I’ve been in this situation before; I’m nervous and don’t really want to go through with it. The nagging of potential failure is pulling me down. I don’t know why I care so much. They say it is more important to try and fail then to never have tried at all (see Alfred Lord Tennyson). [...]
For me just about everything starts with a plan. I like figuring out logistics and taking all the steps to prepare for a big climb. Maybe it helps calm me down, which is really useful when thinking about climbing something as large as Half Dome. My goal was to free climb the Regular Northwest Face, with Roberto [...]
First of all, if you don’t recognize the “Squamish is…” reference, then watch this classic Timmy O’Neill video. Or if it’s been too long since you last watched it, watch it again: Although I spent my whole life before college in the Pacific Northwest, including my formative climbing years when I found my love of [...]
“Dude, turn around!” yells Chris from the belay. Looking back, a thick wall of mist obscures the other side of the valley. A flurry of snow blows past and I keep going, anxious to get to the next belay. Tucked under a tree, I stare out a the sheets of rain coming down. It’s not [...]
In my mind a good backpack carries well, is easily filled with gear, and is durable enough to stand up to abuse. In recent years I have seen many climbers bring small haul bags or haul packs as a substitute for a crag pack. These packs are usually spacious and quite durable. However, most haul [...]
[This is a long overdue trip report from December 2009.] At 4am the alarm started blaring and I stumbled out of bed. Where was I? The unfamiliar dark room didn’t seem like home as I pulled on clothes, grabbed food and made my way out the door. In the car I started blankly at the [...]
It’s been ages since I have posted on the blog. More than 4 weeks. Not to say I haven’t written anything but it hasn’t gone “live”. In NorCal, El Nino is in full effect and we have been getting slammed with “bad” weather. By that I only mean highs in the 50’s and a bunch [...]
I hear that a lot of people get lost in Red Rocks. Often I will start wandering the wrong way only to have Lizzy call me back to the path. In the end it’s no fun getting lost and it takes a lot of time. The Rainbow Wall is stunning and really not that far [...]
Lizzy has spent almost two months in the bay area and I was due for a visit . We started off with a weekend with new friends in Yosemite where I was happy to redpoint my first Yosemite 5.12a, Underclingon. A bunch of fun was had sport and trad climbing at Pat and Jack’s Pinnacle [...]
They tell me fall is the time for sending, the best climbing time of the year. Well now is October and the desert is starting to cool down. With these thoughts in mind I drove to Vegas. This past weekend I had the chance to climb the Original route on Rainbow Wall. This experience flowed beautifully as [...]
Outdoor Blogs
Recent Comments