The Adventures of That Climber Guy

Relocated!

2011-12-17T15:14:00.000-08:00

This blog has moved to here, so this is the last post on this site. See you all at the new place!

First day of the year at Index

2011-05-01T16:27:00.000-07:00

Because I need to be reminded that I really don't know how to climb.

Oh, B-Hop's took his first gear fall...

Above a purple TCU!

So I'm running a little late

2011-02-17T23:35:00.000-08:00

While I wish that last video involved Vasya crushing the final problem and taking the win, it doesn't. However, it is a fantastic example of time management during an onsight comp. This is hard to teach to kids, and is usually learned over time. Mostly the part involving ignoring the crowd that's screaming for you to get back on the problem so that they can have a show. A climber needs to shut that out and listen to their body so that they have the energy to get to the top, because that's not only how to win, but how to give the crowd the best show possible.

Stepping things up!

2011-02-13T15:52:00.000-08:00

So, the 2011 ABS Nationals was yesterday, and I could go on about how Daniel Woods didn't make finals, or how next generation stars Alex David Johnson and Francesca Metcalf cemented themselves at the top of the American bouldering scene. I'm not. I want to talk about everything else.

A half dozen years ago this was an event seen by only a few hundred people stuffed into a rock gym that should only house, at most, half as many people. For the rest of us, it could take days, if not weeks, to hear about the results. This year I got to watch it live from the comfort of my apartment. The partnership of USAC and NE2C has brought about the key change of a live web stream for ABS Nationals. But that's just the start of the production upgrades for the event.

While NE2C have been live streaming events for a few years now, this is the first one to have instant replay. It may not be a major breakthrough in sports broadcasting as a whole, but this was the first time it had ever been used in climbing. This is an important step forward to bringing in new spectators as it allows them to immediately re-live those "Did that really just happen?!?!" moments.

Speaking of those moments, there were plenty to be had on the custom built 20' high Vertical Solutions walls. Those walls are as much works of art as they are competitive climbing structures, and they will be featured at all the UBC stops this year. Including a stop in the famous... what? I'm not suppose to spill the beans? Even though John Stack already did it at the end of this article? Ok, fine. I seriously can't wait to get on these walls myself in August and September.

The list goes on. Top tier lighting, the best running commentary I've heard at a climbing comp so far, and interviews with the climbers themselves. This was, without a doubt, the most well produced climbing comp ever put on in the US. The only ones I can think of that would be on the same level is the Asian X-Games. I really hope the IFSC picks up the ball and runs with it.

It's that time of year again!

2011-01-27T20:16:00.000-08:00

The Big Red Machine Rolls On!

2011-01-16T18:13:00.000-08:00

I have no idea how this kid is still alive...

2010-12-14T20:27:00.000-08:00

In general not just because of this.

Finally coming together

2010-10-21T20:21:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to get things in the Everett hold room sorted and clean(ish) since I moved out here a little over a year ago. A new space is what's needed, but I'll be happy with organized. Took a big step forward today with an initial batch of plastic bins to sort the holds into, instead of just piling them onto the shelves. This got us moving things around, which got us finding junk back there that just need to be cleaned out. I think it's finally starting to look like a legitimate hold room. Can't wait for the rest of the bins... and more holds.

Also, I found a nice little stop-gap solution to our t-nut problems... at least for one small section of wall. T-nut mod on one of the old Cascade Crags screw on features for the win!

Before

After

They're in! Get psyched!

2010-10-13T20:10:00.000-07:00

Back to bouldering!

2010-10-03T21:32:00.000-07:00

So I went out to Leavenworth today with a bunch of kids from the team (some were already out there with Adam). Today was awesome on a whole other level. I haven't felt this solid during an outdoor bouldering session in, well, ever. After a barely adequate warm up on some VBs, I did a repeat ascent of Pimpsqueek (V9), and Fritz flashed in right before that. Then we headed down the the main area and started working on the Sail (V9). The first few moves on this are awkward to say the least. Sam put in down first, with Alex following. I detoured slightly to the Jib (V8), which Alex had just done after the Sail, and snagged a send on the second go. With my psych back up, I went back to the Sail and promptly hiked it. We headed up to get on Hantaman (V9), but after a few attempt, and a general sense of apathy about the problem, we moved on. On our way down we stopped to watch the ladies crush the Undercling (V5), which you can see Audrey Hsu on below (I promised her I wouldn't post the video of her falling on the start move if she sent).

The whole crew then headed over to the Swiftwater area. Sam, Alex and I headed over to try Big Booty Bitch Slap (V10), a problem with a heinous start to a significantly easier finish. After a little while the older girls came by to try the Footless traverse (V5) and Raging Bull (V7), which share the same finish as BBBS. Being the end of the day (or end of the second day for a lot of them), we were having a major flail fest at this point. Personally, having done a V8 and two V9s in a day (a personal best), my good mood was not being affected too much by my complete inability to successfully even hold onto the start hold and pull off the ground. So we packed up and went over to where the little ones were climbing. Our general tiredness devolved into some rather typical (climbing easy problems in our street shoes because we're too lazy to change them) and atypical (Sam wading out into a freezing cold river to try and catch a fish with his hands) behavior, some of which may or may not have found its way onto the internets.

And yes, the mens room was unoccupied when he entered.

Tacoma Throwdown!

2010-09-19T16:46:00.000-07:00

So the first ever comp at the Tacoma Vertical World was off the hook! This was one of the best comps I've been to, period. Perfect number of problems, perfect amount of climbing time, wicked sick problems that I'd drive back down there to get on again. This could turn into the bouldering event in the PNW with a little work. Good way to make a first impression boys!

... and the after show, courtesy of Vertical Girl, was cool too. Check it.

Because it's true...

2010-09-16T22:00:00.000-07:00

IT'S ON!!!

2010-09-13T20:09:00.000-07:00

Weight vest training starts now!

... and now for something completely different!

2010-09-08T23:05:00.001-07:00

This makes me happy on so many levels. Enjoy!

Death Metal Puppy - watch more funny videos

The Trip: The End

2010-09-06T17:24:00.000-07:00

So on my last day at Rumney this year, I fell on the same move of the same route that I fell on the day before I drove west. Brutal. At least next summer I'll know what to do to get ready for Rumney... Boulder, a lot. Even when you're on your feet, you've still have to pull with your arms. It is what it is, and I love it.

So after getting my but kicked, Izzy and I hit up The Common Man for some lunch before heading down to Foxboro to see the Seattle Sounders visit The New England Revolution. I'm a converted man now, and I was cheering for the Sounders.

This was a fantastic vacation, and exactly what I've been needing. Can't wait to do it again next year!

The Trip: Actual Sending!

2010-09-01T13:45:00.000-07:00

Technosurfing is one of the best routes at Rumney, and I'm kicking myself for not doing it sooner. There were only two of us this trip, so we didn't get any pics, but I tracked down a good shot of the route off google. There's another 25-30 feet below the bottom of the shot. Get psyched! (and click to view full size)

The Trip: Nostalgia

2010-09-01T13:17:00.000-07:00

So due to a lack of climbing partners, I spent several days chilling and enjoying being in a place that feels like I never left. The roads, the food, the people. This is, and always will be, home. I hope in several years I'll be able to come back here for good. Maybe when I transition from route setter to high school teacher. But that's still a long way off, can't get hung up on it. Life is good now. As the saying goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." But you could still work on your food shops Washington, get on it.

The Trip: Re-acclimating

2010-08-25T10:21:00.000-07:00

The Trip: A Rough Start

2010-08-23T20:03:00.000-07:00

So this trip got off to a very bad start. The airline screwed up and I missed my connecting flight, resulting in me getting in 6 hours later than planed. Then the next morning I didn't find out if I had a car or not until it was too late to head up to Rumney. So I headed into my old gym to be greeted by being told that I could not set, and therefor, could not climb for free, and that to be able to set I'd need the permission from the head setter who is on vacation in the Sierras. Seriously? I use to be the head setter there. Do you think he's going to tell me no? Fortunately Dan showed up and wanted to get on some real rock, so we booked it out to Gloucester to get on some glacial erratics before the sun went down.

After a quick session we headed over to Cala's in Manchester for dinner and to visit Lauren at her new job. In classic Manchester fashion the food was good, but overpriced.

The next morning I was hoping to just beat the rain to Lincoln Woods in Rhode Island, but failed to do so. Just ended up spending the day hanging around the house.

Today (monday) was an obvious rain day, so I slept in and chilled out for the afternoon. I watch the excellent movie Cashback. Then headed into the gym for Yoga for Climbers, which Lauren teaches.

Untitled

2010-08-14T20:21:00.001-07:00

Another fit has brought me down again.

Mentally prone, I lie in wait of rest,

But sleep does not come, nor will it stave pain.

For there can be little that will work best.

The mind's infection races far and wide,

Bringing the body ache and heart distress.

The past's indiscretions will not subside,

So that the new born soul can not confess.

So it tries to force and bring clarity back,

To bring these things forward into the light.

But psychoses push back, a swift attack,

And silent the voice falls on the cold night.

An utterance so soft it's barely caught

As he dreams of the woman never forgot.

The Parents Invade! - Sunday

2010-08-13T21:36:00.000-07:00

We started the day off with the tour of the Boeing plant just down the street from my apartment. It was cool see how they put together the 747's, 777's and the yet to be released 787's. Each one had it's own unique assembly line.

Next it was into town to go to the aquarium. It was pretty cool, but I expected more from a coastal city. Picked some of my favorite videos I got there:

To end the weekend off we saved the best for last, a Sounders game! This was a crazy experience. No other MLS team has a following like this. They were also kind enough to win 2-0.

The Parents Invade! - Saturday

2010-08-10T22:43:00.000-07:00

So may parents were in Seattle this last weekend, so I finally got to do some of the tourist things around town. We starting things off on saturday by going to the Experience Music and Sci-Fi Museum. This place covers two of my favorite things outside of climbing.

(The tower of guitars in the center of the museum)
(Nirvana's old gear)
(Eddie Van Halen's famous guitar)
(I shouldn't need to explain this one)
(What I wanted to be when I grew up. So jealous of Cory Feldman)
(Aren't you a little short to be a Storm Trooper?)
(Dude, your skin fell off)
(Farscape was one of the greatest sci-fi shows ever)
(This is a favorite b-rate sci-fi movies of my sister and I. Jane Fonda is sooo hot)
(A Freman stillsuit from the movie Dune. If you haven't read the book, do it now)

After, we decided to go catch a movie as the weather was being classic Seattle, and therefor, unpleasant to be in. We headed up to Lynnwood to see Despicable Me. This movie is fantastic. It's so good I really can't put it into words. So go see it... and feel free to invite me, 'cause I want to see it again.

Sunday breakdown coming soon.

The end of many good things, and the start of more

2010-08-01T23:21:00.000-07:00

Red Sox @ Mariners

2010-07-25T19:12:00.000-07:00

A very well played game that saw the Mariners come back in the 8th for the win. I was disappointed in the Mariner fans though. The people at the park were split about 50/50 between Mariner and Red Sox fans. The Sox fans would cheer when the Sox made a good play or just a general "Let's go red Sox!" chant. There were several Mariner fans however that felt the need to yell "Red Sox suck!" or "You suck Drew!" (if you couldn't tell from the picture above, I was in the section near JD Drew) whether or not the Mariners were ahead or behind. The most ridiculous one came when some lady randomly pointed at me and yelled "You guys suck!" when I was walking out of the park with everyone else.

I expect this kind of stuff to go on at Red Sox/Yankees games, but I wasn't expecting it here. Especially with the Mariners walking out the winners. It will be interesting to see if it happens again with a different team in a few weeks when I go to a game while my parents are in town visiting.

And we're back

2010-07-24T21:49:00.000-07:00

1 year latter

2010-07-23T21:34:00.000-07:00

Alex's Surprise Birthday Party

2010-07-20T22:07:00.000-07:00

Index Round 2

2010-07-17T19:48:00.000-07:00

So far, so good, but there is a lot more to come.

2010-07-16T21:17:00.000-07:00

So proud, and so close...

2010-07-11T21:31:00.000-07:00

As Tyson would say, time for a fitness check

2010-07-10T21:26:00.000-07:00

The First Last

2010-07-05T21:36:00.000-07:00

The poster the kids made for me. Totally blown away by them.

3 Weekend Recap aka Lot's of Firsts

2010-07-04T20:59:00.000-07:00

So I finally made my first trip out to Index this last weekend. It was very eye opening as to what climbing on gear out here is going to take. Very different from back east. We only got in a few pitches because Rudy had to get home to pack for Atlanta, but the quality was outstanding. I only ended up top roping, but made up for it by getting on the stellar Marginal Karma (5.11b). I know I'll be able to lead it as soon as I can place my gear more efficiently. Can't wait to get back.

Ok, now to jump back to two weekends ago. The original plan was for Chelsea and I to head out to Little Si, but with Washington weather being what it is, we instead took the sure thing and headed out to Leavenworth. Nothing crazy went down, but Chelsea got back on Scrabbled Eggs (V8) for a second time and was very close to sending. Considering she hasn't trained for bouldering in months, this is a problem that should go down easy in the fall when she's back in shape for it. As for me, I messed around on some easier problems until we made our way over to the Swift Water area. There is a schist cave in the back corner of the picnic area that made me quite homesick for Rumney. I only did the V7 line, but it's first hard schist climbing I'd done since the move and it got me wicked psyched for my trip home in late August.

Then there was last weekend. Two solid days of real rock action. Saturday was spent running sport routes at the Nevermind Wall at Exit 38 with Andy. A solid day that went 5.1a, 5.12a, 5.11b, 5.12a, 5.10d. The endurance in slowly coming back. But then there was sunday, the day of power pulling on the boulders of Gold Bar. I had one clear goal heading up there, Twisted (V10). I had worked on the problem once before a few months ago, putting in at least 15 tries. So after a long hike and a quick warm up, I went back to battle with my nemesis. It got an early lead by spitting me off the first of the hard moves, a move I had gotten dialed on the previous session. I got the feel for the move back after several attempts and then the work began. Attempt after attempt, but the no progress was to be made. I was starting to think that it would no go after all, but I didn't plan to stop trying until I didn't have any skin left on my fingers. And then it happened. A slight twist of my right foot, putting my body in a slightly different position, allowing me to hold onto that bad vertical pinch. I had that momentary pause where I realized that I was not hitting the pad below me, but in fact, was still on the rock. I quickly got my wits about me, snagged the next crimp and finally latched the first of the top out jugs. I rocked up onto the moss laden slab and carefully made my way up and over to the easy walk off the back side. I had finally done it! After more than 30 tries, I'd finally done my first V10! While this was a goal I could only dream of 3 years ago, I now know that it is only the beginning of things to come. Especially if I can build the endurance to transfer this power to longer rope routes. This coming year is looking very bright indeed.

See you on the rocks!

-Josh

2010 SCS Division 1 Championships - Qualifiers

2010-06-13T11:54:00.000-07:00

So I took my off day on the nicest weekend in weeks and went inside to watch my kids compete at the SCS Division 1 Championships. I was only able to be there for the first day qualifying round as I had no place to stay in portland and had no intension of making a 3 hour drive for the third time in 24 hours. I'll post links to sundays finals coverage from other people as they become available. Now that that's out of the way, here's qualifiers.

Memorial Weekend Madness!

2010-05-30T22:11:00.000-07:00

After we did a quick stop at The Undercling (V5) for the sole reason that I had never onsighted a V5. This only bothered me because I've onsighted every other grade up to V7, but 5's always seem to get under my skin somehow. So here is how it went...

Next we headed over to Pretty Hate Machine (V8) because we heard it was wicked sick problem that just had to be climbed. It doesn't look like much when you first approach it, but the climb itself does not disappoint. Despite being quite powerful, it took us several tries to sort out the beta. Here's one of the later (read better) early attempts...

After a lot of tries like this we started to get pretty tired, so I declared that unless I at least touched the lip on this next try, the day would be done...

So we stuck around and two tries latter...

Before I sign out for the day, I'd like to give a shout out to that rock by Pretty Hate Machine for being in the perfect place to rest my Droid so we could get those videos and still spot.

See you on the rocks!

-Josh

Behind the Scenes of the Vertical Girl Photo Shoot!

2010-05-23T20:37:00.000-07:00

So I got to tag along for the photo shoot in Leavenworth for the new Vertical Girl clothing line. The ladies seemed really psyched on the way the cloths looked and, more importantly for a climber, how they performed. Here are a few vids from the shoot. A lot more went on, but you'll get to see that in print!

SCS PNW Regionals 2010

2010-05-16T23:14:00.000-07:00

I was lazy and didn't get any vids or pics from the event, but I'll hook you up with a link to Tyson's stuff over on oldguy.com for those of you that don't read it already. Time to start kicking things into gear for Divisionals.

-Josh

Now that's what I'm talkin' about!

2010-05-15T22:46:00.000-07:00

Really enjoyed this new short from Big Up. Seeing some old friendly faces made me a bit home sick, but outside of that it got me really psyched to train. Been needing that to supplement my outdoor time. May have to make a small stop at the Central Rock Gym on my trip home now since the place looks sick.

See you on the rocks... or the plastic.

-Josh

Leavenworth 5/8/10 - Part 2

2010-05-09T21:59:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Devo for shooting the vid, and for cutting out my excessive chalking in the middle.

Leavenworth 5/8/10

2010-05-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

More video and pics coming once Devo posts them up. Felt good to plug gear and climb slab for the first time in about 10 months. Should help a lot with the head game and of course, the footwork.

-Josh

May Day comp at Stoneworks

2010-05-09T11:11:00.000-07:00

While waiting for scores some people had fun drawing on the parking lot with chalk.

One problem solved...

2010-05-07T22:06:00.000-07:00

End of an Era

2010-05-03T21:15:00.001-07:00

The Sentra is dead. Blogging will have to be put on hold until I can get a new vehicle. I will get the comp stuff up from this last weekend when I have some time.

-Josh

Rain, rain, go away...

2010-04-30T20:03:00.000-07:00

A long week... with a good end

2010-04-25T20:51:00.000-07:00

So my week started out with an ok day at work, can't complain, but the night ended with me eating something that I apparently shouldn't have. Of course I didn't know this until 4am when I woke up sweating and with stomach pains. I new what it was right away, food poisoning. I'd had it before, so I figured I just go chill in the bathroom until my body took care of the problem then I'd get back to sleep. But no, it took until 6 for the nastiness to get started and the first wave didn't stop for half an hour. Yes, I said first wave. I managed to pass back out after this, but when I woke up a few hours later my body decided it hadn't quite got it all. It also decided that the other direction was the best way to go this time. So after all this, I can barely get any water down, no food whatsoever, and I'm starting to get really light headed. So I phoned in some help and got myself to a hospital.

After they initially check me out the get me hooked up to an IV to get me re-hydrated. They proceed to pump 3 bags of fluid (each about 2 liters) into me over about 2 hours! The older nurse told me that was only the second time she's ever seen someone need that much fluid. I started feeling better right away, but it was another 8 hours until I could start to eat any food again. And by any food I mean a single bagel, barely. The next day food started to go down a little better, but I didn't start eating normally again until friday. My stomach is still giving me some trouble today. Hopefully this doesn't last much longer.

So in an attempt to help my stomach, and my sanity, I headed out to Little Si with Fritz and B-Hops today.

It felt good to be pulling down on some rock and I felt good considering what I had been through this week. I felt super solid after a warm-up run on Aborigine and decided the next step was to go straight after my mini-project, Hang Out to Dry. I say mini-project, because this was going to be my third day on it, but was also only going to be my third try. The lower, technical half went much smoother than the previous week. After chilling at the midway rest for a good bit, I headed into the upper, power section. Today I had some pull left over and made the crux move just fine to almost sketch off two moves later on a biggish move to a jug, but I managed to just latch it with two and a half fingers. Thank you +4! Glad to put this one down, super fun route, will definitely get on it again.

Feeling good about the send, I chilled out for a while and watched/belayed for B-Hops and Alex on some climbs. I also started to think about what was next. I was thinking longer. So after a good while I got on Technorigine. This was a climb I tried once back in august, but was unable to do at the time because of my shoulder. With my shoulder back in shape, I was at least able to hang through the upper moves to get the beta sorted out. Psyched to get back on it and I've got the plan to train for the distance... but I have not forgotten about the boulder project in Gold Bar! So much climbing to get done!

See you on the rocks.

-Josh

Oops!

2010-04-18T23:40:00.000-07:00

So I've reverted to my lazy ways and haven't been posting. On the other hand I've been doing a fair bit of climbing. Two days bouldering at Leavenworth, one at Gold Bar, and another at Little Si doing the first real rope climbing I've done in about 6 months. Long story short, I've gotten most of my power back, but my endurance/power endurance still has a long way to go to get back to where I was. Fortunately I know how to fix this, and it just involves climbing more and for longer. Also, I haven't forgotten about that shoe review. I got them to be mainly an indoor pair and haven't be climbing in the gym much, but that is about to change, so it should be coming up soon.

See you on the rocks!

-Josh

This makes 9 pairs on rotation, I think...

2010-03-02T20:34:00.000-08:00

New shoes showed up today! Look for a review sometime next week after I get a chance to really break them in.

-Josh

Making cool cooler

2010-03-01T20:51:00.001-08:00

Filling in the gaps

2010-02-26T17:30:00.000-08:00

So I went on a binge, and I'm watching a nice retro-pair on eBay too. Shoes are the one part of my wardrobe that I've more or less ignored over the last several years. However with the people I hang around with now, I need to step my game up a little.

-Josh

Four years later...

2010-02-26T17:27:00.000-08:00

And they're still showing me love! It may be a hole in the wall, but this is the gym that gave me my start, so it will always feel like home. Plus you can see some of the first routes I ever set in this shot.

-Josh

Facelift

2010-02-26T12:53:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Izzy for my new banner. It's the dopeness!

-Josh

Sunday Session

2010-02-21T18:52:00.001-08:00

In case you didn't hear...

2010-02-19T21:27:00.000-08:00

Finally got the banner at the gym. So psyched on how well the kids did and how much effort they put in to bring this thing home. Almost feels like there's no time to celebrate; We're head down into rope season now. Fortunately the kids are ready and willing to carry over their hard work and success to the next challenge. Look out, VW is looking for a two-for!

-Josh

Play, Dance, Repeat.

2010-02-06T13:05:00.000-08:00

So BT's new album, These Hopeful Machines, came out this week. These hopeful Machines is the follow up to his modern classical masterpiece, This Binary Universe. This album sees him return to the dance roots that has made him one of the top producers in the industry, while keeping much of the more mature sound he'd built over the last several years. The result, an almost 2 hour journey through electronic soundscapes that should go down as one of the best dance albums ever made. Here's a track by track breakdown:

Suddenly - He hits you straight out of the gate with the albums big single (although it was the third to be released). And why not? It's a massive pop-rock anthem. With sweet synths and catchy guitar hooks, including a simple but strong bridge, how can you not want to throw this song on repeat? But don't take my word for it, check it out for yourself.

The Emergency - This track is a call back to his old trance style, but is laced with veins of his newer work. It would have fit in well on one of his older albums, and would probably have been a single. But on this album it comes across as filler. That is not meant as an insult to this song, but a testament to how strong this album is.

Every Other Way - Next he slows things down with the albums second single. The songs starts out with a beautiful acoustic part, then slowly builds up a smooth electronic base that gives it a solid groove that still makes you want to move. I would be seriously surprised if this song doesn't find its way into soundtracks. It takes a strange, but welcome, turn at the end into glitch heaven which leads it perfectly into the next track. Take a listen below (sans outro, couldn't find one with it).

The Light in Things - This has got to be the catchiest song on the whole album! You know, the kind of song where even though you don't know the words you can still hear the singer in your head. This is partly due to BT making a track that has the best of what turn of the century trance had to offer and mixed it with a modern sound, and partly due to the fantastic vocals of JES. Take a listen, I dare you not to move.

Rose of Jericho - This, the first single off the album, was released over the summer and was used in BT's iPhone app Sonifi. This is a flat out trance anthem. Songs don't get much more fun than this. It takes a very simple melody then lets it play in chaos. Come on, bust out those glow sticks, you know you want to!

Forget Me - Yet another single worthy track. This may be my favorite off the album. A fantastic pop-rock powerhouse. Plus the part where his 6 year old daughter sings the final chorus fits perfectly with the feel of song without burying it with cuteness.

A Million Stars - To start out the second disc, BT gets straight back to his trance roots again. Simple, but sweet is the m.o. of this track. It should be making the rounds at the clubs this year.

Love Can Kill You - I'd never thought I'd say this, but in this case, a pop-rock track that's only 5 minutes long is too short. But on an album where the average song length is about 9 1/2 minutes, that is exactly the case. An extremely well crafted song that is just at home on the dance floor as the radio.

Always - When I first heard this song I thought I was listening to a new David Bowie song. If that's not enough to make you want to listen to it then I just don't know what is.

Le Nocturne de Lumière - A fantastic, semi-ambient, glitch number. It evokes some of the same feelings that This Binary Universe did. This is the kind of song that is perfect for driving through the city a night.

The Unbreakable - It starts out sounding like a classic, end-of-movie song from the 80's, but build to a classic lighter trance song. Yet another song that should find it's way into some soundtracks.

The Ghost in You - Last, but not least, is a cover of a song originally done by The Psychedelic Furs. A mostly acoustic track that is highlighted by soft synth textures that gain more prominence in the later minutes of the song. A perfect and fitting end to a dance floor dominating album.

All in all, this is one of the best albums of any genre that I've heard in the last decade. I seriously recommend adding this album to you collection if you are a fan of good music, regardless of style. If you love electronica, then this is a can't miss album. I'll definitely have this on repeat for weeks to come.

-Josh

Why yes! I am a raging dork!

2010-02-05T22:37:00.000-08:00

So I recently started playing Magic: The Gathering after over a decade away from the game. Not even remotely regretting this decision. The new expansion set, Worldwake, came out today, so I went and blew my monthly budget for cards on the fancy Fat Pack shown above. Plus, I competed in the pre-release tournament for the set last weekend. Got totally owned, but still felt like it was a decent showing for being out of it so long. Kind of like climbing 5.10 after not climbing for over a decade... ok, it's nothing like that... I'm just going to go hide in the corner and play with my cards now.

-Josh

Coming Soon!

2010-02-02T23:25:00.000-08:00

So I'm at least a week out (read as: probably 2-3 weeks) from having the videos of the coaching side of my job put together. In the meantime enjoy this little vid of Syd, the reigning female youth-d champion, crushing a 5.11d out our 60' roof. She did this for fun after finishing her drills early.

Post-birthday Thoughts

2010-01-29T00:50:00.000-08:00

So, as a little birthday present to myself, I've decided to open up my blog to non-climbing related topics. I know this is a radical idea for a blog titled "The Adventures of That Climber Guy", but then again, not all my adventures are climbing related. To get things rolling I'm going to start by talking about that life long adventure that is known as family.

Most of you know that I lost my mother to cancer back in 1997. What most of you don't know is that I, more or less, lost contact with my mother's side of the family afterwards. I was fortunate enough on my cross country move to stay with my aunt Mary and uncle Greg, with a surprise visit from my cousin Emily. Then, they day before my birthday, my uncle John sends me a friend request on Facebook. Through him I've been able to find most of the family members I have seen or heard from in over a decade. As someone who has had trouble in the past with keeping up long distance relationships, this is a positive trend I'd like to keep going.

-Josh

The Job, Part 1: Route Setting

2010-01-27T21:51:00.000-08:00

Thanks to oldguy.com for the idea of using videos instead of that junk I stoop to calling prose.

So I lied...

2009-12-16T23:47:00.000-08:00

Ok, it's been a month since I said it would be two weeks until I made the first post on my new job. The post will be coming in the near future. I've been distracted by other things. One of which is my newly regained ability to climb. I'm horribly out of shape, at least compared to how I was climbing before, but it's coming back bit by bit. I'm hoping that once the Tacoma gym opens up I'll be able to train like I did back home. The picture above really does no justice to the size of these walls. I'm pretty sure I can't touch the lip of that red roof from the ground, maybe after the padding is put in. So soon, get psyched!

See you on the rocks.

-Josh

An update about updates

2009-11-15T22:18:00.000-08:00

So there hasn't been much going on recently, since I'm still trying to get my shoulder up to speed. However I will be posting 2 blogs in the coming weeks dealing with both sides of my job. Speaking of which, the above picture is the majority of the kids on our team (at least 2 are missing that I know of). It's going to be crazy to see what all those little ones can do in about 6 years. Everyone else better start training wicked hard, 'cause some of them are already crushing everything in sight.

Getting back in the groove

2009-10-04T15:55:00.000-07:00

So this weekend was going to be about working on tying up some of the loose ends from last weekend. But then the guy I was going to meet at Little Si ended up going to Leavenworth, and the person that said they may want to go never texted me back. So as I sat in my apartment eating breakfast on saturday morning debating if I should make the 2 hour drive to Leavenworth to boulder, I came to a realization. I haven't trained, I mean seriously trained, in over a year.

It's been just over a year since I took a heinous fall at an ABS comp at the BRG and tore my left labrum. In the following year, I've done my PT exercises, I've climbed a bit inside, I've climbed outside, but I haven't trained, not even close.

So I sucked it up and headed into the gym both days this weekend. Saturday was all about power. I warmed up then headed straight up into the cave. I finished off everything except for the dark green 9 and the direct finish to the dark blue, plus I messed around on some made up problems. Then it was off the the weight room. Any of you that have known me for a while, know that this is not my style. I worked out my arms and core until I could barely hold my own weight, and did a little leg work just because. Then finished myself off with a full gym traverse.

After waking up sore on sunday, I was ready to get back to it and finish myself off. This day was more basic, just climb. A warm up, followed by just messing around in the cave. Sometimes I'd work a problem, sometimes just trying out different moves. I managed to stick the direct finish to the dark blue problem, which was sweet since it's big move to an undercling/pinch. Then finished up by doing my PT exercises, but bumped back down to 5 lbs instead of the 8 I had been doing. I was psyched because I was able to do sets of 30 straight through instead of having to split them into two sets of 15 like I did before I moved out here.

This weekend has given me a lot of hope that I can get back to where I was before, despite the fact that I will have to go in for surgery on my shoulder some time in the future. It's just a matter of finding a new way to train, and making myself do it. Only time will tell...

See you on the rocks!

-Josh

The Best Outcome of the Worst Day

2009-09-27T20:55:00.000-07:00

Today was suppose to be the day. I had it all planed out. I had easily flash a few 5.12a's since moving out west, and my shoulder was feeling the strongest it had since I injured it almost exactly a year ago. I would head out to Little Si, flash Psychosomatic, 5.12d, and put this long, hard year of recover behind me and continue my steady rise to the level of dominating 5.14's.

I got to the base of the cliff just when it was starting to get to the good part of the day around 1pm. I let myself cool down from the approach (making that easier is a proj for another day). I warmed up on Aborigine, 5.11b, a climb I had done each of the few times I had come to this cliff. It felt the easiest it ever had, helping get me pumped up for Psycho. Then I got on it.

The bottom half, Psycho-Wussy, 5.11b, went ok. I was hoping to get beta through it, to help give me some extra energy for the top, but had to settle for an onsight since none of the half dozen people at the base who knew the climb felt like spraying me down. Whatever, I did it anyway, nothing was going to stop me. Then I started into the Psychosomatic extension. the first clip went no problem. The holds all looked good, get the next clip would be no problem. Five moves latter, one from the next clip, I found myself yelling take.

Ok, deep breath, not going to stress this. I was going for flash attempt and ended up on an onsight attempt. I didn't stand a chance. It wasn't my fault. Time to head on to plan B and let one of the guys looking for the redpoint get on this one. The day can still be salvaged. I'd get on Hang Out To Dry, 5.12b, and flash that. It's only got one hard move.

So, after a rest, I tied in and started up it. The bottom wasn't very hard but quite technical, so it took more out of me then I had anticipated. There was a big rest at about 2/3 the way up so I got the pump out, my right calf was starting to burn a bit, but that wasn't likely to be a problem. I launched into the last section. Things go smoothly up the the crux. I get my hand settled in the holds and hike my right foot up high for the move. Then my leg starts shaking like it's getting warmed up to stitch up an entire wardrobe of cloths. So I back down several moves to stretch it out. I do this as long as I can without getting my forearms pumped. I head back up to the crux. This time I can't even make my leg get up onto the foot hold.

Once again I found myself hanging from a draw instead of anchors. A fact that became more frustrating when I walked through the last moves of the route after a short rest. I hit the dirt feeling like the day was wasted. My grand "comeback" was spoiled, but I stuck around for awhile to watch other people work on their projects. Finally, I headed down the trail back to my car. As I made my way do the trail, all the little details that I had overlooked began to settle in.

Yes, I didn't send the 12d, but I did get all the beta necessary to smooth out the bottom and to make a solid attempt at the upper section the next time around. Yes, I didn't flash the 12b, but I didn't fall until right at the crux and that was only do to my leg being worked, so next time I know to make sure it gets de-pumped as well as my forearms. These routes are going down. Not some time this fall, but sometime in the next week or two.

Everyone wants that one awesome day, when all those hard routes fall to your climbing skills as if you lapped them all the time. I've decided that I'm done with that mentality. I'm not going to measure my accomplishments by what I can do in a day, but by what I can do in a season. The best would be to not think about any of it until I'm in my 80's, but you've got to feed your ego a little bit to progress in this sport.

See you on the rocks!

-Josh

The Reel Rock Tour '09

2009-09-17T22:38:00.000-07:00

I know that I said I'd be doing posts about the (no quite so) awesome details of my new life on the Left Coast, but I just saw some wicked sick flicks and I want to get you psyched on what I'm psyched on!

And the Judge's decision please...

First up were 3 shorts that were part of a filmmaking competition Reel Rock put on. The first was the winner of the Humor/Spoof category, Spray Lords. This movie had it all, famous climbers, the Red, and numerous references to 8a.nu. I think that says it all... No, wait, awesomenessity! That covers it nicely.

Second go was the winner of the Action/Inspiration category, Do What You Like. Absolutely fantastic videography in this film, but outside of that it seemed rather run of the mill.

Last to summit was the Judges Choice award winner, Pose Age XXXVIII. This one is a complete spoof on the Dosage series as well as all the usual players in the major climbing vids. Prepare to laugh ourself out of your seat, and under the table if you happen to be at one.

The Second First Ascent

After the first round of shorts we were treated to the first two episodes of the new show First Ascent. Having not been a huge fan of the movie, I was skeptical about the spin-off TV series. However, the stories, and climbing, in the episodes was of a much higher quality than that of the movie.

The first episode followed Alex Honnold on his epic free-soloing adventures. The footage of him climbing the Moonlight Buttress, and then the North West Face of Half Dome, left everyone in the theater breathless and on the edge of their seats. These shots blew my mind more than anything else I saw all night.

The other episode was a much more sobering tale about a man that lost his wife to a car accident and his mental recovery from it. The story follows him and his friends, Renan Ozturk and Cedar Wright (I'm going to go ahead and just get it out that this is the first video to have Cedar Wright in it that I actually enjoyed the entirety of), on a trip to Patagonia to claim a first ascent in her memory and scatter her ashes in the mountains that she loved. This one tugged on my heartstrings in a few spots; An amazingly well told and touching tale.

And now for the Main Event!

The showcase of the whole night was the premier of Progression, the new film for Big Up. It is filled with the usual suspects, such as Chris Sharma and Tommy Caldwell, as well as some newer faces, like Adam Ondra and Kevin Jorgeson. I don't want to spoil any of the sweetness that this movie exudes, so I'll just stick to saying that it shows some of the best climbers in the world doing what they do best, pushing the limits on R/X trad routes, sketchy highballs, bold free-solos, and insane 5.15 sport climbs from 40' tall to over 200' tall.

If you still aren't psyched to see these movies then just go here to watch the trailers. Now if you still aren't psyched to see these, why are you reading my blog? You obviously don't like climbing and we probably aren't friends. Don't you have a life?

See you on the rocks!

-Josh

A Fresh Start

2009-09-16T00:28:00.000-07:00

Starting of from scratch. The reasons for this you ask?

1. I've moved. Not a few towns away like before, but to the complete other side of the country.

2. The new kids that I coach, as well as the other coaches, all seem to have these, so I feel obligate to keep up.

3. I actually have things to talk about now. Not that I didn't before, but before it was easier to just say it in person.

4. I get bored around the apartment.

So, hopefully there will be a flurry of posts this week to fill in all the details of my new life in the greater Seattle area. After that I should settle into at least one post per week, minimum.

See you on the rocks!

-Josh