I wrote up a short piece for Petzl on moderate climbing in the Catalunya region on Spain. Each of my two trips involved going to areas that had a ton of 5.10's, 5.11's and 5.12's. We all know that there are plenty of 5.15's at Oliana and Santa Linya, but if you are looking for sun filled Spanish limestone, these are some good places to start. Click on the link below. Moderate Spanish Climbing areas...
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My two hands crowded the partial jug of the limestone hole, shuffling back and forth trying to gain some relief of a pump. My forearms were full of lactic acid, barely able to close my fingers around the hold. My breath was rapid and my heart was racing. I knew I didn’t have much time before gravity won and I was hanging on the end of the rope. Contradictory thoughts swirled through my head: should let go due to the fear that I would hurt myself again? Or should I...
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The majority of my holidays have been spent in the Bay Area. With endless feet of snow in Yosemite and my inevitable knack to catch every cold or flu bug going around, it was a much more agreeable place to pass the gluttony of the holidays. A huge benefit to placing myself in the vastly populated urban center is the close proximity to my family. I carry a huge guilt when it comes to time spent with my family, always feeling that I could be doing more. I wonder if...
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A lot of acknowledgement goes to the previous generation, to the ones that paved the way for the up and comers. I know personally, I owe a huge amount of thanks and gratitude to Lynn Hill and Nancy Feagin. When I was 19, these two famous ladies invited myself and Kath Pyke to free climb big walls on the island of Madagascar. At that time, I knew next to nothing of multi pitch or trad climbing, but they took a chance on me. My sole trad lead at that point...
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Before the snow fell last week, Yosemite had a long stretch of beautiful weather. It meant high sierra peak bagging, long routes off the Valley floor, and mellow cragging days. One of my favorite adventures of the summer/fall was our trip up Mt. Starr King. I wrote a short story for Osprey on our adventure - enjoy! Mt. Starr King short story ...
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[caption id="attachment_20691" align="alignnone" width="768"] The Brazilian – epitomizing the spirit of adventure.[/caption] For some years now climbing has been more than the actual act of climbing for me, it's been about the people in the community. Going climbing with good friends, traveling the world meeting new people, or taking first timers out to the crag or gym. These times can be as rewarding as sending the hardest thing possible. The turning point came for me while working on free climbing the Nose of El Capitan. The crowds and clusters on the Nose...
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This summer, along with the dreaded zucchini, I've also been getting more basil than I know what to do with in my CSA box. I tried to use it up in creative asian stir frys, resulting in some interesting (a kind way to put disaster) dishes. Inevitably, I would put my tail between my legs and give up, leaving the basil to wilt into a sad black bunch of goo. I hate having food go to waste, especially from my box. I like getting the csa box as a challenge to use...
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Ever since my second year of climbing, I've had a home climbing wall. I grew up no more than two miles from my local climbing gym, making it a far cry from hardship to make it to the gym. But, there's something about having a quiet, personal place to climb. It literally brings climbing into the backyard. Gone are the arduous two mile treks to the gym, a long drive to the crag, or climbing in a sweaty, chalky, crowded environment. So this summer I built (or I should say...
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I have tons of childhood memories of being in the mountains: camping, swimming in freezing alpine lakes, s'mores, climbing, and family time. When we weren't in the mountains, I was constantly dreaming of them. And one of my favorite places to dream of mountain adventures was in a small outdoor store, Alpine West. I wrote a short blog for Osprey on a recent trip to Alpenglow Adventure Sports and the memories it brought back. Enjoy! Memories of Small Outdoor Shops ...
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Ah the joys of banging your head against the wall on a project. Projecting can be frustrating at times, but with a bit of work, it can be more than worth it in the end. I wrote a piece for Outdoor Research on tips and suggestions that I have learned over the years. Hopefully these help you break through a plateau you are having. Please send me a message if you you have any other questions. The link: Projecting Tips...
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