Abilene Climbers

Lake Brownwood Climbing Guidebook

2011-03-21T08:58:00.000-07:00

Its with great pleasure that I announce the release of the first climbing guidebook to The Rocks, at Lake Brownwood. Just outside of Brownwood, TX, the Lake is the area I’ve spent the most time in the last 5 years. The climbing at The Rocks is on brilliant Texas limestone. The bouldering ranges from V0-v7/8, and there are numerous top-ropes from 5.6-5.11/12. The lake is a great place for both beginners and advanced climbers as well, with quite a few open projects remaining.

This guide has been a long time coming. A few years ago I spoke with my friend, and Brownwood local, Ben Chamberlain about the possibility of putting together a guide. But the guide got put on the backburner to school, family and the like. This Christmas I devoted myself to finishing the guide, and couldn’t have done so without Ben’s help, route knowledge, and historical info. I’m indebted to him for his aid in this project.

The guide includes stories from several folks who have contributed to the development of climbing at the Lake. I’m thankful for the time that each of them put into reflecting on their experiences, as well our memories shared at the Lake.

Finally, you’ll find in the opening pages of the guide instructions on checking-in, directions to the crag, and local etiquette. You’ll also find a recent history of the climbing there, and details about printing and binding your guide.

This guidebook is a first-draft, and I welcome all feedback. Please use it wisely, and climb at your own risk. I hope to see you out there.

To download, click the link below (will redirect you to my google docs):

Lake Brownwood: The Rocks Climbing Guide

Great Weekend Part 1: Adopt-A-Crag

2010-11-11T20:17:00.000-08:00

The Adopt-A-Crag went great. Folks from Go-to-Willies, Solid Rock, ACU Outdoor Club, Keep Brownwood Beautiful, and of course Rock Addiction showed up to put some work in and do some good climbing. Ben hauled off a whole truck-bed full of trash collected from the lakeside. We cleared out the trails, and then we climbed.

Unfortunately I didn't remember my camera. In fact, nobody in my car of 4 remembered a camera. So I took this photo from my good buddy Colter's Blog. Colter just went on the road trip of a life time (take a look at his blog to read all about it) and he happened to be swinging through Abilene the weekend of the clean-up. Colter is a great friend, and I miss his companionship here in Abilene. Great to see you Colter!

The clean-up was a great success. I need to give another shout-out to Ben and Mary for their tireless work out at the lake. Ya'll are my heroes. Thanks for everything you do.

Look forward to a "Part 2" posting from that weekend...a trip to Fredricksburg and some Erock bouldering. Stay tuned.

Its almost here!

2010-11-02T19:52:00.000-07:00

Lake Brownwood Adopt-A-Crag is this weekend. Its going to be a good time--be there. See details in the post below.

The Adopt-a-Crag Approaches

2010-10-21T07:17:00.000-07:00

News from Ben and Mary:

NOVEMBER 6, 2010

Lake Brownwood Cleanup

It’s almost time! It gives us a chance to do something good and an excuse to get a lot of climbing in. And as a bonus – swag – all for $0.00 dollars – what a deal!

We will start at 9:00am. Get there early to sign in and get a “got bolts t-shirt” (art is attached), climb-on pack, cliff bars & trash bags while they last.

We will pickup trash, cover graffiti, set up climbs and stop for lunch. After lunch we will throw out some swag. I think Solid Rock is going to have a drawing for some climbing swag. Then it’s ON…

If you don’t tear, break or bust something open then you weren’t climbing hard enough J.

It’s gonna be a blast!

Things to bring: Water, Lunch, Trash bags, Earth tone spray paint to cover graffiti & lots of people to help.

Bring gear & pads. We are planning on setting up about 10 climbs – come help us set up more.

Big thanks to all our sponsors!

Bad news, no camping this year and we will have to be out of the park by dark.

We hope to have a good group like always. I know we are all busy and money is tight but if we don’t support our climbing area today then it may not be here for you tomorrow.

Then where you gonna climb?

If you don’t have gear or a belayer, get to work on it.

Hope to see you at THE ROCKS!

November Adopt-A-Crag

2010-09-03T18:53:00.000-07:00

Hey folks. Big news: Team Rock Addiction is putting together another Adopt-A-Crag at the Lake in November. the last one was a blast. We cleared brush, picked up trash, put up new climbs, introduced some new climbers, and had a good time.

You wont want to miss this clean-up.

Here's some info from Ben and Mary:

It’s time for the

Adopt-A-Crag at the Lake

Saturday – November 6^th

9:00am – 6:00pm

The goal this year is early morning trash pickup and graffiti cover up. Then clean what you want to climb.

We will be roping 6 climbs that will stay roped all day. I am sure there will be more. But this year we will not be supplying any gear so if you want to climb you have to bring your own gear.

We will rope up Monfe & the Mangler. Go to Eric’s blog (www.abileneclimbers.blogspot.com) for pics and videos of the climbs & of 1^st ascents from last year’s cleanup. It was a blast!

I think 17 routes got roped & there were pads everywhere.

We are still looking for sponsors – for more info call

Ben @ 325-998-3109 or email Mary @ mary@gotowillies.com

Or Eric @ www.abileneclimbers.blogspot.com

Bring water, lunch and whatever tools you have – like a weed eater, trimmers, gloves & trash bags.

Hope to see ya at the next big blast!!

Team Addiction

Feed the Addiction with Friction

Still Training

2010-08-21T12:55:00.000-07:00

Haven't touched rock in 3 weeks or so. As I read on another blog, in the summer the heat is often the greatest crux facing climbers. Such has been the case here in Abilene.

But I've been consistently climbing on the wall and hitting the hangboard. I think i climbed 4 times on the wall this week, and did two hangboard workouts.

John Long, watch out...

P.S. This is a classic shot of John Long on Pinch Overhang at Horsetooth Reservoir Colorado. Pinch Overhang is a famous John Gill problem, that I hope to try one day. Anyways, this classic photo is from an article in Climbing magazine, 1978, called "Pumping Sandstone." In it, Long recounts his efforts to go send some of Gill's notorious sandstone test pieces--at a time when bouldering was really only in its infancy.

Good stuff.

Luke crushing

2010-07-31T20:13:00.001-07:00

Cousin Luke (littlegent) came into town on Thursday and took some problems down on the wall. He's strong, and only getting stronger.

Luke, thanks for showing us old Gentrys how its done.

Wall Update

2010-07-23T14:35:00.001-07:00

The wall is filling in with holds, and there's more to be added. Training has been steady of late, despite the heat. Having a wall in the backyard makes a huge difference in motivation.

Colter, you are the man!

La Muralita lives on

2010-07-10T08:53:00.000-07:00

It may be raining, but the view from my porch just got a lot better. Yes, thats a climbing wall you see there. In fact, its a fairly legendary climbing wall. My good friend Colter, was the progenitor of said wall--known as La Muralita, after a climbing gym in Uruguay he frequented during his time studying abroad. La Muralita resided in Colter's back yard for many years, until recently when he graduated and moved back to Montana.

As you may remember my wall was wrecked in a crazy windstrom a year ago, and since then my training has dwindled. So when Colter offered me his wall, I gladly accepted. He even threw in his holds, which has really improved the variety of training options.

Tyler and I went in together and bought some more lumber and added another plywood panel to the wall to increase the climbing surface to 12' x 8'. A few days ago we completed the work, raised the wall and started adding holds. We've also ordered a hundred more T-Nuts and plan to cover it in holds.

The wall is 45 degrees and stays fairly dry unless the rain is really coming down.

I'm pumped to have a wall back in action, and especially one that's so close to home. With school and work its often difficult to travel to climb. Hopefully this wall will help friends and me stay in shape for those trips when they do come.

Colter, while you are off backcountry ski-mountaineering, dont forget the little people who are in Texas slaving away in 100 degree heat, on a steep wall with greasy holds. Our time will come...

And thanks again for the wall buddy.

Good Reads

2010-06-27T12:53:00.000-07:00

Well I am a married man now. Lindsey and I are settling into our new home and starting life together. I'm so lucky to marry her--and she let me hang my hangboard in the kitchen! So the training is going strong.

I just finished two good reads I thought I would share with you. The first is Climb! The History of Rock Climbing in Colorado, by Jeff Achey, Dudley Chelton and Bob Godfrey.

I picked up Climb! because I was particularly interested in the history of the few Colorado areas I have visited, but I quickly read the book cover to cover. The history behind most of Colorado's classic routes are included, and its fascinating to realize how difficult people were able to climb, even before many gear advancements. Even if you dont live in Colorado, this book will inspire you to put up routes of your own, and maybe even travel out there to try some of those classics.

My second read was Stone Crusade: A Historical Guide to Bouldering in America, by John Sherman.

This book starts with a history of bouldering, specifically focused on John Gill- the godfather of bouldering and dynamic movement. It then traces the history, personalities, and problems of different areas by region in America. Because I spend more time bouldering than anything else I really enjoyed this one, and now have a huge ticklist of problems I would like to climb someday. My one complaint is that the only area covered in Texas is Hueco Tanks. Of course that is where Sherman spent much of his time (developing the V-scale there), but I would have enjoyed reading some history of centex bouldering. Still, I'd recommend this book to any boulderers out there.

These books are particularly relevant and interesting because of their focus on rock climbing. While there is a wealth of literature on mountaineering, critical writing in the fields of trad, sport, and bouldering is lacking. As well, though both of these books are now a bit dated, the majority of the routes and problems found in them are still there for anyone to try. I know I'll be road tripping for some of them soon...well, I hope!

Mission Impossible Backside- Guide

2010-04-29T19:24:00.001-07:00

After climbing Mission Impossible fairly early on in my wanderings at the lake, you would have thought I'd looked at the backside of the boulder earlier. For whatever reason, it was only a little over a year ago that Ben and I cleared the brush back from its base and found 4 great climbs. Ben nabbed the first ascent on all of these lines, and we repeat them often these days.

All four lines are moderate, and the landing is great. This makes the Mission Impossible boulder one of the best for warming up and beginning climbers. Its great to start your day by circuiting through these four, and then going to the opposite side and climbing Mission Impossible. Give it a try.

1. Mission Enough (v0)- Climb the left arete.

2. Mission Possible (v0)- Climb the crack that runs parallel to the left arete, while staying off of the arete proper. Though this may seem like an eliminate, it actually climbs naturally and doesn't feel contrived.

3. Mission Direct (v0+)- A great intro to slab climbing. Head straight up the center of the face, balancing on small and devious slopers. Don't wimp out and reach for the aretes!

4. Tomcat (v0)- Climb the right arete. Like Mission Impossible, but easier.

Just Say No

2010-04-28T15:35:00.000-07:00

Here's the topo for the Just Say No arete. On the face left of the arete is This is Your Brain

.
1. Just Say No (5.10)- Start low (has been climbed from a sit) and climb straight up the arete. Both right and left variations have been climbed at the top. Top rope anchors are ten feet back from the lip. Will require long runners to set up.

Burlfest Boulder

2010-04-28T15:28:00.001-07:00

There was a project left on the Burlfest boulder until Scott came through a few weeks ago and took it down. So here is the updated top for the Burlfest boulder:

1. Panzyfest (v0)- Start seated on two good slopers. Move up and right using the crack, until it stops, and then reach right to a good hold marked by a small beak. Rock over.

2. Burlfest (v5?)- One of the best problems at Brownwood. Although it may look like an eliminate, it is in fact the more obvious line than the crack (Panzyfest), and follows the edge of the sloping arete. Start seated on two good slopers and move up to two bad slopers. Move into a gaston and crimp match and then throw out to a good hold on the face below the lip. Bump the left hand to the good hold marked by a beak and the right hand to the back sloping corner of the boulder. Mantle.

3. Little Annie (v4?)- Starting from a sit, find a way to establish on the arete and move into the good face hold on Burlfest, and top out Burlfest.

Anticipation boulder

2010-04-28T15:07:00.001-07:00

Well the semester is winding down, and I'm hoping to get some work done on the Lake Brownwood guidebook. Here's a topo of the Anticipation boulder. This boulder is located just right of the Mission Impossible boulder.

1. Project- This line has been climbed from a crouch, but a true sit has yet to be completed. Establish on small crimp and rubbish undercling and head left towards the sloping lip. At the lip traverse right, topping out Anticipation.

2. Anticipation (v2)- A surprisingly tricky problem. Climb the arete from the sit, staying on its left side. Tops out on the slab left of the arete. The top-out is the crux.

Inspiration

2010-04-20T20:22:00.000-07:00

Since Thursday, the weather has been pretty lousy (although its been great in general recently, so I cant complain). So lately, I've been doing a lot of this...

And dreaming of this...

More Photos!

2010-04-01T09:30:00.001-07:00

Here's some more photos from Scott.

Me on the last moves of Smooth Sailing:

A good shot showing the angle of wall and holds on Smooth Sailing. Both Smooth Sailing and Jack in the Box start on the flake in the right side of this picture.

Colter sending Smooth Sailing, for the third ascent. Colter's right hand is crimping on one of the most unique holds at the lake.

Scott on the first ascent of Jack in the Box:

Finally a picture that shows the angle of this wall, and gives you a hint about the terrible landing. Where i am in the picture is actually about where a fall from the dyno lands you. The two spoters (Dave, Asa) are standing on higher blocks.

Scott's right hand is on the higher of the two holds used to make the dyno. The key to sticking the dyno is keeping your right hand on that crimp to control the swing.

Ha, i still can't believe its been climbed! Crazy

Photos

2010-03-31T19:11:00.000-07:00

Here's two photos from Scott from the weekend. I'm in the process of collecting photos from the many cameras that were there. More to come.

Anne crushing on the crack climb in the maze:

Me on the first ascent of Smooth Sailing:

Check the posts below for a trip recap if you missed it.

The Weekend to End All Weekends

2010-03-29T19:40:00.001-07:00

The Adopt-A-Crag weekend has come and gone. What a weekend it was though! Ben and Mary went out of their way to ensure that everyone had a great time. They sacrificed their time, money, and energy to make this event happen. Essentially it boils down to this: Ben and Mary are just good people.

This weekend really started coming together months ago. Ben and Mary had a vision for an event that would not only promote continued climbing access at the Lake, but also better the environment there, and introduce more people to the climbing experience at the Lake. They worked hard in the weeks leading up to the Adopt-A-Crag, gathering sponsors, cutting brush, putting together prizes for participants, finding a cook for Saturday night...the list goes on and on.

Colter and I arrived on Friday afternoon, and began to help Ben (who had been working since 7:30 am) start hauling off loads of brush. We worked for a few hours, and then bouldered for a few more. Colter was eyeing the third ascent of Burlfest, but fell off the last move three times on Friday! Worn out, we retired to Ben and Mary's house, ate pizza, and watched Dosage V.

(Colter on Burlfest on a previous trip)

On Saturday morning, more troops showed up and we continued to haul off brush and collect trash. In the end we cleared around 10 trailer loads, and 3 truck fulls of brush (all cut by Ben). On top of that, bag-fulls of trash were collected. I've never seen the lake looking so good.

After lunch we started climbing. Colter slipped off, laced up below Burlfest and crushed it! Well done Colter. I knew it was only a matter of time. By my count, this is the third ascent of the boulder.

The Chapmans then rolled in from Camp Eagle, and Scott began to systematically destroy every difficult problem and project at the lake. He nabbed the fourth ascent of Burlfest, and then FA'ed the arete on the opposite end of the boulder. Its a tough, holdless, compression arete, and now goes by Little Annie.

We then collected pads and returned to Smooth Sailing, which I had top-roped on our last trip to the Lake. We padded the landing, making it as manageable as possible...though it was still pretty lousy. I went for it and the send went smoothly. Scott followed, flashing it. Colter followed, sending it first go. I think the consensus was that the problem is awesome.

Well, while the pads were there, Scott decided to tempt the impossible (improbable)--the direct finish to Jagged Edge. A little history on the boulder: This is the most aesthetic line at the lake. Its a brilliant overhanging face, with an obvious starting jug, two medium-difficulty set-up moves, then nothing for 4-5 feet. And then a sloper. All over a terrible landing.

Jagged Edge avoids the "nothingness" by veering right to the arete. Even on top-rope no one had ever stuck the mandatory dyno on the direct version. But for some reason, Scott thought we should boulder it. We arranged a landing pad and went for it. Sure enough, Scott sent after 5-6 tries, naming it Jack in the Box. I was getting close, but couldn't latch the sloper, even after 15-20 tries.

We moved on to other things, but Scott encouraged me to go back and give it another go. After 5 more tries, I stuck the dyno and held on for the desperate send. Jarrod happened to catch a video of the send (I think someone has video of Scott's send--send that to me so I can make a proper video please!)

Short Commentary: So I'm pretty excited in the video (as you will be able to tell). I've looked at this route every time I've been to the lake for the last 4 years. It really was the Great Undone Line at the Lake. It may not be the hardest there, but all the elements- purity, quality of moves, sketchy landing, lack of top-rope success, history- all made it an unimaginable project.

Its almost bittersweet that its been climbed. But watching Scott realize the vision for the line, and following his lead with an ascent, was a really great experience for me.

All in all, a great weekend. One that wouldn't have happened without Ben and Mary. Thanks again for your commitment to preserving the access and climbing experience at the Lake.

2010-03-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

Day 2 and 3 of Tyler’s Balcarce, Argentina climbing trip...

On Day 2 a group of us (Colin, Tim, Mariano, Matias, and I) headed to the front section of bouldering areas on the sierra because of the previous nights rain. Our hopes were that the sun would have dried out these exposed areas by mid-afternoon. Sure enough, the areas were dry and it was climb on!

We began our warm up for the day on a really cool boulder about midway up the sierra. On it were multiple V0 and V1 problems. For all who have climbed out at Brownwood, you will notice that it looks exactly like the boulder where Mission Impossible is found, just flipped around and with numerous holds on its face. Below is a picture of Tim working the traverse along the topside of the boulder.After an hour or so there me moved up and to the left to another boulder with a few more V0 and V1 warm up problems.

To the left of this boulder we began the hard climbs of the day on a really amazing V2/V3 problem that comes out from beneath a flake into some weird body positions, crimpy holds, and a sick knee bar that lets you throw throw for a right hand jam that leads to the top out. Pictured is Tim working through the bottom section of the climb. Mariano, Tim, and I all had proud sends.

From the same sit starting position a V5 problem comes directly out from the flake to two terribly small crimpers, up to a bigger crimper, then a left toe in on the side of the flake leading to an enormous power move up to a weird finger jam with the left hand. The “enormous power move” was extremely shouldery and proved to much for me. Mariano sent the problem on his fourth try however and is pictured below making the big move to the jam that is a foot out of the picture (it was huge).

From here we moved on to a boulder with a huge face full of super sharp crimpers and juggy top outs. Mariano and myself began work on a V5 left traverse from the right side of the boulder, which tops out in the upper left section. He sent it after a few tries, while I got shut down on my third V5 of the trip. I had to skip the first move and try the V4 version. Both problems require you to use almost obsolete feet, static body positions through crimpy sections, and a good deal of trust that your toes won’t pop. Pictured is me making a big throw to a slopey edge. Again, I got shut down.

After our time here, Mariano and I worked two really dynamic V3 roof problems to finish the last hour of daylight. After a few tries on each we both sent the V3’s to round out another amazing day of climbing. Pictured is me controlling the swing of one the problems as you let the right heel come off and throw the left heel up by your left hand for the top out. Super sick.

On Day 3 Colin and I went out by ourselves in the afternoon and I worked through the V5’s again. And got shut down again. I did send the V4 variation on the face climb that I’m pictured attempting on my first go of the day. It was an awesome trip and I look forward to maybe getting back to La Barossa some day.

2010-03-27T11:07:00.000-07:00

Hey all it’s Tyler again with a new update from South America...

As you all know, I did a post on La Barossa (a climbing area in Balcarce, Argentina) about a month ago describing an ultimately failed climbing trip. Well this past week, Colin Barnard (one of my fellow combatants from the last trip) and I swallowed our pride and headed back to Balcarce for some redemption. This time we met a group of amazing climbers and had the chance to boulder with them for a few days. Pictured below is a handful of the climbers we met on our trip.

On our first day, Gabriella (wife of the legendary Tim Bratten) picked us up from our hotel and drove us out to their house at the base of La Barossa. Here we loaded up all the gear and headed for the “Boulders de Bosque” area on the backside of the sierra. We began warming up on the front of the boulder, pictured below is Gabriella on a V2 problem. We spent an hour and a half or so climbing through multiple V0, V1, and V2 problems. There were probably 7 or 8 problems just on the front of the boulder.

After our time at the front we moved around to the backside of the boulder to try our skills on some harder stuff. I began work on a V4 traverse that starts low and works up into the roof, topping out as you come out from crimps on the roof to a sloper, a jug, and high step mantle. On my third try I got the ascent and was super pumped about it. Pictured below are action shots of me moving through the traverse and up into the roof.

Abut this time a group of 6 more climbers showed up, all from the Balcarce and Mar de Plata region. One of them, Mariano Maceri, was an especially strong climber who I developed a good friendship with by the end of our trip. He and the others began warming up while I began to study the moves of the V5 traverse that comes from the opposite direction and works up into the roof. After warming up, Mariano came over and coached me through the moves. He sent the problem on his second go and after 5 attempts I got fully shut down, just didn't have anything left in the tank. Mariano also sent a really technical V6 after 3 attempts, pictured below is him working through the crux.

Overall, the climbing and community was awesome. I’ll have another post for day 2 and 3 soon...

Guadalupe Mountains Bouldering

2010-03-25T20:26:00.001-07:00

A motley crew of road and trail weary friends found out first hand the climbing potential in the Guadalupe Mountains the first weekend of March. Although we only got to climb for about an hour or so, we found a number of good lines on what I'm calling the Dragon Boulder: Stage Left (FA Colter Lane), Exit Cactus Left (FA Alex Wann), and La Buena Vista (FA Wann), all probably around V0 (although I really have no concept of the "V" rating system). Then we found and sent another problem Martyr's Ladder (FA Lane) on the same boulder, which might go as a V1 or V2.

I've perused the internet quite a bit for any mention of rock climbing in the Guadalupe area and nothing has revealed itself. Some sources (namely the NPS) cite the poor quality of the rock dissuading people from establishing much of a climbing destination. Looking at the cliffs around, I don't know if I entirely believe that, but it would be beyond my ability to tackle some of the huge walls found on the side of Guadalupe Peak and El Capitan. From what I've seen though it has a lot of potential for being a good bouldering alternative to the more crowded and more regulated Hueco Tanks, especially if you were willing to hike into the Devil's Hall area. There is just something about being in a wilderness setting away from a load of people, climbing without pressure, not trying to prove yourself, just scaling the rock because you feel compelled to reach the top by the most difficult means your body can handle.

I would stress Leave No Trace Principles for anyone else trying to establish new climbing routes. The land is a National Park and the desert environment is reasonably fragile. Be smart, use your head, think of the people who will tread the land after you, and leave the beauty of the wilderness intact. Scrub your tick marks, don't stash your pads...you know the drill.

Me standing next to Martyr's Ladder, which moves from the nasty bush bottom center through the darker water mark and tops out in the "book" between chossy bulges.

Nathan looking strong as Baret looks on with awe.

Me climbing Exit Cactus Left, Nathan with the spot.

Adopt-A-Crag

2010-03-23T09:44:00.001-07:00

This weekend is the Lake Brownwood Adopt-A-Crag. Things will get rolling at 8am on Friday, and continue till Saturday evening. Free camping on the bluffs is provided by the fine folks at Kirkland Docks.

Bring work clothes, and gloves. If you have a trailer, or truck, bring that as well. Hopefully we will get the work knocked out quickly, and get on with the climbing.

There will be prizes and other awesome stuff/people there. There will also be loads of top-ropes, and gear for beginners provided.

This is going to be greatness. I will be there. You should be too.

All Knuckles and Elbows

2010-03-15T14:15:00.000-07:00

Check out this picture of Colter's nasty toes...right above his new route All Knuckles and Elbows. Click on the image to enlarge, and you'll get a sense of how small those holds are, and how gross Colter's toes are.

In all seriousness, take a look at Colter's new blog: www.mmm-lanec.blogspot.com for his commentary on Saturday's climbing, and coverage of his many outdoor pursuits.

Remember, the Adopt-A-Crag is coming....

Photos and Adopt-A-Crag

2010-03-15T06:39:00.000-07:00

Here's some photos from Saturday on Colter's camera.

Colter on All Knuckes and Elbows.

Jarrod trying Smooth Sailing.

Me on Smooth Sailing.

Remember the Access Fund Adopt-A-Crag at the Lake is coming up soon. Its going to be a blast. Check out the original post: http://abileneclimbers.blogspot.com/2010/01/march-adopt-cragits-gonna-be-huge.html

Days we live for

2010-03-13T18:59:00.001-08:00

Today was one of those climbing days we wait the whole season for. The weather was perfect, the group was great, three first ascents went down. And I don't even think i got any poison ivy. Could it get any better?

Colter and I drove to Brownwood this morning and met up with Ben and Mary, and their son Zachary. Shortly after, Jarrod and John showed up from Abilene as well (we should have car-pooled). We climbed The Mangler--the crack that we added top-rope anchors to a few weeks ago. I think we've come to a concensus that move-for-move, its the best climb at the lake. Not the hardest thing out there, but not a give-me. Its a great climb.

We then climbed on a new route Ben and Jarrod put up a few weeks ago, that i believe they names A Painful Day. Its in the same corridor where The Mangler is located. We were able to add a direct start to A Painful Day that was....well, painful.

Almost a year ago, I lowered down into a gap between two of the bluffs and found a 15 degree overhanging face with small crimps (see the Original Post) I cleaned the holds and knew it would be brilliant climbing then, but the rock behind you is so close that it was hard to imagine climbing it without hitting the wall behind you. So I never actually tried it, and the climb drifted out of my mind.

Well today Colter was pumped to try it out, and after several burns he put up All Knuckles and Elbows. Its definitely a tough bit of climbing, on some small slopey crimps. Well done Colter. Of the two possible lines on the wall, All Knuckles and Elbows is the one on the right. The left remains a project.

After watching Mary come heart-breakingly close to a send of The Mangler (she is falling off the very last move!!), Colter and Jarrod put in some effort on Burlfest. Burlfest has still seen only two ascents, though it is one of the most sought after climbs at the lake. Colter is looking prime for the third ascent here soon, and Jarrod made some impressive links on his first day of effort.

While they worked Burlfest, I rigged up a top rope on another climb that i cleaned almost a year and a half ago. Again, this is one that i never got around to climbing on, but not for lack of aesthetics or quality. The climb is on the Jagged Edge boulder, and heads left on some devious slopers before a risky top-out over the worst landing at the lake. The landing has been the deterrent.

But I figured out a way to rig a top-rope that protects the top-out, set it up and we started to give it some burns. The rope doesn't do anything for you until you are actually going for the top-out. A fall before that is guaranteed to hit the rocks below anyways. So we left the rope slack until the climber actually went for the top, and were essentially bouldering the lower moves.

We all gave it a few efforts but were getting shut down until Colter had a beta breakthrough. Not long after, I was able to pull it together for the first top-rope ascent. Now, it needs to be bouldered. I think, with enough pads, we could make it relatively safe...at least i hope. I believe I'm going to call it Smooth Sailing. Its a great new problem for the lake.

Finally, we went and checked in on Ben who had spent his time prepping a tall new overhanging face near The Mangler. After cleaning some rotten rock he was able to put up a great new climb and settled on the name 37 Stitches.

So three new climbs went up today. Who says the Lake is climbed out?

Pictures: (in order) Colter on Ben's new climb 37 Stitches, Colter working Burlfest, The face hosting All Knuckes and Elbows, and Jarrod on the opening moves of Smooth Sailing.

Vertical Plains 2010

2010-03-12T05:36:00.000-08:00

If I'm not careful, I'm going to build a reputation for being "the guy with the majorly delayed blog entries." But I have hope for the future, I plan on joining Procrastinators Anonymous...tomorrow.

A month ago, February 13th and 14th to be exact, a group of students traveled to the Vertical Plains Climbing Festival at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. Seven of us headed out on Friday afternoon with plans to see the Telluride Mountain Film Festival showing that night. i wasn't as impressed with the films this year compared to last year, but overall it was very entertaining and a good pump-up precursor to the climbing events of the next day. Check out all the films shown this year in Telluride:
http://www.mountainfilm.org/festival/2009/weekend/films.asp

They're not nearly as prestigious as an Oscar but here's a list of Colter Awards I give to some of the ones shown at Tech: "The Red Helmet" (Best Action Sequences), "Samsara" (Best Climbing & Best Overall), "Look to the Ground" (Most Inspirational), "The Hidden Life of the Burrowing Owl" (Most Comical), and "The Great White Shark Song" (Most Likely-to-Get-Stuck-in-Your-Head-for-the-Next-Month).

After sleeping at the home of a mutual friend (thank you very much Holts!), we found our way into the climbing area the next morning ready pull on some plastic. The whole day was a blast! A competitive atmosphere is both relaxing and stressful at the same time, but everyone is always really friendly and helpful. Scores were given for each pre-established climb and judges would give you credit if the climb was completed successfully from the bottom to the top. Bonus points were added for a "Flash," climbing the route on the first attempt. Included within the climbing competition was a rope climb and a dyno competition. I don't think any of us climbed the rope but Jarrod, Asa, and I qualified for entrance into the dyno comp which was held later that evening. I failed to hit the first problem, but Jarrod held strong and represented ACU well by impressively making it past the first two.
Then the awards ceremony rounded out the evening. Much to our disappointment, none of the ACU group won any door prizes! Oh well, it was fun cheering for everyone else (I have to confess I may have coveted my neighbor that night...). Then Jarrod surprised us all by winning his category! Well done, sir, display that trophy cup with pride.

With tight forearms, slack shoulders, but full hearts we left the campus for a hole in the wall Thai restaurant, then headed home rocking to the sound of the Shins.

This is guest post-er Colter Lane, signing off.

San Angelo Shreddin'

2010-03-04T13:05:00.000-08:00

Guest blog by abilene climber and all around good guy, Jarrod:

This is an account on the adventure to San Angelo, Texas. Alex, Asa, John, and I set out for Angelo at 9 on Saturday morning, for some good ole limestone bouldering. The weather was amazing and the vibe was great!

We started out on a V2 traverse. The consists of around 25 moves and you're completely parallel with the ground the entire time. Asa quickly nagged the first ascent and proudly named it "Asa Spades." Alex, John, and I gave it our all, but the rock proved to be to much for us. We then moved to a nice little dyno that Alex and I quickly tagged, but not without a loss of some prescious skin. By this time we'd all got a top out, so the mood was bumpin. We all tacked on a few V0's and took a rest for some lunch.

After lunch we worked on a slopey climb that I got the first ascent on. With the help of John, we named it "Under and Over." We rated it at a V2. It consisted of 4 moves but they were very awkward. Alex gave his all on this one, but was slipped on the last hold. Next time it's yours Alex! The rest of the time we dedicated to establishing new climbs and jumping on anything that looked climbable. There's at least 12 climbs that we set up, but there's a lot more to be had. Eric, this is your job.

My blogging skills are bad, so I'll leave the adventure to that. Good climbing everyone!

The Intrigue of the Wichitas

2010-02-19T15:00:00.000-08:00

This is Colter Lane logging on with a guest post...

For trad climbing enthusiasts living in Abilene, travel is inevitable. Enchanted Rock holds certain appeal with its relatively easy approach to all climbs and walking access to the summit of most for walk-offs and setting up top rope anchors. As such I have made the drive to Fredricksburg several times. However, it is also very popular with Boy Scout troops, hikers, and other outdoor enthusiasts in addition to us climbers. Being so open, sound seems to carry all the way across the park, so now matter where you are screams of small children and the tromp of hiking boots fills your ears.

Now I don’t want to set myself up for being an I-want-the-whole-area-to-myself elitist. There are just times when you want to be able to escape all that and climb in solitude: just you, your partner, and the rock. Thus every time I’ve heard rumors of a wilderness-type climbing area called the Wichitas, my ears perk up. And finally, after many plan-B’s and rescheduling, this Martin Luther King, Jr. extended weekend allowed me to finally experience Oklahoma climbing at its finest.

Alex Wann and I rolled out of A-town around 3:30 on Friday (January 15^th) after classes and drove the 4 hours to the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge. Conditions were wet and rainy at first but then we punched through the storm to dry roads and smooth sailing. Whoops and whollers greeting the sign marking the border of Oklahoma, punctuating solid conversation: a necessity of any road trip. Our final destination of the evening was to be the City of Lawton Campground on Lake Lawtonka, but we wanted to make a pit stop at the Meers Restaurant. Internet searches for “climbing in the Wichitas” suggested the place as a must-visit for anyone and I would heartily second any such statement. From the old western general store front to the homemade food, the atmosphere was one that would be difficult to copy. We split a famous Seismic Burger: a 7 inch diameter fresh longhorn-beef burger topped with pepper jack cheese, jalapeños, red onions, pickles, lettuce, tomato, sweet relish, and bacon cut into 4 sections for easier consumption. Needless to say I was extremely satisfied and ready for bed. We slept well in the back of my pickup with dreams of crack climbs dancing in our heads.

We awoke to a chilly morning amidst a damp fog that covered everything in a sort of soggy blanket. Visibility was poor and the view we expected to see of Mt. Scott across the lake was obscured. It’s kind of tough to get the body going in the morning on a day like today but after a hot breakfast of brown sugar/raisin oatmeal we were ready to take on the world.

First stop was the visitor center where we geeked out about all kinds of things: from the history of the refuge to the flora and fauna, from rocks to prescribed burns. Pretty cool stuff! Then it was on to the Narrows for an area of climbing that was dense in moderate to easy trad climbing. We had a tough time finding the way at first but eventually crossed Cache Creek the correct amount of times, ran into Curt Howell and the Texas Tech Crew on their climbing trip leader training, and stumbled over to the Leaning Tower. On the menu for the day were No Name (5.6), Tightrope (5.6), and Arrowsmith (5.7). The final climb was a super classic 60-70 foot climb that we broke into 2 pitches. I would have enjoyed it a lot more if it weren’t for the anxiety of trying to getting done and out by dark. We sent off on the route, cutting it a little close to dark and we ended up booking it out to avoid a fine for being behind a gate after sunset! Thankfully we made it and no fine was assessed.

Then it was back to Medicine Park and our home away from home camping spot. We cooked Spaghetti-O’s and meatballs with brats, reflected on the day, and made plans for the next. We decided to drive to the summit of Mt. Scott.

Sunday morning, after waking to the now expected noise of geese on the lake and another good breakfast in the fog, we set our sights on the moderate route dense area of “Upper Mt. Scott Wall.” Arriving around 8:30, we found ourselves alone at the summit parking area with a view of the surrounding area that one might expect to see in Scotland or Wales: lakes surrounded by misty mountains which were themselves peppered by small clusters of houses.

We first tried to find (and eventually succeeded) the Dream Boat Annie Wall (DBA) with a classic 5.10c of the same name, another 5.8 and a 5.6. The Texas Tech crew arrived as we were leaving the parking lot and headed to the Upper Wall, well establishing themselves before we arrived. They left us a couple of good climbs: Atomic Knee Drop (5.6), which Alex and I both led in turn, and Pile Driver (5.6), a wide flake that should have been led with a #4 cam, but that I led without…pretty scary. I think the dampness of the rock and rustiness from not climbing for a while added up to be a rough morning for me. Alex was climbing really well and was pumped about leading some more around the corner. Unfortunately, the Tech Crew was having class and we decided to head back to DBA for some top roping to end the day.

We got lots of practice setting anchors on top of the climbs and both mock led the 5.8, Red Wine, which turned out to be a stellar vertical splitter that got both of our juices flowing with thought of Yosemite and Indian Creek! Then we topped the classic 5.10: again, amazing! I really started to get the feel for intense lie-back finger cracks by the end of the session. Neither one of us climbed it clean, but definitely see potential for getting better on steeper and more technical crack climbs. Alex top roped the nasty-wet off-width 5.6 and we clambered back to the truck amidst glorious views of the Wichitas at sunset. Then it was back to home base on the lake for more good food, hot showers (we were really roughing it, let me tell you…), and plentiful Z’s.

We felt like we wanted another piece of the Narrows Monday morning and trekked in to see the condition of Crazy Alice (5.8) and The Dihedral (5.6). Both looked pretty wet still and we decided against pursuing them. However, just around the corner, dry and in the sun, we spotted the 5.7 Yellow Corner. Alex graciously allowed me to lead what proved to be the awesome exclamation point of an already great trip. The 100 footer took us way above the canyon floor as it moved through a jumbled corner of rock. We were about 300+ feet above the creek and looking down on hikers that had no idea that anyone was above them.

We headed back to the truck and drove the 220 odd miles back to Abilene reflecting on how blessed we were to be able to experience something like this together that weekend. I don’t want to ever forget the bison, longhorns, and rock of the Witchita Mountains. Luckily, I don’t think they will let me.

Camp Eagle Weekend

2010-02-15T12:48:00.000-08:00

I went down to Camp Eagle this weekend for the annual Climbing Palooza there. Ben and Mary came in from Brownwood as well, not ones to miss a climbing get-together. I didn't make it in until 3:30 in the afternoon, hung around with Ben and Mary while they worked on a route Ben bolted last time. I was jonesing to bolt a route, but I didn't head to the top of the cliff until almost 5:30.

I got lucky and bailed off right above the route I hoped to bolt, but was worried that I would run out of daylight. I lowered down, cleaned the route, and marked bolt placements with the last of the light, and hiked to the top of the cliff at dusk. I thought about bailing, but grabbed the headlamp and went ahead and bolted it.

The route is at the very end of the Sherpa Trek, on a short, mildly overhanging wall. The route takes a series of small crimps and pockets through the first 3 bolts, a rest at the fourth, and a tough deadpoint to a bulge encounter at the fifth.

Scott and I climbed on it. He got the first ascent (well done good sir--great climbing), and I fell at the last bolt on my redpoint go. It'll be there next time. We settled on End of the Line, and it probably goes somewhere around 5.12-. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures.

Later in the afternoon, Ben snagged the first ascent of the route he bolted on his last trip. I believe he decided on Scooby Snacks and thinks its 5.9. The route looks great. Well done Ben. Doesn't seem to me that "I'm getting to old for this" is proving true for you, since your still out there snagging all these first ascents!

Sorry for lack of pics. Adios

Tyler's Trip to "La Barrosa" in Balcarce, Argentina

2010-02-11T10:21:00.000-08:00

Hey all, it's Tyler again with an update from my first climbing experience in South America. Currently, I am living in Montevideo, Uruguay studying abroad with Abilene Christian University over the course of 4 months. This past week our entire group took a trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina where we hung out in a hotel, took bus tours, and went to a million museums. On Monday we had the chance to deviate from original plans and have ourselves a free day in Buenos Aires. Three friends and I decided to head to the province of Balcarce to visit the famous La Barossa climbing area about 250 miles outside of Buenos Aires. The account of our journey is as follows...

At 12:05 Monday morning we loaded onto a double decker PLUSMAR autobus, made our way to our seats, and settled in for a 5 hour bus ride to Balcarce. We arrived in Balcarce around 5 AM, where we then unloaded our gear (remember that our packs are full of a weeks worth of luggage for the entire Buenos Aires trip, plus our climbing gear), and hopped into a taxi that would take us to the corner of 55th and 40th street, the base of La Barrosa. Here is a picture of the Sierra,

Throwing the packs over our backs we made our way up a dirt road to the top of a hill where the true expedition began. In my usual over paranoid state I made sure that we checked to be sure we had all gear, maps, and rations for the day. Our climbing friends back in Montevideo let us borrow belay devices, 16 quickdraws, a dynamic rope, and a brand new bouldering pad. Gear, check. Maps of the different areas, not accounted for. Water and food, not accounted for. Oh NO! I left all the maps of the area in the hotel in Buenos Aires, which is not good when your planning to climb in a place that highly recommends a guide. We forgot to pick up water and food at a convenience store, a mistake that would come back and punish us later. A picture of our only water supply for the next 6 hours can be seen below. We decided what the heck and began our ascent of La Barossa, I mean I was confident I remembered what the maps looked like.

I knew there were bouldering areas on the front left portion of the sierra, but my first goal was to get on some sport climbs that morning. I felt that it would be best to hike to the top and make our way to the back left side where I was remembering the sport climbs to be. It took us about an hour to reach the top, the climb being much harder than we expected, and already one of our group members was throwing up. The sun was coming up fast, we had no water, and things would only get worse. We hiked another 45 minutes on top of the sierra before finally deciding to have a little fun on a cool looking boulder. We devised a cool route that was probably a V2/3 and worked it for about 30 minutes. Here is a picture of me making the crux moves.

After a short time here, Colin and I scouted ahead and recognized some trees that looked similar to the ones I had seen in some of the sport climbing pictures over the internet. They were a good ways off and about halfway down the sierra. I convinced everyone to follow me and we loaded up our things and headed out. Making our way down was extremely tough and we were having to take our packs off every couple steps to shimmy down rocks and avoid rolling down the side of this thing. If that wasn't hard enough, we were getting chest deep in bull nettle that was slicing and dicing all parts of our bodies. After about an hour we reached the group of trees to find that it as only nothing. Here is a picture of the group trekking the side of the hill, the bull nettle is hard to see, but it's everywhere. It seemed liked the closer we made it to the bottom, the thicker, deeper, and higher the bull nettle and thorns got.

Realizing that we didn't quite have the strength to get back up the hill, and that we had been out of water for a good while now, we noticed a small ranch house where we hoped we could fill up on water and get the heck off this sierra that was killing us. From the picture above, the ranch house is to the left on the other side of the big groups of trees. After we returned from the trip I took a look at the maps I had forgotten and realized that we were miles from the sport routes I thought were so close. We spent the next 3 and a half to 4 hours making our way to this house, having to back track multiple times because we kept running into massive amounts of chest high thorns. Everyone took a few good falls, Colin busted his knee real bad, Jacob nearly broke his ankle, and I took about a 20 foot tumble straight down the hill before my head stopped my fall on a boulder. By the time we reached the little ranch house we were all badly bloody, extremely scratched up, covered in poison ivy, sore, dehydrated, and crashpadless because the trek was so bad we eventually gave up carrying it and left it in a bed of thorns. I also forgot to mention that Colin and I thought we would make a little shortcut at one point, only to walk straight into giant ant beds and chest high thorns. We both have ant bites as high as our shoulders. A picture of my shoulder shows only a small piece of what our entire bodies looked like after we made our way out of the sierra, you can only imagine what our legs looked like,

A man at this small ranch house gave us water, pointed us on a 2 mile hike back into town, and wished us the best. We spent from 2 PM that afternoon until 1 AM the following morning, sleeping In Tim Bratten's front yard (the only American in town I knew), getting doctored up by elderly ladies in Tim's neighborhood, sitting at a bar, and eventually getting a hotel room for 4 hours before getting a taxi back to the bus station to make our 5 hour bus ride back to Buenos Aires. Our legendary climbing trip turned out to be a wild goose chase through the hell that lingers on the backside of La Barossa because I forgot our maps and we had no water. My apologies to everyone I dragged into this trip.

March Adopt-a-Crag....its gonna be huge

2010-01-29T07:56:00.000-08:00

Here's an update from Ben and Mary about the massive festivities planned for March's Access Fund Adopt-a-Crag/Lake Cleanup/Climbing Festival at Brownwood. Its going to be a blast, be there:

Lake Brownwood Clean – up

The January Rock Addiction Lake Cleanup got rained out by 12:00. But we still got 2 truck loads of brush cut. Thanks to Michelle and her family for coming out in the rain. We didn’t get to climb, but we ended up with 7 people, not bad for a rainy day.

ADOPT – A – CRAG
MARCH 26 & 27

We have dropped Sunday from the lineup.

Things start on Friday (March 26th) around 8:00am. If we can get a few people there Friday with chainsaw’s, weed eaters and a trailer we could wrap the work up on Friday and climb all day Saturday. That would be sweet.

Don’t forget FREE camping on Friday night on the bluff’s. No showers.

Please let us know if you are going to be able to make it. We will need a name and t-shirt size. Not only to make sure you get a t-shirt that fits, but so Kirkland Dock & Tim know how many they are going to feed.
You can call Ben @ 325-998-3109 or email Mary @ mary@gotowillies.com

Hope every one can make it!!

We are now working on sponsors for prizes. If you know of anyone interested – it’s $50.00 and their logo will go on the t-shirts. Prizes will be given away lottery style so everyone that wants to draw for a prize will have a chance.

BIG THANKS
To our sponsors

The Access Fund
PF&E (Brownwood)
R&S Industries (Early)
Climb On (Wimberly) – they now have their products at the Honey Bee in Brownwood.
Insane Ink (Early) – the only award winning shop in the Brownwood area. Go see Reagan and Jerry for all your tattoo and piercing needs.
Pets in Paradise (Brownwood) – Troy and Wendy can take care of all your pet needs and it’s the only real pet store in Brownwood.
Gopal’s Healthfood’s (Sidney) – they have organic energy bars on sale at Sligers and the Honey Bee.
Childress Agricultural (Crossplains) – trees and blackberries, pick your own berries in the spring. Yum
Justin Leifeste, Disciples of Ink (Abilene) – what can we say about Justin, we love this man, his lovely wife Regina and 3 children. His tat on Ben’s lower sleeve tied for tat of the day at the Dallas Tattoo Show. You can contact Justin for your tat @ justin@disciplesofink.com, my space or 325-518-5446.
Willie’s T’s (Brownwood) – Willie’s T’s will be printing our shirts, go to Willie’s T’s for your screenprinting, embroidery, stickers and banners. As of now Willie’s T’s is our biggest sponsor. gotowillies.com
My wife, Mary – with all the expense to do the cleanup’s she let me put up $50.00 to be a sponsor as well.

Thanks for all your help! Don’t forget to buy from and help our sponsors.

Big thanks to all our sponsors for helping us make this the biggest climbing event this part of Texas.

Thanks for everything

Ben, Mary, Team Addiction and everyone that uses Lake Brownwood

Clean-Up this weekend!

2010-01-20T12:07:00.000-08:00

The Lake Brownwood Crag Clean-Up is going down this Saturday morning. We have some brush to clear, some trash to collect, and then some climbing to be done. Rumor has it that Ben put some more anchors up on a new route this week...

I'm sure some people will be there earlier, but we plan to be up and running by 9am.

Come help out!

Brownwood's Best?

2009-12-30T17:45:00.000-08:00

My computer crashed in the middle of the semester, which has made posting difficult. But i finally have another and here's some exciting news to kick off posting again. I plan to follow up the Hueco Day 1 post, with recaps of the other days. But first news of today's events are in order.

Ben and I spent the day clearing cactus, brush and bolting anchors for the climb that has gone by several names: Angel Flake/Duke's Dome/Lake Flake/Ankle...

If you've been to the lake, you have definitely eyed this climb. Its a crack/flake that looks straight out of Yosemite and climbs just as good.

Here's a little history on the route. On one of my earliest trips to the lake, I ran into a former local who told me the route may or may not have been bouldered before. A top-rope was impossible (highly improbable) because a giant cacus guarded the top of the route. It was this local who had named the route Angel Flake.

Most people who visit the Lake have climbed up the first park of the flake, some have even ventured into the second break in the flake. But when the flake stops you have to make three big and spooky moves over the roof to finish the climb. Most people drop well before the roof.

In August of 2008, a group of us tried bouldering the route ground up. My good friend Duke was the first to brave the roof, and pull over the lip, for the first confirmed ascent. I followed immedietally after, but it was pretty spooky. Tyler took a serious fall right after that from just below the roof, and we decided to call it a day. Duke named the route Duke's Dome.

A few months a later, a friend attempted to boulder the route, dropped from the final moves, and fell awkwardly. His ankle was badly broken and we spent the day at the brownwood hospital. Since then, I know of no one who has attempted to boulder the route in its entirety. Nor would I recommend it. There is a precarious boulder at the base, that makes protecting the fall extremely difficult (evidenced by my friend's leg).

Ben and I have talked about the quality of this route for a long time, but bouldering the route is not safe. Its certainly do-able, but no one is doing it and this great route is getting no traffic. Move-for-move the route is likely the best at the Lake. It isn't terribly difficult but the moves are awesome. So Ben and I talked it out, and decided to add two anchor bolts about 10 feet back from the lip. If you want to boulder it, go for it, but if you'd rather top rope it the anchors are there. Go climb it.

Ben and I finished the day off with some moderate bouldering. A few weeks ago we put up a new boulder problem near Mission Impossible called Anticipation. We had to take out a bunch poisin ivey and brush, so you probably wont miss it.

On a final note, when setting up your anchor for the Lake Flake (insert other names here), I would suggest letting the rope hang slightly right of the roof. The roof has a fracture in it. I dont suspect it would ever break, but climb it with caution.

Look for more updates soon.

Hueco Tanks Trip Day 1

2009-11-19T16:49:00.000-08:00

Hey all, it's Tyler again, Eric's cousin. Due to my previous blog post and the stroke of genius it possessed, I got recruited to write about the first day of our trip to Hueco Tanks out in El Paso, Texas. For all who aren’t aware, myself, Eric, and Brian Day all made a 3-day trip to Hueco Tanks this past week. Let me begin by saying that the trip was a major success, full of proud sends and amazing community.

But enough of all that pish posh, it's time to get talking about the freaking climbing, which is going to be a task in itself to describe. We woke up at the break of dawn, and I mean literally the break of dawn (if you’ve ever camped with Eric and Brian you’ll know what I’m talking about), ate a quick breakfast, and made our way into the park. Our first stop took us to the Gymnasium boulders for a quick warm-up, pictured below. Here we all flashed Bad Axe, a 2 star V1 that takes you about 12 feet up on pure huecos, a really fun problem. Following our warm up, Eric and I though we would would try Only the Little People Pay Taxes, a 2 star V3 right next to Bad Axe. We quickly got shut down and decided we wanted to move on to more classic stuff in the park.

We left the Gymnasium boulders and headed to the ultra-classic problem Nobody Gets Out of Here alive, a 4 star V2 that must be done if you’re going to Hueco Tanks, pictured below. I flashed the problem on my first go and Eric followed with a proud send on his second attempt. Brian put in some great burns but had a little trouble with the top out. You’ll have to stay tuned for posts on Day 2 and Day 3 to see if he gets the send.

After our time at Nobody Gets Out of Here Alive, we made a short move to another ultra classic problem, Mexican Chicken, a 3 star V6. Below is Eric working the problem. Out of the three of us, he made the most progress and only lacked a coupled moves to top out. We spent an hour or so here before eventually moving on.

After Mexican Chicken we made our way over to another ultra classic Hueco problem and a definite must-do if you're ever in the park, Lobster Claw, a 3 star V5. We set up camp and ate a quick launch before we started putting in work. Pictured below is Brian getting ready for an attempt at a send. All three of us worked the problem for a good couple of hours before Eric finally grabbed the first V5 send of the trip, congrats Eric on a proud send. Brian and myself had the lower moves dialed in but couldn’t make the top throw to finish up the problem. This pretty much rounded out Day 1 of the trip, give or take a few other minor problems we got on here and there that I forgot to document.

A couple of other interesting things that happened during Day 1; we saw Jason Kehl in the park, me and Eric feasted on instant potatoes and Dak, and we were introduced to a community of climbers where their beer came before their climbing.

Keep your eyes peeled for a post on Day 2 from Eric in the near future.

Hueco Tanks

2009-11-10T13:27:00.001-08:00

Bryan, Tyler and I are leaving for Hueco today! Full trip report upon our return...

Brad and Tyler's E-Rock Trip

2009-11-01T17:30:00.000-08:00

Hey this is Tyler, Eric's cousin, dropping in for a little guest post on the BlogSpot.

This weekend my buddy Brad Miller and I headed down to Enchanted Rock for a little bouldering expedition. The last time I was down at E-Rock was during the Granite Gripper last October, so I was excited about getting back down there and seeing how I had improved. Of course the conditions were hot, the rock was sharp, and the climbing amazing.

We began the day at the Dairy Farm and Frog Pond boulders, located low and right of the main dome. We warmed up on a couple of beginner problems including Milk Mustache(V1), Cow Tipping(V0), and Longhorn Flake(V1). Both Brad and myself worked through these quickly and moved on to harder stuff. I set my sights on Frogatron Direct, a V5 that I worked for close to an hour but couldn't put together the final moves for an ascent. It is definitely one of my favorite problems in the park despite the fact that I didn't get the ascent. Brad worked Milk Jugs (V1), to the right of Frogatron Direct, and is pictured below during his proud ascent. After a snack break we moved around to the backside of these boulders where I tried the sit start of the Prow, a V8, where I quickly found after not being able to make the first move, that I am by no means V8 status yet. Brad worked and sent Ice Cream Corner, a V0+, to the right of The Prow.

After our time at Dairy Farm and Frog Pond we moved on to the Romb Social Boulders, where I spent a good hour and a half working Rombatron, a V4. I had attempted this problem during the Gripper last year and gotten extremely frustrated when I couldn't even make the beginning moves. This trip however would be a different story. After an hour of work I kept getting to the last move but couldn't commit to the final throw for the top. Below is a picture of me extremely frustrated after not being able to get the final move. I finally got tired of taking 12 foot falls and just went for the final throw. I stuck it initially, then began to slip off. I quickly readjusted and got to the hueco for the top out. It was definitely one of the best feelings I've experienced in my climbing career.

Burnt out at the Romb Social Boulders, we made a final move over to Zanzibar, a highly acclaimed V2 located in the Kingdom of Zilch section at the front of the Little Dome. Brad and I both worked the problem and after multiple tries I finally grabbed the ascent, although my top out over the mantle was extremely sloppy looking. Next time I'll have to clean it up.

Overall, the trip was a major success. It was characterized by great climbing, some proud ascents, and a full on shred. I'm definitely looking forward to getting back there soon.

The Infamous Project

2009-11-01T15:56:00.001-08:00

After studying all weekend, I made it out to the lake with Ben and Mary after church today. Lately, the Jagged Edge direct project has been on my mind.

The Jagged Edge direct project is number 2. Allow me to give a little history on this block (all the history I know about it...surely there is more). Three years ago, at the original Access Fund sponsored lake clean-up, Scott and Zack came up from Camp Eagle for the festivities. I had looked at the Jagged Edge boulder before, but the landing is terrible. There are multiple smaller boulders and terraces beneath this face.

The face itself is incredible, with a slight 25-30 degree overhang and some small slopers and crimps. On that day, we hung a toprope over the lip and worked the direct version. Both Scott and Zack made serious progress, but the only clear line requires a 4-5 foot dyno off of a small crimp and a sloper to a pretty good sloping jug. Thus the line went unsent. However, the arete (#4 in the picture) was sent by Scott on top-rope.

About a year later I began to work what would become "Jagged Edge" (#3 in the picture) With quite a few more pads, I worked the line ground-up, taking a number of huge falls. The advantage to Jagged Edge, is that at the highest point of the climb, your falls are usually going to land you on a fairly flat terrace. If you blow it before that you'd be in trouble.

Eric O. rolled into town one weekend at around this same time and promptly sent and named Jagged Edge after a good effort. With quite a few pads there, he ventured onto Jagged Edge direct, looking for any static options, but found none. I followed his ascent of Jagged Edge the next weekend. It is probably still the most aesthetic (and cool) climb at the lake.

Well on the Camp Eagle trip, Scott asked about Jagged Edge direct, which got me to thinking about it again. So today, I threw a top-rope on it, and began to work it. From the small crimp and sloper that were originally used for the dyno, one can reach up and left to an abismal sloping crimp. Off of this i was able to bump for a better sloper at the limit of my reach, but failed to ever lock it in. I also tried the direct dyno beta and though I hit the hold a few times, I was also not able to hold onto it.

When Jagged Edge direct goes...it'll be awesome. Certainly the most impressive climb at the lake.

Here's two pictures of me on it today.

Also, expect a guest post by Tyler or Brad on their trip to Enchanted Rock this weekend. Tyler sent Rombatron...I'm jealous.

Scott on Buffet Line (5.13)

2009-10-14T19:40:00.000-07:00

Here's a video of Scott doing work on Buffet Line (5.13). This thing is hard...I couldn't even get my feet in place for the opening dyno...

I'm trying to post this to youtube, but apparently I already have a google account that I dont remember my password for. I'll figure it out, but until then check out the video here, and read the trip report from camp eagle below.

(also listen for ben's commentary, a special bonus feature to this video)

Camp Eagle weekend

2009-10-14T18:43:00.000-07:00

Ben, Mary, Lindsey and I went down to Camp Eagle for the weekend and had a great time.

Camp Eagle is a Christian adventure camp near Rocksprings, TX. It has to be one of the most impressive places in Texas, with rolling hills, rocky trails, a clear river...and huge cliffs.

We climbed all weekend on what are probably some of the longer limestone routes in Texas. After months of bouldering, my endurance is severely lacking. I'd say everyone in our party felt similarly.

But we did meet up with Scott, who works full-time out at camp, and he quickly dominated (and hung the draws for me) on several routes. Scott's climbing pretty hard these days. Sidenote: Scott's Problem at Brownwood owes its name and first ascent to this Scott.

The potential for route development at Camp Eagle is overwhelming. Ben and I are already conspiring plans to get back and sink some bolts.

All in all, it was one of the best weekends we've had in a long time. I would highly recommend Camp Eagle to anyone wanting to get on long routes in a impressive setting with great people.

Great Success

2009-10-03T19:59:00.000-07:00

The Brownwood Crag Clean-up was unreal last weekend. We had several drive in from out of town (some as far as Fredricksburg), a huge turn-out of Brownwood locals, as well as 20 students from ACU's outdoor club. All in all, between 30-35 people.

During the summer months, the lake gets to be in pretty bad shape. A lot of swimmers head to the area to swim and party, which is great...except for the trash and graffiti left behind. This, on top of the standard summer plant growth, had the lake in bad need of a clean-up. But with the huge turn-out we quickly dispatched the goals for the day and started climbing early.

The Rock Addiction crew brought harnesses and shoes for all the students, and we were able to set up about 15 top ropes during the day. I've climbed at most of the public areas in Texas, and I can't say there is a more accessible and moderate area for beginning climbers to learn at--top rope set ups are easy, the climbs are short, rock is good. And I think the kids climbing for their first time really had a blast.

We also slung a few of the tough routes and Colter and Tyler put some work in on This is Your Brain. Tyler is pictured below on the opening crimpy moves.

Colter and Tyler were also both able to send Scott's Problem. This makes ascents 5 and 6 by my count.

It was a great day, and we accomplished a lot. Ben and Mary are doing a great job of maintaining access to and improving the quality of this "west Texas gem." They are the real work-horses out there, and their efforts are truly appreciated.

There's a Clean Up Approaching

2009-09-22T08:36:00.000-07:00

My life is revolving around the hangboard these days. In fact, a freak storm came through Abilene a few weeks ago, and lifted my 500+ pound climbing wall and threw it into a heap on the ground. My friend did point out that the wall design was pretty much perfect for such a flight...but he pointed this out after the fact.

So the wall is out of commission. But I've been training pretty seriously on the hangboard, borrowing a workout from a famous climber online. I plan to do a post on that later this week.

In other news, there's a Crag Clean-Up at Lake Brownwood this Saturday. If you'd like to help out, get there around nine. We'll be doing a little brush clearing, some trash pick up and a lot of climbing. Should be a great time. Until then...

Lake Clean-Up

2009-07-26T12:19:00.000-07:00

On saturday, I met Ben and Mary down at the Lake for the Clean-Up. Ben and Mary put on a clean-up at Brownwood the last Saturay of every other month. During the summer months the climbing at the lake collects a lot of trash from the swimmers and parties. And like any Texas area, with the heat the plants grow and the trails get tight. So there's always work to be done.

We set to work clearing the top outs of one of the taller walls at the lake. Ben had a saw blade put on his weed-eater that cuts clearing time in half.

Both Ben and I had looked at this wall in the past, but never seriously considered bouldering it. The wall at its highest is 22 feet tall, and guarded by two to three feet of rotten rock at the top. After digging out a foot of choss at the top, we finally gave up and set up a top rope anchor ten feet back from the lip and ran a static over.

Ben grabbed the first ascent of Tell Mafie Nothing which weighs in at 5.9. The pictures are of Mary and I climbing it.

From the same anchor we were able to top-rope an adjacent line with a huge dyno at the top. We are calling it Holladay and its probably 5.10 or 11. Side note--we found an old home made piton in one of the cracks on Holladay. Probably twenty to thirty years old. We've found old pitons in the past, and even one old bolt. It'd be interesting to know some othe Lake climbing history...if anyone has information shoot me an email.

Several more climbs were cleaned on the wall but are still awaiting first ascents. This new wall is Ben's dedication to close friend and legendary Texas climber, Kirk Holladay, who passed away last month. Kirk was co-owner of Rock About guiding service, an ambassador for access to Texas climbing areas, and an Enchanted Rock icon. He will be missed.

If you have a chance, get out there and try out the new climbs or grab a first ascent in his honor.

long time

2009-06-08T18:07:00.000-07:00

Well, its been awhile since I've posted. Busy graduating and working. But last night, I was able to make a quick trip to the lake with Tyler and Scott. We met up with Ben there and had a blast.

Its getting hot in Texas, but if you want to climb outside, you've got to deal with it. The slopers were pretty slick and the crimps greasy, but it was still a great time.

Unfortunately, the summer brings out the swimmers and parties at the lake. With them comes trash and graffiti. Sadly, one great boulder was covered in new graffiti recently.

Ben has been working hard during the week to keep it clean down there, but can hardly keep up. If you head down there, take a trash bag with you and help the cause.

Until next time...

short session

2009-04-12T19:37:00.001-07:00

Ben and I did some bouldering at the lake Saturday morning. I had to work in the afternoon, so the session was cut short.

I was able to climb the new problems on the Mission Impossible boulder that Ben climbed last week. The boulder now has five lines total with the new additions--Tomcat, Mission Direct, Mission Possible, and Mission Enough.--first ascents by Ben.

In other news, while walking around we spotted an overhanging boulder, that I've somehow missed for three years. Its guarded by a fortress of poisin ivy at the moment, but come winter..it's on.

I forgot my camera on saturday, so here's an old shot of Lindsey on Mission Impossible. The new problems are on the opposite side of the boulder.

Scott at Camp Eagle

2009-04-05T20:13:00.000-07:00

My good buddy Scott (the first ascentionist of the aptly named Scott's Problem at Brownwood) down at Camp Eagle put up a tough route at Camp Eagle a few months ago. Its called Buffet Line and goes at 5.13. The first move itself looks pretty brutal. I hope to make it down to camp soon to try it out.

Here's a link to the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xK8i5syGA4A

Camp Eagle is a great spot for long limestone sport routes in Central Texas. If you need information, shoot me a message, or check out www.campeagle.org

Also check out these trip reports from Zack at climbdfw, about his time at Camp Eagle: http://climbdfw.wordpress.com/tag/camp-eagle/

Cleaning New Routes

2009-03-31T20:43:00.000-07:00

This weekend's clean-up was a great success. We cleared the top outs to a few walls and while doing so I spotted this new climb.

But on Saturday evening I had to work and didn't get a chance to check it out. Today I was off though, so I went down to the lake right after class and lowerd down to check it out.

And its good...slightly overhanging, slopey crimps the whole way. I scrubbed the holds, but will save serious attempts for another day.

Then I went to the Cannibas Canyon to check out the arete right of This Is Your Brain, the 5.11 face that Ben, Bryan and I put up. The arete had several sections of chossy rock, so I lowerd down to do clean it up. Check out my anchor...

Ben met me there right as I was lowering down and he checked the top to set up an anchor, for top-rope attempts. We worked the climb until dusk and its another good one. Both Ben and I managed to peace together the moves and and agree that its probably in the 5.10+ range.

There are two variations at the top, taking either side of the arete. Both are worthwhile. I'm thinking it'll be called Just Say No.

Everytime I'm at the lake, I see more potential. Hopefully the poisin ivy will hold off for just a little while longer.

Climbing, Recovery and Work

2009-03-27T19:39:00.000-07:00

Until this past weekend my climbing has slacked considerably. I did something to my elbow on the wall a few weeks ago, and hadn't climbed since. However this sunday we traveled to Brownwood and climbed some moderates.

Unfortunately, I have no pictures at the moment.

But Nick sent Texas Toast. Well done, good sir.

In other news, tommorow morning is another workday. Several ACU students will be meeting the Rock Addiction folks at 9 am. If your in the area, come by, do some work, and do some climbing.

Report on the trip to follow.

Doing Work

2009-03-01T20:20:00.000-08:00

Bryan and I took a half-day trip to Brownwood this weekend and met up with Ben. We were pumped to try a tall new route, so we set up a top-rope anchor and cleaned a great new route in the 5.11 range.

Both Ben and I have eyed the two faces on this arete. The arete is one of the more inspiring features at brownwood, with the look of a giant ship's prow. We also hung a rope over the arete proper, but it'll take some cleaning before its safe for serious attempts.

The new route going up the water streak (pictured), follows a 15 degree overhang on small crimps and shouldery gastons. The crux happens to come at the top, moving from a small slopey crimp to another slopey crimp. I did manage to top it out, and am trying to draw up a way to lead it on some long webbing runners from the top anchors.

I really need to take a moment and thank Ben and his wife Mary for everthing they do out at the Lake. He really has done a lot to make Brownwood and enjoyable and safe climbing spot for people of all ability levels, as well maintain access for guys like me. Thanks for everything ya'll do.

In other news: Bryan sent Scott's Problem, for the fourth ascent to date. Tyler managed to get some video footage of the send, so I hope to put together a clip sometime this week. Check back in for that. Proud send Bryan...Texas Torture next? Jagged Edge?

This is actually Tyler on Scott's Problem. He's now done all the moves and only lacks the link. He'll send next time I'm sure. He did nab an ascent of the dyno problem by the water. I'll also pick up some footage of this and make a clip...so you have multiple reasons to check the blog later this week. Until then, climb hard.

P.S.
Zack and Scott, you better be doing work down there at camp. I expect a second ascent of Buffet Line from you Zack. I hope to climb with you guys soon.

Nick on Burlfest

2009-02-26T13:04:00.000-08:00

Here's a short video of Nick trying Burlfest, one of the best problems at Brownwood. Bday recently got the second ascent of the problem, and Nick was close to getting the third on his first day of effort...

Well, there's always next time...

First Video Attempt

2009-02-24T12:12:00.000-08:00

Well lindsey just got a new mac, and so I have been using it extensively. I'll admit I spend a good amount of my time watching climbing videos and now that I have access to imovie, i thought i'd try to make one.

Unfortunately, we had Lindsey's camera on a low quality resolution and didn't know it till the end of the day...but you get the idea. This was from a day-trip she and I took to Brownwood in January.

P.S. I have no idea what song this is (i'm not a big fan) It was one of the few songs on the new computer.

Brad's Photos

2009-02-13T13:31:00.000-08:00

Reimers Weekend

2009-02-13T09:29:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, Alex, Colter, Nick, Brad and I crammed into Brad's truck and headed for Reimers. We climbed from 8am-6pm, and though it was crowded, we were still able to climb a bunch of routes. Highlights included: Crankenstein, Blowing Smoke, Wife in the Fast Lane, Socks on Chicks, Prototype, 8-Flake and more.

Unfortunately, I didn't take many pictures. Hopefully Brad and Nick will send some better ones.

In other news, belaying with a grigi is so much better... I've been a cheap scoundrel and stuck to using an atc all this time. Thanks lindsey for the Christmas grigri.

Here's a couple of the only pictures I have. Brad and Alex warming up on 8-flake:

Great time at the Clean-Up

2009-02-02T13:34:00.001-08:00

On Saturday, Lindsey and I spent the day at Brownwood with the Outdoor Club and Rock Addiction Folks working at the Crag Clean-Up. I'm really impressed with the leaders from both organizations who care so much for preserving the places we frequent to pursue our outdoor passions.

The Rock Addiction team has been working at Brownwood for some time, dedicating at least one Saturday every two months to cleaning trash and clearing trails, top-outs and landings. They have really been at the forefront of keeping climbing access healthy at Brownwood. I hope to work and climb with them more.

Similarly, the outdoor club at ACU has been involved in several service projects in the West Texas area, and this was their second time to spend a day at Brownwood. Their contributions were obvious: one entirely new wall, previously covered with cactus, was opened to new problems, as well as huge progress on clearing the top outs of a great moderate bouldering area towards the left end of the bluff line.

After the work was finished for the day, we spent some time climbing with a motivated crew. Nick, Matt, Colter, and Andrew all made significant progress on Burlfest on their first attempts. The story was the same on Scott's problem.

Here's the cheering section at Scott's Problem:

Thanks again to all the volunteers who spent their Saturday, working to preserve a place that I enjoy so much. Hope to climb again with all of you soon.

Crag Clean-Up Brownwood

2009-01-27T09:56:00.000-08:00

This saturday, the ACU outdoor club, along with the Rock Addiction folks are going to host a crag clean-up at Brownwood. Should be going all day. I'm really excited--there is a lot of work, that once done, will open up new problems.

Also, check out this cool picture Bryan took of a night session at the wall.

Texas Block

2009-01-25T18:46:00.000-08:00

Nick and I spent half a day at Brownwood today. The weather was great, 65 and no wind. We warmed up on Mission Impossible, and then made our way to the Texas Block. Nick is pictured above on Texas Toast. He fell off the last move, just missing the second ascent. He did send Slap That quickly though.

In response to Bryan's chastising that I never climb the same problem twice, I repeated Texas Torture today. Its really good. Come climb it.

The Texas Block:
Named for a feature on the south end of the boulder shaped like the great state, the Texas Block houses several quality problems, but was overlooked during our first years at climbing at Brownwood. "Slap That" is located on a small boulder next to the Texas Block.

1. "Texas Toothpick" v2 - This climb was named after the delectable appetizer from Destiny Grill on the way back to Abilene. Sit Start. Move up through gaston and crimps to jug rail. The top out requires a big throw to a flake. Mantle.

2. "Texas Toast" v3 - Start right from a crouch on a side pull and gaston. Move up and left using a good right hand crimp. Finish "Texas Toothpick."

3. Project- Start "Texas Torture," and finish through a series of shallow pocket with a big throw for the lip.

4. "Texas Torture" v7?- The best line on the boulder. Start from a sit on a bad right hand crimp and left on the crimp marked by orange rock. Gain a heel, match on orange crimp and move left into bad gaston rail and pocket. Continue moving left into "Texas Toast." Could also possibly be started with the left hand on a lower undercling.

5. Project- Direct line from orange crimp of "Texas Torture."

6. "Razor Ramone" v2- Climb up into a sharp (sketchy) flake.

7. "Texas Arete" v4- Start on the Right side of the arete, and move up using sidepulls, and small crimps on left side. Great line.

Saturday at Brownwood and Guide

2009-01-20T20:32:00.000-08:00

Joel, Bryan, Tyler and I all went out to Brownwood for a few hours on Saturday. I spent more time taking pictures for the guide than of the climbing, but we had a great time climbing some older stuff, and establishing a new long traverse on the overhang wall at the end of the maze.

Here's the Burlfest boulder, along with route descriptions. These will all be included in the guide. Thoughts on what could be improved?

The Burlfest boulder:

1. "Panzyfest" v0- Start seated on two good slopers. Move up and right using the crack, until it stops, and then reach right to a good hold marked by a small beak. Rock over.

2. "Burlfest" v5?- One of the best problems at Brownwood. Although it may look like an eliminate, it is in fact the more obvious line than the crack (Panzyfest), and follows the edge of the sloping arete. Start seated on two good slopers and move up to two bad slopers. Move into a gaston and crimp match and then throw out to a good hold on the face below the lip. Bump the left hand to the good hold marked by a beak and the right hand to the back sloping corner of the boulder. Mantle.

3. Project- Starting from a sit, find a way to establish on the arete and move into the good face hold on Burlfest, and top out Burlfest.

Reworking the Guidebook images

2009-01-13T15:05:00.000-08:00

I received an anonymous (dad) tip that you can make some easy jpeg images on Powerpoint, and below are a couple of my new attempts at getting the guidebook going.

I have several more that I'm working on, and hope to make a trip out this weekend to take some more photos and climb.

Coming home...

2009-01-10T19:05:00.000-08:00

Lindsey and I rolled into Abilene on Wednesday night, coming back early to take the GRE test on thursday and go to Brownwood on Friday. We had a great day at Brownwood, warming up on some moderates and then working projects.

Lindsey decided to spend some time working on Scott's Problem, which is one of the best at brownwood. On my last trip to Brownwood with Bryan, I started to work a project left of Scott's Problem with a dynamic stab into a vertical pocket and pretty big dyno. Lindsey spotted me and recorded some footage on the project which i'll try to edit and get on here. She also linked through the first moves of Scott's Problem falling off one of the slopers over the lip on her best go.

The pocket of doom.

Although i didn't send friday, I finally determined a sequence that may get me over the slopey lip encounter, and so I convinced Bryan to head out with me on Saturday. In true best friend style, Bryan worked Scott's Problem so that I could try my project.

At first the moves the top out still felt impossible, but after a slight foot adjustment i was able to rock over and scramble up the steep slab. We're calling it Stab Wound. I'm not sure how hard it is, i hope it sees some more traffic.

Towards the end of the day, we walked back to the entrance and did a cool dyno problem that Scott C. opened up about a year ago. (Pictured at the top). I also did a slightly different variation to the left.

Well, I've been thinking about putting together a pdf guidebook for Brownwood, so here's my first attempt below. I used Paint, which was terrible. Anybody know of any good programs to use? free programs?

Weather and Injury

2009-01-05T11:49:00.000-08:00

For the last week the weather has been great in Dallas, but I've been stuck inside nursing an injured wrist. Of course, as my wrist starts to feel better, the weather turns.

I head back to Abilene this week, and then...Brownwood.

Trial Run

2008-12-28T17:05:00.001-08:00

On Saturday, our buddy Caleb took Lindsey and I to an area (nowhere near abilene) to try some cool boulder problems. Here are photos from the recon mission...

We'll be heading back to Abilene soon. I'm anxious to get back out to Brownwood and put some projects to rest.

Down Time

2008-12-19T15:28:00.001-08:00

Well, finals are finally over (im sure thats some sort of literary technique), and I'm back home for the holidays. Last night lindsey and I went to the gym--Dallas Rocks--the first time either of us had climbed in the last two weeks. I'm hoping to spend a few days over the break checking out some of the bouldering areas near dallas, and maybe Oklahoma. Time will tell, however, as I'm back on the night shift at the distribution center.

Until then, here are some photos from our summer trip to Mt. Evans. Lindsey happily hiked the (hour and change) approach with me three days in a row, and did her fair share of sending.

Merry Christmas.

Thanksgiving at Reimers

2008-11-30T16:12:00.000-08:00

In true celebratory fashion, I spent two days of thanksgiving break climbing at Reimers. Brad invited me to stay the night at his house on Tuesday, and climb with he, his brother and his girlfriend. Brad was anxious to try Spidergrind (5.11), so we started there.

Brad linked through all the moves on top-rope and will likely send it on his next trip. The highlight of the climb, however, was Brad's cry to "Let me down! I'm bleeding!" The blood is pictured below.

We walked to the House of Pain area, my first time to head all the way over there, and its one of the most impressive areas of hard routes I've seen in Texas. Someday I'll try Irreverent Youth...someday.

After climbing a few 10's Die Hard, War on Rugs, and T-Roofic, we went back to Sex Cave to climb Liposuction (5.12) . I've wanted to try the route since first seeing it a few years ago, but hadn't tried it. Jason led the route, sans stickclip (which is pretty spooky), and I followed on top-rope.

On saturday, I met Bryan in Austin, and we went back out to Reimers. After warming up on Die Hard, we went back to Sex Cave to try Body Wax (5.12). I tried the route a year ago, and decked going for the dyno, so I put a crash-pad down (dont tell me sponsors) and climbed through the dyno relatively quickly. I pulled the rope and went for the redpoint, but fell over and over, pumping out on the last moves.

Hopefully I'll be able to head back down there soon.

A trip like old...and Bryan sending Burlfest

2008-11-25T19:17:00.001-08:00

On Saturday, Bryan and I drove down to Brownwood just like old times. Byran and I met through climbing, and its always good to catch up while doing the thing we enjoy most. The temperature was perfect--cold, and Bryan was determined to finish off his long-term project Burlfest.

He worked the top out and locked down beta that would work for him, and then went for his first burn linking through all of the moves but falling off the last jug.

We both knew the send was immenent, and sure enough he sent on his second try. Bryan has worked Burlfest since last semester, and when the moves finally came together for him, it was one of the best Brownwood moments I've been a part of. We celebrated with honey roasted peanuts. Well done Bryan.

After the send we explored some boulders that we hadn't paid much attention to before. The lake is down and several boulders typically guarded by water are revealing some potential lines. There is work to be done.

I sent Scott's Problem last time, and its one of my new favorites at Brownwood. Bryan was eager to try it so we spent the rest of our time there, taking pictures and climbing it over and over. Bryan will surely link Scott's Problem next time.

Bryan on Scott's Problem's most devious sloper:

I also worked a new project just left of Scott's Problem, that's going to be hard. I'm anxious to get back on it. Here I am about to dyno to a bad sloper on the project.

All in all, a good day.

Scott's Granite Gripper photos

2008-11-16T20:40:00.000-08:00

Scott C. sent me these pictures from the Gripper. Not only can he take pictures, but he's also organizing an Adopt-a-crag/Competition at Camp Eagle scheduled for December 7. Head out if you can, as it'll be a great weekend...good climbing and good people.

GRANITE GRIPPER

2008-11-10T08:59:00.000-08:00

Lindsey, Tyler and I headed down to E-Rock this weekend for the annual Granite Gripper. We ate some schnitzel in Fredricksburg, and met up with Scott C. from Camp Eagle at the park friday night. The comp started at 9 saturday morning, after the rules were distributed at the pavilion. Here's Tyler and I right before we dashed to the Dairy Farm Boulders.

At the Dairy Farm, Eric O. from Fredricksburg, Scott and I put in some work on Frogratron Direct (V5), and Eric O. was able to dispense of the problem quickly. I failed on the direct version, but did send Frogatron Right (v4). Here is Scott working the direct problem and Eric on his send.

Tyler worked a V2 in the Dairy Farm, but fell near the top several times. He could have sent with a little more time. He's pictured below on the problem.

I've been "jonesing" to try The Prow (v6), since watching Scott C. try it last year on another trip. Eric o. dispatched the problem on his second go. I was shut down several times. Took a rest and came back and fell off the last jug. Realizing I may actually be able to send, i took a short rest and sent on my next go. One of the harder problems I have ever done. pictured below.

After topping out (with mild celebration) I realized i had torn a deep flapper on the pad of my middle finger. My celebration turned to devastation--but with a serious taping I was able to keep climbing. I left quite a bit of blood on the right crimp, which I'll admit was pretty awesome.

We then tried Texas Blowfish (v5), a great slopy rail to a horrendous topout. Scott C. tried the problem last year, and sent on his second go this weekend. Here is Scott C. on his send.

I didn't send, but this picture is cool. So I'll shamelessly post it.

After Tyler sent a high slabby v1 at the Ding Dongs area, we all tried Rombatron (v4), but Eric O. was the only one to send. pictured below.

Tyler then tried Idaho (v2), but the high crimps proved too devious to be mastered.

With about three hours left before time expired, we hiked to the BURBs area to try Albacross (v5), and The BURBs (v4), and nobody sent either. But alas, in a last ditch effort to save face after the long hike, Tyler, Scott and I all climbed Albacore (v2), which required creative padding (i.e. holding back the unruly bushes). pictured below.

As time expired, Scott and I knew neither of us had a scorcard worthy of entry, so we hiked over to the Kingdom of Zilch area to climbed Zanzibar (v2), Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test (v4) and Louie (v4). I'll admit, I love a good arete, and Louie is one of the best I've climbed. pictured below.

Tyler placed third in his category, and won a chalk bag. Well done cuz. All in all, the comp was a great time, and I plan to return with vengeance next year.

Lastly, here's my beautiful photographer and pack mule, Lindsey, who tirelessly supported us all day.

Reimers for Fall Break

2008-11-05T16:36:00.000-08:00

On Friday, Tom, Scott, Duke and I went to Reimer's Ranch for half a day. The "more important" goal of the weekend was going to Fiesta Texas on Saturday, but I managed to work some climbing into the trip.

We climbed a couple of moderates, and at the end of the day I tried Yertle the Turtle (5.12a). I hangdogged my way up the route, pulled the rope and went for the redpoint. However, I blew the third clip and took a huge fall. After that, I was too pumped to get on it again. We climbed 8-Flake and took off. Here are some pictures of Tom, Scott and Duke.

Tyler and I are heading to the Granite Gripper this weekend. Should be a good time.

Brownwood Weekend

2008-10-31T16:25:00.000-07:00

Updates are in order...

Last Friday, Lindsey and I made a quick trip Brownwood to give my project on the Texas boulder a few attempts. It was a cold morning, and after we warmed up on Tall Cool Blue One I jumped on the project. On the first attempt i fell making the large stretch into Texas Toast. I rested for a few minutes, got back on, and sent Texas Torture.

Here are a few pictures taken by Bryan on Sunday of me pulling past the crux on Texas Torture, and linking into Texas Toast:

Texas Torture is the hardest problem I have climbed, and is certainly one of the most difficult at Brownwood. After, sending my project, Lindsey and I set about clearing out the trails, and clearing cacti from the top-outs of two new projects.

We also checked out Scott's Problem, put up by Scott C. from Camp Eagle two years ago. I tried the problem two years ago, but haven't put any effort towards it, as the landing has been covered in poisin ivey and vines since then. Lindsey and I cleaned it all out and planned to head back on Sunday.

Sunday:

Bday and I took Brian C. and Jason, from the other side of town, out to Brownwood for their first trip.

Brian C. dispatched several problems including Mission Impossible, Slap That, Tall Cool Blue One, and Panzy Fest. He also worked on Burlfest and linked into the sidepull, but fell going for one of the higher slopers. Here he is topping out Panzy Fest:

BDay came heartbreakingly close on Burlfest. Sunday was definitely his best day on the problem, and he fell twice on the last slopers. He will surely send next time he goes out.

BDay is getting strong right now, doing the moves on Texas Toothpick easily Sunday. I tried to make him attempt Jagged Edge...but to no avail. Here he is on Burlfest:

At the end of the day, Brian C. and I went to Scott's Problem with its new and improved landing area. On my first go i fell off brutal sloper mantel. Brian C. helped me to work out some new beta and I sent quickly after. Scott's Problem is one of the best at Brownwood; pictured below:

I also cleaned the arete on the right side of the Texas boulder, and established a new problem--unamed as of yet...but the moves are great and it needs to be repeated.

Today--Tom, Scott, Duke and I climbed at Reimer's. More updates to come soon.

Back to Back...Brownwood

2008-10-18T20:45:00.000-07:00

After bouldering at Mckinney on Friday (see below), my finger tips were pretty sore. But, alas, Dustin and Brad talked me into going to Brownwood today. Given the choice between not climbing (watching climbing videos) and climbing, i'll generaly choose climbing (although there are some good videos...).

This was Dustin's first time at Brownwood, and he styled several climbs including this tall warm-up.

Lindsey, the most dedicated rock-climbing girlfriend around, went with us even after waking up early to do a breast cancer 5k. She repeated some easy ones she has done before, and took the climbing day easy. Here she is on the same warm-up.

Brad had a strong day, sending Mission Impossible and falling off the last move of Slap That. After being thwarted by Mission Impossible on the last trip, Brad sent first try today.

I vowed I wouldn't get on my project today--committing the day to moderate climbs. But when we walked by I couldn't resist hopping on it a few times. I linked through the first crux three times today, and fell each time heading out to the best crimp on the route. I'm excited about the progress, but my finger tips are officially devastated.

I'll leave you with this picture of Brad.

Enough said.

Something Different

2008-10-18T20:16:00.001-07:00

Lindsey had to be in Austin early Friday morning for an interior design meeting, and so I tagged along and went to Mckinney Falls for a few hours. I had been to Mckinney Falls a few times last summer when I was working in San Antonio, as well as one trip at the beginning of this summer.

Mckinney falls is notoriously hard, and coupled with oppressive heat, I sent very few problems on previous trips.

But with relativly cool temps friday I was able to send an old project The Arete (V3), as well as my first V7, Power Merchant.

Unfortunatley, I was flying solo and didn't get any pictures from the day. Here's a photo from this summer of me on Evil Eyes (V5), which I still haven't sent.

I ran into some austin locals who gave me beta on several problems--thanks for the help.

Enchanted Rock and the Gripper Approaching

2008-10-10T17:26:00.000-07:00

I've never competed at the Granite Gripper, but after hearing really good things last year I hope to head down to Erock on Nov. 8 to participate. Here are a few pictures from last semester of a trip Joel and I took to Erock. Scott C. from Camp Eagle gave us a proper tour of some of the good problems we had missed on other trips.

Joel on the Lunar Arete. The Lunar boulders are a pretty good hike from the parking lot, but this problem is probably the best I've climbed on in the park.

This is the opposite arete on the same Lunar boulder. This one is quite a bit harder and I didn't manage a send last time. Hopefully, with a little more work it will come together for me.

Lastly, here's Scott on The Prow (v6). I have yet to try this one, but this may be the year.

Its off to Dallas for the weekend. Next week I hope to put to rest my project at Brownwood.

Bryan's project and other stuff

2008-10-05T11:40:00.001-07:00

Here are two old photos of Bryan from last semester working Burlfest. They give you a good perspective on the climb's angle and slopiness.

Here's one from yesterday's attempts on the same problem. Instead of matching on the bad gaston in the picture, Bryan threw out right to the sidepull on the face--a huge move which he styled on his first attempt with that beta. This problem is notoriously pumpy, and had Bryan tried that move the first time (before the dreaded pump set in) he would have sent undoubtedly.

Lastly, here are two old pictures that give you a perspective on "Jagged Edge," Eric O.'s problem that I finally sent yesterday. You start on the flake I'm staning in front of, go up to a sloper, cross to a crimp, then a big move to a crimp right by the arete. Then throw for the bad sloper at the first break on the arete, match and move up and out.

Here's the landing on the Jagged Edge:

Thanks again for the spots.

Finally the project is done.

2008-10-04T20:00:00.000-07:00

The day started like this:

Defeat. After doing our standard warm-ups I convinced Bryan and Brad to spot me on a project that has hung over me since last semester. Eric O. from fredricksburg, sent the problem quickly in the spring when i showed it to him, but the sloper on the break in the right arete continued to shut me down (probably 15 times).

The first go of the day was no different. I established on the sloper, better than any other attempt, but flew off making the last hard move. The picture above was taken just after the defeat.

But on the second try, I stuck the move off the sloper and it was done. Thanks Lindsey, Bryan, Brad, Joel, Duke, Tyler for all the spotting on the last few trips.

Brad sent several climbs today (including Tall Cool Blue One) and worked Mission Impossible (pictured below):

Bryan came within two moves of topping out Burlfest. He refined his beta and the change made all the difference. I'm sure he'll send the next time we go out.

At the end of the day i spent some time on the new low start to the problem i worked last time. I've now done every move, and its only a matter of linking it. Pictured below:

More pictures from the day to come, including Bryan working Burlfest. Thanks for the pictures Brad.

More slightly dated summer pictures

2008-10-01T15:24:00.001-07:00

At the beginning of the summer, i talked Joel into doing a little late-night bouldering at Roger's Park. Unfortunately, we took only one lantern and a not-so-great walmart flashlight (we have since upgraded to sick headlamps). And although we thought we would beat the heat by going at dark, it actually doesn't cool off until long after sundown. Still, we had a good time and sent some cool climbs.

The Best Boulder Problem?

2008-09-28T21:21:00.001-07:00

This summer I was lucky enough to head up to Mt. Evans with family and my girlfriend lindsey. Here are two shots of us on Indian Ladder (v1/2). This problem may have some of the best moves and holds of any climb I've ever been on. Comparable in quality (but not style) to Nobody Gets Out of Here Alive in Hueco. Enjoy the pictures.

Brownwood Projects

2008-09-27T17:02:00.000-07:00

We woke up early (an hour behind schedule) and headed down to Brownwood today for a few hours. There was a group of locals and boyscouts out cleaning the crag, which suprised us because we haven't seen evidence of anyone out there in about a year. The more the merrier. The cliffs are pretty popular for local swimmers and drinkers, and the trash and broken glass collect all over. A little cleaning here and there goes a long way.
We set to work on a couple projects discovered earlier in the week. I've walked by this boulder next to Stone Monkeys (aka Slap That) several times and only climbed on one not-so-great problem on the right side of the boulder. But after heavy scrubbing on tuesday, a sequence revealed itself on the left side of the boulder.
On tuesday i was able to put up a direct start, and a right variation that ups the grade quite a bit. But the real jewel is a sit start on the far right of the boulder which stays low and traverses into the meat of the original. When it goes, it'll be the hardest boulder problem I've established.
Below are some pictures of duke and joel working the direct version, and me on the project. Thanks Lindsey for being a such a dedicated photographer.

So it begins...

2008-09-26T21:34:00.000-07:00

Let the dominion of Abilene Climbers commence. I dare anyone to stand in our way, including the infamous Brownwood boys, or Marshall T. or Conner SNsjnds, and or Moonies with the exception of Bryan Day.
After hours and hours spent on climbing blogs gathering motivation, information, and beta spewage, we'll now do our part to contribute to the climbing conglomerate.
This blog will be updated by several of us here in Abilene, TX. We train hours upon hours every week for the chance to spend half a day at the climbing mecca--BROWNWOOD. Occassionally we spend 3/4 of a day, but that is only if Joel gets permission from Erin.
As the sending temps approach, we'll attack the limestone with vengeance, continue fighting off poisin ivy, and continue talking bad about people with chacos and northface jackets (which all three of us have).
Hopefully this blog will provide us with the outlet to record our stone escapades across west texas. Below are some of the classic brownwood shots: