So Sore

Six new (to me) areas in seven days.

Day 1 - Taylor's Falls, Minnesota

Didn't see as much as I wanted to, but this seems like a fun little area.  I climbed Mike's Left (V7) and blew my flash attempt of Cave Traverse in the dark and rain.  The rock is basalt and ranged from super slick to perfect fine gritty texture.

Nic warming up on Peeler's Rock a.k.a. Big Boy (V2?)

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Day 2 - Devil's Lake, Wisconsin

Steve and Katie showed us around for the afternoon.  The rock is purple quartz... enough said.  Some of the best rock I've ever climbed on.  I'm probably biased though since it was 40 degrees out and the friction was perfect.  I'm guessing I would feel a little different if it was warm out.

Steve coming very close on Massive Vertigo (V6/7/8ish)

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Nic getting ready to do his new problem Death of a Traveling Salesman (V5)

photo - Jeff Sillcox

This problem does not have a good landing.  I didn't get a good shot of it, but let's just say these pads aren't going to do much.



Nic running laps on Alpine Club (V9).  Purple rock!

photo - Jeff Sillcox

I came pretty close to doing Keymaker (V10/11ish).  Must go back... purple rock! You can read more about our day at Devil's Lake on Steve's blog.

Day 3 - Driving (with Nic in the 5.10 van so it doesn't actually qualify as a rest day)

Honeycrisp apples!

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Day 4 - Little Rock City, Tennessee

Apparently we didn't take any photos this day.  FAIL.  Great rock, fun problems, blah blah blah.  Best of the day was a 20+ foot V3ish slab.

Day 5 - Horse Pens 40, Alabama

Free breakfast courtesy of Five Ten

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Carlo cruising some V9 thing that I'm too lazy to look up the name of.

photo - Nic Oklobzija

I entered the Star Chaser category and finished 59 very good boulder problems for 112 stars.  It was just enough for 2nd place and I'm really psyched considering it was my first day at HP40.  Much better than trying to climb 10 hard problems in less than ideal temps.

Day 6 - Rocktown, Georgia

Me warm-up-flashing Nose Candy (V6).  I hate warming up with Nic.  I was so sore from HP40.  We did not last long.

photo - Nic Oklobzija

Day 7 - Dayton

This day hasn't actually happened yet.  I'm guessing we will suck because I can barely lift my arms right now.  So I'm off to bed and maybe we won't be lazy and take some photos and post later.

We're back!

It's been a while... some climbing has happened and photos were taken. Maybe we'll post some of that stuff. But first, this is much more important.

Vote for Capt. Awesome

Do you remember my last post about Sadie? Let me refresh your memory...



Do the world a solid and vote for her by following the link below.

http://www.cutestdogcompetition.com/vote.cfm?h=07CE5C6739F88D0C0698D7B3EB8CDACE

Your kindness will be rewarded by angels giving you gold, covered in chocolate, smothered in Unicorn poop... maybe...

Way Lake Media

Since Eric and I have been extremely lazy on the photography front (Eric is actually too weak to lift a camera right now), here are a few links to some media from more motivated people.

Alex Savage posted a nice video from his trip up here. It's got Mike taking a terrible fall off the top of Green Mamba (V7), me repeating I'm Too Drunk to Taste this Chicken (V6), Darryl sending Serpentine (V8 or 9, I'll get around the the grades discussion in another post), and Alex crushing a number of hard problems.

Dom put up a bunch of good photos on his blog. Day 1 and Day 2.

Here's a sample of Dom's work... Me on Excitebike (V0ish). Check out his blog for the rest.

photo - Dominic Palmero

And Paul Barraza created a Way Lake Bouldering channel on Vimeo. The videos are all from last season, but I thought I'd put it up anyway since there's so much good stuff on there.

More to come soon. I actually have a bunch of photos that I haven't posted yet and I just got a new lens today!

Keepin' up with the times...

So I decided that it was high time for me to sell my soul to the devil keep up with the times of photography. Below is an image I took and (basically butchered) tweaked a little bit; I just (oversaturated) helped the colors, and added some (absurd and impractical) subtle (I don't have a Holga or any other means of drawing natural attention to the subject) vignetting, (not to mention there is no highball like this at Way Lake so I had to crop Jeff off a picture of Natalie V8, shrink him and put him back on the same problem to get "the feel" I was going for).

Note - I do actually have a Holga and it creates really artistic, natural vignetting... I find it interesting that the more we move forward in technology, the more we strive to be old school cave-people...


Jeff on Jeff on Fake Natalie, VMagic.
Photo by art by shameless and blatant misuse of artistic license by - Eric Lang

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Now that's out of the way... there is a new addition to the Eastside Bouldering crew (that is, if Abbie ever allows her to visit the Eastside)... I give you; Sad Daisy...


Daisy being sad that she is no longer the token barnyard animal of the Eastside crew... poor little pig dog...
Photo - Eric Lang

No but really, we have a new dog. Her name is Sadie (which I would like to add is just a hodge podge of the sounds that make up the name, Daisy). She is a mix of Jack or Parson Russell terrier and hobo and goat... BEHOLD!!!









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... and then Derek Spencer came to California (and by "and then" i mean prior to everything else in this blog, since it is exactly backwards)


Derek has made the Sierra angry...
photo - Eric Lang

There has been climbing, but I couldn't care less... stupid shoulder...


Derek pushing the "oh fuck, i'm pumped... fuck, i'm gonna fall" button on King Spud, 5.12a at Clark Canyon, CA
Photo - Jeff Sillcox


Derek Spencer getting the presumed 3rd ascent of the season of Secret Pinches, V5... after Jeff and I cut steps in the landing.
Photo - Jeff Sillcox

Enjoy climbing with all of your healthy body parts, audience...

Chumscrubber

That was fast. Here's the footage of Nic killing Chumscrubber (V12) today. Photos soon if I don't get lazy.

video - Andrew Stevens
edit - Dom Palmero

So hot right now

I'd like to take a moment to complain about how hot it is. Heat makes boulder problems hard. And it grows mosquitoes. And it makes people grumpy. Okay, that's enough. Photos of people climbing on rocks as promised...

Eduardo cruising up Riding Dirty (V8) at June Lake.


photos - Jeff Sillcox

Andrew working Meadow Face (V9) at Way Lake.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Noah and Nathan spent a little time improving the scenery near the Meadow Roof boulder.




photos - Jeff Sillcox

Eduardo came really close to finishing Chumscrubber (V12) this week. He will send soon.



photos - Jeff Sillcox

I finished this one off last weekend for the second ascent and Nic crushed it today for the third. Video of Nic coming soon...

Vail

Lisa slab climbing.


Andre representing some country up North somewhere.


A whole bunch of people watching some girl from Belgium.


Nalle punting... fortunately he turned things around and crushed boulders shortly after the comp.


Kyle killing semifinals.


Nic in his Little Red Riding Hood costume.


Alex dynoing.


Nic and Pinto watching Alex dynoing.


Alex dynoing again.


Dave and Nalle showed up fashionably late for finals. Notice Nic in the middle trying to sneak around in the VIP section.


Alex giving out bad beta for the finals problems.


Like this double dyno campus beta...


This one's for you Andy.


Photos of people climbing on rocks coming soon...

Colorado Part 3

Mt. Evans

Nic warming up on The Ladder

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Chucking a lap on The Dali (V8)

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Nic threw himself at the shoulder move on No More Greener Grasses (V12) for a while and came very close to doing it...





photos - Jeff Sillcox

Until this happened...

photo - Jeff Sillcox