Rock Climbing with Rob Pizem: March 2010

March 30, 2010

More Spring Break Photos

Me about to dive into a giant pothole on top of the Monitor near Moab, Utah. I actually went back and freed the single pitch aide route to the top. It goes free at about 5.12+. If you were to fall into a pothole, you would be stuck forever! Some are up to 40 feet deep with smooth overhanging walls on all sides.

Me, heading up a route on the Merrimack just outside Moab, Utah. Monitor is in the background. The route goes at 5.6 but is a bit heady as you walk/crawl/climb the narrow ledge to the top.

Braden pointing out the route that we climbed to the top of Merrimack. It was that long angling ramp to the top.

Photos being taken on Trail of Tears, North Wash. Andrew Burr on the left, Pete "the Greek" in red and Alex Honnold on belay duty.

Me and Layla at the Purdy's in St. George. I got my hair done that night, and I think a cold too!

I am really glad that you have visited my blog.
Thanks and I hope to see and hear from you soon.
Rob Pizem

And last but not least, don't forget to check out my favorite sites:

http://www.scarpa.net
http://www.arcteryx.com
http://camp-usa.com
http://sterlingrope.com
http://ColoradoMountainJournal.com
http://www.wunderground.com
http://climbing.com
http://rockandice.com
http://deadpointmag.com
http://urbanclimbermag.com
http://andrewburr.com
http://ladzinski.com

March 22, 2010

North Wash

My old roommate and climbing partner from years ago, Braden. He is just finished carving out the new route plack for a .75 inch splitter that we established while at the North Wash (south of Hanksville, Utah) next to the old route No Way Jose 5.13.

The crack master in all his glory, Alex Honnold. He onsighted No Way Jose and Trail of Tears(he linked the two pitch route into one giant) while with us this weekend. Both 5.13 desert splitters and both in the finest fashion.

The .5 inch No Way Jose, just slightly overhanging at the top. a wonderful desert splitter. Congrats to the folks who found this gem.

Hiking back to the road from some off width climbing on the west side of the road. We found lots of petrified wood and some dinosaur bones/teeth in the area. What a beautiful and easy to access place.

Alex's fans! We were scouting climbs with the spotting scope on the side of the road when some folks stopped to ask us if it was really THE ALEX HONNOLD? Alas it was and they had their photos taken with the crack master.

Spring Break 2010 Video 2

Spring Break 2010 Video

Spring Break 2010

Cleaning gear in the snow storm in the Zion Narrows.
We hoped to get out before a flash flood came through! You can see that the beginning of the route is steep, lucky for our gear.

Entering the park on the day of the blizzard. WOW.

The day before in between the rain storms this is what we encountered. LAME. So, we couldn't get into the narrows again!

I tore my nail while hiking out of the narrows. It wasn't as cool as it looks. : ) I am better now.

What the route looked like on day one. Dry, clean, fun. What did we know... no much. Oh well it will have to wait till later in the year.

March 12, 2010

ST Patricks Day Parade

My old backyard when I lived in Salzburg, Austria. This is the Untersberg (you know, from the movie, The Sound of Music) 1500ft of perfect limestone only an hours hike from my old flat.

Golling was the home of this 200ft tall waterfall.

I used to hike here on rainy days cause the water really got crazy!

Jason Haas on his roof crack, Comprometido.

This weekend should be a good time in Denver.

I will get to watch the parade with my wife and some good friends.

Eat some of the sugar cookies that I made tonight (Friday) (eggs, lambs, and bunnies)

Climb on Sunday and then see what happens out west on Monday.

Denver Action

Coming back to Denver because of the bad weather in Zion has been a good thing.
For one I got spend some more time with my wife.
Secondly, I had time work and send the crux pitch only of Comprometido, the South Platte roof route that Jason Haas completed just a few weeks ago. I was excited to try to finish the route when my Zion trip became rained out. My motivation and training allowed me to send after a couple days of reworking the moves. I was really happy when I was able to do the hardest moves very quickly. Due to the crux being a throw off one finger it is difficult to fully commit. I think that I was just ready to hurt my finger and found out that I didn't, so it was cool to see the moves come together. The rest of the climb is pretty mellow as it's hand jams and the finish is after a no hands knee bar rest.
Congrads to Jason for his send and hard work.

Also I was lucky enough to make the cover of the 2010 Climbing Magazine's Gear Guide.
What a week.

Next week I will head back out to the desert to play on some more sandstone cracks.

I am really glad that you have visited my blog.
Thanks and I hope to see and hear from you soon.
Rob Pizem

And last but not least, don't forget to check out my favorite sites:

http://www.scarpa.net
http://www.arcteryx.com
http://camp-usa.com
http://sterlingrope.com
http://ColoradoMountainJournal.com
http://www.wunderground.com
http://climbing.com
http://rockandice.com
http://deadpointmag.com
http://urbanclimbermag.com
http://andrewburr.com
http://ladzinski.com

March 8, 2010

Zion Update

Day one:

Hiked up the narrows.

Picked the route. (40 minutes into the narrows)

Started the route.

Got stumped and needed more gear (hiked out to car and back)

Climbed some more.

Slept in St George.

Day two:

Rain, closed narrows due to flash flood warning.

Went running, read and slept.

Day three:

Rain, canyon way too wet, climbed at VRG.

Day four:

? hope to get some gear from the route (may not have time to finish) : (

March 4, 2010

April Plans

Jane climbing at Shelf Road, Colorado. photo by Keith Ladzinski

Jane in a tree! Near my parents house in Ohio. (December 2009)

Well, Jane and I have signed up for our first trail running race of the year. It is called the Desert Rats trail running festival. It is located in Fruita, Colorado and will be on the weekend of April 17th/18th. http://www.geminiadventures.com/DesertRATSfestival.html

Because Jane is an animal when it comes to trail running, she is racing the 25 mile course on Sat and the 10 mile race with me on Sun. It should be a great time. The trail is along side of the Colorado River and it shouldn't be too warm in mid-April.

It's my first race where I haven't tried to finish DAL (dead ass last). In high school, my friends and I would always dress up in cos tums and run charity races to finish last and raise everyone's spirits. This time I will try to compete and not finish last. Since it is my first race, I have no expectations of winning, but I would like to make it the 10 miles and not have any severe knee or back pains. I have been training since the new year and feel good about the distance as I often walk nearly as far to go climbing with a heavy pack.

Get out there and enjoy the almost spring time cause winter is just about over!!!

March 3, 2010

What's Next?

Norway, Lofoton Islands. Summer 2009. (Our crew seeing the deserted island where we were jet boating too for some new routing)

On Friday of this week it's time to get back on the road for some rock climbing.

I head to Zion to play at my favorite place. Mike B and I will try a new route in the

Zion Narrows. We will put on our waders and head up stream until we see something

beautiful and hope that it is possible to free climb. Then we will aide, free and ascend the wall

cleaning off loose and dangerous rocks, put in anchors and fix ropes to the top. After all the work is complete and the route is clean from sand and dirt, we will rest and then try to climb it in one day. It is always a lot of work, it always takes a few 16 hour days, and it is always a great time being on the wall hanging in a harness exploring.

I hope you all have an adventure of your own coming up.

March 1, 2010

Whew

Nelson and his boom. The Hilti box is a weight for the end that he steers, while the camera is on the other end floating in space.

Me, sitting at the base of the sandstone wall, with all my warm clothes on waiting to give the route another try. My feet are wrapped in a fleece and I have the warmest Arcteryx goodies on possible!

Nelson, taking care of business high above the valley floor in Cuchara, CO.

Dan and Nelson on the way back to the car. It was much nicer hiking out on a packed trail. I had them wear red, so I could find them if they got lost!

Well, suffer we did. Nelson forgot to tell Dan that he needed snow shoes and not snow boots, so at 6am saturday morning we left Nelson's and stopped at Dan's to pick up his pair. Three hours later we arrived at Cuchara, CO and saw lots of snow. Now it is at an elevation near 10,000 feet so we knew there would be some, but the approach was through three-four feet of the white stuff.

I broke trail and it wasn't one of the easier snowshoeing adventures that I have been on. At the cliff's base there was plenty of dry space to change out of my soaking wet clothes into the dry and warm stuff, I waited nearly forty minutes for the others to reach me.

Then it was time to climb the route for video and stills.

Take a peek at http://www.dangpix.com/peacock/index.html for Dan's photos and keep an eye on Deadpoint Magazine for a video of the day in the coming weeks.

The highlight of the day was taking the big whip from the last possible move on the route. I fell nearly the height of the wall only to be caught by Dan. I then booted him in the head as we came together in mid air just a few feet above the ground. Good times. The air temperature was around the upper 30's or even 40 so it was really perfect for climbing. I hung out in all my clothes while we changed angles for the cameras, but it really was quite pleasant out in the snow.

Thanks to Dan and Nelson for coming out to play.

Enjoy my photos and Dans and the 5 minute video short that Nelson and Chuck are putting together.