Weekend Bouldering Blog: April 2012

While some stay put, rooted to the place they sprouted eager and green into the world, never straying from the same and deriving pleasure in making it feel different, others seek out a more turbulent path. To these anxious and capricious wandering souls, the world appears vast and ripe, and to live without experiencing the different contexts and settings one may exist within would be simply unacceptable. Such desires may spawn from a connection with nature, and so it follows that many climbers take the latter path. Zigging and zagging and exploring endlessly, tasting the culture, the scenery, and of course the rock at each stop on their chaotic journey.

This August I will be leaving my home in New York for a dorm in Boulder, Colorado. Things are going to move and change very quickly in the upcoming months, and with any massive change one begins to consider the things they'll leave behind. As a climber, my mind drifted to a number of projects scattered about the Northeast. I started my life as a climbing here six years ago. From those early days in Electric City Rock Gym, I've come quite a ways. I can say I am more than familiar with all of the major and lesser known crags of the area. Contributing when I could, my friends and I even managed to develop a few of our own, an effort that continues daily (check out the new cliff at Pinnacle courtesy of The Verticalife). I guess my point is that although I am ecstatic to begin another chapter in my life, I'm going to miss it here. I'm going to miss all the shitty weather, all the black flies, all the chosspiles. I'm going to miss fall conditions too, and the amazing people I've met.

But now I suppose I've gotten off track a bit from my intentions for this post. This past weekend, Tyler and I arranged to go to McKenzie Pond. Followers of this blog know that McKenzie has always been one of my favorite Adirondack haunts, and my friends know that I've had a mild obsession with one particular problem there...

The past few years, battling awful Summer temps and a severe mental block, I have been working Flux Capacitor - V8. Excellent weather and a longing to climb on the giant glacial erratics drew me back to the pond, and upon waking quickly and pleasantly at 7:00am, I knew the day would hold great things (I rarely wake pleasantly, especially at seven in the morning).

On the drive up, I spoke with Tyler about the future a bit. Tyler is due for quite a bit of change himself as he is getting married soon, and moving to Massachusetts. Due to the timing of things, Tyler will return to Mass. from his travels just in time for me to depart for Boulder, and that sucks. I suddenly understood that this trip may be one of the last times him and I get to climb together. Silently, we let this notion settle in, not letting it ruin our psyche and instead turning into even more reason to make the day awesome.

And it was. An hour into the day, I found myself sitting on top of Flux Capacitor. I was hot, spent, bleeding from three fingers and experiencing something I hadn't felt yet in climbing. I spent more time projecting Flux than any other boulder problem in my career as a climber, and to finally have the days of hard work behind me... well, it felt good, to say the least. I took it all in for a few minutes on top of that boulder, I thought hard about where my life was going, and what would be happening in the next few months. The notion of being completely displaced is intimidating and jarring, but exciting as well, and I can happily say that I have no idea where I'll go or what will happen.

Here are some pictures from the past few weeks.
Thanks, as always, for reading.

French Canadian friend entering the top, V4 section of Flux Capacitor - V8

JP on the crux move.

Sticking the crimp.

Squeezing on Slobodon - V5

Not the best terrain for a new pair of dragons...

Checking out the battle scars from Flux

Paid a short visit to Rumney with Jaysen, Ryan and Casey, a new friend from the gym. It was certainly a humbling experience, but I walked away with a better head and understanding of roped climbing, and the confidence to continue trying to build my endurance.