Week-ness

This week has been most excellent in term of “training”. It’s too hot to go out to the home areas, so I been confined to the plastic holds and walls of the Oakland and Concord gyms. I’ve been getting my harness on and clipping again. I thought I would have head games like last time and be wigged out, but I’m not. I’m super psyched on training endurance now along with my power. 

I had a really good night today with Ben Eastman (Beastman from the East Bay). I hiked this 12b/c that felt easier than what it was called and then flashed the 12d direct start. Even though it’s plastic, it was kinda cool. It seems like the setters put some thought into this batch of routes. They’re consistent and hard. I think the last couple of rotations had been sub-par to the Touchstone standards and therefore, not as much fun. Even the routes at Concord are working me. It’s short there and steep on the Prow. It’ gets me pumped so quick. I deemed that the 12b/c (which needs to be changed to 12b just because it’s not hard at all) is going to be my new lap route. The direct start is funky. Maybe I’ll end up lapping that, but for now it’s the in-direct (I guess you would call it) start. 

I’m just really psyched now. I don’t really have a set training other than to just go in and climb what’s there and stuff. campus when I feel I should, using the system wall and wood wall for crimp strength, and bouldering down stairs when there’s new bouldering.

The low down on this thief

It’s hot, it’s almost too hot for me. I can’t stand it. I really want fall to come. The summer is over, school’s in session, autumn needs to be here…NOW.

So many thing have happened this summer I wish I had time to get it all down (or cared enough to tell people about my life more than I do). Tradeshow in Slat Lake was the highlight really. In five days I:
-slept a total of six hours
-met some really cool people
-watched friends bring it to the comp
-saw my friends, saw the main hater now turned slight friend (I guess, I don’t know. She’s too confusing) 

All in all, I can’t wait for the next summer one. I can’t wait for this fall to get out to Yosemite and Bishop more. Even Mortar and Castle. So many things to clean up.

I spent the past two weeks in school. Really psyched on my classes mainly the photography class and ceramics class. I’m not at all psyched on the drawing class I’m taking. It’s utterly boring for me. I don’t deal well with authority and how to be told to do something. But I guess it’s just training. Got to do it to get better.

 

More to come…

Wash away the sorrow

With a simple sorry.
That’s all it took for me. I got rid of feeling like a jerkoff by saying “I’m sorry” to the one person who has the look of Satan on her face. That was it. I said those two words so I could believe I said it within earshot of her so I knew she heard and I wouldn’t have to  repeat myself. I was sorry for hating her, sorry for dragging people into things I shouldn’t have between us, and I was sorry for trusting her. But if I didn’t say it so she could hear, I would never have believed it.

But anyways, onto bigger and better people and things (litterally).
I just came back from Salt Lake City where the 2008 Summer OR Tradeshow was taking place. If you have never been, let me say first off it’s an interesting expeirence, one you should witness. The summer OR is the craziest, but I hear the winter OR can be pretty crazy as well. I can’t wait to witness THAT sickness.
For the past four years there has been a comp. Three out of four years, Chris [Sharma] has gone on to take top honors. It’s pretty crazy to watch and fun to get your ass humbled in the qualifiers by people WAY beyond your league. I went in knowing I wasn’t making finals. I just wanted to try. It was nuts, it was hot, it was alright. I now know what I need to do to prepare for next years (I guess).
The tradeshow also provides a chance to check other companies out and smooze it up with reps. Like I said, it can either work in your favor and make connections or you can sit there till the last day and do nothing. It depends a=on how BAD you want it. It also helps if you are looking, come prepared to hear the words “Not yet, but keep in contact.” Also learn to present yourself and introduce yourself first, don’t wait for reps to come to you. And if you see people coming towards you, engage them. Pre-maddona’s will get no where.

With all that being said, I’m glad I was able to expierence all of this. Two nights at Mike’s, a night under the walls for finals, and a night under teh bathroom sink in teh Evolv room. So much craziness, half of which I don’t remember. The comps, the afterparty, the girls, the endless amounts of walking to find booths…so many things.

 

Thanks to Evolv, my friends, and people I met. never to be forgot, and always a pleasure.

Here something you can’t understand

Well maybe you can if you read this: CLIMBING! Yeah, I know, it’s the subject for everything in my life; sue me. It’s been a good couple weeks training and climbing. I’ve gotten stronger and a little bit more steezy with my style. I’m most psyched on seeing what I can do in Salt Lake next month at the Mammut comp. I’ve never ran this format, but it seems simular to the ABS nationals format and I’m familiar with that. For those who don’t know it, I’ll break it down.

• There’s isolation (iso for short)
• You have 5 minutes to climb with a 1 minute transition and a 5 minute rest between climbs
• There are 4-5 problems, from moderate to hard
• Top 20 or less are taken into finals

I’ve never made a finals at one of these types of comps before. I’m going to see how I fare against some of the best. I don’t consider myself a “pro” climber. I just love to climb.

I think being a “pro” would be a lot of work. Either way, I would be psyched to be able to climb a lot. Climbing is one of those things I can’t wait to do, nothing I HAVE to do. I don’t have to climb, I choose to and that’s what’s amazing about climbing. It’s not the “pros” who are the best. The people who choose to climb, and not like it’s a chore or they are forced to excel. I used to force myself and dread training. But once I stopped mentally telling my self I HAD to go climb, I found out that the choice to climb was better. It MAKES me want to be better and climb harder.

Always coming back home to you.

Well, maybe not to YOU, but I’m always coming back home after the days of climbing/training. Lately the days have felt very short and lazy as I have been getting up late. It’s nice, but I need to break out of it so I can get in a good sleep patern for school next semester in the fall. I know, school? What is this? I signed up and am for once, actually and honestly psyched about my four art class.

• Photography 1
• Intro to Drawing And Color
• Intro in Sculpture and 3-D Design/
• Hand-built Ceramics 1 

It’ll be good to have another inspiration. It’s been down as of recent and I’m hoping that along with climbing, these art classes will help inspire me to do some new things. And art isn’t limited to a canvas of a piece of clay. Art can be anything. The body and tattoos for instance. I have a respect for tattoo artists because they’re work is very hard as it takes human skin and needles to create a permanent piece of work. I have always wanted to get a tattoo ever since I was 5 and saw a guy at Indian Rock in Berkeley climbing. He had a FULL BODY leopard print tattoo and wore leopard breifs so it was strange, but at the same time it was intriguing. I’ll be psyched. Maybe after the Tradeshow in SLC or while I’m there…hmmm who knows.

Anyways, to make this short, I’ve been training with The Flea, The Butcher, The Monster, and The Izzness. It’s good. I feel strong and mentally I feel better. Hopefully I can continue this type of training so I can be more prepared for comps and outside season. It’ll be good for me. To have a really good head on my shoulders at bouldering nationals, I might make finals now. That’s my goal at nationals. Tradeshow is a feel. I would like to make finals, but we shall see what we shall see.

“While the world around me get their greedy face fed

sucking on lead, but it aint from paint chips it comes the sick shots spit of the hip of a killer done quit…”. Don Scavone, always bringing it home, with Willie On Glock (made famous by Big UP’s RAMPAGE). It was the sending theme for a week in no soul SoCal. I know, a Baydestrian in SoCal…sending? And he didnt get a cap in his ass? Word. I had heard rumors of better than the Valley granite bouldering somewhere high above the desert floor. Well, it’s not as good but very close to the Valley. The trip was supposed to be two weeks, but I had to cut short due to lack of funds and and stuff. Next time I will be down for two weeks in So Cal with my friends and family. The bouldering scene at Tram is very different than the scene up north, dominated by the names of Ben Polanco, Paul Barazza, Brian Hedrick, Mark “The Big Meal” Heal, Natasha Barnes, Ethan Pringle (who is now rope climbing in an undisclosed location, somewhere in time), and Audrey Bodisco to name a few. So I bought a ticket to LAX, pack my bags, took the train and took that trip. I was picked up by good friend Katie Pegg and hung with her for a day before going to a kick-back with our friends. Needless to say we all got a little…shall we say happy that night. Waking up in my friends bed, glad I didn’t piss in it, I headed out the door into my friend Anthony’s car, Trinity, and we made the drive to house where his brother Mike (aka Thor) drove us to Palm Springs Areal Tramway. Still hungover I did The Cube, a nice little v5 4th try without warming up. I laughed and everyone asked why but I declined to state my reasons, as I normally do. I spent the rest of the day napping. The night was capped by a delicious dinner at the Blue Coyote in Palm Springs (a very expensive, but tasty dinner).

The next day we took a little rest, opting for the Rockreation gym instead. I planned on climbing problems there but was sucked into the realm of setting a problem. I asked if I could and was allowed into the cave of holds, ladder, and bolts behind the slab. It took me a while to find a good line, switching three times from teh original sequence to a harder but more flowing one. I didn’t know what I was shooting for as I just picked up holds and seeing where I could put them to make a cool, but somewhat, difficult line. It ended up being a v6/7+ that has only one foot hold. Not the best problem, but my first problem. Aron Couzens (an Evolv employee and Tram regular) opted for a natural feet start so the start a compressiony start with heel hook sand  trickery to gain the first and second hold.

After two rest days, we ventured back to the desert Tuesday to tick some more sends. We went to check out Sharma Arete (you know, the cool arete from Tramway in Ramapage?).  It was cool to see a line I saw so many times from a classic movie so many times and realize it’s not that tall, but much more bad ass in person. Anthony gave it a few goes and something, somehow, I knew he would end up doing it that day, even if we had to break out headlamps he was going to send. While he playing around on that, I went to a cool v5 called Don’s Dyno. After getting the beta from Thor, I strapped shoes on my feet, and chalked my hands. It’s a cool lowball with a cool hop as the second move to a jug. I flashed it. I did it again to warm up and went up the hill about 20 ft. to check a cool v7 called Methane out. The guide gives the problem a v5 rating but I felt more sevenish to me. I was happy to have be able to do it quickly in three tries from the start after falling off the last move twice and sussing it out once. From there, We jogged over (pads and a gallon of water) to Chris Linder’s new contrivance classic, Which Way Jose? Thor had told us there was a cool (and very questionable) v7 that had no name to the left if I wanted to try something over there. After spoting him on it and watching Anthony flash the “v7″, I sat at the start and surprised my self by a nice little flash for the first of the grade. I think it was very my style and felt very easy. You sit start with a good rail and a left heel hook. You pop up to a decent left hand pinch then swing your right up to a jug. Reset the feet and pimp to the limp out left (which I was full expansion which may explain the grade). And I was the only one to flash it smoothly. Anthony was jerky, Thor did it second go, and I pimped out smooth like a fine wine.

We headed over yet again to Love Of Basic Cable (v9) for Thor. He was very close, but couldn’t hold the swing. After our brief stint there, we made the short hike to The Boardwalk area to meet up with our friends Ilah, Jasmine, Ben, and Nate (who are from the San Deigo area). Nate did Left Hand Of Darkness (v10) second try that day and the psyche started for him and Anthony. Feeling it, we walked over to the Sharma Arete (v10). It only took about 30 minutes till Nate sent in good form and Anthony followed two tries later (I would have a video of the send but accidently deleted it in the car).

We had our dinner at Carrows, which for the price, was pretty damn good. I can say though, it’s best enjoyed after a long day of climbing and about 11pm-1am accompanied by a good crew to laugh and joke and eat almost everything from everybody’s plate.

The next two days we took lightly, as I had divisionals in Utah that coming weekend. Thursday came unexpectedly. So once again Anthony and I made the trek to Tram along with Mike “Turntables” Turner. We played around on easy stuff. Anthony wasn’t happy at me for deleting the send video, so we agreed to go back to Lucky Sharm’s Arete to get the send again. He came really close the first attempt but it wasn’t meant to be that day again. But we deemed it a warm up for the Wonderbug (v8), which Mike and he did in good form. I can’t wait to go back and try some more things. I had to save my skin for the comp that coming weekend. I did manage to get video of both of them sending Wonderbug, so check out my video section. After that we went decided enough was enough and headed back to the OC, with Anthony exhausted and it showed clearly through the day.

Over all, I was pleased with Tramway. I expected everything to be really hard and sandbagged like i had been told, so I was a little bit uneasy. But after doing some moderate things, my eyes came open to the reality (once again) that “a hold is a hold, is a hold is a hold” and that it does not matter where it is. The week was enjoyable for all of us and I am most stoked to get back down for a little bit longer next time.

Can’t Stop

Me cause it’s third day on and I…need to stop. My body if tired. Ahh! So much routes inside! So much…training in them to get my body ready for divisonals in Utah this coming June. I went on route OVERLOAD this week. Four days of routes, one real day or power in the Room at Oakland. Fridays seem to work for me and power training. I might be doing that from now on. LIke Mondays are project and laps then lock off workout, tuesdays are either laps or projecting and hang-board, Wednesdays are the rest day on which I run 30 minutes or go for a long bike ride for cardio, Thursdays are same as Mondays, and Fridays are my power days in which I try hard moves in the room or hard boulder problems to keep bouldering power up from Tramway next month. I still need to call Anthony about it tomorrow to remind him to ask. I would also like to go to Stoney Point and finish Johnsons Arete up after spending a day on that last May. That would be nice to do. I’m just psyched right now, even single, I’m super psyched.

I had a really good morning climbing at Oakland with Ethan Pringle, Natasha Barnes, Louise, Audrey, and Markus “The Medium Meal” Heal. I belayed Ethan a bunch on ropes which was pretty cool to see him flash…all the hardest things from the comp. 12b, 12d, 13a, and the super cool looking 13b/c. The last one was onsight and he said he thought the top traverse section was the hardest part. It was the first time in a while I saw him try on a route after making the rest of it up to there look like the 12d he did.
I also finished up the 12b that I tired to finish last week but got pumped out on. This time I was a little fresher after three days on than I felt and I easily did it, wondering why this time was easier than last week. Maybe running those two days helped, maybe it was doing laps at Mission and flashing a 12b (on TR so it counts less than it already doesn’t count cause it’s inside). Maybe all these things combined and at that moment in time I got really lucky and didn’t fall or give up. Whatever it was I did it really easily, not really yelling like I normally do. I would like to repeat it Monday. That would send me into a frenzy or psyche. Not quite overload, but close for inside.

 

After routes we joined the others bouldering. I was done but happy to watch and spot. Natasha made quick work of a v7 and Ethan flashed the v9 in the cave. His foots not fully healed, so I was really praying he didn’t come off so he didn’t re-injure himself. I didn’t realize I had my camera till Ethan and Mark where piecing the v10 together so the shot I did get where of them on that and the seven right near it. Ethan did all the moves on the v10, but grabbed another finish box so we had to call it invalid (it’s okay, it’s just plastic holds, on a plastic wall, in a gym).

I am psyched for many things. Divisonals and Tramway next month and this summer. We’ll what happens…

Until next time…

Now with 100% Organic psyche…

Mmmm…organic psyche.
Well that’s what’s been getting me through climbing (besides knowing I’m getting stronger). I think That spending 2 weeks bouldering is a good thing for me, but now to get back on plastic routes to train my endurance. Which mean a lot of time in Oakland on the new (and really dope routes) with people. Holy cblot clipping fun Batman, these new routes are some of the best I have ever gotten on in a long time. I feel psyched on this 13a that’s good holds and moves until  the VERY top. Super psyched. Time to crush.

Speaking of crushing, The Room is a good way to crush and get worked. It’s cool when you’re sessioning with friends, but sometimes, I like to be in the alone and try things. 
 
Hopefully, I can get a good session tonight after I do some routes. And my endurance has gone back into hiding. Oh wells, I’m psyched to get it back and take couple winger at Oakland. Oh man, the falls there…so good. You go below the first from the fifth. Still a head game but if I can get comfortable there falling, I’ll be good anywhere. How good are the falls? Think about this: The last daw you clip is 3ft. below your feet, you let go and get MAJOR air time, falling to the first draw from the fifth. It’s pretty fun. But, things will come and things will go. Like youth regionals for Nor Cal.

Saturday, Oakland was PACKED with youth competitors. The gym probably rose in temps because of all those body’s in the gym. I would start a route and come down the wall, pouring like avalanche. Well, not literally, but you get the picture. The qualifiers were very fun. Most fun I’ve had on routes in months.
But I mostly belayed yesterday and that’s fun. I really don’t mind being a belay bitch. It’s fun to see friends send on a rope. Like Ben. He did the super final route (13b/c for you grade mongers) with a hold at the crux not tightened and VERY loose (We jokingly called it the 13d way since he hit the hold and said ‘Oh Shit!’ and finished).  It was pretty cool.

But I’m continuing to find new things, think about what to try, and often find myself staring out in space think about things that don’t make much sense to non climbers. ‘Are crimps a valid form of pain?’ ‘Where’s the limit if the sky is just the beginning and the boulders are stepping stones?’ I find myself thinking these things as I put my shoes on after resting and about to climb in the Room in Oakland.

The Room is awesome for crushing and having fun with friends or being alone with just yourself and nothing but your thoughts to occupy your time.

THIS JUST IN!

Greg Loh has been spotted. After being injured and recovery from back surgery and a finger injury, The Butcher is back. He was last sighted in Oakland after youth regionals bouldering with Al Liu and Senor Flea. Be wary, this man can create killer problems and get you PSYCHED (when you have fresh and new skin) and get you strong if you listen to him.

Call it a come back

Cause my head is back! Yes, after what seemed like forever, my lead head is back (on plastic routes). I figured it out in Oakland last night when I tied in and didn’t start freaking out after the fourth draw. Super psyched. I had already done what I wanted in the bouldering area , I brought a harness and was looking for a person to climb routes with. Nothing too hard, just 3 cool 5.11’s that where some of the best plastic routes I have gotten on in a while. I didn’t even get that pumped on the third one, so I guess I have some endurance. I think when I am able to sit on a hold and shake both arms out and be able to block things out, I know I’m good. it was the best feeling. 

Spent the rest day actually doing something instead of laying around the house watching Food Network all day. I went for a run which I guessed took me about a hour but really only too 45 minutes and I tacked on an extra half mile or so and felt like I wasn’t running that fast all. Feels good to still be fast, but my legs paid the price and have been sore now for the past two days. Killer!

Super psyched now! Super psyched on Berkeley which I’ll be spending even more time in this year once my girlfriend moves out.