Shark Fin

Here is what the steepest tower in the utah desert looks like.
Be sure to bring a helmet, bring your A-game and a little luck to be sure that all the holds stay on the wall as you attempt to free it! This is pitch 2 on the climb and its full of solution pockets, horizontal and vertical cracks and loose rock (but not that much, I cleaned most of it off). It's nice and pumpy and exposed as you can see. Andrew Burr photograph.
This is one of my favorite photos. On the last pitch crux of the route. One old pin out a roof between you and the anchor. Totem Pole off in the distance of Monument Valley and an eerie feeling like you are hanging off a cliff on Mars. Andrew Burr photograph.

http://www.climbing.com/news/hotflashes/deserts_steepest_tower_goes_free/

Press News

The November 2009 Issue of Urban Climber Magazine is out!
Check out the issue for information on climbing gyms of the future, bouldering in France
and of climbing in Arizona. (there are many cool photos of me climbing on a variety of routes in Arizona from 2007.)

Plus keep your eyes peeled on the American Alpine Clubs trip report blog for a recap of my Green River canoe trip this past September, 2009.
http://inclined.americanalpineclub.org/2009/10/26/wide-cracks-and-weird-towers-along-the-green-river/#more-811

Climbing Tip Number Two

Fall may be upon us and the temperatures may be getting cooler, but even though the outdoor conditions are getting better for sticking to the rock, they may become a bit more unstable.

My second tip involves reminding you that when it's tough to get outside and you find yourself pulling on plastic, there are a couple things you should remember:

1. Your outdoor shoe may not be the best for indoor climbing. (ask a gym/shop employee to recommend a shoe that will be better for the style of the gym or home wall that you are climbing on)

2. Make sure that you climb inside just like you climb outside. Repeat your outdoor habits indoors, so your body will remember what your supposed to do and not get mixed up. (example of what not to do: if you are a slow and thoughtful climber outside, don't practice climbing as fast as you can on toprope. (It doesn't help you improve your technique or muscle memory or heart rate; it just makes you tired and ingrains climbing fast which is not what you want.)

3.Use the gym to practice some of the skills/movements that you have trouble on outside. That way you will build a better base for growth and development of your skill set for the future. Practice those things that you are not good at and accept that you will fail at completing them at the beginning and have faith that you will master them in a few weeks/months.

More Norway Climbing Photos

Seaside climbing with beautiful views of the coast and sailboats.

We got rained out of the bigwall climbing on only two days, but the sport cragging was steep and well protected and just a short hike from the shore. I think it is around 2 am right now! Here Mike Brumbaugh gets it done on an unknown route.

The fish are dried on these racks and then shipped to places like Italy or South America. There was an awefull stink around while walking under these old wooded racks. I considered campusing the old wood but feared the smell of dead fish would never leave my hands!

A dried Cod from Norway. My hand for scale.

Each day the weather was good, we'd wake up from camp on the beach (whenever) and then climb as long as we wanted because there was never any darkness. Approaches were generally very short and well marked and the climbing was vertical to slabby granite crack with great gear and comfy belays.

Press Update

Check out the latest Deadpoint magazine online/print issue for a video and full page photo.
click here to view:
http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/Launch.aspx?referral=mypagesuite&pnum=&refresh=Jw501Mx4A91g&EID=61715603-08d5-4a24-b36a-1ff6959f5a1b&skip

page 56 shows a video by Fryberger of me on my crack climb called Aqualung at Mt Evans
page 73 shows a Ladzinski photo of a route I established in Zion called Walking on Water

Get outside and climb!

Bolting

This weekend was filled with a bunch of hard work at the Peacock boulders in southern Colorado. Dave, a buddy that I grew up in Ohio with, a fellow climber and who is now a first ascenionist, and I got inspired by the short and compact sandstone at the area and bolted some of the finer looking possibilities. In all we established 7 new sport climbs and one crack climb. Now the area boasts nearly 20 boulder problems and 8 short and powerful routes up to 35 feet tall. We currently have 1 5.9, 2 5.10's, 2 5.11's, 2 5.12's and 1 5.13. Not all the routes have been sent yet, but I am pretty confident of the grades. As the area gets more and more boulder problems and routes I will update the blog.

New climbing video coming out!

Continuum is a movie about rock and ice climbing.
Check out the trailer and then own the film!

I am climbing in Zion National Park, Utah on a route called Shake that Bear!
email chris at chris@alstrinfilms.com for a copy

Climbing Tip Number 1

Well, the temperaures are falling and everybody is getting excited.
Why you may ask? It is because as the temperatures cool, the rock cools too.
That combination will lead to you sweating less (due to you and the rock being cooler),
and you sticking to the holds better than on a sweaty summer day!
Take advantage of the cooler temperatures in the up coming weeks and hopefully you will find greater success on climbs that you may be trying to complete or even ones that you have already climbed without falling!
Routes with extremely small holds or crimps will be easier to grip and holds that require your whole hand and that are slopey will also feel way better to you. So get outside and climb!