utah update

Early last week, I had the pleasure of picking up a good friend from the Salt Lake City Airport. I last saw John when I returned to Illinois to see my parents, so it was great to have an old friend on board for the last leg of the trip. John had originally planned to spend a week in Colorado with Team Saint Louis (Kevin Boicourt, Dane Iwata, and Marc Chagnon), but at the last minute he scrapped Plan A in order to climb on cobbles with the boys from Illinoise.

Despite a relatively new finger injury, a several week absence from the sport, and some misplaced skin, John showed up with his A game- quickly dispatching several 5.12's including Orgasmo (5.12c), Hooked on Estrogen (5.12c), Functional Idiot (5.12b, Onsight), and The Drizzler (5.12b). Early on John had expressed concerns about his performance, so it was good to see him put things on the board.

Photo by Aaron Stover

I, on the other hand, did not have much luck with my projects. It was a frustrating week as hopes were high to put down Loser (5.13a) and Sprout (5.13a). I was able to one hang both routes quickly, but subsequent attempts on these pitches bore no fruit. I successfully managed to one hang Sprout four times, and also managed to lose my high point on Loser on my third attempt. What?

Loser, 5.13a
Photo by Aaron Stover

Within the last year I have become accustomed to sending 13a relatively quickly. I certainly thought these two routes (which suited me well) would go with little effort. Both routes feature sustained climbing with only one knee bar rest at the half way mark, and long lived crux sections. On my last attempt on Sprout I was able to unlock the knee bar rest that would have made linking the second half of the route possible, but my time ran out.

It was disappointing to have spent three entire weeks in Maple only to leave empty handed. It certainly put me in a strange headspace. I felt as though both routes were well within my ability, but I couldn't shake the anxiety that stemmed from the countdown. Every day I was thinking about getting things done so I could either move on to the next pitch or leave Maple entirely. Time lines have never affected my performance. I generally climb at my own pace, but with the sand running through the hour glass, I suppose I put a great deal of unneeded pressure on myself.

Photo by Aaron Stover

I enjoy redpointing routes quickly, but not because I derive pleasure from expanding some sort of tick list. I think that being able to link a route in a few attempts demonstrates natural talent and unparalleled focus. When you've tried a route several times, you begin to hardwire it- the moves become ingrained and your body adapts to the stresses specific to that route. While it's true that projecting requires multiple failures before a single success, I think that sending a route because all the moves have been dialed only demonstrates the ability to adapt to repetitive behavior. I don't find sending a route that has been dialed rewarding in the least. Everyone has different philosophies or standards regarding their personal climbing performance, perhaps I am a bit too critical?

At any rate, I decided that the remainder of my time in Maple would be better spent sampling more of the canyon's 5.12s. In total, I was able to put together 20+ routes between 5.12a and 5.12d all of which I was able to either onsight or redpoint second go. It was nice to consistently onsight 5.12c, and to even bag two 5.12d onsights.

In climbing, I think it's key to roll with the punches. It's understandable to feel down when your ego is checked or when your expectations unexpectedly need to be re-evaluated, but learning to adapt to changing situations is part of being a climber. Whether you're retooling a sequence onsight or redefining your short term and long term goals, it's crucial to take a step back, collect yourself, and find a different approach. Rest assured, if you remain stubborn, you will stunt your growth. While I could have pushed John and Aaron to trek back to the Pipe Dream cave for one more attempt, it seemed that I could learn more by solidifying my base, focusing on revamping my onsight/redpoint tactics, and ultimately being humbled by leaving some short term goals open-ended. Regardless of my mediocre performance, it was nice to climb in a new locale with two of my good friends.

On an unrelated note, we managed to arrange our last rest day around the Miss Sanpete County 2010 Beauty Pageant- a definite highlight. Unfortunately for us, poor planning on our part forced us to sit in the back of the theater, and being that my eye sight is quite poor, I was unable to make out much of Sanpete County's finest. After a heated swimsuit competition which featured entirely too many one-pieces, and the talent portion of the event which showcased an unfortunate oboe piece and a less than spectacular vocal performance of "I Need a Hero," we were able to hear from the contestants regarding their service platforms. In the end, one of the indescribable, blurry young women was crowned Miss Sanpete and the rest were given some sort of conciliatory title (Miss Congeniality, Miss Something or Other, etc). While there was quite the turn out for the event, it seemed as though Ephraim was shutting down for the night, so we hit the bricks and headed back to Maple Canyon.

In other news, our departure date is approaching fast, and in order to break up the long drive home we've decided to stop in Rifle, CO. After sampling some more of the States' best limestone crag, we'll make tracks for Boulder where we'll post up for a night at our friend Kika's place. Then we're heading East of East Saint Louis- I'm definitely psyched to go home, spend time with my family, see my friends, and plan out my Fall season. Get psyched!

we have arrived

Admittedly, I have been doing a poor job of updating the blog. Traveling has made finding time, and a reliable internet connection difficult. That being said, I have decided to fast track the blog in the interest of keeping the time line current. The few of you who are interested in knowing what went down in Canada please feel free to write, call, or share a comment.

Near the end of my stay in Kentucky, my good friend Aaron and I had discussed spending part of our Summer in Maple Canyon, UT. Initially it was just a thought- a plan that had been tabled once we agreed to visit our Canadian friends instead. When we found out that Aaron would be unable to make it up North, we decided to dust off Plan B. Two weeks after I arrived Stateside, Aaron flew into Denver and we made tracks for Utah.


I should start by noting that the first leg of our trip was a logistical nightmare. Running on six hours of sleep, we attempted to gather the equipment we so desperately needed, but failed to pack. A trip to the Denver Goodwill proved to be one of our few initial successes. We were able to procure a cook set, kitchenware, dishes, utensils, and a dry bin for under $15. It was a relief to have gotten everything we needed without breaking the bank. Between the two of us, we only had $350. Our financial situation was looking grim, and fully knowing that we may not have enough money for groceries, petrol, and camping fees for three weeks, we decided to go for it anyway. Why not? It's always the perfect season somewhere, right? We certainly didn't want to miss out. With the car packed, we set off for Maple.

Ordinarily, the 500 mile drive between Denver, CO and Moroni, UT should take 8 hours. However, after discovering that all of the campsites at Maple had been reserved, we were forced to drive an additional 3 hours before we found another available campsite.

In the next town over.

An hour away from the crag.

Unbelievable.

Two consecutive days without sleep made it challenging to muster up the energy to hit the cliff, but we made it a point to climb three days on any way. We knew that we needed to build a base if anything was going to get done during our short stay. Our first two days were rough to say the least. We succeeded in doing the fewest number of pitches I have ever done during a session. After miraculously making it up three entire pitches at the Minimum Wall, we called it quits. Our second session at Box Canyon yielded the same results. Between our poor sleep schedule, our sub-par performance at the cliff, and our bleak financial situation, it seemed like nothing was going right.

Things finally turned around on our third day. After catching up on some much needed sleep, and moving our campsite into Maple Canyon proper, we managed to get to the cliff at a reasonable time. In addition to the normalcy, we were able to log six pitches each, most of which were roughly 90 feet. It was a relief to have finally put one good day on the board. After three days of suffering, it would appear that we finally hit our stride. I have been enjoying the climbing here quite a bit, perhaps because it is relatively similar to the Gorge- steep, fitness-based climbing. Notable ascents so far have been onsights of Big Calm (12b), Orgasmo (12c), Space Lordz (12d), and a redpoint of Cobble in the Sky (12c)- all of which clock in between 90 and 100 ft. So psyched!

Chris Sharma, UBC 2010 Problem #2
Photo by Aaron Stover

Tomorrow we're heading to Salt Lake City to check out the OR Trade Show. We're planning to catch the UBC Pro Tour in the evening, and if we're lucky, we might be able to sneak into the trade show to see whats new for 2011. Regardless of how our rest day goes, we're going to hit it hard the following day. The Pipe Dream cave is an impressive crag and has several amazing routes- all of which tear through a 100+ foot cave. Serious! A friend of mine turned me on to a route called The Great Feast (5.13c). I'm definitely excited to see how things go now that we have arrived in a positive head space.

But, as always, all good things must come to an end. As I am writing this, water is slowly making its way into my tent through every available weakness. Who knew that it could rain this much in the desert? If I don't drown tonight I will do my best to update the blog more frequently. Traveling has made it difficult, but I'm sure things will settle out soon. They always do.