Monday, February 2, 2015
Winter in Hueco
And suddenly we're starting the third week of the semester...
The first weeks always fly by, and this semester they came after a jam packed winter break. After my last exam I flew back to Houston for two nights, then it was off to London and Wales for two weeks before a brief return to central Texas after New Years. Back in Houston I felt like I was finally catching my breath from the end of the semester rush, but then I was off to El Paso for a week in my favorite bouldering area, Hueco Tanks.
Busy is good though, and I flew into El Paso ready for a climbing trip. I got picked up from the airport by three Cal Climbing friends who had driven from Berkeley via Red Rocks. We got groceries then headed straight to the Hueco Rock Ranch, an American Alpine Club campsite opposite the Hueco Tanks State Park. Evan and Ana hadn't been to Hueco before, so I was excitedly telling them about what problems we should get on while Nick and I recounted how good the climbing is.
They weren't disappointed. After making our way to the park the next morning we watched the mandatory educational video before warming up at the Small Potatoes area. It's always fun returning somewhere with new people because they'll inevitably be attracted to different lines than you. So despite warming at that area more times than I can count I got on new problems that after climbing I couldn't believe I hadn't done before. Everyone else was equally psyched, and we moved onto the New Meadow area.
Then it was time for one of my all time favorites, and certainly my favorite at the grade, Lobster Claw V5. You climb up and slightly left through slopers and pinches before making a big move out right to an open hand crimp. You have to hit it precisely and hold your body into the wall, before walking your feet across and reaching up past your right hand to an intermediate edge and finally the lip of the boulder. From there the top out is casual. The movement is so fun, and climbing the light colored slopey rock at the start before crossing the crimpy band of iron-red rock makes for a Hueco classic.
The next few days didn't include any new sends, but I was perfectly content repeating my favorites from previous trips. I did try a project left over from from the month I spent in Hueco on my gap year, Left Martini, but as expected didn't feel like I had a chance of doing it in a few days. Next winter though! However, while Evan worked his project for the trip, Adjust Your Attitude V8, Ana and I began working a nearby V10 called Governator. I did all the moves in a session, but only barely, and it took another session of refinements for me to work out that the easiest way for me to get to the top was simply to skip the moves and dyno. Even then, Ana and I were both having trouble holding a tricky left toe hook early on the problem.
Then on the last day of the trip everything came together. I had been talking about how it was first-try-Friday the entire approach and, despite being adamant it was going to take multiple attempts, Ana crushed Governator first try of the day. She made it look casual, as usual, and so the pressure was on for me. The nerves I had starting dissipated once I pulled on and everything seemed so much easier than the day before. I climbed to the final move without cutting my feet and stuck the crux dyno to finish it.
That would have been an awesome end to the trip, but the clock had barely hit noon and we had another afternoon in Hueco. We made our way to the Martini Cave to meet up with Evan, who was working Baby Martini V6. I decided to try Martini Hot Box V9 and to my surprise stuck the crux move first try. A few attempts and a little bit of rest later and I had sent. From there we headed over to Sign of the Cross area (unfortunately Evan didn't send Baby Martini, but he made awesome progress), and Ana began working Choir Boys V9.
I had semi-seriously said flashing Choir Boys was my goal for trip on the way from the airport, and was promptly ridiculed for setting myself a goal I would only have one chance to succeed at. As it turned out, after milking Ana and the other climbers there for all the beta possible I fell bumping to the lip of the boulder on my flash attempt. So close! Ana and I both finished it a few tries later, at which point all four of us were absolutely shattered. We headed out and started the drive to Berkeley.
But before we left Choir Boys we ended up bumping into a few people I had climbed a lot with two years ago, my friends Jesse and Matt among them. They were both there on extended trips, something I'm planning on doing again next winter. Hueco is interesting because people who haven't been there have irrational fears about not getting into the park and having a terrible trip, while the people who have been there make every effort to go every winter. That's not to say the access restrictions aren't annoying, and having to watch the video every trip because you inevitably forget your video card is just silly (Y NO DATABASE HUECO?). But to be honest, and Jason Kehl expressed a similar opinion to Rock and Ice recently, I don't really mind the restrictions that much. Despite spending weeks and weeks there I'm not even close to climbing all the stuff I want to do on North Mountain (the only area you can go to without a guide), and as long as you're not there during the peak season (the weeks around Christmas) you'll have no problem getting onto North everyday you want to. In fact, maybe I should stop telling people how not bad it is, because the fact most people are afraid of the restrictions is the only reason I can think of that stops it from being packed. Well, maybe proximity to El Paso has something to do with it too, but even then I can't help being surprised more people aren't there. Despite my surprise I, like Kehl, am just glad Hueco doesn't get as packed as Bishop.
Anyway, enough about access because Hueco was awesome as always, and would still be awesome if it was quieter or a little busier. Since next winter I'll have an extra long break I'm going to make sure to spend at least a month there. It's too good to pass up!
The first weeks always fly by, and this semester they came after a jam packed winter break. After my last exam I flew back to Houston for two nights, then it was off to London and Wales for two weeks before a brief return to central Texas after New Years. Back in Houston I felt like I was finally catching my breath from the end of the semester rush, but then I was off to El Paso for a week in my favorite bouldering area, Hueco Tanks.
Busy is good though, and I flew into El Paso ready for a climbing trip. I got picked up from the airport by three Cal Climbing friends who had driven from Berkeley via Red Rocks. We got groceries then headed straight to the Hueco Rock Ranch, an American Alpine Club campsite opposite the Hueco Tanks State Park. Evan and Ana hadn't been to Hueco before, so I was excitedly telling them about what problems we should get on while Nick and I recounted how good the climbing is.
They weren't disappointed. After making our way to the park the next morning we watched the mandatory educational video before warming up at the Small Potatoes area. It's always fun returning somewhere with new people because they'll inevitably be attracted to different lines than you. So despite warming at that area more times than I can count I got on new problems that after climbing I couldn't believe I hadn't done before. Everyone else was equally psyched, and we moved onto the New Meadow area.
Ana, Nick, and Evan on Lobster Claw
Then it was time for one of my all time favorites, and certainly my favorite at the grade, Lobster Claw V5. You climb up and slightly left through slopers and pinches before making a big move out right to an open hand crimp. You have to hit it precisely and hold your body into the wall, before walking your feet across and reaching up past your right hand to an intermediate edge and finally the lip of the boulder. From there the top out is casual. The movement is so fun, and climbing the light colored slopey rock at the start before crossing the crimpy band of iron-red rock makes for a Hueco classic.
The next few days didn't include any new sends, but I was perfectly content repeating my favorites from previous trips. I did try a project left over from from the month I spent in Hueco on my gap year, Left Martini, but as expected didn't feel like I had a chance of doing it in a few days. Next winter though! However, while Evan worked his project for the trip, Adjust Your Attitude V8, Ana and I began working a nearby V10 called Governator. I did all the moves in a session, but only barely, and it took another session of refinements for me to work out that the easiest way for me to get to the top was simply to skip the moves and dyno. Even then, Ana and I were both having trouble holding a tricky left toe hook early on the problem.
Then on the last day of the trip everything came together. I had been talking about how it was first-try-Friday the entire approach and, despite being adamant it was going to take multiple attempts, Ana crushed Governator first try of the day. She made it look casual, as usual, and so the pressure was on for me. The nerves I had starting dissipated once I pulled on and everything seemed so much easier than the day before. I climbed to the final move without cutting my feet and stuck the crux dyno to finish it.
That would have been an awesome end to the trip, but the clock had barely hit noon and we had another afternoon in Hueco. We made our way to the Martini Cave to meet up with Evan, who was working Baby Martini V6. I decided to try Martini Hot Box V9 and to my surprise stuck the crux move first try. A few attempts and a little bit of rest later and I had sent. From there we headed over to Sign of the Cross area (unfortunately Evan didn't send Baby Martini, but he made awesome progress), and Ana began working Choir Boys V9.
I had semi-seriously said flashing Choir Boys was my goal for trip on the way from the airport, and was promptly ridiculed for setting myself a goal I would only have one chance to succeed at. As it turned out, after milking Ana and the other climbers there for all the beta possible I fell bumping to the lip of the boulder on my flash attempt. So close! Ana and I both finished it a few tries later, at which point all four of us were absolutely shattered. We headed out and started the drive to Berkeley.
But before we left Choir Boys we ended up bumping into a few people I had climbed a lot with two years ago, my friends Jesse and Matt among them. They were both there on extended trips, something I'm planning on doing again next winter. Hueco is interesting because people who haven't been there have irrational fears about not getting into the park and having a terrible trip, while the people who have been there make every effort to go every winter. That's not to say the access restrictions aren't annoying, and having to watch the video every trip because you inevitably forget your video card is just silly (Y NO DATABASE HUECO?). But to be honest, and Jason Kehl expressed a similar opinion to Rock and Ice recently, I don't really mind the restrictions that much. Despite spending weeks and weeks there I'm not even close to climbing all the stuff I want to do on North Mountain (the only area you can go to without a guide), and as long as you're not there during the peak season (the weeks around Christmas) you'll have no problem getting onto North everyday you want to. In fact, maybe I should stop telling people how not bad it is, because the fact most people are afraid of the restrictions is the only reason I can think of that stops it from being packed. Well, maybe proximity to El Paso has something to do with it too, but even then I can't help being surprised more people aren't there. Despite my surprise I, like Kehl, am just glad Hueco doesn't get as packed as Bishop.
Anyway, enough about access because Hueco was awesome as always, and would still be awesome if it was quieter or a little busier. Since next winter I'll have an extra long break I'm going to make sure to spend at least a month there. It's too good to pass up!
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Monday, December 1, 2014
2014: the Year this Blog Died
It's December 1st and I'm writing the second blog post of 2014. An injury last winter that didn't heal up completely until this fall, a dearth of outdoor climbing, and my interest in other things all got in the way of climbing in 2014. I went on trips but never felt very strong, and never felt the desire to write about climbing on this blog.
However, enjoying a great Thanksgiving Bishop trip with Cal Climbing and sending my first double digit boulder problem since my gap year while we were there (yes, it's been over 18 months) has rejuvenated my psych. It's a little early for New Year's resolutions but I'm gonna go out on a limb and say I'll keep this blog up over winter and spring through the rest of 2015. In 2014 this blog died, but 2015 will mark its resurrection!
Now, less about blogging and more about climbing. I had tried Beefcake V10 on two previous trips, but despite doing all the moves in a few attempts the send eluded me until the day before Thanksgiving. You start matched on underclings at the bottom of a large boulder suspended a few feet off the ground in the Ice Caves area. A lack of sunlight keeps the rock cool but also means you need headlamps or flashlights to see the problem. You climb out through varied holds, going from a two finger pocket to a crimp-undercling combo, then finally to a sloper and two crux bump moves to a jug. I fell past the crux on the final section twice, but on my fifth attempt of the day I sent the problem! It was day one of Thanksgiving in Bishop and I had already sent my project, leaving me ecstatic and ready to do whatever for the rest of the trip.
But, since we were hanging out in the Ice Caves a little longer I started working Beefy Gecko, a V11 that climbs most of Beefcake before turning right after the jug and climbing a second difficult and physical crux. I tried the moves but was far too tired to stick the crux that day. Two days later my friend Ana, who is an absolute crusher, wanted to go back and try Beefcake some more. She had made huge progress on the day I sent, and was coming tantalizingly close to finishing the problem. I was meant to be taking a rest day but we all know how hard that is, and after being somewhat unsure of how strong I was feeling I hopped on the final sequence of Beefy Gecko and did it smoothly first try.
I was psyched, to say the least. Then I got to watch Ana send Beefcake, her first V10 (congrats!), and I was even more motivated. On all three of my attempts from the start I climbed to the final crux, and on my second attempt felt so close to sending before slipping off. Ultimately I left empty handed, but Beefy Gecko would have been the icing on the cake anyway and I was happy to have shown myself I can climb V11 again by coming so close 3rd day on.
That evening a ridiculous number of us piled into one of Bishop's hot springs, which are literally as hot as bathwater (the difference being that the water is opaque even before a lot of dirty climbers clamber in). As with every other evening alcohol was involved, and the session slowly degenerated into a shoulder massage circle as people left. Yes, climbers are weird, and yes, they really like shoulder massages. That day sums up my trip though. Going out, trying hard with friends, then relaxing in the desert as only a group of people who have sweat, climbed, and mostly failed together can!
However, enjoying a great Thanksgiving Bishop trip with Cal Climbing and sending my first double digit boulder problem since my gap year while we were there (yes, it's been over 18 months) has rejuvenated my psych. It's a little early for New Year's resolutions but I'm gonna go out on a limb and say I'll keep this blog up over winter and spring through the rest of 2015. In 2014 this blog died, but 2015 will mark its resurrection!
Now, less about blogging and more about climbing. I had tried Beefcake V10 on two previous trips, but despite doing all the moves in a few attempts the send eluded me until the day before Thanksgiving. You start matched on underclings at the bottom of a large boulder suspended a few feet off the ground in the Ice Caves area. A lack of sunlight keeps the rock cool but also means you need headlamps or flashlights to see the problem. You climb out through varied holds, going from a two finger pocket to a crimp-undercling combo, then finally to a sloper and two crux bump moves to a jug. I fell past the crux on the final section twice, but on my fifth attempt of the day I sent the problem! It was day one of Thanksgiving in Bishop and I had already sent my project, leaving me ecstatic and ready to do whatever for the rest of the trip.
But, since we were hanging out in the Ice Caves a little longer I started working Beefy Gecko, a V11 that climbs most of Beefcake before turning right after the jug and climbing a second difficult and physical crux. I tried the moves but was far too tired to stick the crux that day. Two days later my friend Ana, who is an absolute crusher, wanted to go back and try Beefcake some more. She had made huge progress on the day I sent, and was coming tantalizingly close to finishing the problem. I was meant to be taking a rest day but we all know how hard that is, and after being somewhat unsure of how strong I was feeling I hopped on the final sequence of Beefy Gecko and did it smoothly first try.
Ana sticking the sloper move
I was psyched, to say the least. Then I got to watch Ana send Beefcake, her first V10 (congrats!), and I was even more motivated. On all three of my attempts from the start I climbed to the final crux, and on my second attempt felt so close to sending before slipping off. Ultimately I left empty handed, but Beefy Gecko would have been the icing on the cake anyway and I was happy to have shown myself I can climb V11 again by coming so close 3rd day on.
That evening a ridiculous number of us piled into one of Bishop's hot springs, which are literally as hot as bathwater (the difference being that the water is opaque even before a lot of dirty climbers clamber in). As with every other evening alcohol was involved, and the session slowly degenerated into a shoulder massage circle as people left. Yes, climbers are weird, and yes, they really like shoulder massages. That day sums up my trip though. Going out, trying hard with friends, then relaxing in the desert as only a group of people who have sweat, climbed, and mostly failed together can!
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