Haroun and the Sea of Stories

As promised, here's the footage of Jeremy sending Haroun and the Sea of Stories

Video - Jeff Sillcox (shot with Andrew's fancy new camera)

Aren't you impressed that I kept him in the frame while I ran up the slab pointing the camera at him blindly?

Also, check out Wills's's blog for a badass photo of Jeremy running laps on This Side of Paradise at the Bardini's.

What's the point?

This is going to be a long one...

I've started questioning the purpose of this blog. Eric and I started it almost 18 months ago to share pictures and mini trip reports with our friends so we didn't have to email everyone we know to tell them what we were up to. Almost 17,000 unique hits later, we are definitely speaking to a larger audience.

I'm excited that so many people seem to be interested in what we have to write, but I think it's made me feel like I have to change how I write. It has lost some of it's personal touch. This is partly because I have a lot more climbing friends now than when the blog was started and not everyone knows who I'm talking about when I refer to someone by just their first name. I've decided that is okay though.

For example, most of you probably don't know that Jim is my brother who lives in Hoboken, NJ (see Jim, I told you I'd sneak Hoboken into a post), but it doesn't matter. The post is for him and anyone who knows him. If anyone else is psyched to read it, that's great. Just don't expect all of it to make sense. Another example: Jamie is a good friend who lives in SLC now. Why does the post about her in Joe's say "Biscuit"? Not telling... inside joke that only a few people out there will understand.

Anyway, you get the point. I'm going to continue to write about my friends and put up (hopefully good) photos of the action. So, what's the point? I guess there wasn't one, I just wanted to babble for a while.

One last thing... having a larger audience has made me hesitant to write about my own climbing achievements because it starts to feel like bragging. This is obviously stupid if my intention is to tell my friends what I am up to. So here goes...

I just had the best climbing week of my life. First up was Haroun and the Sea of Stories. Best boulder problem I've ever done. Nic and I sent early in the morning and Lisa did the stand start called Fall Guy. A few days later, after falling off the last move and once after the last move (don't ask), I finally finished the Buttermilker. Definitely the hardest thing I've ever climbed and it felt like I'd broken through a plateau. Then came Zen Flute. Although this one is a little easier than the other two, I had spent several days getting my ass kicked by it last spring and it was a great feeling to finish it off.

That's it for now. Sorry, no pictures in this post. But there will be video of my friend Jeremy sending Haroun, photos and possibly video of the Buttermilker, and there's a few shots of Zen Flute a few posts ago. Lots of other photos to post from the last couple weeks too.

Almost forgot... I'd like to thank some people for sticking it out on the Buttermilker with me. I won't list everyone, but you know who you are. It was great having people to hang out with, try moves with me, and force me to rest between tries.

Joe's: Biscuit

There are no photos of Jamie climbing in Joe's. That is because I am her designated spotter since I broke her ankles a year and a half ago.

Here she is after eating all of our lemon cookies. Notice the cool reflection of Jim and Eric talking about lemon cookies.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Jamie and Jim in a piece of a car.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Jamie sitting on top of the Angler (V2). This was her first hard highball since the incident. She also crushed Bad Genes (V3) the previous day and would have won the BM award and the Purple Heart both days had we not been so lazy about handing out awards.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

And just to prove that I was actually in Joe's, here's a little still-frame video of me driving the 4runner around on a rest day.

photos - Eric Lang

Joe's: 2015

In hindsight, having five posts for the Joe's Valley trip was a mistake. It was two months ago and I'm still not done. So I'm going to bang out these last two and get back to slightly more current stuff.

Anyway, here's Jim working on his tan.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Trying Knocking Room (V9).

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Chucking laps on the Angler (V2).

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Jim, Andy, and I took a trip to Joe's back in 2001. Jim got a couple of the biggest flappers I've ever seen... one of these happened on the first move of Big Boy (V7).

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Somehow we managed to get Jim on Big Boy this trip when he was either tired or had ridiculous amounts of tape on his fingers. Big Boy won again, but just barely. He fell off the last moves several times.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Look for his return to Joe's in 2015 with many rolls of tape.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Zen Flute

I'm getting way behind... photos are starting to pile up. Wills came out to Dale's Camp on Sunday wearing his goofy photographer hat and shot me on Zen Flute (V10). Click the giant play button to watch the slideshow or click the photos to go to the gallery with the larger images.

photos - Wills Young

Nate and I on Green Hornet (V4), Dale's Camp


photos - Wills Young

Lots more to come soon. And don't forget to vote for how stupid I look in the previous post.

The Straightening...

Here's Jeffie! While he's not yet gone crazy and chased anyone through a hedge maze, he did let Kelly have her way with his golden (brown) locks (birds nest)... maybe his new name will be Mr. Brown Birds Nest... Actually we can decide on his new name later.

Anyway, at sometime during the day Kelly and Alex (Nic [sorry if I spelled your shortened name wrong; I was going to go with Gnarly Nixie, but I thought you'd get fussy] was completely against the idea, for obvious reason) got the idea that it would be cool to give Jeff a new style. After some dirty wine, it began like this...


Jeff having the Shitzu scared out of him by the strange hot alligator machine Kelly is holding! Sorry I couldn't resist...
Photo by Eric

He ended up looking vaguely like one of the three men(?) below... you decide...


From left to right: Johnny Depp, Jon Bon Jovi, Johnny Rzeznik (of the Goo Goo Dolls)
Photos from Google Search



Jeff Bon Deppznik Sillcox....
Photo by Eric Lang

You decide! Make sure to vote in the poll...

Jeff reminds you to say no to "product!"
Photo Eric Lang

When you see this post Jeff, remember, "down the street, not across." You want results not attention! I'm joking people!!!!!!!

Gooooooooalllllls!

Just imagine after every problem you write down on your season ticklist, having a Hispanic sports-caster yelling that in your ear... now wipe it from your head, because it would never happen. Not because there is a lack of Hispanic sports-casters in your life, but because they only do that for soccer and bull-fighting. Don't quote on the latter; or either for that matter...

Everyone is putting up their 2009 ticklist so I decided to work on mine. I also talked to Jeff and he is going to work on his and we will discuss this weekend over hambread and apple fritters, or a candlelit dinner with Maori Tribesmen and Finnish Dwarves... I'm not sure which yet...

We'll update you when we have a better idea of what we will be flailing on this year but for me, I have strength goals as well. I'm sure Jeff has them as well (such as doing a pull up, or doing something other than crimping...) but my goals are way more import... observe...





That is the hold that I want to deadhang with each hand in isolation within the next six weeks... I know most of the readers of this blog can already deadhang this hold (since most of our readers are in kindergarten or are morbidly overweight), but I don't care if you people can do it... I suck at deadhanging holds and have relatively terrible crimp strength.

Now normally I put absolutely no stock in party tricks on feats of strength but I figure if I can deadhang that hold, I should be able to at least hold jugs with double heel toe cams... at least by my math...

Joe's: Hot Hands

Eric sending Smokin' Joe (V9)


photos - Jeff Sillcox

Dark Continent (V8)

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Grumpy Eric standing in the snow in the left fork.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Eric has a circulation problem... too much circulation. It can be 25 degrees and his hands are still hot. Sometimes I'm jealous because my hands go numb pretty easily. Anyway, here's a little slideshow of one of my favorite problems in Joe's, Knocking Room (V9). This is my first try with an embedded slideshow, so feel free to comment if you like/dislike it. You can pause it, turn on/off captions, and click the photos to go to the Picasa album to see larger shots.

photos - Jeff Sillcox

Joe's: The Accountant

No frills in this post. Ben is an accountant... that's boring. Here are a few pictures of him crushing Joe's Valley.

Running a lap on The Wind Below (V8).

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Almost sending Nerve Extension (V10). He will finish it next Thanksgiving.


photos - Jeff Sillcox

Flashing Dark Continent (V8).

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Ben also did Eden (V10) and the super scary Lumberjack (V7). Sorry no pictures because we all had to spot him so he wouldn't die.