Monday, February 26, 2007

Summer 2007 Climbing Itinerary

I posted this on another site, but I'll just archive it here:

"So the summer is rapidly approaching, and I am itching to get on some good alpine rock. I have plenty of items on my ticklist, and probably won't get to all of them this year, but I'd like to keep my options open. I also need partners to go with. If you are interested, and feel competent with the grades and exposures of these climbs, let me know. I will be available almost every weekend starting from May until September. These are the routes I am looking at:

Longs Peak - Alexanders Chimney (5.5)
Mount Ypsilon - Blitzen Ridge (5.5ish)
Blanca Peak - Ormes Buttress (5.6)
Quandary Peak - Inwood Arete (5.4-5.7 depending)
Crestone Needle - Ellingwood Ledges/Arete (5.7)
Lone Eagle Peak - North Face (5.7)
Vestal Peak - Wham Ridge (5.4)
Mount Sneffels - North Buttress (5.6)
Sharkstooth - Northeast Ridge (5.6)
Spearhead - North Ridge (5.6)
Longs Peak - Keyhole Ridge (5.5)
Hallett Peak - Great Dihedral (5.7)
Apache Peak - Kasparov Traverse (5.7)
Mt. Alice - Central Ramp (5.8)
Lizzard Head - Southwest Chimney (5.8)
Storm King Peak - North Face (5.8)
Petit Grepon - South Face (5.8)
Long's Peak - Keiners Route (5.3)
Long's Peak Diamond - Casual Route (5.10)

Information about these routes can be found on www.mountainproject.com and www.summitpost.com

I am also planning on doing a 10 day trip to the San Juan range where I will attempt to climb all fourteen 14ers in that area of colorado. If you are interested in that trip, again just let me know.

If I forgot to tag you, I'm sorry, just let me know and I'll include you. And again, just send me a message or comment here if you are interested in any of these routes for this summer. Peace."

Hopefully some of the above mentioned routes will be a part of my mild adventures within the next year.

Sunday, February 25, 2007

Spot Bouldering Series Finals

Last night was the Spot Boulder Series Finals here in Boulder, CO and boy was it awesome. It started off with a rocking citizens comp, with plenty of problems to go around. The setters did a great job creating a variety of different routes, but many of the elite problems seemed a little on the hard side. I flashed the top 6 "hard" problems, but only was able to send elite 2. This summer will be a good time to put my new plastic strength to work outside in the real world. Said and I did some serious slacklining and Said came really really close to landing the backflip. He ended up landing it with two feet on the line, but his angular momentum threw him off and he ended up doing some sort of frontflip dismount. It was cool, but he still has to stick it!!


I met a bunch of the other top slackliners in Boulder last night, and we will have a really great crew to set up some highlines this summer. I am getting really excited about this. With the incredible skill around here, and the leadership of myself, we will be able to get a regular highlining crew together this summer, and this will be a big accomplishment not only for myself, but for the sport of slacklining in colorado.

I am hoping to get a digital camera soon to document these adventures, but for now, you will just have you use your imagination, or come find me and see for yourself. Next weekend is the Elbert trip, and it is a definite "go". I'll post a trip report after the climb next weekend. Peace

Friday, February 23, 2007

No recent adventures

So it was my new years resolution to go on some sort of adventure every weekend this year. Inevitably, I did not live up to this resolution, just like every other resolution I have ever made. During the recent weeks I have been busy with my aerospace labs, which take up almost all of my life these days. We just finished a lab mapping the absolute gravity of the earth at different latitudes. Did you know that the solid part of the earth has tide fluctuations in addition to the oceans? The ground actually moves about 10-15 cm outward (from the center of the earth) every day.

Anyway, I have had many plans to go on different adventures in the last month, including a few 14ers and such, but these fell through due to the fact that none of my friends are hardcore enough to drive up to the mountains. I've been blown off too many times, so it's time to find some new mountaineering partners. After I get a truck this summer, this will all change as I won't have to depend on anyone for a ride.

I do have some fun plans coming up though. Today and tomorrow I am judging at the final climbing competition of the season, as well as competing. The following weekend, if everything goes to plan, I'll be climbing Mt. Elbert. I know, this isn't that incredible of a peak, but regardless, it will be good to finally get out into the cold and do some climbing. During the last weekend in March I will be in Nevada at the Red Rock Rendezvous, doing some serious highlining and lowlining, as well as some sport climbing. I will also be meeting up with a friend in Salt Lake, so that will be great.

I'll keep everyone posted as my mild adventures of 2007 unfold, and hopefully I'll see you all out at the crags!