Training with Piz: Treadwall Introduction

Get outside and have an adventure!

piz : )

Thanks to my amazing sponsors: Arcteryx, CAMP-USA, SCARPA, Sterling Ropes, the AAC and WIndX-treme

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0UNERSgem0

Enjoy the short introduction to the Treadwall by Brewersledge!

Training, setting and climbing video tips to follow from now on!
You can catch them all on the Brewersledge page if you don't want to sort through my personal stuff!

Thanks and leave any comments you like and I will respond in a timely manner.

Training with Piz: One Arm Pull-Up

Get outside and have an adventure!

piz : )

Thanks to my amazing sponsors: Arcteryx, CAMP-USA, SCARPA, Sterling Ropes, the AAC and WIndX-treme

Here is a way in which you can develop your one arm pull up skills.

Use a towel or rope or sling or whatever and lower your grip on it while your other hand is on a normal jug.
Do reps and lower your hand until you don't need it anymore.
Over a period of a few weeks/months depending on where you are at physically, you will eventually be able to do a one arm pull up.

I don't really do these more than once a month and that might even be a stretch, more like once every two or three months.

There are not really too many routes that require the skill, but having that lock off power is huge when you are trying to boulder or climb at your limit.

As with any type of training, doing too much can injure you and not being properly warmed up will injure you even faster.

I have been getting in shape at Rifle this summer!

Get outside and have an adventure!

piz : )

Thanks to my amazing sponsors: Arcteryx, CAMP-USA, SCARPA, Sterling Ropes, the AAC and WIndX-treme

 Justin getting it on!

 Rowan giving beta.

 Me, doing what I love to do!

 Rowan and I at the belay.

Steep is good!

Training with Piz: Mountain Men with Leg Raises

Get outside and have an adventure!

piz : )

Thanks to my amazing sponsors: Arcteryx, CAMP-USA, SCARPA, Sterling Ropes, the AAC and WIndX-treme

Anyone who climbs overhanging rock or plastic knows that the core is very important for success.
This type of Mountain Man is a great way to incorporate even more core into the workout.

Sometimes this is done on a static pull-up bar, but by adding the motion of the campus, it makes it that much better for training.

Enjoy!!

Another photo shoot that was a bit different

Get outside and have an adventure!

piz : )

Thanks to my amazing sponsors: Arcteryx, CAMP-USA, SCARPA, Sterling Ropes, the AAC and WIndX-treme

I put this one on the blog not because I am all about me, but because I have been shot by photographers for around 10 years and I have never had a shot like this taken. I was working with some pros who have shot some climbing over the years.
They were more interested in getting stock photos for agency's, than selling to a magazine or something like that. I didn't know what to expect but it was a fun experience anyway and I learned a lot about this style of photography (meaning not so focused on the climbing (we did shoot a ton of climbing shots) but more of the scene and the sky and all the "other stuff" that sells an image. Thanks to Rob Reece and Ken Redding Photography.
http://kenreddingphotography.com/

Rowan

Get outside and have an adventure!

piz : )

Thanks to my amazing sponsors: Arcteryx, CAMP-USA, SCARPA, Sterling Ropes, the AAC and WIndX-treme

 I love to slide.

 Ok mom, I will let you take a close up.

 This playground is awesome.

 Look I can stay cleaner than daddy.

 Moments before he began stripping down out of his wedding clothes.

 Rowan getting some love from the bride!

 I eat wedding cake early...

The dance floor was not big enough for this guy.

Silverton, Colorado; Rowan, and Trains

Get outside and have an adventure!

piz : )

 Right now Rowan is on a Thomas the Train kick. Since we were in the area for a wedding we figured that we should let him check out all the trains right next to where we stayed in town. It turned out to be the best gift that we ever could have given him at this stage of his life! Here, he and mom are checking out what he calls Thomas. (a side note is that ever engine was Thomas)

 One of the old rigs that would haul the coal and other commodities to and from the area over the past hundred years or so.

 Mama and the boys.

 Elmo was not going to miss out on this adventure with Rowan.

He wasn't so happy since this was his last time sitting on the engine. Oh well. Until our next adventure.

 

Thanks to my amazing sponsors: Arcteryx, CAMP-USA, SCARPA, Sterling Ropes, the AAC and WIndX-treme

It's Wedding Season

Get outside and have an adventure!

piz : )

Thanks to my amazing sponsors: Arcteryx, CAMP-USA, SCARPA, Sterling Ropes, the AAC and WIndX-treme

I had the wonderful chance to take the family to our friends wedding in Eureka, Colorado this past weekend. I even got a new camera so that you and I don't have to look at the crappy photos that I have taken for years!

Enjoy Jesse and Jennifer's wedding shots!

 We got there in time to check out the train museum with the boys. Rowan was a very happy camper!

 We also had time to throw rocks in the river.

 Rehearsal with the wedding party. An outdoor stand up venue that was beautiful and appropriate for these two love birds.

 Some grub!

 The rehearsal dinner chit chat.

 Big day table settings. I like it!

 The waiters were lined up.

 Rowan got to bring the bling in style.

 The beautiful bride and her father.

 Classic.

 This guy was ready to party after the vows were taken.

 The newly married couple looking sharp.

 

The dinner was closed out with a song for the bride and groom. Great job. 

Treadwall Update

Get outside and have an adventure!

piz : )

Thanks to my amazing sponsors: Arcteryx, CAMP-USA, SCARPA, Sterling Ropes, the AAC and WIndX-treme


I have completed my first 10 days using the Treadwall.

This is huge! I have seen some amazing changes with my body, I have adapted to climbing and setting on the Treadwall and my skin has allowed me to actually complete all the attempts that I want to make each session.

I used the wall about every 3rd day and was training intervals. That means that I would do a route 4 times in row with a short rest in between each attempt.
Then after a longer break I would do the same with another route.
After that I would repeat the process on 2 more climbs.
Each route that I climbed was set to work on a particular style or movement in climbing so I was not doing the same type of thing over and over.

It took about 6 days on the wall to even get to the forth route because my skin hurt so bad.

But the rewards have been incredible. I went to Rifle and was able to complete some harder climbs in just a try or two and I haven't even been on rock for almost 8 weeks! Even though the style of the Treadwall (nonstop) is different than how I normally climb, it only works as an advantage.

When I climb outside, I go fast where I need to and rest when I can. This is NOT how you climb on the Treadwall. The steady pace that you set before you start controls everything. So holds that you might be able to shake on outside become terrible and jugs even get hard to hold. It's great because if you use the wall and compliment it with climbing at your local area, you will see great gains in your climbing.

I will be sharing how to set various kinds of climbs and how to train on in starting near the end of July. The information will be posted on the Brewersledge website and on my blog. Stay tuned for all the information that you can handle on the Treadwall!  Feel free to comment and let me know what you think and I will do the same.

Get outside and climb!!!!

SCARPA: Epic Pro GTX

Get outside and have an adventure!

piz : )

Thanks to my amazing sponsors: Arcteryx, CAMP-USA, SCARPA, Sterling Ropes, the AAC and WindX-treme

I have been wearing the SCARPA Epic Pro GTX for a few months now and feel confident about sharing what I think.  http://www.scarpa.com/scarpa/epic-pro-gtx

Since I am sponsored by SCARPA, you probably expect me to just say that they are awesome and be done with it. That has not always been the case. When they make a garbage shoe, I let them know why I feel it is not great and when a product is the greatest thing in the world, I also do the same.

Today will be no different. The shoe is called a cross between a trail runner and a light hiker. I would prefer to not run in the shoe unless it was on a rescue in the middle of nowhere to save my climbing partner.

That being said it is an amazing and durable light hiker that I have climbed some off-widths in. I generally wear my approach shoes on off widths as it makes them a million times more fun as long as you lace them down for those heel and toe hooks that you will encounter. The outer of the shoe has held up and maintained its good looks after scraping against granite in my backyard.

As for the GTX or Gore Tex, I love having a shoe that I don't have to worry about getting my socks wet while on approaches. Nuff said on that.

I always fit them the same as my shoe size, no bigger and no smaller.

Lastly the rubber on the bottom is not chunking off or wearing out very fast. This is a good thing.

The shoe can handle the trails with or without a pack and I have to hike with my son and climbing pack on my back. I still have the stability that a boot will give me with this shoe.

You won't be taking a chance when you buy this one!

piz : 0