School's cancelled... for the Tram-ulites

Words fail me at this point...

Watch my icy hot super slide!
Photo by Abbie Mood

Although it may appear that the Tram looks like a rockin' good time, it is really only fun if you enjoy throngs of screaming children that have likely never seen snow before. Most of the very limited amount of Tram we saw was snow covered or wet. Temps were nice and the snow will probably be at a more managable level in a month or so. I am finally starting to get pysched for the spring and summer seasons (since the winter has been so whacky). Here are 2 videos recapping the days events... Abbie was more successful...

After much searching there actually was some sending to be done, but not by me... all I did was cry...

Abbie trying to capture the dream...
Photo by Eric

Abbie on "Unknown" V3/4
Photo by Eric

Photo by Eric

Just another layer to the legend... Abbie is a human onion...
Photo by Eric

Viva la Tram!!!

Meat Bump

Somehow we returned from Hueco with only one problem on video. And since we're lazy, it comes to you unedited with no music.

Eric sending Speed Bump (V7) AKA Meat Bump

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Back on the east side, Wills, Jeff H., and I had a quick night session on Brian's Project (V8 or 9) last week. It's a fun, squeezy problem on the west side of the Buttermilk Stem boulder. Wills put the problem up a couple seasons ago and quickly repeated it several times after we refined our beta.

Wills on his third lap

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Jeff would have sent it if I hadn't been firing my flash off while he was trying to climb. (And the four giant holes in his fingers didn't help either.)

photo - Jeff Sillcox

5 second exposure of Jeff trying to find footholds in the dark.

$Texas

Hueco is far away. We packed the car in 20 minutes and spent minimal time on this photo shoot of Eric and his chocolate. So why didn't we leave Anaheim until 11:00? I blame the Care Bears musical toothbrush that Eric had to buy and stupid kids from Orange that sniff Sharpies.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

This is where pictures from the Rock Rodeo would be if I'd taken any. It was all we could do to climb six boulder problems after rolling into the Ranch at 1:00am.

We spent most of our trip on North Mountain since we had reservations and couldn't rationalize spending a bunch of money on tours when it was so hot. So we chased shade, caves, and friendly holds.

Eric sending Stegasaur (V8) with the V6 beta: butt first

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Eric dislocating his spine to reach the pocket on Mousie Adame (V7). This problem will be closed when the park decides that this is Native American rock art. Until then, it's just graffiti.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

We only did one backcountry tour and spent the first part of the day getting beat up by small holds and warm temps.
Focus (V10)

photo - Jeff Sillcox

We gave up on Focus pretty fast after Eric got attacked by bad technique (not his) and moved on to some easier classics such as Slim Pickins (V5)


photos - Jeff Sillcox

and Jingus Bells (V5)

photos - Eric Lang & Jeff Sillcox

The highlight of the first half of the week was definitely the pickle incident. Eric and I ate a whole jar of pickles in a couple hours and then Eric decided that drinking all the pickle juice was a good idea. It was not.

photos - Jeff Sillcox

Sunset segway to second half of trip...

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Jamie came down from Salt Lake for a few days and cleaned up her project from the previous trip, Memento (V0+).

photo - Jeff Sillcox

And apparently learned how to use her arms, flashing Orifice Office (V1) and coming really close on some other steep problems.

photos - Eric Lang

Eric almost pulled out a last day send of Schwerer Gustov (V11), but instead succumbed to heat exhaustion and pickle juice poisoning.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Jamie trying to remember how to slab climb on La Delicate (V3) after a winter in the gym.

photo - Eric Lang

This is what it looks like driving through Arizona in the middle of the night after eating three packages of Pop Tarts.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Random Junk

I've been waiting for a big send and some accompanying video or photos to post, but it's just not happening. Wills did manage to do Direction (V13) a couple weeks ago and since he won't spray about it, I will. It was his first V13 and at age unknown shows that, "Hey, I guess they're right. Senior citizens, although slow and dangerous behind the wheel, can still serve a purpose."

So, since there's nothing big to report other than Wills making everything look easy, here's a bunch of random pictures from the last couple weeks:

Andrew sending Crispin Waddy (V6), Happy Boulders in a couple tries

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Jeff Honeywell on a five star V5 at some boulders

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Some boulders, mountains with white snow, and clouds

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Part of a dead animal

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Wills almost repeating Plain High Drifter (V11ish)

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Noah on Carrot Top (V3), Happy Boulders. There might be some video of Nathan sending this one somewhere... Andrew???

photo - Jeff Sillcox

A snow dealie at the Buttermilks

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Jeff H. psyching up for a nighttime send of Integration (V8). I sort of got pictures of him on it but they're really blurry since I'm retarded and left a piece of my tripod at home.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

This was going to be a sweet silhouette shot of Eric on Go Granny Go (V5), but he's not quite fat enough to block out the whole sun. Need Space Moths...

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Eric on Thunderbird (V11). This is the move I keep falling off of on Direction.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Me getting hit in the butt with a snowball

photo - Jamie Kulju

Sunset with a tiny moon from the Buttermilks

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Mandala Direct Video

Wade David posted some footage of my FA last spring of Mandala Direct (V12).

Wade relocated the footage to Vimeo...


And since I can't have a post with no pictures in it...

Don't try this at home. I went first so I could hang out on big holds, while everyone else was in varying degrees of discomfort... especially Drew at the bottom on the small holds.

Me, Eric, Nate, Jim, and Drew on The Hunk (V2), Buttermilks.


photos - Adam Stoltenberg

And if you want more of The Mandala, check out my first post in the archive section over there somewhere ------------------>