Bishop Trip! Part I

So last weekend I went to my favorite climbing spot in the the whole world, Bishop CA. The worlds mecka for hard bouldering. I went down there for five days climbing and sending hard. I left Friday night with some friends. Getting excited to go climbing and crush it. We got down there and my dad was down there already with a camp site. We get up the next morning in aw of how many people are here. I have been down in Bishop on road trips for six years and I have never seen so many people. Saturday we went to the Happies where I warmed up and decided to hop on some harder stuff. I flashed Mister Witty (v6) and flashed Every Color You Are (v6). I hoped on Rio's Secret Arete (v3) It was scary due to if I was to fall I would back flop onto a rock so it kind of scared me a little bit. Who wants to get hurt on there first day anyways. I later sent it and hoped on High Brow (v8) I almost flashed it but fell and ended up taking out one of my spotters. I tried it again but this time my knees were hurting so I decieded to do it next time. The next day I went to the gorge and hoped on some stuff. I onsigted Manderan Orange (11b) It was hella cool and fun. A little tricky but not to bad. I later hoped on Arora (13a) To get up to the belay spot you had to climb up a steel rebar latter to get up there. It was very sketchy. When I was climbing it felt like all of my feet holds where breaking off and there was sand in my hand when I went for ever hold. After giving that thing a burn it started snowing on us. We left and went into town so I could get a new sleeping bag cause my old one was falling apart on me. It rained all day and all night on us so we decided to play some spades in my dads tent and sleep in it since it would be way warmer than me sleeping in my tent alone. Waking up the next, was horrable. It was freezing cold and not fun at all. I woke up and decided to go to the Sads for the first time. I took the car and drove off into the Volcanic Tablelands. I park and look at the book and decide on what I wanted to do. I walk into the gully and find something to warm up on. The Space Suit (v3) was on this suspended boulder. I drop my stuff down and hope on it. I didnt think I was going to flash it due to it being so over hanging but I surprised myself. I later went and flashed Cow Skull (v5). I was just running around the Sads when the group camping next to us saw me and asked if I would hang out. I did and they told me to try The Fang (v4). This really cool cave with giant bulb at the end where you climb over. Making quick work with the flash, I tried Feeding Frenzy (v7) This thing was hard due to me not wanting my back to dab on the rock where you honesly have no other choice cause its just that close to the other rock. After dabing a few times I did it again but when I dabed I just kept going because it was inpossible not to dab with your back. We left and went to try Strength in Numbers (v5). Starting on the underclings to this giant hueco then scary top out. I get up there and Im near the top just need one more move to get a semi-good hold, with my feeting cutting with out me knowing it, I beared down hard not wanting to give up the flash and falling on a pad covered rock 25 feet off the ground, I staped my foot back on and made the last move. Finishing out on the problem was scary. There wasnt really any hold you were relying more on friction with your hands and the rock. Walking back I tried Pow Pow (v8). I would have flashed it if my feet didnt helecopter me around so much when I made the crux move. I came down and decided to go try some other things. I went and hoped on Ow Ow (v7/8. the two guide books tell me crazy things) I laid the pad down and hoped on it. With a huge surprised i flashed it. Personaly I though it was more like a v7. I didnt really feel that hard, just crimpy. I went over to Molly (v5) and just staired at it in aw of what it looked like. It looked crazy hard but after getting on it and feeling how the pockets where it wasnt to bad. Almost didnt flash it because I grabed the side pull wrong. After doing Molly I got a call from the Willsons saying that I filled out the wrong slip for my resole of my Five Ten Jet 7's. So I go into town and fill out the right paper work this time and decided to just check out the shop again. After a little talk with the employee I went back to camp and was getting ready for my last night down in Bishop. The next morning woke up packed and went to the Happies for one more time. I was excited to try Acid Wash (v10). I warmed up and tried Rave (v7). After falling off the first move three times with my foot just sliding off I finally got it my fourth go. The top wasnt to bad just the bottom. After that I went over and tried Acid Wash. I can do every move but the first one which is this big move to a jug. I just need to figure it out and then I can get my first V10. Drove home that day to go back to work. Worked Wednesday, chilling at home updating the blog and watching this video Austin Nickell made of me and some other climbers, getting psyched to go back down there for my birthday weekend. Just going to have a blast. Here is the video link. http://player.vimeo.com/video/32607732?autoplay=1 ENJOY! and Happy Thanksgiving.

Slip and Crush!

Went out to Star Wall with Dustin Sabo Saturday morning. The whole summit was still cover in snow and we were planing on trying Canibals (12d) but the snow ruined that for us. Any ways we went out to Star Wall to go train since it is a slight over hang but just enough to keep the water off of us. The trail was covered in snow but not bad enough to make it hard on us to get out there, since we already did that once and we fell in like every 20 feet. Well to get to the wall you have to cross this little slab section. It was all covered and in my approach shoes that don't have tread on them didn't help me at all. I slipped and as a reaction I dug my hand into the snow covered rock. I was sliding down for a while till I finally stopped. I take my hand out and it was numb and I couldn't feel it. I shout to Dustin saying I slipped and my hand is numb. I later looked at my hand and saw that I was bleeding. I have severely chiped my nail and that it needed to rip it off. I get to the base of the crag and I showed Dustin. After that we warmed up on Cookie Mix (12a) then later did Warp Factor (13a) As a goal we set, doing Warp Factor five times in a row with out falling, we were determined to accomplish this goal. Dustin was close to doing it but fell at the last move due to being pumped. After watching him fall I got nervous, thinking that I wouldn't be able to do it. After doing it four times no one thought it would go because it was so hard. With Dustin setting the par high I knew I had to either do it or make it to the high point. I got on the route trying my hardest to get to the anchors. It was a fight to the finish and I gave it my all. I finished doing a 13a five times. After we finished that we did Cookie Mix four more times to do ten pitches in a day. We finally did one of our long term go to do ten pitches of 12a or harder and five of our pitches were 13a. We sure did gun it out there to become a better climber and to have fun. Some times you just need to gun it hard to accomplish your goals.

Winning the Local

So yesterday, November 5th of 2011, was Rocksports local ABS comp. It was a great time watching and climbing my hardest and watching other kids crush it out here in Reno. I went there to compete and showed that I still have what it takes to compete being a local and all.Well I competed in the Open category and took 1st. Also took 1st over all in the USA Climbing association. Went into finals for Male Open and took 2nd. It should have been a tie because the winner didn't control this really bad heinous pinch and jumped for a edge while I was able to hold onto the pinch and then move. Oh well its just a comp. I had a lot of fun. Cant wait for the SCS comp and Star Wall on Tuesday.