, coupled with his wide smile, seems to spread amongst the group.

Mah hairs are short. Flux Capacitor - V8

In all my times at McKenzie, I had never touched a hold on Flux Capacitor - V8, and I sorely regret it. I cannot believe how good of a problem it is... and I'm so psyched to get back to it.
McKenzie has a way of producing incredible days, not necessarily in climbing, but in good friends and good times.

The next day we opted to avoid the rain and head south to Peterskill, as Spook and I still had a few projects to work out.

We warmed up (something I hate doing on the unforgiving pebbles of Pkill) and then sped up to Adam's project Village Idiot - V7. This tall, testy problem had plagued Spook for a long time, and after valiantly fighting its slot crimps and crux last moves, found his way to the top and proudly proclaimed on his facebook status that HE was the village idiot.

Next it was on too my project, Delicate Soul - V7. I had gotten devastatingly close last time on this long and aesthetic lip traverse. Spook and I both knew it would go today, but after several failed attempts to make it past the first 5 moves, and a flap of rubber slowly peeling of my heel, spirits were dampened.

Mah hairs are long! Definitely not the send go of Delicate Soul - V7

I rested, super-glued the rubber onto my heel, chalked up and began the problem, I made it past the first sequence and eventually found myself pumped out of my mind on top of the boulder. Thank you adrenaline and various yells for getting me through that last sequence.

We left at 1:30.

-WB

Feelin' Hot, Hot, Gross

BLEH.

I'm convinced my climbing appetite can never be satisfied by this miserable Summer weather. Sure, freedom from the suffocating stress of school and the careless feeling of schedule free, lazy days is nice, but when those lazy days involve climbing and when that climbing entails losing five pounds of weight through sweat, I begin to go a little stir crazy in the Summertime.

And of course, when it's not 189 degrees out, it's pouring rain.

Well, I am attempting to make the best of this swampy Summer season, most recently at Gnarnia this past weekend, when Spook and I gave Evan and Izzy a tour of the new boulderfield.

At the Wardrobe, Spook took down my project Flesh Failures and called it V6. I personally believe it to be at least one grade harder but a lil sandbagging never hurt. Evan was interested in the very obvious undone line in the middle of the boulder, and with some new sharp crimp beta he almost stuck the crux move, but split a tip and had to call it off. He feels its somewhere in the V8/9 range.

With the temperatures rising rapidly we roamed on up to the Gnarwhal with its newly made, professional platform... which is more like a patio as it is somewhere around 100 square feet.

We enjoyed some lunch, then got to work on Unicorn of the Sea Super Stand - V5, which is quickly becoming a classic of the area. The problem works through some fun arete moves on large sloping ledges to a committing heel hook and top out, and with the newly installed platform you don't have to worry about dying! Yay!

Evan and I also made a quick exploration of the Mole People Crevasse to find that it is, as I had hoped, flippin' sweet. 100 foot high walls on both sides produce a 2-3 foot wide corridor that gets a lot of daylight and is easy to navigate. It leads to a beautiful lookout on top of a ledge somewhere on the cliffs.

We then finished our day at the Treeboob Boulder, where Izzy dispatched another classic, Stuff of Dreams - V4. Evan became interested in the Sleepyhead Sit project, which climbs a slopey arete to an interesting finish, he thought it could be V9/10. Finally, Spook took down another FA, a VERY fun slopey arete which he called Chilled Soup - V5, something we all might have liked to have on this sweltering day.

I'll be back for a very interesting looking crimp seam traverse thing on the boulder I'm calling The Room this weekend.

On this last visit, I realized that Gnarnia no longer felt like a developing area, but a semi-developed boulder field. At this point I've decided to begin compiling a guidebook to the spot, partly because I am bored and also because I need some practice for the big guidebook project.

Below is a list of the current problems at Gnarnia (including obvious projects) and their star ratings out of five. If you object to the ratings comment!

The Wardrobe

• Prince Caspian Left - Project - V7/8?
  
• Prince Caspian Right - V2*
• Flesh Failures - V6*** (EDIT)
  
• Crimp Line - Project - V8/9?
  
• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - V6***(EDIT)
• The Wardrobe - V3***

Treeboob

• P.U.S. - V3
• Sleepyhead Stand - Project - V7/8?
  
• Sleepyhead Sit - Project - V9/10?
  
• Stuff of Dreams - V4****(EDIT)
• Vanilla Slice - V5**
• Chilled Soup - V5***

Gnarwhal

• Unicorn of the Sea - V9****
• Unicorn of the Sea Super Stand - V5****
• Unicorn of the Sea Sit - Project - V11/12?
• Gnar Wars - Project
  

Chocolate Chip

• Benjamin Franklin - V1*
• Tollhouse - V3**
• Cookie Dough - V2*
• Ghetto Chip Malfunction - Project - V6?

The Room

• The Room - Project
  

Commence Comments
-WB

Photo Special!

The Pond

In response to the barrage of PHOTO SPECIALS various climbing magazines have been and are currently spewing at us we felt we would make a little photo special of our own.

Courtesy of Tyler Hogan and Aaron Newell:

Blog, meet Nick. Nick, Blog.

Om nom nom.

He dropped his avocado.

But really though, we had a grand 'ol time at McKenzie this past weekend, and I am happy to say it was one of the most epic days I have had in a while. I guess that's the dacks for you...

The epicness began while my I allowed my eyes to rest in the stuffy heat of the loft at my camp on Brant. Just as I was beginning to drift into dreams of boulders, Tyler texted me speaking of climbing the following day.

Aaron Newell on a photo shoot of Hooker - V3

My mind immediately was focused on the dull pain in my tips, two days of working sharp projects at Gnarnia had left them bruised and red. The decision I had made thousands of times was yet again unchanged by the slow, creeping pain and I immediately said yes to an early morning and sharp Adirondack gneiss.

Taylor.

We began our day on Slobodon - V5, which Aaron, a kid we met named Lucas, and I sent quickly. Aaron began working on Super Karate Chop - V8. He had quickly sent what we believed to be Karate Chop - V7... but it was actually Global Chop Suey - V2. He got close on Super.

JP on Giant Sucker - V2

Suddenly, bounding through the woods came a curly-haired, headband wearing man with a beautiful dog. They looked a little worn after a night spent in the woods. This, was Nick, a guy who I had been in contact with over email/facebook. He was quickly welcomed into our group and we moved back to the 3rd set.

Cartwheel - V9

While Aaron, Tyler and Lucas began work on Flux Capacitor - V8, I decided to show Nick my favorite problem at the Pond, Thrust Fault - V3. The mix of height, smooth movement and a crux last move make this problem perfect. And now it holds a special place in my heart as the problem that gave me my first ever flapper. It was a pretty epic fall and a *bloody* good time.

Nick on Flux Capacitor

Tyler made some really good progress on Flux and it'll be interesting to see how he does next time. While I was telling a man with INSANELY STRONG FINGERS (he was working a project called BUCKETS OF BLOOD that had two of the smallest holds I have ever seen) about my fall, a pair of strong, familiar arms surrounded me and lifted me up.... Kyle. Turns out Kyle made the drive up to McKenzie with Evan and Izzy. He told us that Evan sent Stanfields - V9 like it was his job. Typical.

Aaron Newell on Shut Up Machine - V9

Izzy also sent, with ease, a problem of hers called Brock Lee Soars - V2.

Izzy lookin' a little desperate on Giant Sucker

We parted for a little, and then met back up with them at my goal for the day b.f. (before flapper): Giant Sucker - V2. This intimidating and strangely irresistible slab had been on my list since last year. We all began giving goes and in a flurry of awkward dances, scary falls, good spotting, bullshitting and picture taking the true essence of bouldering shined through. Bouldering, after all, is a social sport that can sometimes be a little childish.







On our way home, we stopped and grabbed some Tacos at a road side stand and gossiped about roadside-stand-betrayal with the owner.

Epic.
-WB