Giving Back

As rock climbers the core of what we do is extremely selfish.  To spend do much time, energy, and money just to go climb some rocks for our own enjoyment is about as selfish as it gets.  But one of the things I do to help justify this to myself is to volunteer with the Arkansas Climbers Coalition.  The ARCC is a nonprofit that is dedicated to taking care of the climbing areas is Arkansas.  And one of the biggest  projects lately has been bolt and anchor replacement.  This past week we organized a day bringing together over 20 people to replace 150 bolts.

We met at Sam's Throne and divided into teams with specific job assignments on our routes to fix.  I went out with a David, another experienced bolter, and Judith, who was new to this and eager to learn.  We quickly found our first route and formulated a plan to get the work done while we trained Judith on drilling, glueing, and removing bolts.

Getting the work done is always the main goal, but hanging out with friends and getting a little climbing in is a great bonus.  But knowing that we were doing work that will contribute to the climbing community as a whole is a good feeling.  And being able to train the next generation to take over makes the experience even more worthwhile.

Confessions of a climbing gym route setter

I really do enjoy watching you suffer.  They way you struggle to pull on that tiny little crimp makes me giggle.  When you grease off of that nasty sloper, I smile.  I like to see you strain and grunt and groan as you try to get the sit-start that I can barely do myself.  I like to see you lying there staring at my latest problem, my little momentary work of art, trying desperately to decipher the beta and finish the problem.  I stand back and silently coach you through the crux from across the gym.  I am pleased when it makes you work harder.  I am sad if everyone flashes the new problem, and sadder yet if no one climbs it at all.  I like watching you progress as a climber over time, from the first day you roll into the climbing gym and rent a pair of shoes, to the day you send your first V4 and come tell me about it excitedly.  I like to watch you grow stronger and leaner and become a better climber.  I feel a part of your success, and I feel partly responsible for your failures.  I enjoy witnessing the joy when you send your project and seeing the tiredness in your eyes when you leave at the end of the night.  Most of all, I like to watch you climb.

Dynamic Earth Rocktrip

This weekend I had the opportunity to take part in a very cool event at Horseshoe Canyon Ranch.  Dynamic Earth, the outdoor store from Springfield Mo was hosting their annual Rocktrip.  For a small fee participants got entry to HCR, camping for the weekend, guided climbing, dinner, beer, and a stainless steel pint glass.  I was there to help out and represent the Arkansas Climbers Coalition, the Access Fund, American Alpine Club, and Leave No Trace.

After a chilly start to the morning, and donuts and coffee provided by St. George's barbecue, the climbers headed out to enjoy a day on the rocks with perfect weather.  It was a good day off climbing seeing old and new friends having a good time.  But the real magic happened later.

The kegs were tapped late in the day as St. George's BBQ went to work on the dinner.  Climber rolled back to the pavilion and lined up for beer then opened their wallets for the ARCC raffle.

By the end of the night,  almost everyone went home with something from the raffle, and the ARCC had gathered more than $1500 in support of our efforts.  This is cash from climbers that will go right back into the rocks that they love to climb.  A huge thanks to Matt Lyons and the staff at a Dynamic Earth for putting together such a great event and raising so much money for the ARCC.  I can't wait for next year!

An Easy 36

For the past 8 years I've competed in 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell at Horseshoe Canyon Ranch.  Every year, I've tried to up the ante by doing more routes, getting more points, or just improving my score.  But this year caught me an my partner David Carpenter in a tough spot.  David and his wife had just had their second baby in early September, I had had just closed on a new house and moved the weekend before Hell.  So needless to say, we were not as prepared as we would normally be.  So we put any plans for big numbers, and multiple routes on the back burner and set our sights on another goal that had never been done.  Our mission was to climb at least one route in every section of the ranch, at the same time not repeating any routes as is allowed in the rules.  And since we didn't really care about how we did, we dubbed ourselves "Team Honey Badger."

But being the glutton for punishment that I am, I also decided to compete in the 12 hour competition the day before 24 HHH.  And since David Carpenter had to work that day, I hooked up with David Harrison who was in need of partner as well.  Harrison and I talked strategy on the drive to HCR and quickly agreed on one that worked for both of us.  He wanted to go for 100 routes in 12 hours, and I just wanted to be there climbing.  So I spent the day catching Harrison on 105 routes and slipping 14 pitches of my own while he rested.  It was a great low stress day with very little crowd and a good chill vibe.  A great warm-up for the main event 24HHH.

Friday dawned bright and sunny and I was still feeling fresh from the previous days climbing.  We geared up and got started with the shot gun blast.  It was fun to not be in such a rush and head to new areas that we don't usually see during 24.  We started off at Magoo Rock and the quickly made our way to Orange Crush picking up a few open routes along the way.  Orange Crush is the tallest pitch at HCR clocking in at 90 feet and 14 bolts.  After knocking off this end of the horseshoe, we headed north and picked up a climb at every section all the way to the Goat Cave.  This was a fun part of the day because we spent several hours climbing by ourselves in the areas that seldom see much traffic during the competition.

We made it to the Goat Cave just in time to enjoy the hottest part of the day with little to no shade.  It was my first time to visit the Goat Cave which is home to a large roof and several intimidating climbs.  So after watching David string up a good 5.10c, I soaked up all of the beta I could I flashed it in the blazing sun, and was glad to be done with half of the horseshoe.

From the Goat Cave at the top of the horseshoe, we continued southwestward toward the Land Beyond, the North 40, and most of the competitors.  Much as we expected, the North 40 was pretty busy already, so we breezed through quickly and continued on our grand tour.  We accomplished our goal of visiting every area by 10 p.m., only 12 hours into the comp. We tagged 21 different areas, logged over fifty climbs each, and hiked countless miles!  But along the way we got see lots of old and new friends, drink some beer, and have plenty of fun.  I can't wait to see what the 9th annual 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell has to offer next year!

What to wear, what to wear

As the big day approaches, yes 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell, the question always comes up, what shoes should I wear?  The first thing I tell new competitors is make damn sure its comfortable shoe.  Not like "normal" climbing shoe comfortable, I mean like really comfortable.  I don't stop after every climb to take my shoes off during hell.  The whole point is to see how many routes you can do in one day.  If you spend one minute changing shoes before every climb, you could be losing nearly half an hour of climbing time, and half an hour of climbing time can add up to several routes, just what you need to meet your goal, or beat the other guy.

The first year I only took one pair of climbing shoes with me.  I developed blisters on my pinky toes from taking them off and on all day.  By the end of the comp it was excruciating to climb, even with my toes taped up.  So I quickly learned to take care of the toes, no matter what the costs.  Over the seven years that I have participated in this comp, I have developed a strategy that works well for me.  I use three pair of shoes.

First, I use a good pair of approach shoes that I can also climb in.  This can be the most important pair of shoes for the entire day, as this is the pair that I spend the most time in.  Not only do I use these shoes for hiking to the climbs and in between, but I also wear them to climb anything I can.  Basically, if I can climb it comfortable in my approach shoes, why would I bother putting on anything else?  So, last year and this year I will be using Evolv's Bolt.  The Bolt is a great mid-weight approach shoe that is nearly perfect for this kind of abuse.  It is built on a running shoe last, but features Evolv Trax rubber, a good toe rand and excellent support.  I did make one modification to them, and that was to add a shock-cord lace system in place of the regular laces.  I don't want to waste time tying my shoes, and with this system I can slide easily in and out.

The next pair of shoes is very important but usually an easier choice.  This is the moderate shoe.  The one I use for routes that are going to require more than the approach shoe can offer.  Here it is important also to use a velcro for quick changes, but this also needs to be a super comfortable shoe.  My choice last year, was the Pontas II.  This is a great all around shoe, and I sized it extremely large so I can wear it on multiple routes without feeling the need to get my toes out for a stretch.  This is my go to guy.  But when I need a little extra mental help, I reach for the big boys.

The Evolv Shaman has the fit and the sensitivity to give me the added boost I need when it counts.  With the "knuckle box" and "love bump" they fit my foot and feel incredible aggressive, without feeling incredibly uncomfortable.  Even though I may only pull them out for a handful of routes during the competition, these are the shoes I must have with me.

So that's my basic shoe strategy for 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell.  Which has also become my shoe strategy for most trips, whether I am guiding, or just out climbing for fun!

Training?

24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell is the one big climbing event that I prepare for every year.  I have been there all seven years since it first began.  And every year I have trained for the day.  Some years it has been limited mostly to laps in the gym.  Some years I am able to get outdoors and climb a few days in the months leading up to the comp.  But this year due to a number of factors, my training days have been greatly limited.  Yes, I've got a few sessions in at the gym, but nowhere near my previous training regiment.  I spent much of this summer training to run the Pikes Peak Ascent, 13.3 miles and 7000 feet of elevation gain.  I spent the spring training for the Tour De Rock bike 100 mile bike race.  But outside of these "cross-training" events and one recent trip to Horseshoe Canyon, my training has been pretty limited this year.

My climbing partner David has been pretty limited in his training as well.  So, how will this lack of training affect our performance at 24HHH?  We will find out at the end of the month.