NEW BLOG

As of a couple months ago Sarah and I have a joint Blog at sarahcbain.blogspot.com ENJOY!!

Maple Canyon!

About a month ago me and sarah had plans to go up to the Red for three weeks, gain some endurance there, and hopefully send some harder routes. That was the plan when we set out to the red with our friends Joey and Daniel Bakos and Tanner Ayers, but sometimes things don't turn out as planned. We were at the red for a week and the conditions were absolutely horrible. The humidity was outrageous along with rain every other day if not every day. After a week of being there we hiked up to the motherload one overcast day and were not psyched at all. We did not want to be there, but Sarah had a wonderful spontaneous idea. Lets drive to Utah. We thought about this for about thirty seconds and decided to go through with this new and amazing idea. We got in the car, drove to Miguels to take down our tent and we were headed to Utah were we would stay for two weeks.

We stayed in salt lake city and were able to do so much climbing within our two weeks!! We went to little cottonwood to boulder one day and also hit up big cottonwood but mainly spent our time at maple canyon. The pipe dream cave!! We were able to climb there about six or seven times before we headed home, and we sent more in these conditions that we would have ever in the red. At the pipe dream cave the average weather was in the low 80s with no humidity and the psych was super high!!! Sarah was able to do many new 12s including some flashed and sent her first 12c!!! I also enjoyed our time out here and was able to send:

Super Spunk 13a
Beyond Fitness 13b
La confianza 13b
The Diggler 13b
Ego Boost 13d
Mexican Rodeo 13d
Wyoming Sheep Shagger 13d

This was my first time climbing lots of routes with my Rock Pillars and they were amazing. The pearls can pull really hard on small feet on extremely overhung walls and roofs and at the same time I can trust them to stand up on shitty feet on a delicate face climb, they are simply an amazing and impressive slipper! We had an amazing time, and though we wanted to stay longer we were happy to come back to climb at Stone Summit!!





Fifteen minutes from where we were staying! Beats the summer heat!

Sarah warming up in Little Cottonwood Canyon

Far left side of pipe dream

Left side of the actual cave

Psyched Sarah!!

Me on Super Spunk

Also, I forgot to ever put this up. A little more than a month or so me and sarah went to little river canyon when it started getting warmer out to go water bouldering. We just played around a bit and I ended up putting a really cool FA up!! I called it temper tantrum. It took about an hour for me to figure out all the moves and send it but I ended up doing this amazing power problem. This problem is so good! You start on a slot jug go left hand to a bad side pull edge that turns ok when you campus to the next side pull, get a right foot high in the jug and bump big to a good slopey hold and go big out left to a small edge, heel hook your right hand and grab a good hold. From there you just traverse left to a huge hold and drop off. I am really glad that I had the Rock Pillar Pearls because with that shoe I can really pull with my toe and for the heel hook this slipper actually stays on your foot! The pearls are amazing because they are comfortable and amazing when it comes to fit, comfort and performance!! I was psyched to have done it but I believe that in the winter it would be a V8ish, Super cool but time will tell the grade...



Setting up for the big bump "crux" move

Move out left to the edge

Lately

I have been so busy the last few months, but I can now focus on climbing. I just graduated high school and have just been training indoors. Mostly at adrenaline rock gym in Suwanee. This gym is really sick due to its vast amount of features and angles and the chill atmosphere. I think that so far this gym is the best in atlanta for bouldering. In a week I am off to the Red for three weeks! I am so very psyched and have my eye on many climbs. Expect many updates from here on out!

Stay Psyched!!!

Post Red...

About a week ago I got back from the red and I already miss it. This was my first real chance of the season to climb on some routes and get my mind off of things in atlanta. Me and sarah went up to T-wall for a few hours the prior weekend and I ended up sending psychopath 13b and she crushed curb sandwich 12a, we called it a day after that and headed out to eat. Going to the red was more of a vacation than an attempt to send as many routes as I could, although I had been hearing about how amazing Ultra Perm was and wanted to send that one and ended up being successful!! Me and sarah drove up friday, met up with a huge crew from the gym, and left nine days later with a little more endurance than we came with, and much better lead heads. I was glad that I had lots of power to compensate for my lack of endurance, because I found my self easily bolt to bolting lines, but trying much harder to link the whole climbs. I am planning on heading back in about seven weeks and cannot stop thinking about what new climbs I want to get on. I am also planning to stay for three weeks, so hopefully I can send some harder lines! Here are some of the amazing climbs I was able to manage to send:

40 oz- 13a
Taste the rainbow- 13a (Hold Broke on the Onsight!!)
Dirty Smelly Hippy- 13b
Cut Throat- 13b
Paradise Lost- 13b
Ultra Perm- 13c/d

I was happy about doing a small handful of new climbs and jumping into routes and starting out the season with some fantastic lines. I have a list of so many climbs I would love to send on my next trip up, and hopefully I will be able to send the majority of them!

The Red

I have been training endurance for about two weeks now, because me and sarah are going to the red this friday for a bit over a week! I am so very psyched to gain endurance, but sad to stop bouldering. This last weekend we went out to t-wall to go route climbing for the first time in about a year. I warmed up on Curb sandwich 5.12A and found myself a bit pumped at the top, sarah bolt to bolted it and easily crushed it in a few goes. I did it again feeling a bit better and headed over to psychopath. I have tried this route last season and felt as though it was really hard. It starts with chossy 5.5 climbing to the first bolt which is about twenty feet of the deck! From there you climb a beautiful wall of perfect pockets to the crux. It is four bolts of good medium sized holds into a redpoint crux after a difficult clip. The crux is about V6ish and you are a bit tired. I remembered the crux being really hard on link. I bolt to bolted the route and I felt much much stronger than last season, so I lowered, untied, tied back in and sent!! Me and sarah felt accomplished for the first day of routes and our day projects sent so we headed home!

So psyched for the red!!!!

Bouldering season is coming to an end...

The weather is getting much warmer and I am still not wanting to let go of bouldering. I had an amazing season bouldering with good friends and good sessions. Lots of laughs and new people to laugh with. In two weeks the route season will officially begin because me and Sarah are going to the Red for a week, so I hope I can build some endurance there and maybe even send some new climbs!!
This weekend was extremely warm and we had plans to go to Alabama, however the whole crew, which included my lovely Sarah, Joey and Daniel Bakos, and myself decided to drive up to rocktown instead. We left after I got off of work and headed up. I wasn't too extremely psyched to go, but was really exited just to climb on rock. Right as I began to warm up I realized it was extremely warm and route season is coming. I think every one of us realized that. We warmed up in the orb area where joey and daniel played around on the greasy slopers of the orb, but no bueno for either of them. Next we headed down to the vagina area where Sarah tried the Island of beautiful women and Daniel and Joey tried the vagina. Every body came super close but no sends, just lots of grease. Right before we headed down to the vagina area I ran down to see if the little cave that the womb was in was cooler in temperature and surely enough it was. Having done the womb I was interested in seeing if there were any close and similar lines, and found one. I found holds that came out of the middle of the womb, so I excitedly brushed them off, had sarah take pictures and started to attempt the moves. At first they felt extremely difficult! I could hold them but not move off of them but after about thirty minutes of figuring it out I managed to send! The climb felt much harder than the womb but it was a little warm so I estimate it to be V9ish. Assuming it was a first ascent I called it the Discharge. After that we went to the back, I sent the sit to the comet, than climbed on some classics and we all hungrily headed out.


Sarah on the Island of Beautiful Women



Joey on Swamp Sauce


Me trying to figure out which holds to use

Me on the fourth move with a retard looking hand ha!


Checkin out the holds


Video of the Discharge V9?? I need consensus



If anyone knows of this climb or knows if it isn't or is an FA than please comment!!
Peace!

Rocktown

Sunday we had another great day at rocktown. After work me and sarah left for rocktown to finish off what we couldn't do last weekend. After warming up in a crowded bunch of gumbies we were off to our projects. I tried iron claw V10 for the second time and got really frustrated that I made no progress. Fifteenish minutes later, after reworking beta, it wasn't so bad and I sent! After that we hiked over to golden harvest and it still whooped my ass. This was my second real session on it and still no bueno. Sarah managed to crush golden showers v5 no problem and than went on to send blue V6 very quickly!! Strong! After all of that we hiked up to blackout v10 and I tried it for about an hour. It was a while before I decided to change my beta, than I chalked the holds put a tick so i could see and sent!! We were both feeling pretty worked at this point but still got on little bad boulder v5, which is a must do at rocktown!! After this tiring day I managed to send aluminati v9 on the way out adding to the day's psych!

Sarah after topping out Blue V6!



Me on Blackout V10

Me on Ironclaw V10

Ironclaw

Sarah floating up Blue V6!

This next weekend is prom so it will be just a bunch of gym sessions for twoish weeks and than some more climbing!!

Life... and climbing!

Ever since I have had a job at Dunkin Donuts I have not had much time to climb on the weekends, but I do get to train at the gym on the weekdays with my buddy Brad Weaver and other gym locals. A few weeks ago I made it out to Island Ford, with Sarah, Bobby, Tanner, and someone who actually knows the place really well. I went in order to attempt to snag a few first ascents but mainly about this project I kept hearing about. The Garfuna Project which was estimated to be v11-13. That day I ended up doing 8 first ascents as well as the garfuna project, which weighed in at about V7 after jumping to a jug rather than a gaston crimp. HA! But the day was really cool and the climbs also.

Me on the FA of Right Handed Despise V7ish?

Here is Tanner Ayers on the 2nd Ascent of the Garfuna V7ish?

This last weekend was perfect! On friday I had a fun gym session with Brad Weaver, this kid is so strong and motivated and has been helping me progress significantly in climbing. Saturday me and sarah left right after I got off of work at 12 and had a session at rocktown. Sarah forgot her camera but we both had a good day. After warming up we headed to the vagina area where I sent digital scales V9 2nd go of the day! After that I looked at the womb V10. The holds all looked good so I decided to give it a go and fell at the very top of my flash. I soon sent on my third try after finding better beta and we were off to nitrous oxide V9 where I also sent! Than we headed to helicopter V6 where sarah quickly dispatched!! Psyched! At the very end of the day I tried blackout v9/10 a few times and came close but no send, but I did end up flashing big bad right V8 and called it a day!

The very next day we followed the same schedule but this time sarah brought her camera! Warming up I felt extremely heavy and weak, but after a while felt a bit better. We headed down to the vagina area where I tried the move on speculum. This move is really hard for me off a left handed jug and a right handed crimpy pinchy ok hold and throw to a good little pockety thing. The move at first seemed ridiculous but after a few attempts I stuck it so I decided to try it from the start. It felt really difficult but after about 5-6 good tries I was able to send!!! For the rest of the day we just ran around the boulder feild trying to burn out finish the day off well..

Here are some pics of me rockin the rock pillars on Speculum V9

Island ford

I went climbing about a week ago in a metro Atlanta area with almost no guide so I will be headed up soon with some people who know the area. Here is a quick vid of my short session.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2jY87XM6vY

Fight Club

Video of me doing the FA of Fight Club v8/9. If for some reason this video does not work for you, than go to youtube.com and type in Fight Club V8.

Rock Pillars!

I apologize that I have not been updating my blog lately, but I am happy to say that those days are over. School and climbing have been keeping me extremely busy, but it's all good now. Anyways...

Some of you already know that I have switched shoes to a company from the Czech Republic, called Rock Pillars. At first I was skeptical about the shoes, but after about five minutes of wearing them I realized that the eastern Europeans had narrowed down shoe making into an art. These shoes, not only stick to just about any foot hold, but they are like climbing in socks. Once your foot slips into them they immediately take the shape of your foot. I first tried them while helping host at a comp at Escalade Climbing gym, and they were magnificent! I was psyched. So today I went over near the Chattahoochee River Park to see how they could perform on real rock and I was really surprised. Any foot hold I placed them on, no matter how small, they didn't even budge. Wowawoowa!! Any time I heel hooked or toe hooked they stuck. I am really psyched on them and would love to see more of them out here in the states. If anyone is interested in getting a pair just visit my facebook and tell me, or email me at e_unit_soviet@yahoo.com, but the easiest way would be talking to the U.S. rep who lives here in Georgia, by going to his facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/climbnchase?ref=ts

So far I have tried the Pearl Slipper and the Top Gun(velcros) and am extremely happy!!

The Top Gun


The Pearl Slipper

Today Was the First day I took these shoes outside and ended up sending a really cool, yet a kinda dirty first ascent, calling it Fight Club. Hopefully vid and pics will be up soon. I called it about V8/9, but I really have no idea and would love some consensus!!

Peace

LRC

This last Wednesday I dragged Joey Bakos to LRC with me. He didn't climb much, for he had a pulled tendon, yet he managed to crush the Chronic V7. I felt so heavy warming up so I just headed to harder climbs. I managed to do House of leaves V8 second go, falling of the last move on the flash hah. After that I went to try Biggie Shorty and ended up repeating it really quickly and than repeated instinct first go! I feel like I'm getting into the bouldering groove again. After that I moved on to send the mechanic V7, which felt really hard to me and finished the day off with my hundred tries of Tennessee Thong V7. It's a really god climb but I fell on the flash on the bump move touching the jug and realized after a few goes I would not be able to do it that way. After finding out some heel toe cam beta it went!! Video on facebook by Randy Blount at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=698253344&ref=ts#/video/video.php?
v=237829423344

Peace!

HP40

Early on monday our crew took a trip to Horse pens, I was really psyched to get on climbs I haven't been on in a while!! As I rolled up and turned into HP I drove into a cloud. You couldn't see thirty feet in front of you at first. Most of the top outs were soaked. Perfect climbing conditions. After setting up our tents, the weather started to slightly clear up. I warmed up super well by running some laps on the Wasp and than doing a cool V5 behind it. Than we headed to the redneck boulder where I did redneck V6/7 and missing the point V7. After that we headed to the Slider area. The top half of the boulder was pretty wet, but covered in good holds. My Sarah ended up sending cuts like a knife V5 easy!!!! I proceeded to send Cuts low V7 and Litz Pocket V8. I was feeling pretty decent at this point and decided to try Caddilac Thrills V9. Last year I couldn't do the second move and this year I was slipping off of the last wet good side pull. A bit bummed but psyched to come back this upcoming weekend. Afterwards I did the Sierzant Problem V7 and than cooled down.



Daniel Bakos sending his project 1st go of the day, Redneck V6/7, and me helping moraly.....



Missing the Point V7

Sarah wounded and mean muggin due to the sharpness of Cuts like a Knife V5

Sarah Bain Sending Cuts like a Knife!!!!!!!!!!

Me attempting Cadillac Thrills only to fall at the last wet hold four times

Fun trip psyched to head back!!!

LRC

Yesterday me and sarah met up with Brad and Haley at the good ole waffle house, ate, and proceeded to LRC. The weather was nice, but a bit warm. Brad really hurt his shin slipping off the start of The Law V11 but ended up sending next go!! I was psyched to get on something I hadnt ever tried called The Blacksmith V9, and after a couple of goes it went! Tommorow I am headed to HP40 and am psyched. For more info pertaining to yesterday check out Brad Weavers Blog!!

Holy Hooded Hippopotami

Today after school me and sarah met up with the strongest of the strong, Brad Weaver. We headed to the Marietta Mangler to give him a tour of this enchanted choss. We barely had anytime to really get down and climb because of this ridiculous day light savings time thing. Just when the temps start to drop, you have to leave earlier on account of the sun going down. Any way. After attempting warming up at a place with no warm ups unless you are , Chris Sharma or Chuck Norris or some one, Brad flashed the 2nd ascent of Fat Apocalypse V8 easily!! It was sick. We had a really fun mini session and I ended up sending my project at sun set and calling it Holy Hooded Hippopotami! I think it is a V8 or V9. It needs a repeat.


Here are some pics.


Here is Brad attempting to warm up by hanging on a sharp jug, which is the start to the mangler.












We started to work this project which has yet to see an ascent. It starts on kill whitey V7 but right before the crux you make a move out left to a decent crimp, throw a heel and rock BIG to a small edge.












Brad sticking one of the harder moves of the project, he got past the hard part and grabbed a chossy hold that was flexing and seemed as though it was about to break. SKETCHY!!!


















This is the second move for both the project and Kill Whitey. Lots of small incut crimps on this wall.










Here is my FA of the day, Holy Hooded Hippopotami. It starts down low and left out of the picture and makes a pretty big move to a gaston off of an ok left hand and a small right handed crimp. From there you hit an intermediate and bump to the jug my left hand is on. Make some umphy moves to the good crimps out right and go straight up a sketchy V5




I have to work all weekend so I am not going to be able to climb....
but the weekend after that I will be real psyched to go bouldering some where else!!!
Peace!

Rocktown on a tuesday

Finally I got to get outside after only being able to climb twice in the last two weeks. I set for a comp all last week and was so stressed. I pretty much only had Sarah Bain and Joey Bakos saved the day when he showed up friday. Thanks guys!

As for rocktown, it was a lot of fun. I though I would not be able to pull myself off the ground on a V4 but actually surprised myself. Warming up, I felt extremely heavy but when the CRANK started to kick in and my muscles warmed up I felt pretty ok. I started off by hiking to the Vagina and working the moves. They felt really difficult but as soon as I figured out the intricate beta it felt surprisingly easy. Next we moved on to the sherman roof. I had never tried the traverse and was pretty psyched to try it. I tried the first move of brown hole a couple times and it kept shutting me down, which really pissed me off. The move is so so huge! I decided to see where the crux was so I started from the first move and did it first go to the top out, surprising myself. I rested tried the first greasy move a couple of goes and was infuriated at not being able to stick it. After resting for a bit I did the move and crushed the rest of the climb from there! It felt 13Cish for me, but really amazing line nonetheless.
The mangler with my buddy Brad Weaver tomorrow!!! so so Psyched!!
weesguncrush!



Sarah on her complete new antistyle project!!
Nose Candy V6
Her on this climb is like Oprah Winfrey at a KKK exercise convention.












The first big move of the Sherman Roof Traverse V9. Greasy yesterday.

The Vagina V8. So beta intensive....













So psyched on the mangler tomorrow, hope I send that mini project.

HP40

Horse Pens 40

Me and Sarah on a freezing winterish day

Finally, the cold is coming, the temps are dropping, and bouldering season is arriving. It's about time to unclip, untie, grab your pads and warm clothes and wrestle some pebbles!

This weekend was FREEZING. It was the first real weekend of cold and of course I failed to bring my sleeping bag and down jacket. On the bright side, when the sun did come out, the bouldering was really fun. At first warming up was a really arduous task, but as my hands and body started to warm up I managed to flash a cool V8 called short long. Also that day I kinda flashed Cuts like a knife low V7 ( I had done the stand start). After that I climbed a really beta intensive v7 called missing the point and the next day flashed wasteland V7. Other than that I feel like I'm just getting into the groove of bouldering again and am psyched to keep getting better!!
I can tell this will be a good season, for I also want to do some route climbing in between all this bouldering, and I feel like I'm getting much stronger!! Here are some pics.....

The pick directly up is me on
Slush puppy low v8...



Me playing on the mega classic Slider V9. The friction was horrible on account of the slight mist.




Litz Pocket Problem V8. This one is really cool, with a huge swing for the last move!

Joey Bakos battling the nasty sloper on Wasteland V7

Litz Pocket

Here is my Sarah Bain Testing her pinchy sloper strength on the ultra classic Man with a slow hand V4