2 in a Day

Today might have been the last day of climbing for my old pair of Optimus Primes. I'm impressed this pair lasted as long as they did. I started blowing a hole in my right front toe a couple of weeks ago, but kept climbing in them until they were truly trashed. Luckily, I just got a new pair shipped on out from Evolv, so I don't need to go even one day without an aggressive shoe.

I had a really great day of bouldering in these tired shoes, in a matter of about four hours this morning. First up, shaded from the early morning sun at about 8 am was the "Plumber's Crack Traverse" at the Kraft Boulders in Calico Basin. I had worked the moves a few days ago, with Josh and Stephen from work (aka the climbing gym), but this morning, while the air was still crisp, it went down second try from the start. It's a cool problem, reminiscent (although significantly easier and backwards) of Hueco's "Crown of Aragorn."




Then I hiked over to the Monkey Bar boulder area, searching for a problem named "Bitch Slap 5" that is supposedly uphill from it, which strong-man Pete Lowe had told me about. I searched all over the hill he described and couldn't find the dang problem, so I decided to hike around Kraft Mt into the Kraft Wash/Gateway Canyon and search for the classic "Tailpipe," which Pete had also recommended as a hard problem that is doable in a session. Thanks to Jeremiah from the gym for helping me persevere and find the dang thing, because it was a LONG f-ing hike. I mean, I kept stopping at boulders hoping they were it, and they totally were not. About an hour later, we finally found it.

The problem starts on a matched, sloping undercling and then throws out left to a decent crimp. The move is far and it was getting warm, despite the shade in the wash, so I didn't think there was any way I could send in those conditions. That is until my trusty O-Primes revealed to me the obvious foot-cam beta, used to execute the first two moves of the problem. A few tries later, voila, I sent "The Tailpipe." As seen below. The first move is still difficult, but much more fathomable with the heel-toe cam. I'm not necessarily gonna say the problem is soft, but I could definitely see someone just a little stronger than me flashing "The Tailpipe" with this beta.





So PSYCHED. I really can't wait to spend a little time climbing back up at Black Mt and in Bishop in the coming months, and particularly to go back to Hueco in January. I could be stronger than I've ever been, and that's a cool feeling to have two years after an accident which could have ended my climbing career.

Here is a view up the wash from the Tailpipe area.

And here is a view of just part of Kraft Mountain with the other side of Gateway canyon (the darker red rock) in the background and the limestone of the La Madre mountains in the distance.

I ended up just hiking west up the wash and back around Kraft Mt, meaning I completely circumnavigated the damn mountain this morning. It was a bit of a hike, reminscent of a long West Mountain day in Hueco, but totally worth it for such a great day and two classic boulders.

Now for a snack of some sort.

I've been out bouldering a few times lately and have managed to take a few photos now and then.

Here is Josh on a problem in the Black Velvet wash.



Here are a few pictures KC took of me doing a nice moderate dyno problem at the Kraft boulders. A beautiful sit start (flake below cool sculpted sidepulls, down and left) and a logical, straight-up line. For some reason, there is no indication of that start in the guidebook, which says the problem starts on the edge I'm matched on in the second pic below or out right on a bad little crimp, which seems somewhat contrived. This is for sure at least a two star problem from the sit, and way too obvious not to have been climbed before.





Here is Marco Fiori sticking the dyno.


And here he is narrowly missing the Angel Dyno.


Of course a day at the Kraft Boulders would just be weird without a lap on The Pearl.




Early AM session tomorrow.

Went to Black Mountain on Friday and Saturday for A-ron and Buck's annual birthday bash. I could only camp Friday night, which means I missed the big party on Saturday night, but I got lots of good pics and had a BLAST climbing the two days I was there. Recently I purchased a fisheye lens and I played around with it a lot on this trip. Some results were better than others. Here are some photos for your enjoyment.

View of the summit block from Boulder Basin

Ben and A.ron on a nice arete/crack warmup.


Ben on "Transmaniacon"

A.ron on "Big Greenie"



A.ron on "Soul Snatch"

A.ron on "Velvet Revolver" and the boulder fields beyond.



Bridget and Ian on "Vegan Shoveler"

Yes, I know it has been over three months since my last post, but there's only so much to report. The summer has been nice in Vegas. I got a job working at the climbing gym and have been creating art and climbing a ton. "Climbing in Vegas during the summer?" you ask. well no, actually on Mt Charleston, up at a little over 8000 feet. Here are two photos of me up in one of the caves for reference.



Also, here is one of 13-year-old badass Richard Boyle on an "easier," yet scary route. The pink lines indicate potential new hard (at least 5.14) lines that have yet to be bolted. Curious.

Yesterday my buddy and boss Bill and I, along with our friend Pete headed out to Black Velvet Canyon in Red Rock super early for a morning bouldering session. We met at the trailhead at 6:30 am, so you can imagine the heinousness of the alpine start to get out there by then (4:45 alarm). We worked a couple of hard established problems, one of which (last photo below) Pete established previously, and one that Ethan Pringle established a few years ago. We also tried a shorter hard line with a vicious one-finger-pocket pull, that I'd like to go back and actually do. I will leave you with some photos of that brilliant early morning session. I can't wait for the weather to turn and to get back out there. Stay tuned to this blog for more periodic updates and hopefully soon for a link to my professional website. Until then, feel free to peruse the archives if you're here looking for art or photography.




Bill smacking the first move of Wet Dream.


Pete Lowe working Wet Dream. The holds on this thing are amazing.




Pete trying the Woods/Cardwell approved beta on his problem, Abbadon.


Roscoe dog napping.

As of last Monday, my undergraduate career is finally over and this Saturday I am moving back out west, where my heart truly lies. I am looking forward to creating in an environment that always seems to awaken and inspire me, and especially to being able to climb more frequently, and on world-class stone.

Here are some photos of my work from the open studios, which Maya's father, Meir, shot during their visit to Pratt last week.





These last three are lithographs.

Pratt Graduating Undergraduate Painting and Drawing Majors Open Studios!!!!!!!!!!!

ALL THIS WEEK, through Saturday, May 16th!

So in spite of (or thanks to?) the great turnout at my show opening and in the gallery last week, I've still been hearing a lot of people say they wish they hadn't missed the show.
Well luckily, the weekend of graduation, the senior studios will be open all week through Saturday. This is in lieu of the BFA show in the Schafler Gallery this year, and is an opportunity for anyone who would like to see the wide range of work going on in undergraduate fine arts at Pratt right now. Some of you may know that I don't work in the on-campus studios, but I have filled a space with all the work from my show, just for this special occasion. You are invited to come check it out.

Pratt Institute
Main Building, 6th Floor North
200 Willoughby Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11205