Rock Climbing with Rob Pizem: rock climbing

Showing posts with label rock climbing. Show all posts

July 18, 2014

Stripping (the Treadwall)

Check out some more beta about route setting!

Changing out the Treadwall routes advice:

Use a drill to remove the bolts. (I have a 18volt drill/hammer drill combo)
Be sure not to remove the highest holds from the wall (otherwise you won't be able to move the wall down to remove more holds.
Set the wall to the least resistance (in order to make moving the wall very easy.)

It took about a half hour to remove all the holds from my KOR model.
I then collected all the bolts in a bin and grouped the holds by color.
I am trying to avoid using tape this next time around and will be setting by colors.
When I got the wall I was not able to set by color due to my lack of holds (I started with zero). But over the course of the year, I was able to get some Menegerie, Pur and Metolius and randoms from purchases and friends. Now that I have a healthy collection, I will set by color when possible and then with tape on the other routes.

Route Setting Goals:

Think about what kinds of routes you and your friends will be attempting to climb.
Then set routes that will develop those skills.
Set in a way in which there are no real cruxes on routes. Go for a consistent difficulty.
Think about moves that you are weak at and set that style on the wall.
Set routes that will allow your fingers a break and ones that you will only try once or twice a session.
Set routes that will allow you to climb very fast and once that will require technique and deliberate precise movements.
Have fun with it!

May 15, 2014

Black Canyon and Big Wall Thoughts

Gearing up at the River

Heading up a nice 5.9 pitch

The traverse pitch from left to right through the pegmatite band (the pink stuff).

Getting wet

Nice views

Exposed

Ledge belay!

A far away splitter.

Getting my flare on.

A bolted anchor in the Black? Oh my.

Nice roof lieback

Super views!

I climbed in the Black Canyon the other weekend and it was great fun.
My partner and I were each climbing on routes that were new to us both and that is always a good time and adventure. Upon thinking about why I liked both of the routes that we climbed, I decided to share what I think makes a great multi-pitch climb.

Here is my list based on what I like on a big route:

Ledge Belays (after breaking my back in 2006, I will never turn down a place to sit while I belay)
Bolted Belays (at least one bolt makes life so much easier and faster.) I don't mind building a complete anchor, but if its in a super assessable location (like the Black) and you are not getting the alpine portion/feel/experience of it with a long hike in for hours and blah blah blah, anchors are good.
Varied Climbing (the same move over and over is not that fun) I like overhanging terrain, cracks, face, slab, chimney, off width', the works!
Good Protection/Stone (that means safe, but not necessarily every three feet)
Exposure/Views (who doesn't like that feeling that they are way out there)
Solitude (I don't need to be standing in line on a big route, I could go to an amusement park for that)
A Line (this means that the wandering is limited) For me classic routes might need a little wandering, but when the majority of the route is all over the place, its just not that fun.
A Good Descent Route (nothing taints the experience more that when there is no established way down the wall)
Shade Potential (melting in the sun is not classic!)

When I think about my favorite big climbs, each of them embrace the above topics. What do you think?

Being Sponsored Thoughts

Contact Piz at pizem@hotmail.com for Motivational/Instructional/Entertaining Speaking Engagements, Climbing Instruction, Training and Weekly/Monthly Training Programs

Until then... Get outside and have an adventure!

piz : )

Thanks to my amazing sponsors: www.arcteryx.com www.camp-usa.com www.scarpa.com www.sterlingrope.com www.americanalpineclub.org www.brewersledge.com

As an athlete for various companies, I sometimes feel that my services are being utilized and sometimes not so much. This last week I was invited to speak on behalf of the athletes at one of my sponsors marketing and sales meetings.

First off, it was an honor to be invited to these meetings and I would like to do it again! (those of you who attend them every year as sales reps may think otherwise, but it was a new experience for me and I truly enjoy these kinds of things because they provide enlightenment to an otherwise dark and unknown world for me.) So back to the point, I was invited to speak about what we do as athletes and how we can further assist in the branding process.

Wow. Since understanding marketing is not something that I studied in school, I don't really know the processes behind the scenes. To be in the "secret circle" of a company was really rewarding and made me truly feel like I was an integral part of the team. I like that feeling. Knowing that what you do matters whether or not you get press or have a photo in a magazine or even if you are on the cutting edge of anything. Just you doing what you do helps, that is pretty cool. The other things are icing on the cake really.

I guess my reflection upon the experience is that companies are out there doing their best to care for the market, the environment, to connect with their client and to provide people a streamlined experience. There is a ton that goes into it and I am sure that I only was exposed to the tip of the tip of the iceberg. The complexity of moving from one company to another and be in marketing must be crazy since you have to learn so much about the new company and its past, present and future. In many ways it is way easier to go and climb rocks! But as I said before, I think that feeling utilized and being utilized by companies is when they will get the most out of their resources (like athlete programs) when everything works together toward that common goal, growth is not far off.

April 29, 2014

Playing in Golden

Playing at the Clear Creek water park.

Orson is a tank, no terrain will stop him.

Jane and top Jimmy

Don't fall in little one : )

Orson thinking about climbing the net that his older brother just tackled.

Rowan and Zack getting dirty.

More car seat time with the boys.

Rest Stop fun with the Family

Jane and Orson hanging at the park.

Rowan liked chasing the front end loader.

Or ham : )

Rowan got to fly to kite for the first time.

He is learning how the string goes out fast when the wind picks up fast.

Rowan makes friends pretty quickly. He ran up to this boy and grabbed his hand and took off chasing and kicking his ball with him. After a few minutes they were laughing and playing together like best friends!

Rowan and Bikes

He is learning to glide and coast on his bike. Balance is coming slowly but he is having a blast learning at the local bike park!

We had a bike sale at my high school to raise money for our students. Rowan and I helped sell them in the rain.

With every storm comes a rainbow.

Rowan getting it done on the trails.

April 24, 2014

2 More Slide Shows!!

April 17, 2014

Zion New Routing Part 2

Andy crossing the Virgin River

Mike being the cool guy!

OOH the huge chinmey!

A little jungle love onteh first pitch!

Some splitter adventure climbing as we headed up!

Freeing the 5 inch roof (formerly aide pitch from the solo aid ascent years ago!)

Andy has learned to bring the real glasses when new routing with me in Zion!

Awesome belay made of tunnel threads through the rock!

Mike taking on the big chimney!

You can always grab onto the huge tree stumps.

Getting to the final pitch!

The view from the top of the route. Dont fall in there!!! It is along way down : )

Zion New Routing Part 1

The team, two crackpot climbers Andy Reather and Mike Brumbaugh.

I can't take them anywhere, they always get lost!!

However we did find some attractive spots!

Rapping down the wall. Find a large tree. Tie a figure eight in the Sterling Rope and retrace it. Rap and let the exploration begin!
I went down the wrong crack at the beginning and had to jug back up and move the rope over to the actual crack that we wanted to explore. What a pain!

The view of Angles Landing.

We finally got inside the monster chimney. It was wide, dirty and awesome!!The right side of this picture turned out to be an amazing 5.12- splitter that was originally partially aided.

The monster chimney looms above. 900ft tall route all ready to be climbed!!