The end approaches...

With a few days until the notorious road up to Wolvo-land closes I've been trying to get up there as much as a can. I've made there once last week and going again today.

The other day was a bit different than my last arctic experience.

It's been real hot instead of cold for the last days in September.

JP climbing in the hot sun, hopefully the fall is coming soon.

Rocky Mountain High...

After spraining my ankle and then leaving for Australia, I felt like I missed out on the Wolvo-land action. I was looking forward to climbing there more once I returned back.

I headed out with Pinto last weekend to scope out some of the lines I didn't see the first time I visited (before my ankle betrayed me,) I was still jet lagging and didn't climb. After that visit with Pinto I was hoping to squeeze in a few problems before the road closed.

We headed back today. I was feeling like the jet lag was behind me and couldn't wait to climb. This what we encountered,

The slushy lake.

And then snow 200 ft up the road.

Looks like I might have missed the bus this year.

OZ13...

Well I just flew in from Sydney and boy are my arms tired. No but seriously my head is still up there in the clouds we were flying in. Jet lag has never hit me so hard. going over to Australia I didn’t have much of a problem. Going over I was on a night flight which I slept the entire way, arriving in the morning. Coming back I left on Sept 9th at 3PM. Then I arrived in Denver, Sept 9th at 4PM. Since then I haven't been able to fall asleep before 4AM.

Over all my trip was one of the best trips I’ve had. At first things were a bit grim in the Gramps. 10+ days of rain will get anyone down. But as soon as I was back in Sydney the sun was out and I climbed almost every day for the next 2 and a half weeks. Well I still had to put in some rest days but not that many. I needed to make up for time spent waiting to see it the rain would stop.

The bouldering fit my style around Sydney and at the end of my 2 weeks there I racked up a good amount to boulders,

L’homme obu V10

Contact V11

Combat Wombat V11

J2 V12

Abacus V12

Genesis V13

J1 V13

Catalyst V14

I will miss OZ and hope to get back again.

Well when I arrived back to Boulder I had a pair of sample Hornet's waiting for me

I couldn't wait to test them out. Even though my head was spinning I went to the gym. Then the next day I dragged myself up to The Park, to test them on real rock.

The verdict is, they are really good. Maximum toe pulling power and a great heal.

I approve!

OZ12...

With only two days left this may be my last post from Australia...

I have one more climbing day left. So I'm taking a rest today for one more shot at Deep Blue Sea, V13.

Burly roof climbing at it's finest.

I tried Deep Blue the other day with Dave and some other blokes. After getting worked figuring out the moves, Dave brought us to one of his local bouldering spots close by.

Great slabs with just ok surroundings.

Some friendly creatures we came across.

Thanks Dave for the great pictures!

OZ11...

It's been raining here for the last three days. Kind of a bummer since I didn't go to the Gramps in fear of rain, but not so bad actually. A number of big caves offer dry rock and good weather starts tomorrow and stays until I leave.

Yesterday I met up with Dave to check out this huge cave, Sunnyside.

Sunnyside is home to 3 lines that are each quite hard. Dave and I started working on Combat wombat, V11 (the easiest.) Shoulder moves lead to a cool toe hook bump section.

Dave sent!

I was close, falling at the jug. Then figuring I'd finish it another time or later in the day. I prematurely moved on the the burly line to the right. Chris's recently opened One Of A Kind. I was figuring out the crazy moves and by the time the light was to dim to keep trying, I figured I'd give Combat Wombat a send go. No chance! I was knackered and didn't come close. In hindsight I wish I stuck to finishing one before moving onto another. Now I double the work ahead of me.

OZ10...

After a few days of feeling a bit flat on the boulders, I needed to make a change. I decided a new hair cut was in order.

This proved to be the recipe I needed. My next day back on the boulders I finished off my mini project, Catalyst V14.

After leaving Crumbly, happy to be finished with Catalyst, I realized if I headed back home I would get caught in rush hour traffic. I decided to grab bite to eat at a near by cafe and headed back to Crumbly. After a coke and vegemite cheese roll I was back to Crumbly to try Abacus, V12. Abacus is a mega classic 4-5 move power prolbem on the most amazing pinches I've ever climbed on.

I was getting close but the day was hot and the pinches greazy. It was getting dark and I only had a few tries left in me. After falling on the 2nd to last move I was planning on coming back the next day. but I knew it was supposed to rain so I kept trying. I made it back to the move I just dropped. I was so close to falling but managed to hang on. Totally shocked I hung on and finished it off.

Chris went back to the Gramps but since I'm having so much fun here in Sydney I decided to hang back. Plus I couldn't think of sitting in the car for 24 hours for potentially (if the sun came out down there,) 3 days of climbing. So Im here driving myself around which I've got the hang of quite well. I have a week left now and a few more Pj's up my sleeve.