December Blog

Southern Sickness

About a week after Johanna's departure, The Spot's Psychadelia comp, and the random blizzard that hit northern Colorado, Fritz and I set off to North Carolina in search of some southern sandstone.

 

It took us about 22 hours, and we saw some pretty cool sights.

Most of the areas in the Southeast are not notoriously known, and I was excited to explore unfamiliar rock, and on rest days, work for Jessa Goebel teaching bouldering clinics for ClimbFit. I kept a detailed journal and ClimbFit training log during my time in the south, and a few of my entries are going to be in my blog for this month:

Tuesday, Nov 3

            Fritz and I arrived in Boone!

Friday, Nov 6

            Grandmother Mountain bouldering. Did a bunch of easy, warm-up problems, felt nice to climb on rock again!

            ClimbFit Workout: Death by Pull-ups

The ClimbFit training facility AKA Pat and Jessa's garage

 

Saturday, Nov 7

Attended Climb Up So Kids Can Grow Up fundraiser event at Inner Peaks in Charlotte, NC. Climbed around the gym all day.

            Workout: Frenchies, 3 sets

Sunday, Nov 8

            Grandmother Bouldering:

                        Hot Rod V8, FFA (you can do it Kimmie!)

                        Clamper V7, hard

                        Mighty Mouse V5

Tried Third Rail, V9-so hard! Really powerful, squeezing out a roof on a slopey rail. Very pumpy and long.

            Workout: 50 regular ball crunches, 25 leg raisers, 2 sets

 

A terrible photography job by me of Kim Fuelling on Clamper.

Saturday, Nov 14

Climbed outside at 221. Did an awesome problem called What Up Arete, V6.

Starts in a roof squeezing, compression, with double heel-hooks to climb out a beautiful prow with good holds to a crazy-hard, sort of sketchy, blank top out. Three stars!

Tried Ominous Roof, V9, very cool. Big move off a block undercling with a slick foot, out the roof to a crimp, toe hook, mantle top-out.

Pat Goodman on Ominous Roof

Sunday, Nov 15

Bouldering out at Lost Cove, felt strong but shitty conditions, way too hot. Skin was just seeping! Did Matt's Prow, V8, it's a cool bubbly arête. And this hard V7 called Chapter Thirteen. Everything felt so bad! Tried Zen Corner, a sick dihedral, supposedly rated V8, felt like V10... Tore my knee up.

Today's Ticklist:

Matt's Prow, V8

Chapter Thirteen, V7

ClimbFit Workout: "Snickers" time: 6:36

Monday, Nov 16

            Trained Four-by-Fours ropes on plastic at Inner Peaks in Charlotte.

            ClimbFit Workout: "Fritz" time: 16:27

Saturday, Nov 21

            Finally a good climbing day! One of the best I've had in a long time. Climbed out at 221. Went to Instinct, V9, warmed up and got psyched feeling good. Three tries dropping off at the crux move: just wasn't committing. Switched right shoe to my blue "Team 5.10" shoe, committed and stuck the move, so sick! A very nice line, tall, cool crimps, big moves, decent feet, and flat mantle top-out.

Instinct, V9

Then went to the Dungeon Area and did Sign of the Times, V5; Four Horsemen, hard V7; still felt good, and was psyched to try Ominous Roof. I pasted my blue shoe on the smear foot and fired the long first move first try! The toe-hook stayed perfectly, and before I knew it I was standing atop the boulder. Jessa also did the problem, and it was extra exciting considering it had been an off-and-on project for her. All in all, a very fun day.

            Today's Ticklist:

Instinct, V9

Sign of the Times, V5

Four Horsemen, V7

Ominous Roof, V9

            Workout: 100 pull-ups on smallest Metolius hangboard edges

 

Jessa sending Ominous Roof, V9

Sunday, Nov 22

Third Rail!!! Finally sent! After a whopping three days of effort! (I know that doesn't sound like a lot, but at three days it was one of my longest standing projects!) Went out to the boulders early at 8:30 to try to get a session in before the predicted rain. Did a few warm up laps on a cool, sort of tall crimp arête, and a super fun crack. Actually felt pretty well considering I was feeling cashed last night. We headed up to Third Rail (V9). I unsuccessfully tried the last few moves; I'd never actually put the end together, and honestly didn't even have the problem two-pieced after two days of work. The humidity was supposed to be at an all-time high this morning before the rain, but when I tried the boulder from the start it felt exceptionally sticky, thus leading to...hiking the rig! I even royally screwed up my beta in the beginning. I don't really remember how I did the end, all I know was that I was hella pumped and tried hard! Topped out right before the rain started coming down.

Thursday, Nov 26-Friday, Nov 27

Happy Thanksgiving with the Nystrom Family in Richmond, VA

Sunday, Nov 29

Dry weather! Went out climbing at Grandmother! Felt like shit in the morning, drank a Red Bull and miraculously felt fabulous. Repeated Mighty Mouse and Clamper to warm up, then headed to the Great Roof Area. Did the traverse Have Guns, Keep Traveling, V9, third try. Very long and pumpy, with a second crux at the end. Similar to Third Rail in its sustained way, but completely different; there were actually holds on this boulder, and not quite as much compression.

Shaking out before the second crux of Have Guns, Keep Traveling, V9

Then we drove to The Dump at 221 to try Bedaphile, hard V8. Incredibly sick boulder. I was feeling tired, and gave it the "five try limit." Fifth try I committed to the crux and fired! I then groveled my way up one of the hardest, and possibly most frightening top-out I've done.

Today's Ticklist:

            Have Guns Keep Traveling, V9

            Bedaphile, V8

Jessa standing near the old boxspring mattress beneath Bedaphile

Monday, Nov 30

Victorious roped plastic Four by Fours at Inner Peaks! Only ripped one flapper!

            Workout: 100 push-ups:

                        20 left arm med-ball

                        20 right arm med-ball

                        20 alternating arm med-ball

                        20 diamonds on med-ball

                        20 regular on floor

 

Friday, Dec 4

We headed down to Michelle and Ollie's house in Chattanooga on Wednesday for the last leg of the Triple Crown. We didn't climb much; the weather was shit the whole week, so we did a lot of just plain hanging out, meandering downtown listening to a bluegrass band and running into the Red Hat Society.

Fritz and Ollie spent most of their time letting their love blossom.

Saturday, Dec 5: Stone Fort Triple Crown

I was awoken at 7am to Fritz barking at a sleepingbag monster hopping into my room blasting "Let It Snow," or some sort of holiday tune. I was a bit dazed and confused; I don't remember the precise wintry jingle. The gist of the message was that the comp was postponed until Sunday due to a minor blizzard. To make up for it, the gym hosting the event threw a dyno competition and a pad-stacking competition that were both entertaining to watch.

Sunday, Dec 6: The day the Stone Fort Triple Crown actually took place

The majority of the competitors who attended this event would probably tell you it was way too cold outside to be bouldering. Well they're wrong. They're also wimps! Conditions could not have been better. All the snow from the previous day had melted, the temperature was around 40 degrees, the sun was shining, and there was a light breeze. My goal for the day was to climb boulder problems that I didn't try at the competition last year. I was happy that out of the ten boulders I completed, seven of them were new to me. The first half of the day went splendid, I had six problems on my scorecard within the first hour-and-a-half, but the energy was zapped fast, and by the end of the day I was groveling to finish ten climbs.

Jessa sending Jerry's Kids, V7

I ended up placing second in the competition! It was a fun event, and Little Rock City/Stone Fort has probably the greatest rock climbing of all the areas I've visited. Bishop is my favorite place for its beauty and accessibility, but LRC has the best climbing. (For all of you wondering: No, I still haven't been to Hueco.)

Myself, Jessa, and Ashlee Donihee, 13-year-old overall winner of the Triple Crown Youth category

Thurs, Dec 10: My Climax

I only had a few days remaining in the southeast, and according to some of my Coloradan friends (meaning others who have migrated to Colorado-not those originally from Colorado) I hadn't climbed anything worthy yet. Unbeknownst to me, the whole point of going on a climbing trip is apparently to send something hard. Without a hard climb registered on my 8a.nu scorecard, my trip would be considered unsuccessful. I have been silly to think all along that it's about seeing new places, meeting new people, and climbing fun classics. Although I was graciously reassured and reminded by Alex Puccio that, "bouldering in the southeast is f***ing hard," I still attempted to gain the approval from the center of the climbing universe, and finally breached the wall that guards double-digit bouldering in the dirty south. Yes, I finally climbed something hard (because V9 couldn't possibly be hard enough). In the process, I experienced one of the most amazing boulder problems known to me. The tall, proud, breathtaking prow of The Vortex, V10, is incomparable to anything else I've ever climbed. The exclusivity of the line, perfection of holds, and classic movement all make it remarkable. It was the best ending I could ask for to trip.

In conclusion, I loved bouldering in the Southeast. The stone is amazing, the climbing unique and original, the food is fried and delicious, and the people are some of the most friendly I've met throughout my travels across the country. It's people like Pat and Jessa, Paul and Kim, Dean and Michelle, and Eric and Steph that really keep the psyche up. It was like being in the Midwest again! I will miss it dearly, and hope to return soon!

 

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