rat maze December 30, 2011

An incredible end to part one of my Hueco season, 2011/12. The miracle of hannukah sending came through, after several days of rain and snow, frigid temps and icey top outs. On my last real day out, and the last day/night of the holiday, I finally finished Wheaties.

I was able to put Bush League together pretty quickly as well, and after that Melissa decided I might as well go out with a bang and send two things. So she and I broke off from our larger tour to head down to the maze and join up with the Exposure team from Dallas, who had just radioed into Wheaties. I felt intimidated by the dozen or so strong kids clustered under the problem, but Brian Anathwioeradksfjnne came up and said “back it up back it up give Ann Raber a turn to crush.” I managed to send it first go, using this amazing beta I discovered the day it bit my fingertip off and I fell on Sam Tinghy then bled all over my long johns. When I got to the last crimp on the face, which is quite good, both my feet cut because I was so freaking nervous and shakey. I heard Melissa gasp so loud,  I got myself right and said “I’m good.” Then finished, trembling like a dead leaf the whole way.

Here’s my story with Wheaties: I had tried that problem a lot two years ago, and the first move was kind of low percentage, and I couldn’t stick even the first few moves after that with any consistency. Last year I stayed 100% off of it. This year I tried it again, and the first move worked every time. I decided that, whether I make progress or not, I was not going to give up on Wheaties this year. Everytime I went to the maze, which was like twice a week because that is the nature of Hueco Tanks, I focused on it, falling a dozen times and making incrimental, theoretical, psychological progress (I feel closer). Finally I overheard Walker telling Veevers that he could only do it by using this intermediate I had never bothered to try before. That gave me one more move. Huge! After that I fell a lot doing a foot move where I see a lot of folks fall, and where Andy claims to have been falling for 17 years (but I think he is being hyperbolic).

this is andy on wheaties. i stole this off facebook.

Another time out, Melissa and Lori helped me refine my opening moves, enough so that I could think clearly at that foot crux and see a more static way to get established on the face. I’m sorry for all this inside baseball beta talk, but I figure most everyone has been on this problem and knows what I’m sayin, ya know? What I’m sayin? That left foot move? I found a perfect method for myself (step to the start hold and do some riverdance!). Anyway, I’m so happy that it all came together, and that I didn’t give up, and that Melissa had it in mind to encourage me to go down there, and that BA was there to make me laugh before I pulled on. Yay!!

I could’ve left after that, but I couldn’t get motivated to leave Hueco with intact skin and fire-less elbows, so I did an unprecedented second day on with the Team ARG kids and their coaches John Myrick and Morgan, whom I adore. We went, of course, to the maze, where I sat around eating, chatting, and almost pulled off that horrible little painful piece of atrociousness, Brain on Drugs. It took hours to figure out how I could even do one hand move, and then another hour to get from what I thought would be the end of “the business” to the top. I wound up having to put on one of John’s huge Madrocks with a flexible, plastic-y toe to do it. Since I didn’t send, I now have to get myself a pair of slightly loose madrocks with soft plastic toes. I’m cool with it. They’re cheap, and probably will be useful again.

Click for more shots by sam davis of my brain on droogz drama

I’m heading to Hawaii in just a few days now, and I plan on not thinking about beta or bouldering or anything really, other than uke chords and swell reports. Luckily Sam Davis was with us and made a beta memory video for me, so I can do that pile next time I’m at the maze. Which will probably be every week of the rest of my life, if this month is a precedent.

John Myrick spotting me on the Egg. I get so scared at that part! Also, new haircut! I don't love it, but I think it's for the best.

This is an ad for Rock/Creek:

Rock/Creek Patagonia Sale! Up to 50% off past-season colors, while they last. Cute Capeline and flirty blue tanks for cheap!

Plus free shipping over $49.

so fine December 22, 2011

 

First the Good: Climbing is going awesome! My day on day off Hueco thing has continued to produce pain-free, misery-free, minimal-complainy Hueco days. And Hannukah has begun! Which is a very special bouldering time when I stop trying to send anything and just figure I’ve worked as hard as possible and some higher force of love and crimping is gonna have to come through for me. And it usually works, so let the miracle sending begin! But for real, I’m very happy with my time here so far. Best season yet, health and happiness and climbing wise, so/by far. And I finally did shroom, after not feeling even a little bit close on the hard move last year. Yay!

 

 

Then the Medium: I got kind of stoked on this cowboy themed trailer box in Truth or Consequences, and it took a while but I gathered the funds, locked in a place to put ‘er, and I’ve been super excited, but I think it’s not going to pan out after all. Renting a proper truck to haul it down here from there will cost like 300 dollars, and that was enough to send the project over my financial comfort level. Weird, where that line ends up being.  I’ll plant the cash in the sand, keep an eye out for a closer/cheaper option, and/or wait til i can put away a little more towards it. I’m also a little afraid of becoming a crazy hobo trailer person. Please let me know if that seems like it’s happening.

 

 

The Horrible: That whole, ‘toss caution to the breeze and step boldly into the opportunity for summer romance part 2, fall edition’ thing fell apart. I’m very very upset. One could truly hurt themselves doing this crap. Trying not to let it cast a shadow over my hope for a long and happy life, but ya know, it’s a crux and I feel like a total idiot.  All things Canadian, musical, and francophone now sting. I’ll be watching hugh grant movies in the rav if you need anything.

 

 

 

The Better: Nine more days in Hueco with a gorgeous forecast, a visiting ARG team, Molly, Emilia and lots of other fun friends are out, and I’m going to see the Nutcracker on Friday.

 

The even Better: Hawaii = sooner every day.

georgia gold December 12, 2011

 

 

Thanksgiving day at Rocktown with Gustavo, Valerie, Amyot, and Nurse Mike SprinterVan, who thank god remembered his xgfs betas for this gorgeous problem.

another hueco pun! December 12, 2011

Couple things: Blame the horrible ranch barn wifi, but I managed to delete a bunch of comments the other day. They all appeared to have duplicated themselves multiple times, and when I tried to correct that, well, comments go boom. Sorry bout that.

SendAnn is an official media link of the 2012 HuecoRock Rodeo! Thanks baby. If this one thing works out, and this other thing that I hope works out doesn’t happen, I’ll definitely be there!

Hueco so far has been wonderful. For the first time I’ve accepted the “day on-day off” schedule that is the favorite among my most prolific and experienced Hueco climbing friends, and (go figure) it’s working brilliantly. It always seemed like such a relatively small amount of climbing time, I couldn’t justify it. I’ve just gone for two on-one off from the getgo. On that system a typical day goes like this: I warm up, eat, complain about my skin and muscles, sleep through the last half of a tour, and only ever have strong days after two days of rest. But so far on the one-on-one-off system, I’ve impressed myself with my day-stamina. I’m giving “one last go’s” at every stop, and working hard at limit problems all day.  So it’s probably an as if not more efficient use of my climbing time to just take every other day off and shut up.

My hopes and dreams list for Hueco is getting worked out too. I’m sending old and new stuff, getting over other stuff, and adding new things I hadn’t heard of. Here’s an update:

Did: troglodyte, bloody flapper (!!!!!!!!!), apres mort

Punted: Egg, Loaded, Alf

Over: new religion sit, because after revisiting the stand for review ema convinced me that the sit-start degrades the quality of the problem. Good enough, moving on!

Reshuffled: turns out “that tall thing by julio” and “The tall cool one” are actually the same problem.

Added: Bush League

G’s Country October 13, 2011

 

 

My inspiration to come to Boone in the first place came from Joey’s maps of the Linville Gorge. After flaking on a visit last year, I bought one of the lovely, large, wall-worthy maps last winter and took it everywhere with me so I’d stay inspired. And here I am!

 

On Monday I got my first taste of the glorious gorge at the God’s Country area with Tilly and Mike. It was a….mixed experience. It’s a 1.5 or so mile hike downhill on a good trail – easy in, tiring out – then a few somewhat treacherous river crossings to get to different boulders. Mike and Joey and a few other local folks started seriously cleaning and finding problems down there about 8 years ago. Before that I think the Linville Gorge was popular with hikers, kayakers, campers, and rope climbers on the higher sides. It’s been the find of a lifetime for the southeast, and I’m just saying that. There ya go. They’ve established hundreds of problems of all difficulties and styles. Lots of sloper bulges and tricky mantles, some huge, strong roofs, and terrifying aretes. Some of the features were clearly made by god for us to coat with chalk. It’s solid, whitish stone in a gorgeous setting with the raging, loud river right next to you. Some problems come and go with the water level, which I always like because it reminds me of Lake Travis and because I think it’s nice to have some limiting factors lest we be overwhelmed by the possibilities.

me and Tilly beholding the possibilities. On the left is Dulce, a tricky, super fun low ball of slots-n-bulges with a mantle. Lower left is Luna, who is like the lady-dog version of Cash. I love her.

Anyway, I fell in the water at one of the crossings, and started to cry a little, and I kept banging my knee on this one problem called The Devil, which is a two-move, Mckinney style line that was super goodtimefunparty to throw myself at. It feels like Queer Junkies, with a standing start on a kinda-jug and a teeny pinch, use a stupid high foot to pop to a huge but somehow completely unHOLDable crimp, then jam yer foot up high and botswana to the lip. Not sure I’ll ever get to try the Devil again, or if I care. But after doing 20 new boulder problems at the Triple Crown comps so far, all of them at or slightly below my limit,  working a single hard move over and over felt like coming home to the climbing I love. I stuck the move and hung on 3 or 4 times, but never for more than a second and never long enough to wrap the crimp up and make another move. Yarrarar. I also fell onto my back at one point on it, and another time my ankle missed the pad and fell into a hole. It was a rough day, made up for by enchiladas, a wood-fire hot tub soak, some chocolate and a watching of Mama Mia. That = southern hospitality. Hoping to go back to the gorge this weekend, to Dreamland, a more densely developed area with better river crossings.

All these pictures are by Mike

rocks! are! the devil!

we must! fight! the devil!

Ya know what would be so, so great is if my left foot stayed on. That foot hold, let me describe it to you, is two warts. One is about the size of a pencil eraser, the other is smaller,  and they are set diagonally to each other aiming down and right. The right foothold is a just chalk mark indicating a nice place to smear.

 

This tricky bulge traverse connects "mohawk" and "tomohawk". I thought it should be called "larryhawk" but apparently Joey named it something years ago that no one can remember. This image is actually for a different post altogether called "Wow look how long my hair is!"

 

ye old weekend bouldering trip September 25, 2011

Everytime I’ve ever said anything about wanting to go to Leavenworth, Allen would say something like this: “Do you know what Leavenworth is? It’s a Bavarian theme town.” And the way he said it would give me this feeling like he was saying I couldn’t handle it. “And? You think I’ve never seen a Bavarian theme town? Hello? Central Texas?” I was picturing, I suppose, something like Fredericksburg or that Chevron station on I-10 with the famous Kolaches.

But Leavenworth is nothing like Fredericksburg. Leavenworth is a Bavarian theme town.

ordinance, and common decency, dictates that all businesses must participate in the mission

my brother will be thrilled to learn I did not buy this for his son. But I plan to return...

There's polka music piped into the air from hidden speakers around the village

It’s actually kind of a beautiful story. The town of Leavenworth was dying, there were no jobs, their mining heyday was long gone, and there was no relief in sight. So the townspeople decided to go for broke with this quirky dream they had, and wth, it worked. Everyone runs their own Bavaria-themed business. I met people running small hotels, hat shops, knife emporiums, cafes, pubs, gourmet sauce shops, whatever. If it’s an idle retail dream, someone in Leavenworth is living it. They can’t be doing that well, right? I mean, we’re all melting from economic woe, so I hear. But I’ll be, the shops were crowded all weekend, there was a long wait at the bratworst place, and I was not permitted to enter a hotel after hours to look at entries to a local quilt festival. The place had a freakishly good feeling, and my face hurt from smiling so much after three days there.

Back alley riverdance!

birthday brew at ye old munchen hausen (curryworst = win)

The climbing on this trip, however, was limited. It was in the 90s, so we got up at 6am and headed to Nate’s old projects until the sun hit. By eleven we were cooking breakfast on the beach and settling in for a day of ice cold water and blistering sun. Then another hour or two climbing in the evening.

I did a few warm ups every day, but my soul was tweaked/trip over. But what climbing I did do made me amped to get back to Leavenworth during a better season. But what is the season there? It’s terribly hot in the summer, and I imagine very rainy in the rest of the time, I’m not clear on the timing for it. It was a warm spell that weekend, though, and I saw the temps were much lower and it was dry a week later. Maybe early fall? I’ll aim for it next year.

Nate on whirlpool, which has a watery death fall. Gorgeous though.

The granite in leavenworth is beautiful to touch. It's brown, with fat grain, sticky texture and lots of actual holds! A huge and welcome change from the gray slippery microcrystal slopers of Squamish

This is the landing for whirlpool. yikes!!

And this is pretty much how the rest of the day goes. That water is SO COLD. That's Nancy Peterson in the river, and Zach on the shore. They were excellent company all weekend. Nancy stayed in the river for 45 minutes one day, tredswimming against the current - impressive!

I mostly hung out under my gypsy tree

Full gypsy effect. You know yer jealous of my shady patch!

 

Sunday proj: finish the entire new york times, minus the week in review section because it's nauseating. Sent!

so like September 24, 2011

A few shots by Heather from back in June. Looking through her trip pics, man,  I just love climbing in Flagstaff. It’s on my list of places to be this spring. Of course, I hate to plan anything post-Hawaii, because I want to reserve the possibility of not coming back from Hawaii. I was talking to dad last night about it, and I was saying, “I always thought that if I were a bird, I’d fly to Hawaii and stay.” And he goes, “Well, now you’re a bird.”

Here’s Flag…Thanks Heather!!!!

Kelly Canyon

I think this is "BadAss" at Priest Draw. That's Bolder in the corner.

things i did, quit, or that hurt me, squamish edition September 1, 2011

Shoot, I hate to post twice because I know I then won’t post at all for a while. But this video by starring scottish major Tom pretty much captures the Squamish experience. He (in the green) falls off a lot of the same stuff I did, and it’s beautiful. And I love posing productions, of course. Ummmm, what else?

Had my last day in the forest yesterday, but I haven’t been projecting much the last couple weeks so there was no urgency. I didn’t even feel like making any beta videos, since I either sent, never tried, or gave up on pretty much everything I’d encountered. So hey I suppose this is where I can talk about climbing!

.

I’m super happy with my bouldering trip. I did a ton of problems, a few projects, and yesterday I managed to do one more hardish lip traverse in just a few tries. I took that as a sign that I’ve learned something aboot sloping lip traverses.

.

There were a few things I thought would be projects that I had to give up on, and that was strange since I rarely honestly forfeit a climbing project. I’ll move on for a while and plan to return at a much much later day, but I never outright say “I’m over this forever.” But I did that a couple of times.

.

I thought, after my first good day missing just the last move, that I’d get Baba Haridas, a classic lip traverse. But jeebus, my hamstring never recovered from the first session, and has lead to a pretty horrendous right-kneebar disease. I kept giving it goes now and then, getting close and falling. Finally it was just painful to pull with my heel, and I let it and all the other right-heel hooking lines go. I had a similar but worse experience with Sesame Street. My first day felt good through the strong lower moves on greasy crimps, but I didn’t know how to do the end, a big move over a bulge with a greasy sloper (there is a theme developing). I was super stoked to try it more, and the next time I nailed the last move a couple times pretty easily. But that day the beginning felt super hard and I couldn’t get to my previous high point. The next time I lost another move from the start. The other day, after a full rest day and with decent conditions, I couldn’t even stick the start.

.

It was the flowers for algernon project experience, and I got very bummed. Nate got annoyed with my grim attitude and decided to give me a talking to about how lame it is to have low climbing self esteem, which was super awesome of him. So I gave up on Sesame Street. I think that’s all the projects I quitted.

.

I sent some good ones too! Including Gibbs Cave, which was super fun and went down fast, early in the summer when it was still a bit cool and rainy. Ah…what else? Minor Threat took a few days, I kept trying to do it at the end of the day, thinking I was some kind of hoss, but no. Had to go first thing then it went fast. Those were kinda the highlights. There were some things I wanted to try but never got to. There’s this awesome talus line that some folks find dabby that I’m excited to get on someday. It has a glorious name too, “Native American Giver.” I also got on The Fuzz last night, but it wanted everything I don’t have, like left wrist hanging abilities, and hamstring power. Autobody/Fixing the Car also looked awesome, but I wound up not spending anytime there. It’s About Time, Child Abuse, that long one with the sharp crimp and the impossible to remember name uphill of the black dyke, Old and Serious, and Twisted, are others I’d like to get on but I never made it.

.

Sport climbing was rougher. I didn’t go much, and although I managed to do a good new line every time I went it’s been a constant battle. I feel pretty scared up on the rope and I’m still trippin out over anything less than a 35 degree angle. Heading to Horne Lake tomorrow, so there will be no shortage of steepness! I want to project this thing called Subdivision, which will take a couple days I think/hope, and give a few runs to Velvet Elvis, which seems relatively easy, but is very strange and I didn’t do all the moves of the weird, face down the middle of the cave ending. After that I’m going to spend another night or two in Squamish getting organized, then head to Leavenworth for ten days before I race back south. Yay hoo!

north walls warm up August 13, 2011

paparazo in effect

grand jam August 10, 2011

Ask anyone who knows me at all, and they’ll tell you that I cannot stand that song “We’re Jammin.” My hatred for “We’re Jammin” is probably intensified because, like any normal person, I otherwise love Bob Marley. I even have this idea for total bouldering area harmony: A rule that the only music that can be played for public bouldering consumption be Bob Marley. Because that’s the only thing everyone will like. And anyone who doesn’t like it….I don’t know anyone like that. In fact I think I’m the closest person to that that I know, because I hate “We’re Jammin’”. Anytime I have to hear that song, I wanna say, “That’s great that you hope that, but I don’t like jammin too.” Turns out I have similar horrible feelings about hand jammin, and foot jammin. Fine with finger-jammin but it’s not worth the hand and foot jammin you have to do for a little finger jammin fun.

But I’ve been talking about wanting to learn to crack climb and place gear with confidence. Andy and I had this idea that the coolest version of me would be a me that bouldered and crack climbed. In pursuit of that, one of my hopes here this summer has been to redpoint a crack. But after 2 days seconding at the Smoke Bluffs, I just don’t like it. I’ve never experienced anything that is at once so physically painful, terrifying, utterly boring and pointless. Nate said he’d be stoked to do all the leads if I want to go up the Grand Wall, but the prospect of jammin all the way up the Chief is not enticing even if it is ultra mega classic mellow layback exposure gnar gnar. We’ll see. I’m gonna forget the pain and turmoil and do it, I bet.

In other news, I’m over that whole ‘never coming to Squamish again’ thing. That was said in haste. I’m pretty sure this is my favorite summer place ever, and I hope that as I figure out precisely how to organize my life, looong summers here factor in. Bouldering has been perfect – good weather and lots of projects, and for every one I manage to finish I add three more to the list. After almost 4 weeks, I’m seeing things go down much quicker and problems I wasn’t sure would come together are surprising me. I heard this funny thing that sometimes a send is like a suprise birthday party. You get to the top and it’s like, OMG, for me? Really? You GUYS!! I’m a little worried about my stamina, because I crash hard after about 4 hours. Maybe better eating, more relaxing, longer/shorter warm up? I’m not sure, but will report back after some tests.

magic forest by superfly, and the great signage of squamish in the middle there

I had my first real rough day in the boulders yesterday, when my projects were very greasy feeling (maybe after the weekend traffic) and the cruxes all suddenly seemed to require hard index-finger crimping. I cut my index finger on some moss a few days ago (yeah idk, the moss can be sharp?), and it’s taking a while to heal up. Here are some shots of the day:

liz from victoria scopin our project for the day

verkin da grease

After a little rage crying and sacrificing some blood on a boulder, I was dragged to the brew pub and stuffed with pizza.

So all in all this place is working for me. Life swoon.

at evans lake, where the penalty for trespassing onto native land is you have to hang out with drunk natives all day

worth it