More Winter

If you've been following my blog at all these past few months, it's pretty obvious that this Winter has been particularly tough on the Northeast climber.

More specifically, a single Northeast climber. One without a gym, a car, a license, or the ability to subscribe to any training regime that does not involve Netflix and Sour Cream and Onion Chips. Perhaps these decisions (and the awful, straight up awful hand that mother nature has dealt me) are to blame for my apparent lack of progression lately.

And with a lack of progression comes a lack of psyche.
And with a lack of  psyche comes a lack of sends.

I would much rather be on a boulder than up on this plateau. It's not even a cool plateau. It's full of worn sweatpants and the scraps of what were possible calluses at one time.

Despite these dark times we're in, I'm still attempting to salvage a send out of this pit, however deep it may be. And the only way to do that is to keep heading out and spending time pulling. Once again, we headed to the gunks.

Surprisingly, the rangers were at the upper lot! GASP! So we went covert-ops and parked at the stair master. There is a reason the stair master is closed this time of year. There is also a reason why, when going climbing, a pair of hiking shoes instead of sneakers is often preferable.

We warmed up on Andrew's Boulder and, while playing around with the Buddha, Ben was able to make a surprise send of The Illustrious Buddha - V8. Aaron also nabbed a send of The Buddha - V7. Next, we walked down to Boxcar, and while Ben flirted with death trying to get down to Bismarck - V10, the rest of us went to check out The Temple of Jahboo - V9. (Temple of Choss/Daboo)

Murph came out and nearly got a send of the tricky roof problem, but called it quits so we could make the long hike back to Ricans and White Boys and New Pair. Arriving at Ricans and White Boys, a FREAK snowstorm and terrible, biting winds swept through the Trapps. However, within ten minutes, blue skies were back.

We need to start getting to these lines earlier in the day, before we are tired and our psyche tanks are empty and it's cold.

Ben nearly sent Ricans and White Boys a good 15 times before we left and ate burritos.

Also, I got a new lens, it rocks, here are the pictures it took.

Murph lurping out of The Temple of Jahboo - V9

Cronin's Face - V9 doesn't suck? What?

Aaron getting real on The Buddha - V7

Adam on Jahboo

After the snow storm

Over the break, I'm going to Europe, where I will bide my time attempting to explain why I'm crying as our bus rolls right. fucking. past. Fontainebleau.

- WB

Winter...

After a little less than two months away from all things rock, it felt pretty damn good to be squeezed into a two-door hatchback with four people and three crash pads. And even better to finally see the Carriage Road as I know it best, all covered in snow. Unfortunately, this winter has been a little bit less forgiving than last year, and it shows. Topping out anything was out of the question and, despite our best aquatic engineering, many boulders were seeping and dripping all over the place.

The day, however, was not a total loss. Aaron nabbed a send of Art of Nothing - V8, while Tyler and I made excellent progress on the crimpy little stone. All three of us spent a good couple hours on the problem, and it showed as we gave last-ditch attempts on Ricans and White Boys and New Pair of Glasses. 


Here are some pictures.

-WB

Hogwartz

After deciding that I should probably make some kind of attempt at climbing, mother nature decided to rain (or should I say take a massive snow dump) on my parade and send a couple feet to New Paltz, and nothing to Gore Mountain.

Everybody knows you simply cannot climb in the Adirondacks in winter, except when mother nature has gone bat shit crazy and is tossin' loads randomly and without any discernible purpose but to make me sad.

Adam and I went and checked out Murph's new spot in Pottersville called Friedman's Reality or Hogwarts. In conclusion, it's rad.

It's got probably as many boulders as McKenzie, if not more, but there aren't as many lines on each boulder as McKenzie. Some boulders are a heartbreaking mix of perfect size, awesome pitch, no holds (the Adirondack's favorite trick) but most have at least one to five solid lines.

There are a few lines that need mentioning and a few boulders that will be area classics, as long as the access doesn't get destroyed: it's hanging on a thread right now, someone should alert the DEA of a possible meth lab at the top of the hill. I don't know if it's actually a meth lab, but it's near awesome boulders, so they must leave.

By the Meth Lab, there is one. Massive. Boulder. It's about 25-30 feet tall (not an exaggeration) overhung over a flat landing and with two obvious lines up the tallest part. One line is a meandering criss crossing crack line that shouldn't be too hard, but it's long and REALLY tall, and the other has potential to be another classic, hard, Adirondack highball.

I must say, if access is secured this place will be about double the size of Snowy, and with lines on par with the highest grade climbs in the Dacks. Really, the only thing holding it back is the access. The approach is short and easy, the boulders are many and rad, and the people are sketchy and reclusive (and maybe addicted to meth). If we get a few more days of sun, I might head back up there to get me some FAlalalalas.

Consider this your Merry Christmahannakwanzakah. And a happy new years.

Sorry for the lack of pictures

-WB

Murph and Jut at Gnarnia

The kids spent a little time at the Gnar and nabbed some sends including the FAs of two new problems, Sleepyhead Stand - V7/8 and Vanilla Dreams - V5/6, and a couple repeats/sends of Unicorn of the Sea Stand. The epic problem is settling into the grade of V8, and the sit down is DESTINY.

Destiny.

News and Boredom

There is absolutely no point to this post besides me searching for a way to pass the time.

Chatted with Murph today. He's been out on the hunt for boulders around the Tupper Lake (Nine Corners) region; however, he recently shifted his focus to the Brant Lake (Gnarnia) area. The rock is all there, but access issues might block or limit the climbing.

He visited the Gnarwhal today to suss out the Unicorn of the Sea SDS project. He cleaned some holds, moved some rocks, and is psyched to start work. It's open season now.

Next week, I've got a bunch of days off, and given my lack of climbing these past few weekends, I hope to accomplish a few tasks.

1. I want to go to Gull Pond.

2. I want to go to New Paltz or Great Barrington

3. I want to go back to Gnarnia and check out surrounding rock

4. I want to go back to Old Bridge (Padanarum Road)

Hopefully, I'll achieve at least one of these and maybe, just maybe, I'll get it all done.

I need a damn license.

-WB

Climbing FO' FREE

There we were, pulled over on the shoulder of the road, the massively majestic Trapps filling the windshield of Ryan's periwinkle blue, 1980 Mercedes-Benz. We stared at the light tan ridge in silent debate, we could go to the Carriage Path, pay 15 dollars, and destroy our projects in the ideal conditions, or, we could take the right turn in front of us and head towards Triple Right.

Despite quiet, frustrated murmurs from Tyler, we took the right. 

Before long, we were sitting beneath Neapolitan, a classic V5 I sent last year (video), but something was wrong. It felt really hard. We quickly spotted a key hold breakage on the beautiful prow, making the send even more elusive. Eventually, Tyler sent with an incredible show of effort, which prompted him to confirm that the new problem was, in fact, not V5. For all intents and purposes, it's now Metrosexual - V6/7.

JP sets up to throw off of a bad sloper and a small slot

JP sticks the jump

We then spent some time on some other warm-ups, including a fun dyno and two semi-highball moderates.

Ryan Konopinski makes quick work of the dyno.

Since the moment we began considering Triple Right as a destination, a single motivation had consumed me, I had to send Gillete, a V6 that had thwarted my best efforts last year.

Ryan topping out a beautiful boulder.

The problem starts on two namesake crimps, which rip at your finger tips until specks of white bone begin to poke out of the bloody stumps you call fingers. It then moves to an incredible pinch with a surprisingly sharp thumb catch, and ends on an incredible, blind toss for an edge near the lip. I had never caught that toss. I would today.

Preparing to launch on Gillete - V6.

My fingers seemed to snap back into my palms, reluctant to touch the razor starting crimps, but after conditioning my fingers to handle the pain, my attempts became better and better.

 An unassuming Tyler stepped up to the two crimps and took off. He set up for the jump and threw. Suddenly, a sound emerged from Tyler that I have never heard a living thing make. He caught the hold. He did not swing. He just yelled. This roar erupted from Tyler and echoed amongst the trees for at least 10 minutes after he sent. Ryan and I stood with slack jaws.

Tyler also gave some good goes on Steppin' Razor - V9 (previously V10), and unlocked some key beta on the incredibly aesthetic and terrifying blade.

Tyler trying not to get cut by the beautiful Steppin' Razor - V9.

Before moving on, I wanted a few last attempts on Gillete. I wasn't going to leave without a send. I stepped up to the crimps and, for once, they didn't hurt that bad, infact, they were almost inviting me to climb on them. Before I knew it, I was on top of the boulder doing a send dance.

On of many near misses on Gillete - V6.

Tyler also sent Pussy Willow - V6, giving him at least three V6 sends for the day, and a plethora of other sends as well.

Tyler making a big move on Pussy Willow - V6.

But our day wasn't over.

We rushed over to the Carraige Path, arriving at 5:30, an eerie mist creeped over the town of New Paltz as daylight disintegrated. We flew up the stairmaster in record time, and best of all, we didn't have to pay. We arrived at the Yikes corridor to meet Tyler's friends Matt, Noah and Noah. Matt was tantalizingly close on Yikes - V9 (The problem everybody is working, and nobody is sending!) and Tyler  realized he was too tired to work on the problem tonight.

We topped our night off with a headlamp session at Black Boulder. I sent 4 times. Ryan got VERY close.

The true end to our evening was at Mexicali Blue.

The end.

-WB

Not That Day

The atmosphere hung still and cold by the boulders at Great Barrington. A warming, golden sunlight filtered through the leaves, spilled down from above onto a few chalky, white splotches of rock. It was nothing short of beautiful.

Our palms began to sweat.

Upon touching our tantalized fingers to the grey and orange stone, the rock bit back with a cold which pervaded our being far deeper than just our finger tips. That biting cold found it's way into a corner of our brain reserved only for climbing, and upon arriving, opened a dusty doorway into a niche reserved only for days like this; fall climbing days when perfection is defined.

This was it.

We warmed up and determined the plan of attack for the day; given conditions like this, one must remain disciplined and organized to take full advantage and accomplish our respective goals. I began trying The Prow Traverse - V5, an old, pumpy project of mine, which, on this day, felt far easier. I sent shortly.

Friend topping out the traverse

We dragged our pads down the leafy dirt hill and threw them down under The Probe - V8. Tyler proceeded to dispatch the problem in two, overlapping pieces. We began resting as the sound of rustling leaves alerted us to company. I can honestly say that, in most cases, I thoroughly enjoy meeting and befriending new people through bouldering. It's one of the aspects of the sport that sets it apart from others, and attracts me to it, and these people seemed to be as excited as we were about the beautiful day.

Tyler and I decided that this was the day, the day that we would crush numerous problems, regardless of grade, or style, or height. On a day like this, when our bodies move more freely and delicately from hold to hold, and we find ourselves sitting at the tops of boulder problems, we could do anything.

Tyler sat down beneath The Probe and began what was likely his send attempt.

He reached the namesake hold.

Something went wrong.

In the next few, blurry moments, a loud, cracking thud echoed off of the pines and withing all of the climbers watching. Tyler was on the pad, and the probe was on him. The unthinkable had happened; the probe was broken; this was not the day.

This was not that day.

Bewildered, half-true jokes were made at Tyler. Stunned faces stared blankly at the brown silhouette scar left by the break. Frantic hands caressed the scar for signs of a new hold. All that was left were two, horrid crimps.

JP slaps the sloper on The Egg.

So what? We had to move on, and although Tyler's morale was a bit wounded, we kept climbing; there was nothing else to do. I tried The Egg - V6 a bit, and sent The Prow Dyno - V4/5, as a heart-broken Tyler went to the speed boulder to sit and think about what he had done.

Friend on The Dyno.

We met back up and went to a new area five minutes or so past the Erkenen boulder. Tyler showed me an incredible boulder, displaying the best rock I have seen at Great Barrington, as well as a few hard problems like Kindred Spirits - V9 and True Bleau - V10ish. Next, we explored a bit and found ourselves at The Cube boulder. Whose beautiful, tall, proud face required a visit from us that day.

We set our pads underneath the least intimidating line on the boulder and began work. After a few goes, we both sent what we both decided was "the best V2 I have ever climbed", as it would be, we were climbing on a V4 known as Rubiks Cube. A deadpoint move to a perfect crystal-pinch leads to a heady top-out and incredible view.

Rubiks Cube

We ended our day at Snooze Button. Where we both decided we were done climbing.

We hadn't had that day, but we had a day, and, hell, the day we had was pretty fucking sweet. Climbing sometimes teases me and leaves me wanting more from it, but the moment I start to doubt my passion for it, it drags me back in with a day like this one.

Fading light on Snooze.

Thanks, Tyler, for making this day as awesome as it was, and for breaking The Probe, because if that problem was still there, we wouldn't have had the day we did.

It wasn't even that great a problem, anyway.

-WB