Great Barrington Raw Footy

baby i like it raw



Goofing In Great Barrington from Luke Mosca on Vimeo.

Big Up to Lucas for filming something and actually editing it.


*cough* *cough* south video *cough*

-WB

Life and Climbing the Past Few Months

So here we are again. Last October, I promised more frequent updates and honestly, I had every intention to deliver. But I didn't, and I'm sorry. It seems my psyche for sitting down and pounding out a post has dwindled away. That being said, I also feel that if I put my mind to it, a resurgence is more than possible.

As for climbing, this Winter has been kind to us. Not only do we have stellar temps and conditions, with perpetual Fall-like weather, but we have also been blessed with a sick hella dope fresh gym to train at when that weather turns for the worse. A combination of these things and some recent developments in my personal life have resulted in a very happy me. And that's why I'm here. Talking to you guys. Again.

But why are you here? What do you want me to talk about?

I suppose I should begin with the recent ventures of Upstate New York Bouldering. Over the past month or so, I've spent nearly every weekend in Great Barrington, primarily at the speed boulder. Evan has been diligently attempting Roses and Blue Jayes - V13, and the results are promising. Personally, I've turned my efforts to old projects, even sending a few of them! One problem in particular, Big Big Love - V8, felt incredible to send because of how difficult it felt for me just a few weeks earlier.

Honestly, I'm not as stoked on the spray as I used to be. My life lately has taken many an unexpected turn, and I find myself viewing climbing in a completely different light. I see the true value in the action, but more often I find myself thinking about the incredible relationships I've made with people who share no other mutual interest with me. While it feels good to progress, climb stronger and send harder routes and boulders, that feeling pales in comparison to the sensation that comes along with the good times spent with good people climbing.

As for the future, its hard to say. I'd like to promise posts more consistently, but I'm afraid such a pact would be no less empty than they have been in the past. I will say that this blog has provided me an excellent service by allowing me to track and record my physical and emotional progress as a person and rock climber, and it would feel wrong to stop now.

Below, I've added a picture dump to sate your media starved eyes. Although the showcase is quite clearly Great Barrington, pictures from Lost City as well as some of my personal photography appear as well.

the first in a series of diptychs i made for my photo class

the classic narrative

Jaysen Henderson on a classic V1 at Lost City

pinto and i sharing a moment

Evan entering the cruxy slot-crimps of Roses and Blue Jayes - V13

Evan keeping warm by looking like an idiot

Ben sippin on dat haterade, Izzy izznt feelin it

Pinto philosophizing

Evan bein a QT

dat chalk

dem shoes w/ dem colors

Ben

lord of the jet boil

bill on the intro moves of Big Big Love - V7

Evan stickin the crux move on Something From Nothing - V11

again.

Enjoy the incredible temps and keep crushing! I'm not dead yet and I know you're not either, so get out there and tell me about your travels.

As the hitchhiker I picked up on the way to Great Barrington said as he departed my car, "ONWARD!"

-WB

Guys...

I know its been a while... but these past few months have been real tough. It seems I'm still adjusting to work on the weekends and school throughout the week, and its been hard for me to find time to climb midst it all. But guys, that all changes today.

Today, I found out about how radical The EDGE up in halfmoon is. The new gym is in the final stages of construction, with a tentative opening date of Nov. 14th, and I for one could not be more stoked.

Just walking through the building, seeing the walls and that one crazy-ass boulder sent chills down my spine, and the thought of being able to set with seemingly endless holds, creating limitless sequences and problems and routes... I was nearly certain my head would explode.

I'm gonna make a few trips back to that wonderful place a few times this week, with a comprehensive post on the new routes, the people setting them, and the gym itself! STOKED ON IT!!!!!!

For now, here's some media on the whole project:

Facebook Page & Photos

Walkthrough

Southern Adirondack Climbing's Post

I don't know about you guys, but I'm on the EDGE right now.

Hopefully some real rocks will also make their way into my life soon aswell!

-WB

Summertimes.

I know these days posts are scarce, and I apologize for that. The past few weeks of summer have succeeded in completely deminishing my will to do anything productive ever, and unfortunately posting on this blog happens to fall into that category of things I really should probably do, but end up forgetting about due to a plethora of distractions like Netflix, Tumblr and Sour Cream & Onion Chips.

On a real note though, as Biggie once said, things done changed! I have a job now and a license, two very dangerous things to have as a restless teenager. On days when I don't have work, but the rest of the climbing world seems to, I escape alone into the Adirondacks, not only to scour the woods for some magical hidden boulderfield of dreams, but also for another alterior motive, a certain quality within me that I discovered on my first outing. The rolling ocean of pine-covered mountains that makes up the park makes me realize how little of this world I have seen. And walking alone on some trail next to nature just feels right. Something in me really wants to get to know everything about this part of the state.

So far, as far as bouldering goes, these excursions have yielded few results. I found two massive boulders on the hike up to Peaked Mountain (Siamese Ponds Wilderness) but the rock was chossy in spots and lacked featured in crucial areas. Most of the hikes I went on I would discover huge fields full of Smartcar sized boulders. Nobody really likes Smartcars, and to a boulderer, these are the worst kind of rocks. They taunt you and convince you that somewhere there's got to be one big enough to climb, but there rarely is.

Despite all this ranting about the Adirondacks and my Summer and such, I have actually been climbing. I've spent a great deal of time at Hogwarts, bonding with the Borg and regaining strength lost in the spring. Additionaly, Ben and I made trips out to Nine Corners and even McKenzie Pond. Rather than summarize every single trip, I'll sate your media hungry eyes with a photodump! Enjoy and keep reading! I may be lazy, but I haven't forgotten about this blog.

Lake Sacandaga from the Summit of Hadley Mountain

Trail Marker on the way up Severance Hill

Ben trying hard on Shut Up Machine - V9 at McKenzie
Poor conditions made this climb a no go!

Ben cutting loose on Cartwheel - V9 at McKenzie

Ben on another go of Cartwheel.

Me trying hard to reach that sloper on Cartwheel.

Ben on the super-incredible intro moves of Flux Capacitor - V8, McKenzie

Me trying the crux move on Flux.

A stellar shot of the Borg on Flux.

Izzy trying the top-out of her super thin project at Hogwarts, red-tagged fellas, sorry!

The Borg in the flesh setting up for the throw on Squibs SDS - V6

A few final thoughts before I dissappear once again for a few weeks...

1. I'd like to acknowledge Jut and his efforts on Southern Adirondack Climber, it's people and blogs like that that keep the whole community stoked. Not to mention he has more than outdone me in the posting department. Kid is posting like every fifteen god damn minutes! Good on ya!
2. I'd also like to acknowledge Kyle and his comments. I really do appreciate all of the comments you guys post and always read all of them, but Kyle's comments have a certain level of urgent-ridiculousness that actually has a significant effect on how much I post, so good work.
3. I'm looking for someone to hike/camp/climb/explore with in the high peaks region for one weekend in August. If anyone has any interest please, hit me up, I have a new phone number that I can get you if you email me or contact me some other way (facebook, telegraph, a formal letter).

- WB

Three from Hogwarts

The first video is of the following problems:

The Goblet of Fire - V7 (FA)
The Seeker - V6
The Sorcerer's Stone - V9 (FA)

iMovie messed up the quality a lot (and was an overall nightmare to work with) but fear not! Soon, my friends, quality footage will run free throughout this blog.

The second is a FULL QUALITY (1080p DESTINY) video of Murph on the FA of Snitch - V8.

In other news, I take my road test on FRIDAY.

Free at last! Free at last!

-WB

The Dark Lord has Returned! Hogwarts is No Longer Safe!

He-who-shall-not-be-named topping out a new, incredible V7.

News from the Pottersville spot is grim this week. Several verified reports have confirmed that he-who-shall-not-be-named has returned to Hogwarts! Yes, the Dark Lord himself arrived in the forest last Sunday,  taking with him on his visit the elusive and prized Sorcerers Stone Project. As well as the Golden Snitch and a few other problems that had remained uncleaned and unclimbed until his evil brushes and chalk met their sculpted holds.

Eyewitnesses captured pictures and videos of this horrible event. Despite his return, Dumbledore refuses to cancel classes for this year, stating that there are still several gems to be picked from the mess of boulders... and perhaps some incredible destiny hidden deep in that forest... only time will tell.

The List of Problems at Hogwarts so far is as follows:
*bold problems are of particular quality

Hagrid - V2
Delicate moves up a dirty, mossy slab. Fun, but needs a bit more cleaning.


The Deathly Hallows - V6
SDS just right of Goblet on a left hand sidepull and right hand sloping edge, move up through sculpted crimps and slopers to a top-out directly above.

The Goblet of Fire - V6
SDS left of Hallows, just around the corner from Sorcerer's Stone. Dynamic moves straight up through perfect, textured slopers lead to an amazing finish directly above and left.

The Sorcerer's Stone - V9
Stand start at patina jug on the obvious, tallest face of the boulder. Move right and straight up through sidepulls and crimps. Burly!

Sorting Hat - V1
A fun, delicate arete behind Sorcerer's Stone.

Degnoming - V4

Dirty Thirty - V8
Above and right of the Stone, but below Truffle Shuffle. Look for a low roof with blocky sidepulls. Compression climbing using the arete and these sidepulls brings you to the lip and a tricky top-out. Photos here.

Truffle Shuffle - V5
SDS with right hand on the right sloping arete and left hand on sidepulls on the face. Quality.

Squibs Stand - V3
A great warm-up. Stand start at obvious jug at about head height. Move directly up and left to a sick mantle press top-out.

Squibs - V6
Squat down in the roof with hands in the jug slot and a thin undercling. Utilizing a key heel, make powerful, dynamic moves out the roof and finish as Squibs.

Squibs Right - V8/9
Start as for Squibs, but after reaching the jug, make a big move out right to the sloping gaston rail. Finish above the stepped landing.

Unknown
Facing Squibs, go left around the corner until your are facing a right-rising sloping lip with crimps in a thin seam at head height. Starting on the large, left-most sloper, traverse the lip.

The Golden Snitch - V8
Crimpy! SDS with hands on right-rising crimp seem. The flake is on for feet. Lock off moves through crimps lead to a delicate top-out.

The Seeker - V5/6
Starting with right hand on a thin pinch below the obvious large pinch, and right hand on the large sidepull, work your way directly up.

Nimbus 2000 - V6/7
SDS at right rising crimp seem. Thin moves up the right side of The Seeker follow.

Dementor - V6
SDS with hands on shallow crimps, move left towards the obvious rail and up to the infamous smile. Utilize the arete to reach the top.

The Hills Have Eyes - V5
Walking up and left from dementor, look for a prominent blocky overhang perched upon a smaller boulder, start sitting on this boulder and make fun compression moves out the overhang to a dicey and a bit dirty top-out. Quality line, needs a bit more love.

The Dark Lord using some black magic to de-moss some rocks.

Sussing out beta on Sorcerer's Stone - V9

Ben Horgen tries to steal the Sorcerer's Stone

The Dark Lord and his evil grin show NO MERCY

On the FA of Sorcerer's Stone

The Dark Lord chillin' with his friend the Dementor - V6

The life-sucking crimps of the Dementor

Will his reign ever end!? Will he leave any boulders for the rest of us!? Will this Hogwarts joke thing ever stop being funny!? WHO KNOWS!!!!!!

Video by the end of this weekend featuring Murph on The Goblet of Fire, The Seeker, The Golden Snitch, and Sorcerer's Stone.

-WB

Hogwarts

After a three week absence from climbing due to awful, awful weather conditions and other reasons outside my control, I finally took another trip to Hogwarts with Adam. I had taken a trip up there a few weeks back, but feet of snow remained in the woods, and we left with nothing to show besides frozen toes and shoes soaked for days.This time, after weeks of rain and warm weather, I knew conditions would be different.

With leaves beginning to show on the trees, and no snow cover at all, the whole area had a different feel. The feel always associated with a boulderfield that has been largely untouched. We quickly found interest in one of the first boulders you approach upon entering Hogwarts. The face is lightly overhung, with strange, patina features and flakes. The sequence is hard. Really hard. And we're not quite sure how it goes yet.

Right now, it seems like a poor heel hook right off of the jug start, strenuous bump moves with the right hand, and a left fall into an incut crack. The top-out is slopey, and the problem will be incredibly classic.

Wanting to not get stuck at one problem, we moved towards another boulder, only to find that the sloped top made it terribly difficult to clean. After disappointment at that rock, we moved towards a face that had caught our eye on our first visit. Crimpy sidepulls and pinches up a lightly overhung, pinkish rock make for an incredibly aesthetic problem. We quickly cleaned off the top, then began trying the moves from the bottom.

The crux for me is the first move. A balancey, thrutchy bump from a poor, poor right hand crimp/pinch (crinch? pimp?) and a left hand incut sidepull. For Adam, the crux revolved around a second thrutchy right hand bump move to another positive crimp sidepull higher up. I almost sent once, but couldn't find the right feet to get to the top.

After destroying ourselves on go after go, we got a little visit from the landowner's son and his friends. They were totally friendly and perfectly fine with us climbing there, the kid mentioned that he had done his fair share of climbing by the cliff as well.

We were too tired to send the problem, but it will definitely go on our next visit.

Overall, I was dissappointed with the spot. Everything there feels hard, and the stuff that isn't has not been very good. There are just less problems than originally thought. I would prefer Gnarnia to Hogwarts.

I'm working on a post about the best "Adirondack Projects" but need some help. Any ideas on the best projects in the dacks?

Pictures later from Hogwarts.


-WB