plastic and the city

According to a recent issue of Urban Climber gyms are where its at. Pulling on plastic is all the rage - everyone is psyched to get indoors. Crimps, jugs and slopers - its all there. Rock rings, campus boards, hang boards, slack lines and top ropes. Get strong with the air conditioner on. Training 2010.

On a recent return to the city for a couple of days, rained out everywhere else, I was psyched to get back in the gym and efficiently train. In the morning I went through a solid strength training routine - keep it tight at 2-3 hours - and go for quality instead of quantity. That's what Ben Moon said.

When I walked in the good walls were being stripped but still some overhanging areas remained. Good problems by the veteran setters - have to be picky. After a couple of hours I was desperatly missing the feel of real rock, the outside air, the altitude, the projects. Yet, it felt great to go for an efficient workout, see friends, sample some new creations, get back to the world - I think. After pulling on plastic for a couple of hours I was beat. Hit the streets, see the city, go for a run.

The city is such a trip, a buildering dream, so far from the stone walls and campgrounds of the areas I know. There is styles and models on every corner. Hustling and artistry, history and dreams. Everything is possible or passable in New York.


Climbers in the city revel in plastic. They have to. They are strong and proud and northeast junkies. A crazy mix of talent and trash talk. Everyone is super positive and down for the cause. Even if it is on plastic.

Matt Segal was raised on plastic.....look at how he turned out.

Rain and rest

"Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and sometimes it rains."

Bull Durham


Its a rain day.

The rain started last night and has not let up yet. Following a week of perfect weather apparently we are in for a couple of wet days in the forecast.

I can't complain - the last two days have had awesome conditions and I was fortunate to get out and climb on both. Epic session in the northeast, classic problems along the carriage road. All with fun climbing partners and inspiring feats of strength.

Bouldering at higher grades and the projects that inevitably come with such commitment is an inspiring and pressure filled game.

"I didn't want another project! Now I have to go through the sleepless nights and cold sweats and obsessing. My girlfriends going to hate this."

This from a strong local climber who didn't finish his project before the afternoon sun hit the cliff line and the temperatures turned for the worse. He waited till the day went cool again but by that time the muscles had tightened and the window of opportunity was gone. A long day - 4 very difficult moves on a very hard boulder problem. Climbing....

I spent my day working through the crux section of a very beautiful line that was put up by Koots last year. Jug - cross - cross - sag - throw - heal - crimp - crimp - jug - out left - awesome. Cataclysm's Edge. Suffering. Good times. No send. Fail. Experience. Psyched to go back.

And then it rains. A heavy downpour turns to a light mist in the afternoon. The clouds move in, the sky turns, the roads shimmer a dim reflection, the rock is wet. Hiding, hiking, waiting it out in the cafes and campsites. Hot water and tea on a cold day. Some new boulders I found on a hike between the pass look like good potential for the future. Perhaps some scrubbing and cleared landings will wield some potentially good lines. When the rain stops.

Its a quiet town when it rains. Soft. Perfect for a rest day. Nothing moving to fast and the ease of it all seeps into the bones and allows the body to relax, refuel, get ready for the next session. The tendons will hurt and all achy, the moisture in the air is cold and it will remain that way through the night, but there are more projects now. Further obsessions. Perfect lines and enthusiasm. Psyche. Everyone inspired by that local psyche.

basics

Spring time is about and an awesome time to camp and rock climb. Its a busy weekend in the climbing world - perfect weather outside and the roc comp in Maryland. Can't do everything - I chose to go climbing outside.

While I love seeing all my friends at comps, and they are a great time to sample problems by premier setters, be inspired, and often just have a solid time at after parties, free shwag, etc, this felt like a really good time to get back outside and work on my many projects in the area.

Climbing is such a simply complex relationship. A women tonight asked me if I was obsessed with climbing? I replied "of course." How else does one fully do it - or do anything well if not with full passion. To me climbing is a passion. One that can peak and fall but it never fully leaves. There are moments of small progress on a route, like this evening when, with the sun going down fast and the sky turning a perfect pink I gave one last thrown at my project and successfully hit the lip, swung out, held it, then fell. But that one move, the one that's been alluding me so, is done. I hope to finish it off this weekend. Simple movement, complex elation. Back to basics.

just go rock climbing.

The last two days in the Northeast area. one day with Pat for a pretty zenned out roof session at Richies, the next solo in the lower area - exploring the area, cleaning off some problems, put up three new lines, and worked on some solid boulder routes. Before the skin gave out completely.

i managed to wake up on Wednesday with enough psyche to get out and trek back into the area. the weather was again perfect - irresistible. even though i have gotten a little weary on the projects in the area, i am still very inspired by what is going on out there. enough to keep me coming back for sure.

while many of the problems in the area run at V4+, there are plenty of moderates and the area is really developing awesomely. i think that the coming months will bring a wealth of climbers, first accents, and hard sends. i hear that a guidebook is in the works for the future so who knows.........

i was really psyched on two lines in particular, one of which will not work and the other requires more cleaning at the top out before being finished. when the weather clears up after the weekend will hopefully get back out there and get it done.

Cataclysms Edge is an awesome problem in the area that i will work on when back up there. its a beautiful line - powerful yet graceful. there is something about bouldering high up that is awfully inspiring. the wind comes in strong and the sun and clouds rest in the horizon along the mountain tops. totally beautiful and a wonderful reprieve from the stresses of everyday life - money, work, ambitions, etc. if it were all so simple. whenever it gets hectic, just go rock climbing.

grades whores are the best - don't ya know son!

days on

just finished up a quick four day trip through some northeast climbing areas. Ice Pond and The Gunks. Both areas are awesome and was real lucky to have perfect weather through out. everyone climbed hard. Lots of fun, lots of rock. awesome new problems. Richies Roof is an awesome new addition to The Gunks. Ice Pond and it's vast array of new problems on solid rock are great. if all goes according to plan will be back up there soon.

The question will become how many people does it take to make an area great? Is it the history or the present or a wacky combination of both? not sure. but something is happening. Silly climbers........

The North East

We have spent the last two days exploring and climbing at a new area around the Gunks. It has been so refreshing to get on new steep problems again in an area without crowds and that's in the process of being developed.

Development of a climbing area is always exciting, especially in an area that has so much history. There are really hard lines being put up, along with great moderate problems. The rock is sharp in some spots, and there is lots of lichen and cleaning to be done, but there is so much potential!

Climbed all day with a good group of boulderers based out of new york city and Massachusetts. Motivated and psyched to get out and on it. With discovery and psyche we have blasted ourselves pretty good over the last days - getting on Shake Hands With Beef, Cataclysm Eclipse, Shwapple, Joey Goes Home, and Z. All stellar problems in the area.

There's lots to do and getting outside and on the road is always good. Walking out with the sun going down and the mountains for as far as the eye can see after a perfect day with blue skies and great temps makes it all worth it. After the pulling, the screaming, the instant suffering - its always worth it. We go back in tomorrow and crush. More blue skies in the forecast and spring feels like fall.

We put up four problems today - all super moderates, and everyone is psyched to put up more new lines. To search and find great boulders among a giant field of talus. To work projects, establish lines, leave tired and hungry and psyched for the next day. Staying busy.

rock

The Zoo yo.

not bad for a sunday afternoon outside.

Ice Pond

Bomber.

That's what I can say about the rock at Ice Pond. Totally solid nice rock boulders just off the lake in a quiet preserve one hour from a bustling metropolis - good stuff on a sunny day in spring!

I couldn't help it. Even with lots of stuff to do the weather was to perfect to be anywhere but outside rock climbing. That's what we do. Jump in the car, load up the pads, head north and get on some real rock. The problems in the area are pretty well spread out with pocketed concentrations of short and powerful boulder problems through out the area. Not a highball meca by far, but there are some really stellar lines that super sweet. Agebt Orange, Diesal, and Catharsis are some of the areas gems. But there is plenty to play on lots of development potential.

We jumped on a bunch of problems as I was getting a tour and sample of the area. The weather has turned warm here so everything was a little slippery come midday. A definite contact strength day. Perfect for sampling various slopers and crimps that pepper the area. We tried some of the harder problems in the area and unfortunately did not send though its certainly worth a couple of return visits and a certain recommendation for anyone in the northeast corridor.

We ambled up to a couple of potential lines and sussed out some potential new problems not far from the main trail. Creation in rock climbing - first assents, bolting, whatever is a super exciting and often positive endevor. The continuous development of areas in the northeast now is exciting, with serious hardman challenges out there. Props to the bass for your face guys and all the locals getting it done. Thanks to Patrick for getting out and showing the area. When climbers are psyched nothing is better.

as Mike said - better to climb on real rock.

The Gunks

im waiting for pictures from last weekends trip up to the Gunks in upstate NY. it was a good trip though some drama did persist. in all the weather was good, if not a bit warm, and it was awesome to get on some new problems as well as old projects.

rock climbing is a strange thing that truly envelopes ones life. perhaps it is the allure of the send, the incredible frustration of the fail, or the endless problems and routes that are spread across the globe - never enough time - that keeps us coming back. whether it be to enjoy the wonder of the outdoors or savor in the bliss of keenly focused physical action the fatal attraction to rock climbing is eternal and without boundries. there is no telling how far, how hard, or for how much time one will work, project, commit, send, fail, and return to a single boulder or a said line up a rocky face.

to be with good people is essential. i was fortunate enough to climb with some really good people who were as psyched as i was for getting outside. after our daily warm up at the Boxcar boulder we made it over to Squeenos, to Jaboo, to The Depanser, and to Jackson Pollock. all mega awesome lines and area classics. all hard and powerful boulder problems. all worth visiting and sesioning.

The Gunks is a classic area, known primarily for its selection of trad routes. the bouldering revolution hit the area hard and there seems to be a renaisance occuring there again. new lines are being put up often in areas like The Lost City and Two Rights. the climbing community is super dedicated to their training and their land. they are involved and commited to keeping the area open and beautiful and free. just being in a community with such a long history of climbing pioneers is inspiring.

whenever i am there the obligatory visit to Rock and Snow is the best. the shop is a homage to great gear and local history. everyone is super cool and mega helpful and psyched to talk about whats new and whats good and whats being done. truly involved.

the boulder problems in the area vary in style greatly, from the carriage road to peterskill and all around the area. there is definately no shortage of things to do! i am excited to get back up there sometime this spring or next fall when the temperatures are real good and sending fever is in full swing.