The Fall's Coming

Look guys, I'm sorry the blog posts have been few and far between these past few months, but with so much constant climbing, it can be hard for a little blogger like me to keep up with it all.

However, with Summer winding down and Sendtember right around the corner, I'm excited to start supplying you with content at least once every two weeks.

Truth be-told, it's been strange for me to consider updating a blog entitled "Weekend Bouldering", when I'm finding myself drawn away from the pebbles and towards the cliffs, rope and quickdraws in hand.

Don't get me wrong, I love bouldering and it will always have a place in my heart. Lately, however, bouldering has left something to be desired. Something that can only be found 60 feet up, bouldering above your bolt.

You'll notice I used the word "bouldering" to describe my experiences in sport climbing. At this point, I don't think I could completely focus on one discipline or the other. While sport climbing gives me the sustained movement and feeling of "getting somewhere", bouldering helps me hone in on the short bursts of power I need to help excel at sport. I don't boulder as practice for sport, and I don't sport climb as practice for bouldering.

All of my climbing is practice for harder and better climbing.

While, I will admit, I'm still not completely comfortable above my bolt (likely my biggest downfall... pun intended) and I struggle heavily on the route-y sections of climbs, with many holds and not a lot of beta, I'm learning, growing, and becoming a more well-rounded climber because of it.

For those of you who have read all this, I'll reward you with a slew of pictures.

For those who haven't... you get to see them anyway...

RUMNEY:

Michael, Murph and I spent a weekend at Rumney, I sent my first 5.12 (Social Outcast) and we had a grand ol' time.

Me on my next project, Techno Surfing - 5.12b

Michael working Livin' Astro - 5.14c

Waimea - 5.10d

Michael styling up Big Kahuna - 5.13a

Murph on Suburban - 5.13a

Me sending Social Outcast - 5.12a

Unpsyched

SMUGGLER'S NOTCH:

The following weekend, Adam, Izzy, Evan, Morgan and I hauled up to Smuggler's Notch to climb on the beautiful blue-schist boulders that line the steep Green Mountain pass. The road's were tight, the boulders were large and the lines were fun.

Adam working on Backwards Reflector - V5

Adam with a game-face on Nemesis - V5

Me on the frustrating Impossible Problem - V8/9

Evan's fingers.

The throw off of tiny crimps on Impossible Problem.

Adam finishing Primate 2000 - V3

Evan nearly sending Impossible Sit - V11/12

Rumney Overview

Oh, the powerful truth inscribed on that shirt.

There was quite the party at Rumney this weekend. Despite not having sport climbed in a year and succumbing to a crippling pump several times during our visit, I managed to climb a lot of great routes in the 5.10-12 range and found a creature dwelling quietly inside of me... I really enjoy sport climbing.


I'll do a huge post with photos and such later. Now, it's time to rest and come up with a new name for the blog... I may not exclusively be a weekend boulderer anymore.

-JP