It's Slide Show Time

Free Rob Pizem climbing slide show at the Cleveland Rock Gym on December 22, 8pm come and enjoy some stories and slides and donate to the Access Fund!

piz : )

Sunday New Routing

 So, I found this little guy (the overhanging roof crack) just the other day while hiking cliff line with my son Rowan and will be coming back to climb it shortly. Yeah it is steep and sandy and a beautiful line that has my name written all over it. In the mean time, I had my sights set on another dihedral that I had scoped out last year. Ben was game to play with my dream and off we went to a place called Rough Canyon just minutes away from my house in Grand Junction.

 After a cold hike at 8am (it was well below freezing out) we reached the dihedral. A little wide, a little loose but with a pay off at the third pitch. a Roof crack 200ft + off the deck! Ah yeah was all I could think. From the ground it was tough to know what size gear to bring so I had my big gear with me. Double cams up to 6 inches and sets of four from 1 inch to 3 inch sizes. I felt that I would be ready for anything on this route.

 The view from the belay at the top of pitch one. I knocked off some loose blocks and had Ben get out of the way. The roof above turns into 6 inch wide crack and then tapers to fists after some off width moves. Such great fun and on sighting this route on a sunny December day. The temp rose to 40 degrees and we were in t-shirts at times cause the way that the heat radiated off the wall.

 Ben all ready to go even though he was feeling the effects of the night before. Props for being on time and psyched for the unknown. I gave him a drill and other gear to carry to the climb and he took care of things without any complaints.

 Ben coming up to the base of the third pitch. You can see that my CAMP rope bag was getting destroyed on this day. The rocks that were trundled from the route were nailing that thing like target practise. Oh well all in the name of a new route. Each belay is on a ledge and has two bomber half inch bolts set up for rappelling. All you need for this one is one rope. But you can use two ropes and get down from this belay with a double rope rap.

 Ben coming up the 6 inch wide section. He chose the sport climbers way, lie backing. I had to enjoy the awkward jams of offwidthing to make me feel secure.

 Ah yeah! At the belay of the base of what we came for.

 When Ben joined me he found this on my shoulder. If you look closely its a scorpion. Needless to say I was a bit nervous. When you toss loose blocks off an unclimbed desert wall you are bound to disturb the insects and things. Well, I did.

 Me giving the roof an onsight attempt. I thought that it was going to be wider from the base but it turned out to be half inch to .75 inch cams. I didn't have enough to protect the whole route so I had to have some shady placements. I also blew the onsight because I got all tired and messed up what would become a very tricky sequence.

 Ah, roof crack love!

 Getting lowered after placing the anchor at the top of the pitch. The rope coming from the camera was used to pull me back into the belay. Notice the snow on the ground!

 Ben was able to unlock a part of the sequence that I missed. crazy moves that are upside down!

Enjoying the late afternoon sun and an awesome adventure! Not sure of the name yet and not sure of the grade. I gave it 3 lead attempts and as the sun was setting blew off the wall near the top of the pitch. Maybe with a little more rest I would have pulled it off but I was just plain tired from all the excitement, bolting and cleaning of the climb. I think that it is in the 5.12+ range and I am sure that I will fire the pitch the next time that I attempt it. Thanks to Ben for coming out and being a great partner on this wild ride. The route is clean and safe (with a PG rating for sure) with two pitches of 5.10 climbing to reach the 5.12+ crux and last pitch. Thanks to Sterling for the ropes and anchor webbing and CAMP for the great biners and draws, ArcTeryx for the perfect clothing and harness, SCARPA for the best climbing shoes around and Wind-Xtreme for the warm neck gator that graces my neck all fall winter and spring!
Get outside and have adventure of your own.
piz : )

The Coming Sunday Adventure

Going to head out with Ben and try a cool looking 3 pitch thing near the Monument this weekend. It s giant dihedral with a variety of cracks, blocks, offwidth and a massive horizontal roof at the top.
Going to bring the warm arcteryx clothes and my tough sterling ropes to assure a safe run up the uncharted stone. As usual with climbing on the Utah/Colorado desert sandstone I expect garbage rock (we know its not the New River Gorge stone which is perfection) anyway, we will be putting on the helmets and giving it a go.
Get out and have your own adventure and then come and read about mine!

piz : )

The Monument on a Cold Day

 A 25 degree day requires a good tough partner. Mike B and I braved the below freezing temps to get in tons of routes!

 This is how I dressed most of the day. Arcteryx gear and a Wind-Xtreme aroound my neck.

 Mike on just another splitter.

 finger cracks cause me to loose skin on the left hand.

and on the right hand. i will have to heal up before i send the thin crack route. tight fingers the whole way with no feet makes my skin fall off!
Get outside and have fun!
piz : )

My Boy and Me

 Rowan punching the monkey

Rowan and I on a cold days hike!

piz : )

Escalante Canyon

jesse checking out some big horns in escalantes canyon.

 izzy is the real king of the climb!

 taking the first steps on another splitter

 overhanging four inch crack anyone! this was a sweet line that really packed a wonderful punch at the top!

 yours truly backing in the 40 degree temps!

 jesse heading to the anchor on another beautiful splitter

blait taking on the S crack, what a beauty.

Get outside and have fun
there are no days where it is too cold
piz : )

Shoot

 Nelson checking out our baby.

 While out making the video Jane took it upon herself to add some flare to our kitchen! Nice!!

 Nelson and Dan G at the gym setting up the shot.

 The boys prepping at Mothers Buttress in Unaweep Canyon.

 Will they ever be ready?

 Can't forget the boom.

I still had time to do some scouting too!

piz : )

Some Climbing at Table in Golden

 Sean giving a good belay.

 Coach Dave taking down another lead. No boulders for him these days!

 Obe

 Mike Randy and Coach Dave

Mike and I smooching.

piz : )

Thanksgiving with the Peacocks!

 Rowan with the grandparent's Peacock!

 A very happy grandma : )

 Cousins butting heads.

 A rest for Jane and I feeiding the boy.

 Rowan hamming it up.

 More Peacock's and Rowan's cousin Oliver. Rowan is lucky and gets to wear his old clothes : )

 More Peacocks and red solo cups!

 Me and Jane

The family.

Happy Thanksgiving

piz : )

Pee Wee Sends!

Pee Wee just sent Necronomicon placing all the gear on an old roof crack project of mine.
He has given it a grade of 13d/14a cause as with all cracks the hand size will change the difficulty for all suitors.
Way to go Pee Wee for stepping up and getting psyched on this route and giving it the first free ascent in great style.
Check out http://www.climberism.com/jean-pierre-ouellet-aka-peewee-sends-necronomicon/
and Pee Wee's blog for more information.


piz : )

The British are Coming!

 Tom giving an off width a run with a good spot and Chris shooting some video.

 Wide cracks are fun? Well for some folks. They are a great challenge and make you wear long pants and sleeves and even knee pads and elbox pads too!

 Jesse getting ready for the roof crack of all roof cracks!

 Brian helping Pee Wee zip up his jacket. Pee Wee is special.

 Pee Wee instructing the Wideboyz how to make proper tape gloves.

 The Widboyz and me. Thomas on the left and Pete on the right. Yeah they are little guys, but great climbers!

 The crew coming the the roofs.

Tom doing some inversions

 I invited some friends to climb at the roof crack area in Moab. My friend Jesse, Pee Wee and Brian joined me and the UK Wideboyz (Tom Randall and Pete Whittaker) their photgrapher Alex and their cameraman Chris Alstrin.
Their goal was to climb some more roof cracks, widestuff and have some fun. Here, Jess is belaying Pee Wee as he is going for the first free ascent of one of my longstanding projects, the Necronomicon.

 Jesse taking in some roff crack boulder problems.

 Tom learning the moves on another route of mine called Army of Darkness

Brain hanging around learning the moves on Army of Darkness.
piz : )