Bouldering Competition

Sometime in the middle of January I got a Facebook invite to a Bouldering Competition at The Edge Climbing Gym in Halfmoon, NY. If you haven't been there, I highly suggest you dedicate a day during the weekend and check it out.

This gym is insane and I love going there. There are classes and climbs available to all levels of climbers. They have hundreds of feet of vertical walls for some aid climbing and even for those who want to practice there sport climbing. But the greatest feature this gym has to offer, is a giant boulder. It has amazing overhangs, a few spots of straight vertical walls, but the coolest part is that no matter where you are on the boulder, you can top out. There's no completing your climb and having to down climb. It's has an amazing "real-life" situation.

I have been sore the past few days from the gym and shoveling all of this white stuff that's outside on the ground. Also, I haven't been climbing since my buddy Jut and I were in 9 Corner back in September. But I was eager and psyched to climb again and be in that atmosphere.

There was a great turn out, I can't even begin to tell you how many climbers where there. Male, female. Younger, older. Beginners and more advanced. I felt good on my first route when I flashed it. So I increased the difficulty of the climbs I was trying. I was feeling really good and pulling of holds and moves that I feel "more experienced climbers" can achieve.

The event went from 3 till 6. I started to get real tired and the calluses on my hands started to tear. I realized it was 5:30 and there was only a short time left to get more climbs in. Unfortunately I searched all over the gym and could not find my scorecard.
I wasn't too upset that I couldn't actually turn in my score. I had a lot of things going against me, even though I had some pretty good climbs.

In the end, climbing is a type of sport where there is no real winner. It's all about getting there, trying your best, improving upon yourself and most of all enjoying it and having fun. It's a great sport that anyone can partake in and I cannot wait to get out more once the weather warms up!!!

The Return

As many of you can see, it's been quite a long time since I last wrote anything on this blog. I have recently made changes to it and am going to make a valiant attempt in keeping it up to date. I plan on climbing much more this year. More bouldering and possibly a few multi-pitch climbs.

I first want to congratulate Tommy and Kevin on their ascent of The Dawn Wall. Most everyone knows what they have done due to the media coverage, but many common people do not understand hat they had really done. As a fellow climber, their feat was nothing short of amazing in my eyes. They are a true inspiration, not just to climbers, but those chasing their dreams. Again, congratulations guys!

As of now I have been working hard in the gym in gaining strength, mainly pulling and grip in hopes to really increase the difficulty in climbs I can accomplish, as well as the length of time I can climb. I am really anxious to the new season and taking my climbing to another level.

Not only is it a physically demanding sport that I'm prepping for. But the stability, motion, flexibility and overall clear mentality aspect that climbing has to offer, is sometimes difficult to accomplish. Therefore, I have turned to different training methods.

I can't wait to get back out on the rock and into nature.

Mike and I at The Edge!

So after many weeks of preparing, traveling, studying, and all around work for school, I was finally able to do some climbing. And I had some company.  Some of you may remember my buddy Mike from school. I posted a few months ago about him climbing in the great state of Washington while he was doing is internship. We had been planning to do some climbing for a long time, and we finally found the opportunity to.

Due to weather conditions, we were forced to stay indoors. It didn't really matter to us, we were just psyched to climb. So we traveled to The Edge, Halfmoon climbing gym.  We arrived at 9:00 (when they open) they were unlocking the doors as soon as we were walking in. Perfect timing.  I knew it would be a good day, just due to the variety of climbs (bouldering, lead, top rope) and the different levels of difficulty. I just so happened to have my rope in the car, so there was no need in renting one when we wanted to lead.

We started off bouldering. Nice V1-V2 climbs just to get the blood flowing and stretch.  Mike was new to lead climbing, so we had a quick tutorial on clipping, belaying and overall techniques.  We did some rounds with the assistance of the guys who work there, then we were all on our own.  We were both ecstatic! Neither one of us have climbed in quite some time, so it was great just to be in the atmosphere of it all.

Although the differential in weight was there. Mike was a great belayer. We tackled some nice 5.8 and 5.9 climbs, which we thought was an achievement due to our absence of any type of climbing.  Our arms were pumped quickly, and our grip was quickly shot.  So we took a short break, munched down on some power-bars and went after some more lead climbs and top roping.  We started with a 5.10 and worked our way down to a 5.7, with hardly any breaks in between. We then had another short intermission, and ended our day with some great bouldering.

On gloomy drizzly days, this place get packed. It started with a half a dozen late morning.  Then by early afternoon, there must have been nearly 50 people there. It's great to see the intensity and popularity of this sport!!! Below are just some pictures towards the end of the day:

Southern Adirondack Climber: "LA Roof"- 5.13b

Southern Adirondack Climber: "LA Roof"- 5.13b: Ken Murphy doing his thing down in New Paltz, New York on the Second Ascent of "LA Roof" in Peters Kill at Minnewaska State Park.  This rout...

Finally Covered!

Well after many many weeks of being told my shed was too high, I finally have the new roof put on, to correct building code height! It was pretty difficult stripping the newly placed outside sheathing on the second floor and ripping apart the roof rafters and collar ties (sorry to bother you with my contractor lingo).

Anyways, all is said and done and the new metal roof has been placed. And not a moment too soon either, given the sever weather we have approaching this next upcoming week. Now on days it's raining, I can devote time to organizing the inside, carving holds, placing holds and work on some core training. A few weeks of training will be perfect given our newly planned trip to Lake Champlain!

It is here in which they have large cliffs extruding from the water reaching toward the sky to about 80 feet. Can you say Deep-Solo? Myself, Jut, Pooler, Banta, Jeremy, Tim, Brad, Mitch, Manning accompanied with my cousin Kristy and my amazing girlfriend Ashley, we will be hauling the boat the 2 hour trip north and get our free climb on.  My hopes is that my cousin Damien gets ahold of some film equipment so he can shoot and edit this epic journey. Keep following on media updates!!!

Below is an update of the shed, then and now.

 Looking back on the old shed

 Some of the sheathing is off, getting ready for the new roof

 Start of the new roof, rafters sticking out

New roof covered, drip edge installed and metal locked down!

The new height of the shed. Quite different!

Adirondack Bouldering On The Rise!

Besides climbing, I like to enjoy other things as well. One activity I enjoy is going to concerts. I was recently in Saratoga for the Dave Matthews band concert this past June.

After which, we went to a pizza parlor, where I happen to look over and see among all of the papers and flyers a headline "Adirondack Sports and Fitness". Intrigued, I started skimming through it, then I came to an article, "Adirondack Bouldering on the Rise!" and a huge familiar picture of Sully. A picture of which I took last year at the Southern Adirondack Bouldering Comp in Nine Corners. I was so psyched, I instantly read the whole article.

For your reading pleasure, I have posted the link below. Just scroll to page 13 and then 28. Enjoy!!!

http://www.adksports.com/current%20issue/ASF_JUN2012_sm.pdf

Across The Nation Climbing

I have been unable to get out to any type of cliffs or boulders the past week and a half. However, I used Memorial Day to make serious improvements on my home climbing shed. It's coming along well!!!

The great thing about climbing is that it is so universal. You can go just about anywhere in the world and have rock accessible to you and your friends.

Anyways, my good buddy Mike is across the nation in Washington State for his internship. He has been asking me for advice on gear and keeping me updated on his climbing.  Needless to say I've been pretty jealous of the fact he has a climbing gym near his apartment and a wide variety of high climbs close by as well.

He used his Memorial Day to hit up Little Mt. Si. And do classic 5.9s, Amphibians/Amphetamines.  He has sent me some photos. So below are a few pictures all the way from Washington.  I'm psyched he's getting into climbing and can't wait for us to get out in the Dacks!

Mike said he didn't want to take credit for the man in the first picture, but he did in fact do the climb.