the art of ice climbing

see that double entendre there.

With the season change, I keep thinking about getting back up to the mountains. Before the leaves are gone, we must get one more camp, one more cold morning around the campfire.

Ice climbing season is coming too; time will tell how warm of a winter it is, but if the falls are frozen, we are going to strap up. Maybe these sketches will get you inspired for some cold weather adventures. What is endearingly called: a suffer-fest!

Climbing lately

Realized I haven't written about rock climbing lately, you must be biting your nails!  Let me regale you with some shots of our ventures around Southern California where the granite and sandstone run deep.

James and his lady friends at Echo. Learned to multi-pitch on this day! We got up around 150 feet over the beautiful Echo Valley.

Trad master T doing some uncharacteristic sport climbing

Done a couple days of bouldering at the legendary Stoney Point* just north of Los Angeles city. I'm still not very good at bouldering (Bouldering: climbing without a rope "short" routes, usually below 15 feet, usually big round rocks). I'm not muscular enough and falling is not an option once you get halfway through your route, ie when it gets hard. It is, however, exceptional for your balance and technique. I've free climbed things and then gone back to the high walls and been shocked at how much better my form was.

Hiking to Echo is a slug with the ropes and gear. Mostly we all complain the whole way and then eat everything we have the minute we get to the base of the cliff.

Are we there yet?

Made it. Oh, NOW we climb? pshhhh

Ash trying to retrieve gear on a tough route. 

We got the place locked down like a compound

Taking a break in a tree!

And Leang always looking like an REI ad. They should sponsor her.

Dylan and Nak hooking up some anchors at Stoney. He saw a huge tarantula, but I was too slow to get a shot.

I got a good perch to take some action shots.

Some not-to-be missed climbing links:

*Classic piece of climbing footage! 

A nice little doc about Stoney

Climbing without a rope, in that dept. no one can touch Honnold

Maybe the person that comes closest.

life on the rocks lately

Well guys, I've been rock climbing now for about 8 months. It's something I've wanted to do since I was small, but watching people at Yosemite, I just didn't have the foggy to know where to start. The masses of ropes and clips and hardware were like looking at computer wiring, and I was the only clueless person around who wanted to unravel it. Fortunately in the last year some friends have joined me on this venture, now we actually have something of a climbing crew. Once I started going to the rock gym, I realized there are plenty of people looking for other climbers to pair up with, I should've been at this a long time ago.

I remember hiking here years ago and being so envious of the climbers on the wall. People always ask, why do you climb, what's so great about it, it seems so unnatural. Well, I'm not trying to convince anyone, because it is certainly not for everyone; just like water sports are great, but certainly not for me. I will say for myself that climbing is like a gigantic physical puzzle, and I've always loved puzzles.

I could go on, maybe I will some time on this blog. I've noticed so many benefits like a whole new appreciation for my hands.

I admit I really like knowing what all of the carabiners, slings, and whatnots do, it is like knowing another language, albeit an expensive one, and one you bet your life on. Like the language used in a hostage situation, deliberate, methodical, extremely thought out.

Repelling is still fun because I haven't had any bad falls yet, knock on rock.

Our patrons of the rope. Trash talking required.

The sunsets and the supermoon emerges.