Pitches with Pros!

Last weekend I finally connected with Paul Nunez, winner of Mammut's "Pitches with Pros" contest. Paul turned out to be a very cool guy. Originally from Columbia, Paul is now getting his Doctorate in Astrophysics from the University of Utah in S.L.C. Despite being such a smart guy, Paul was willing to meet me for an adventure in the Black Canyon. For being such a good sport, I hooked him up with a new Mammut Tripod helmet to insure that he'd be just as smart and the end of the trip as he was at the start. We met at the Black Canyon's North Rim Campground, and had a great two days of climbing, managing the Canyon classics "Comic Relief" (III 5.11-), and "Lost Cities" (IV 5.12-), despite some pesky showers on Sunday. Thanks for great weekend Paul, and I hope to see you back in the Black soon!

Hats off to Mammut for running this raffle contest to benefit Big City Mountaineers--a non-profit organization that gets troubled youth out into the mountains. So often as climbers it's all about chasing our own dreams and aspirations, so it was really nice to help out a worthy cause,. I hope I can be involved with similar fundraisers in the future.


In other news...Whit Magro and I are off to Yosemite for the first two weeks of October. Very excited to get back to the Valley after being away for six years! I recently sent my Independence Pass Project at 5.13+. Turned out to be a very cool route, and I was excited to finish it before the winter snows start falling. And last but not least, Erinn and I finally got married two weeks ago!

Hope you're all enjoying the great temps of fall, and sending all your pesky summer projects!

Best Wishes,
Josh

8 a.m. wake up call

What were you doing at 8 a.m. this morning??

I'll be honest, we're not blessed with the best stone here in Eastern Idaho! So new routing often requires a LOT of cleaning. Usually it's dirt filled cracks or lots of loose small rocks, but when you get something like this, you can't help but grin ear to ear when something that big is reacted upon by gravity!

I was a bit nervous the other day when working on a new route, and given the fact that there is indeed a road just below the cliff, i wanted a few friends out there to make sure there wasn't any traffic headed up or down the road. Thank heavens as it left a 2' deep 4' wide hole smack dab in the center of the gravel road. Don't worry, we filled it in on our way home.

Volume helps on this one. The explosion at the end is awesome. Enjoy!

Dean Lords - Eastern Idaho

Leaves are Changing

After a good start to the Summer, with a first ascent at the New River Gorge and another at the local Parkway crag, the weather Gods got angry and gave us a good old fashioned swampy Summer. With thunderstorms almost every day keeping my projects wet, I hopped on my mountain bike and rock rings to start training. I've got to say that taking a break from climbing 4-5 days a week must have been good for my psyche because now that Fall is hinting at a return, I am more excited than ever to get on the stone. On a side note, I am getting married next week! Like planning for an expedition, I am ready to get this thing on! Wish me (and mostly my fiance Amy) luck. For our honeymoon, we'll be headed up to Squamish to do some climbing and riding. Definitely looking forward to that.

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My beautiful wife to be, Amy.

-Brian Williams

Change Of Pace...

While my first love will always be long routes in the mountains and splitter cracks in the desert, it does a climber good to switch it up a little now and again. After a HOT summer in Salt Lake City, fall is upon us and it’s time to get psyched! I have some projects for the fall that will require a little more power than I’ve currently got, so I’ve been spending tons of time at Wild Iris outside of Lander in Wyoming. An idyllic camping scene, bullet proof pocketed stone, and the Wyoming wind to keep the temps in check makes for a truly perfect place to climb. A couple of shots from my latest trip:

A very ripped Jess Taverna throwing down on “Rising From the Planes”

A true master of all trades. The ever psyched and talented Will Mayo getting after it

My partner in crime for my latest Alaska trip, Rick Vance

Andreas Schmidt onsighting my project

The best part of all: a big ol’ pan of bacon. There’s just something special about drinking beer and eating bacon after a long day of pocket pulling

Cheers,

Chris Thomas

The Cartwheel Whipper

After another round of debilitating nerve pain radiating from my upper back down my right arm, resulting in almost 2 months of no climbing this summer, I finally am back in the game... I have been getting back in shape for the last few weeks and getting psyched to get back on old projects when the weather gets cold enough. Recently I have gone over to the Spiders Web in the Adirondacks to check out my friend Matt McCormicks project that he has been working on a bunch this summer. Its an amazing all gear protected thin crack that will probably check in at 5.13c R when it gets completed. It has some pretty good gear and some mediocre gear like tiny rp's that will hold a down pull but not any kind of outward force, and some super strenuous technical moves on some of the worst foot holds I've ever had to put my faith into....very scary to say the least. I have top roped on it a few times and am psyched to give it a lead once Matt sends it.

Here is a video I shot of him on his closest redpoint attempt yet....two moves from a good hold that marks the end of the crux he takes this nasty fall ....even though the rope wasn't behind his leg when he was climbing, his left foot blows and he spins away from the rock and ends up with the rope all the way up between his crotch while he falls facing away from the cliff for a good thirty footer.....luckily the gear held and he wasn't hurt...much.... though he didn't hit his head, this is a prime example of a good reason to always wear a helmet.

Enjoy the audio (sorry for the profanity) of me involuntarily telling him to "watch it" as he is in mid air....as if to say..."hey don't do that...it doesn't look safe"...then the sound of his back slapping the rock...then my reactionary moan.

Be safe everyone.

Enjoy the upcoming fall and the crispy temps.

Peter Kamitses

Burlington, Vt