Climbfind Heroes

Jackie's Review of Welcome to the Hood on Elephant Journal

hueftle — Wed, 16 May 2012 20:23:03 -0600

Jackie's Review of Welcome to the Hood on Elephant Journal:

Jackie’s take on one of the newest climbing films featuring some of the top boulders in the world. Check it out!

Girl Bolting - Interview with Colette McInerney

hueftle — Mon, 14 May 2012 11:50:00 -0600

Colette McInerney, aka pro climber Joe Kinder’s better half, has recently taken up a drill and joined the boys in developing new routes the hard way. Not too many girls are known for putting up new routes, especially those that require aid climbing with power tools, so I emailed Colette to ask her a few questions about why she started bolting and what it is like. She was hesitant, as she is very new to bolting and doesn’t want to take away from the girls who have done more, but she agreed to share her early experiences with the rest of us who are curious about just what it would take to put up our own routes.

CFH: Thanks for talking with us Colette! So, what inspired you to start bolting?

CM: I wrote a piece about the bolters in the St George area a couple of years ago. I guess I’ve always been a little fascinated by the people that bolt, and why they do it. My boyfriend Joe was definitely a big catalyst. He has been bolting a ton the last few years. He was always messing with me and telling me how “easy” it is to try and convince me to just try it. We also knew we were coming back to an area where we had climbed a lot and we were looking for some new potential for routes. I knew if we embarked on any of these new walls, I was going to have to learn how to bolt or I’d just be sitting around.

CFH: What was your first bolting experience like?

CM: Since I’ve really have only had first experiences, it’s pretty fresh in my mind. It was like many things you do for the first time, intimidating, and then more doable than you pictured. Then there were some unwelcomed hard things about it, and finally it was really rewarding in the end.

Colette lookin’ fashionable, as usual. You can read her fashion column in Urban Climber.

CFH: Isn’t that drill heavy?

CM: Ha, yes! But actually Joe has a couple of really light drills (Bosch 36V, Dewalt 24V), so they are probably lighter than some drills used in the past. I could hold it with one hand, but then again I’m pretty strong (haha) [ed. no, really, Colette is pretty strong. She has climbed routes up to mid 5.13]. The hammering and bolt tightening proved more difficult than the actual drilling for me. Turns out I’m pretty uncoordinated when it comes to hammer/nail/eye/hand coordination. I was always whacking my hands on stuff! Your knuckles get really crunked up.

CFH: Ouch. Sounds…fun? So how did you pick your route?

CM: The one in Ely had an obvious tufa feature half way up the route, so it was an aesthetically obvious pick. The other was a line on a face in a newer area. I knew it was would an easy for a first line to bolt, considering it wasn’t too steep and I could rap off a neighboring routes anchors. I actually didn’t know if it would be any good. It was really cool to see it comes together and be a great line.

Colette up high prepping her new route.

CFH: So do you clean it before or after you bolt?

CM: You can clean a bit while you’re bolting, as you’re getting an idea of where the route will go and how it will climb, like knocking off little crozzlies. But I did the majority of cleaning after I got all the bolts in. You still don’t know exactly were the route will go until you’re climbing on it.

CFH: Makes sense. So you could put the bolts in the wrong place by accident then. I guess having a lot of climbing experience would help because you’d have an easier time seeing the line. Did you bolt on lead or rap the line first?

CM: I did both the when Joe was teaching me. We set up a mini top rope system so I could understand rap bolting, then afterwards I put a few bolts in on lead. I was using removable bolts when I was lead bolting which I’m guessing are a little easier than lead bolting on gear or hooks or something, scary! My next route I did all rap bolting because it wasn’t too steep and I had an anchor already in place.

CFH: How do you choose where to put the bolts? Do you search for clipping positions? Or do you just guess based on distance from bolt to bolt and the approximate line you want to take?

CM: Yeah that’s definitely a hard part and something I’m sure you get better at over time. It’s kind of a guessing game for sure. I mean, you try to get an idea of where you’ll clip from but sometimes the route looks like it could go two different ways. Sometimes holds you thought you would use you don’t even touch. It definitely made me think more about judging other people’s routes. At that stage in the development everything is in the air. I think it’s the bolters responsibility to make changes to the route afterwards if something needs to be fixed or a bolt should be moved because it’s dangerous or in a really bad spot. But I can understand how bolters are like “well that clipping stance is fine,” because not every bolt will be in a perfect place.

Colette chillin’ with some coffee

CFH: It seems like it’d be a pretty hard job. Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes before you criticize, huh? Do you feel safe climbing on bolts you placed? Is there some added mental security or insecurity from climbing on your own bolts?

CM: I feel pretty safe on bolts in general. It isn’t often you hear about bolts just snapping off routes. Usually that kind of gear is obviously corroded to the eye. I think putting in bolts, if anything, reemphasizes the durability of hardware you’re putting in the wall. I could maybe see myself scrutinizing bolts placements in the future more, and feeling safer depending on the type of bolt used. But putting in the bolt itself isn’t so technical, those things aren’t going anywhere.

CFH: That’s comforting to hear. Beforehand, did you practice placing bolts and using the drill? Where and how?

CM: Yes, I practiced on a more chossy cliff in Ely, NV where I wasn’t afraid to mess up some nice Ceuse line on the wall. We set up a top rope system on some older abandoned anchors and I bolted a couple of holes top down. I wasn’t too high off the ground so Joe could easily coach me through the process.

CFH: What should people do if they’d like to learn to bolt and don’t have someone to teach them?

CM: Well I think you need someone to teach you on some level. My advice would be to find out who is bolting in your community and at least have a conversation with them about the basics of bolting and the best kind of hardware to use. I think the people who bolt in most communities are open to answering questions about bolting and making sure people who are interested are doing it the right way.

CFH: Makes sense. And it sounds like a cool job. Is there anything else you’d like to share?

CM: Yeah, I’d like to make a full disclosure about my bolting experience. I’ve only bolted like one route in my whole life, so I’m definitely no bolting guru. There are a lot of people that have been bolting for a long time and don’t get much recognition. When I did a short piece on FFA’s I asked some of the women why more women didn’t bolt, and I got a variety of answers, from the fact that the drill was too heavy to the idea that most women didn’t necessarily identify with that branch of the climbing community. Mainly I think it’s a numbers game. There are a ton of men who have never put in a bolt, and with the male to female ratio it’s not surprising more women haven’t bolted. Not to mention the fact I think most men start bolting is because they climb themselves out of areas and bolting is the only way out. These days I have a lifetime of climbing in most areas, there’s not much need for me to bolt. Most people don’t wake up like I want to go bolt today, they do it because they don’t have anything to climb on.

CFH: Ha ha. Thanks Colette!

In the Spring of 2011 Jackie got to visit Fontainebleau. Here...

hueftle — Thu, 10 May 2012 22:49:25 -0600

In the Spring of 2011 Jackie got to visit Fontainebleau. Here are a couple of problems she climbed.

wilderdude: Can I get those digits?

hedgingwendy — Wed, 09 May 2012 13:00:58 -0600

wilderdude:

Can I get those digits?

Did anybody else love Bizarro comics by Dan Piraro as a kid?

hedgingwendy — Wed, 09 May 2012 12:55:04 -0600

Did anybody else love Bizarro comics by Dan Piraro as a kid?

Amazing. Is this the future? Mightn’t they build an entire...

hueftle — Sat, 05 May 2012 12:14:03 -0600

Amazing. Is this the future? Mightn’t they build an entire cave that looks like this?

Five Ten Climbing Shoe Size Comparison

hedgingwendy — Fri, 04 May 2012 00:35:00 -0600

Once upon a time, I was looking for a new pair of climbing shoes.

Once Upon A Time 5.11c, Enchanted Tower, New Mexico, USA

Now, I love the Five Ten Stealth rubber, and I swear by my Five Ten Team shoes. But, with my big fat kankle (see ankle sprain blog post here) my Team shoes no longer fit. I’ve long struggled with an achilles heel problem (on the same injured foot), so it’s been quite challenging to find a right shoe (literally, in this case) to fit.

Initially, I looked for a (Cinderella) slipper to do the trick.

What better than supple, stretchy leather for my slow and steady ankle recovery. Enter, the Five Ten Anasazi Moccasym.

The helpful gear expert at Brooklyn Boulders told me that, in his experience, the Moccs stretch out at least a full size after use.

With that in mind, I tried both a men’s size 6 and size 6.5—in which the latter I wear my 5.10 Team shoes.

I never fully realized how effective toe hooking could be until I wore the Team shoes. The heel cup on the Teams fit my foot perfectly. And, despite the aggressive downturn, I can toe down on even the most technical slab with the ease of spiderman.

I even sent Hueco’s Font-esque classic Slim Pickins (V5 slab) in my Team shoes.

Unfortunately, with the Moccs, a size 6 wasn’t even close. I imagine I’d need a size 5 in the Mocc’s before the shoe would actually feel snug. And, with their loose reputation, I’m not sure if a 4.5 wouldn’t be better.

Anxious to make use of my free 2-day shipping with Amazon Prime (and free returns), I kept looking.

Next up? The Five Ten Dragons.

Heralded as the ultimate bouldering shoe of legends Fred Nicole and Dave Graham, I couldn’t resist purchasing the Dragons. After all, the lace-up design would certainly give my fat ankle both breathing room and room for adjustment.

Plus, a boulderer at heart, I couldn’t bring myself to abandon a serious down-turn toe.

My climbing shoe situation was turning dire, as these are my current go-to shoe:

Yes, those are my current climbing shoes—a blast from the ’90s past (crop top not included)—complete with a hole in the heel and a deteriorating sole. Bonus points if you can guess the name of these vintage Five Tens.

Nevertheless, I remained optimistic about the Dragons. And, thanks to Amazon, didn’t have to wait long to satiate my voracious and girly appetite for shoes.

So, if I wear a size 5 in Moccasyms and a 6.5 in Teams, what should I do to tame the Dragon?

I figured, once again, I’d size the Dragons with my Team shoes. Except this time, if the Dragons ran large, I’d be ok with a little extra room and comfort for my kankle.

The day came. The package arrived. The shoes were de-boxed.

Nobody was more surprised than me (and maybe Harry Potter) to discover that Dragons run small!

It’s like living a climbing version of the Goldilocks fairy tale! Too big, too small, I need them just right…

If I were to wear the Dragons as tight as my Teams, I’d take a size 7. With my kankle, I’d probably need a size 7.5. In all reality and seriousness, though, these shoes are far too aggressive for my injury.

In the end, no shoe fit.

I guess, for now, I’ll have to wear the same old vintage (tattered) shoes I’ve been sporting. Instead of getting the shoes designed exclusively by/for Fred Nicole, I’m pretty sure I’m wearing shoes so old they once belonged to him.

In conclusion, if you’re buying La Sportiva, a 35.5 is a 35.5 is a 35.5—no matter if you’re wearing Testarossas, Solutions, or Miuras.

If you’re buying Five Ten, however, well, I have absolutely no idea. But, for me, compared to what you wear in the Team shoe, go +0.5 for Dragons and -1.5 or -2 for Moccs.

And hope, one day…

…they all live happily ever after.

Goldilocks, Arch Rock 5.12a, Yosemite Valley, California, USA

THE END.

"There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting..."

hedgingwendy — Wed, 02 May 2012 11:54:40 -0600

““There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it.””

- Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

Chris Schulte in Independence Pass, Colorado. Photo by Randyl...

hueftle — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:20:45 -0600

Chris Schulte in Independence Pass, Colorado. Photo by Randyl Nielson.

Randyl Nielson Photography (website)

Randyl Nielson Photography (on Facebook)

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About The 2012 Vienna World Cup 2012: Click Here.

hedgingwendy — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 10:57:12 -0600

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About The 2012 Vienna World Cup 2012: Click Here.

The Spot Route Setting Blog discusses the Vienna Bouldering...

hedgingwendy — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 01:00:00 -0600

The Spot Route Setting Blog discusses the Vienna Bouldering World Cup in great detail here. This is a screen shot of Alex Puccio struggling on the volume of Problem 3 in the Women’s finals.

Regular Dude Climbs V15

hedgingwendy — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 10:32:35 -0600

Regular Dude Climbs V15:

Anybody else slightly offended by this Rock & Ice headline?

Martin Keller’s achievement is incredible. It’s a wake-up call to an industry most recently obsessed with 8a.nu ascents, age-based record breaking, and “profi” deeds.

Look around! There are myriad 30-something climbers, with office jobs, and an impressive list of sends on granite blocs. Even more impressive? Contributing to the local economy and still finding time to travel 9 hours to your “local” crag (because that’s what Martin Keller did).

Of course, we can’t all send V15. But, I think our sport should offer a little more respect to successful working professionals who climb, before donning the dismissive title, ”regular dudes.”

Another great clean-up effort from a BD athlete. This time...

hueftle — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 21:20:20 -0600

Another great clean-up effort from a BD athlete. This time several members of BD Europe, including Finnish bouldering star Nalle Hukkataival, hosted a 3-day trash pick-up and climber awareness event in three wildly popular and highly trafficked areas of Fontainebleau. Enjoy the video, and remember—clean your shoes!

I really hope MICHI starts designing climbing clothes. Until...

hedgingwendy — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 09:16:39 -0600

I really hope MICHI starts designing climbing clothes.

Until then, I’m a little bit obsessed with their current workout tanks, bras, leg/arm warmers and leggings… shop more MICHI here.

Hueco Wrap-Up & Why You Shouldn't Regret, Regret

hedgingwendy — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:19:00 -0600

We are taught as children—through literature and a variety of inspirational quotes—not to have regrets.

Yet, when I hear people brag that they “don’t have any regrets,” I find myself incredulous to the claim.

It’s a lucky person who has no regrets in life, and I am certainly not that person. When I set out on this year-long road trip, it was primarily because I regretted a series of choices I had made in my professional and personal life.

When I bought a pair of less aggressive lace-ups instead of the “oh so mighty” La Sportiva Solutions, it was because I regretted wearing the Solutions in the first place.

Now, with an impending move to Paris, I’m researching one-bedrooms, having massively regretted my time in a shared apartment home-stay the last year I lived there.

Never became a fan of the Solutions (above), but love my Sportiva Testarossas.

Although regret is defined as being a negative conscious and emotional reaction to past acts, I find regret has driven me to make positive conscious and emotional decisions about future events.

The past year has been one of the most invaluable and exciting years in terms of my climbing and career. A foray into the La Sportiva brand (via Solutions) helped me to discover a love for Testarossas. And, knowing better this time, I expect next year in Paris to be one of the best of my life.

So, when I think about my Hueco season, I do have many regrets. But, I’m not sad about them. Instead, I find that regret is driving me forward to increase my strength, improve my bouldering technique, and attain peace of mind… next time.

Regret #1: No tick-list

As the individual who quoted Doug Robinson as saying, “The true object, as always, is not simply to get up things and check them off in our guidebook — it is to challenge ourselves,” I should not be lamenting lack of a tick-list.

Except, I do think a list—in some form—would have been helpful for me to narrow the field of climbs at Hueco.

Since this was my first season (certainly my first time to the Hueco backcountry), I had no idea what to expect in terms of challenging vs. less-challenging climbs. So, I tried them all.

And I loved it! For awhile….

A climb I never finished. Here’s Jackie’s easy breezy send of Dragonfly.

Then I wanted to project. Something at the peak of my ability.

Hueco has a plethora of climbs to fit the bill, but my magpie mind couldn’t settle on one.

Part of the reason the Rock Rodeo was so fun, was because I had a set list of 20 climbs to flash, send, or flail off of. There was no choice. The climbs could be out of my ability range or not my style, but I spent hours on them anyway.

Not only did I surprise myself in terms of achievement, I learned a great deal from this one day.

Next season, in Hueco, I’m settling on a list. A single list of climbs of all grades that I find both fun and challenging. It’s not a tick-list for ego boosting or bragging rights, just a secret list I keep for me.

I’m sure that’s why the first tick-list was ever made—before there was such a thing as “professional climbers” or 8a.nu. I want to harness the initial competitive (but not cocky) spirit of the idea.

I never went back to See Spot after getting so close.

Regret #2: Too much climbing

Yes, you read that correctly. I regret bouldering too often (my hands and body couldn’t take it) and spending literally 4 straight months in Hueco without a break.

This, of course, is subjective. But, for me personally, I started in November with a 2-on, 1-off schedule for my climbing. This was unsustainable for my hands and body.

My skin never felt healed and my muscles couldn’t recover. It’s deceiving, because the first two weeks, I felt great. My excitement was driving me to climb as often as I could. But, as the season continued, I started having more and more “bad days” where I was too fatigued to send or my skin too raw.

When there’s nothing else to do but climb, taking a rest day seems like the hardest thing in the world. Still, it’s necessary. Same with taking a full week break. I should have driven to Flagstaff or Joe’s for a week or two, just for a change.

Nothing like pockety, feet-first climbing in Flag to take your mind off Hueco projs.

Boredom, over-exposure to the same place, and mental blocks often breed contempt (see, my last regret).

Regret #3: Hueco clique victim

If you’ve never spent a full season in Hueco, then this regret may seem superficial or strange. If you’ve spent even a single day at the Rock Ranch, however, drinking around the fire and listening to the gossip, then you know exactly what I’m talking about.

I regret not spending more time with other groups of climbers, Ranch-ers, and campers at Hueco.

In the past (so I’ve been told) it was easier to diversify your friends and bouldering crew because everybody stayed at the Rock Ranch.

Now, there are choices for lodging, a larger group of park guides, and an increased number of visitors, in general.

It makes it easy to fall victim to the clique mentality.

As a result, you may not find the support crew you need to send projects, improve your ability level, or just enjoy the desert. As a single girl traveling alone, I found the clique system in Hueco to be very isolating.

Next season, I will make better efforts to see new people, strengthen relationships with old friends, and stay away from all the desert Debbie Downers.

Nonetheless, I count myself fortunate to have spent an entire season in Hueco with a bunch of unique and talented individuals (for example, check out Spenser and Vikki’s blog about their climbing and RV Project adventures, including a video of Alban, from France, and his awesome Hueco sends here). I recommend everyone try the full Hueco season experience—hopefully having learned a few things from mine.

It’s incredible to meet climbers from around the world, and I know that I’ll keep in touch with many.

Glenn, Ana, Al, and I scoping out a problem on East Mountain.

Hueco wrap-ups usually end with a list of sends. Although I was a bit disappointed with my performance on projects, I did leave Hueco with an impressive number of climbs.

I’d rather list regrets than boulder problems, though, since it’s been sorry’s, not sends, that have truly pushed my climbing (and life) to its limits.

The wonderful Boulder Report from Udo Neumann is back!...

hueftle — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 05:01:02 -0600

The wonderful Boulder Report from Udo Neumann is back! Here’s 2012 World Cup 1 in Chongquing, China. Watching champion climbers side by side is a great way to examine movement and efficiency. Enjoy!

"The true object, as always, is not simply to get up things and check them off in our guidebook — it..."

hedgingwendy — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 10:30:56 -0600

““The true object, as always, is not simply to get up things and check them off in our guidebook — it is to challenge ourselves.””

- Doug Robinson

Overcoming A Slump & Ankle Sprain

hedgingwendy — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 09:56:00 -0600

Unlike the weather, this blog has been a bit dry in the early April season. What should have been a smooth transition from a successful bouldering season (you know, showers blossoming into Spring flowers) has turned into a Spring slump instead.

Exactly four weeks ago today, I sprained my ankle at the climbing gym. It wouldn’t have been such a heartbreaker, except I just returned from 5 months of outdoor climbing at Hueco Tanks.

Many highballs, choss piles, and close calls later, it turns out that I’d get hurt dropping off two feet above the ground onto a gym mat.

Like any self-respecting dirtbag, I do not currently have health insurance. Nonetheless, after a few consults with pharmacists, med-school students, and WebMD, I’m (fairly) certain the professional diagnosis is bad sprain/tearing of the ligaments on both sides of the foot.

The good news? After two weeks, I was able to walk without a limp (or any major pedestrian staring).

The bad news? I can’t climb. I can’t even imagine climbing, or bouldering and falling on my ankle for at least another few weeks.

Wait a minute… NO climbing?!? What do I do now?!?

First, complain about it.

Yeah, that’s right. I’m being totally serious…

The worst advice I received during this injury so far has been to “chin up” and “stop worrying about it, it won’t be that long.”

Injuries are a total mojo killer.

Other people telling you that it doesn’t matter, or that you overvalue and over-prioritize climbing doesn’t help improve your attitude.

But a good vent session might.

After the pity party, move on to step two: rehab exercise.

I found this website useful. It includes rehab exercises, such as writing the alphabet in the air with your foot, to reduce scar tissue in your ankle and increase mobility. Figure 8s are not just for knots!

After the initial period of RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation), you should work on activity-specific exercises or massage.

I found that elevation, especially at night, really helped reduce swelling (more than cold or compression). I’ve also started using Arnica cream—more on the effectiveness of that to come later in the month.

Definitely take the time for strengthening exercises. It’ll speed up healing and work to prevent re-injury.

Next? When you’re ready (only without risk of re-injury), try cross-training.

There’s nothing wrong with using forced time-off in productive ways. For example, I’ve been focusing on core exercises. I want muscles like my friend Yann….

‘Jai Dum’ 8b, Dums Kitchen Wall, Tonsai, Thailand. Photo by Wojtek Radzik.

Ok, a few ab-classes at a traditional gym probably won’t get me there. But, I’ve also been researching other intense ab exercises on the internet.

In the past, rings at the climbing gym always intimidated me. However, with nothing but time on my hands, I decided to finally figure out how to use them.

I’ve been doing a lot of push-ups lately…

Finally, there’s always cycling, pilates, yoga, walking, running, boxing, swimming, and adult gymnastics.

Working on strength and flexibility five days a week for a month or two should, in the end, improve my overall climbing. It will also rest my over-stressed finger tendons.

Maybe I can be this guy? @Chelsea Piers in NYC

Because I’ve focused the entire year on bouldering, my ankle injury has started to peak an interest in rope climbing.

Before I’ll ever be fit enough for bouldering, I’ll be able to lead climb or TR first (better landings). In that regard, I can’t wait to hone climbing footwork, fundamentals, and endurance.

As for the mental anguish of an ankle sprain… I can’t tell you how to overcome it. I’m still in a slump. But, with simple distractions and physical exercise, I’m giving it my best shot.

Here’s to hoping for an FA called, May flowers after April showers…

How to be a (high)baller. An instructional video by John...

hedgingwendy — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:59:54 -0600

How to be a (high)baller.

An instructional video by John “Verm” Sherman.

"My father considered a walk among the mountains as the equivalent of churchgoing."

hedgingwendy — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 15:05:35 -0600

““My father considered a walk among the mountains as the equivalent of churchgoing.””

- Aldous Huxley (1894-1963)