Is it Boredom? I Think it is so much more than that...

Coming off Climbing out in SW Colorado last week with that "climbing high" I was looking for something to bring that back. The Michigan Ice fest was this past weekend and I headed up with a car full of Scarpa demo boots and was looking for some ice to climb.  More on the Fest in my next post.

The conditions in Munising were not as they usually are this time of year.  Low snow, High temps, and an open lake don't mix will for ice up this way.

Climbed Saturday on a TR on a dripping wet pillar out past Sweet Mother Moses.  Didn't lead it as I though it was kinda stupid at the time, but thought long about it.  I wanted something to lead that was a little challenging and take my mind far far away. Sunday we went to the Curtains and got on a hanger on TR.  It was fun for about an hour.  Murf and Matt headed south and I hooked up with others. 

We walked over to the Dryer Hose to have a look.  It was thin, it was soaking wet, it was hollow, it was ready to fall in on it self, then I saw some kid beat on it on TR and it took it like a champ.  A nice loud, dull thump was all you heard when he finished his swing.  OK, inspiring I guess...It should hold..

I racked up, Matt Abbotts (http://asuperioradventure.com/) took photos and Megan from Downstate held the rope. A former Yupper now has a real job and misses the life up here.  Going to spend all that workin money on gas, eh?

Three screws is all it took, and bit of a run out over the top as there was zero gear over the thin ice shell that made up the top of the route. Kinda cool/scarry looking down into the tube on lead.  

 Megan cleaning.

It was fun.  It was what I was looking for, all of 5 minutes on my Sunday afternoon.  I thought this is fun, this is wet, this is really beat to shit, feet and hooks everywhere, this part is steeper then it looks, this is my last screw, this is really thin, this is stupid, this is dumb, what would happen if this collapsed and I fell in,  it is holding me, top out and smile.

For Life

4:45 am.
Saturday.
Drove to Telluride from Ouray
Red Bull
6am.
-2 F.
Cold.
6:30am.
Start walking up hill.
We broke a trail in the new snow.
Get to the base of this;

(the one on the right)
Climbed the route.
Joe did some awesome work up there.

Got to the top and went down on this;

Walked down the hill.
Got to the car in the dark.
6pm
It was long.
It was tireing.
My hands hurt.
WOW...

Drove back to Ouray.
More Red Bull.
Went to the pub.
Tall Tasty drinks.
Shots.
More Red Bull but this time with Vodka.
Drunk.
Slept on the floor again.

430am.
BEEP BEEP BEEP  WTF!!!
Drove to the airport.
Threw up.
Joe got on a plane to China.
I slept on the floor by the fireplace for three hours...
Threw up again.
Drove back to Ouray.
Shower.
Drove to Denver.

SKI TRAFFIC ON I70 BLOWS!!!

Slept on a couch in Estes Park.

What did you do this weekend?

"It wasn't pretty, but it was safe"

Ames Ice Hose.  1/25/12
Joe, Steve and Myself

Three pitches, thin ice, climbed it the "right" way.  Joe had the first pitch, a thin, gear-less WI5 hook fest.  The climbing wasn't hard, "easy grade 5" cuz of how hooked out it was, but it was the psychological crux of the route.  Joe was able to get in a screw of the ground to keep him from "Ass Rocketing" down the snow slope approach and into the woods.  Another few meters higher he got in two more screws.  A 16 straight in (wow) and a sideways stubby.  From there it was a run out to the top with full on ground fall potential until above the vertical section and onto the bench.

Pitch one

I say the "right way" because of the way Joe climbed it.  He kept himself safe and climbed smart.  He took on the rope instead of risking a fall.  He put in the high screws and was lowered to the ground to fully rest.  Instead of just gunning it for the top with no gear and getting pumped, he climbed the respectable way, the right way, the smart way.

Resting.

  Joe firing for the top.  

Following Pitch One.  

Pitch two was the technical crux of the route, but it had gear the whole way...Thank God.  It was my pitch and I tried to back out after getting up underneath it.  Joe, being a good partner kicked my ass of the dock and into the water.  He pushed me (cuz he knows me) and I thank him for it.  It was a bit hard getting up over the overhang but I had rock gear and bomber screws below and could get in good gear above.  It was one of the harder pitches I have led in the mountains and one of the most fun times I have ever had as well. Finishing off that 55+ meter pitch was sooo cool and I will remember it for some time.

Steve topping out of Pitch two. 

Pitch three was another completely different animal.  It was thick ice getting wetting the higher you climbed.  Joe took the sharp end back and got us all to the top.  The climbing was steeper than it looked from the belay.

 Joe leading pitch three. 

The top. 

Good People, Good stories, Good shit, Good shoes.

http://sponsormeow.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/28-for-me-christmas-is-every-day/

Boilerplate with Kaley.

No action shots...Maybe in the morning...

Tele demo at Wilmot Mountain via William Ski Haus

The "Mountain"  The vertical feet measured in hundreds, the story of the Midwest.  Snow, Grass and lights, all   being an hours drive from Chicago.  Spent an evening teaching tele and demoing Scarpa boots at Wilmot Mountain.  I had three people in my little class and we started on the rope tow teaching hoe to turn making one at a time then eventually linking them into two complete turns.  He then headed to the lift all the way to the top of the Mountain.  It was a fun evening!

K2 skis were in attendance as well as the Scarpa boots I brought.  W's T2s, M's T2s and TX Comps for the NTN experience.

Learning how to link turns.  I had three people in my "Tele School" last night

Mark picking it up on night #1

progress

getting low

A few generations between these boots!

Andrew from Williams Ski Haus!

 And...still learning how to turn...

 The pow pow was SOOOO deep!

 Super low!

 First time on Tele!

 The quaint lodge.

 The Fire Place...nice...just wish I had a drink...maybe some bourbon.

 hookin up

 An original cat pulling the hoses around for the snow guns

 Group shot!

 An original custom made snow gun....circa...way before my time!  kind cool though.

 Taken while skiing.

Self Portrait.

setting

So, I got a bit bored at the gym climbing routes last month.  Just doing the same handful of routes over and over got tiring so I decided to start setting routes. So far I have set 4 routes and have enjoyed  the process WAY more than I thought I would.   I am still a noOb, but I learned a lot on my first few routes and have my systems and tools a bit more dialed.  I am really looking forward to spending more time setting in the future and leaning much much more about movement, style, aesthetics, hold types/shapes, grades...... and so much more.

Also, It has turned out to be a great way to lose yourself in the moment and quite relaxing.  Who knew?!

I also started to read this blog; http://routecrafting.blogspot.com/  it seems to be a bit focused on comp setting, but there is SO much good info in it to learn from.  "Happy setting"