Spearhead with Brian Kimball

One of the sweet snow/ice traverses. Those spires in the background are just below the summit of Longs Peak (the diamond)

Brian on the best pitch of the day!

Birds of Fire is somewhere up this nearly 1000 ft wall.

Not sure the bird but the camoflauge is amazing!

Brian on the way to the route.

Over the years I have been lucky enough to meet quite a few people worth spending time with. Unfortunately, as we all get busier and busier it becomes more difficult to spend time together. Well as the timing was perfect, Brian and I (who I haven't climbed with in a looong time) were able to make a last chance effort on a route he's wanted to climb all summer in Rocky Mountain National Park. It lies just west of Longs Peak and is on the northwest face of Chief's Head. The climb was supposed to be on of the best of its kind in the US, so I couldnt turn down the opportunity to hike up to the base without gear (since Brian had stashed it at the base back in June). To the base of the wall its about 6 miles up hill past mountain lakes of a glacially carved valley. You are constanly seeing wildlife, passing near waterfalls and watching fish jump or crossing high alpine meadows and boulder fields. It's an uplifting place that is for sure. We arrived at dawn and began the hike to the wall and chatted about whatever came to mind. It was my first time hiking with someone who had an i-pod playing the entire time and it was kinda cool to hear music on the trail and while on the wall. Well as the day was perfect and since there was no sign of bad weather coming something had to go wrong. The first thing was that Brian couldn't find his gear bag that he buried under rocks back in June. It took an hour of looking under every flat boulder before he found the two ropes and the rack of cams, draws, and nuts. We were lucky in that no animals did any chewing and all the equipment was in perfect condition. The next problem was that it had already started snowing at 13000+ feet and there was a lot of snow on the shady wall that we were going to climb. The high temperatures would have been around 35 degrees F where we were supposed to climb the route Birds of Prey. So after eating some crackers and peanut butter we buried our packs under some stones and headed up the wall that was in front of our face, Spearhead. Brian had climbed some routes on it before and spoke of a wonderful line called the Barb, so we started up the wall hoping to actually find it and climb the great alpine pitches. This however was more difficult than we expected due to the fact that we didn't have a map of the route or a description. To make a long cold story short, we wandered up various cracks with a climbing rack that was wayyyyy too small, crossed icy and snowy ledges without any gear, traversed way too many pitches and grabbed more loose flakes that I care to in my life. We did managed to find some perfect cracks with some great climbing on them. After topping out with our down jackets on, we rappelled the wall and humped it back to the truck another 6 miles and watched the moonrise as it was totally dark by the time we were 3 miles from the road. Our knees hurt, we didn't get to even try the route we wanted too but it still was a great day!

New Bouldering

playing on a new problem at the Peacock Boulders.

Just before I fell and landed on two crash pads (at separate times/that means I bounced off the first and flew onto the next one before rolling down the hillside in the pine needles)

Chuck in the worst light ever! These problems were sharper and more powerfull that we imagined.

Chuck at the base of the first wall we developed. I think the top out is nearly 20+ feet tall. I was nervous since I didn't have my highball bouldering head just yet. Chuck just looks bloated, he's not really that chubby!

View of Cuchara ski resort and the wonderful fall colors.

Once I recovered from the river trip it was time to get back to work.

Chuck and I headed south to a place near La Veta, Colorado to develop some Dakota sandstone boulders. Chuck makes movies, crushes rocks, drives a cool car and has turned into a genuinely nice guy. (it has taken years but it finally happened) Anyway, we were able to stay at my in-laws house right across the street and it's an awesome place with more knick-knacks on the walls and tables and everywhere, it really makes you feel like you are at home.

We got out there even though Chuck "forgot" his wallet and we headed up the hill to seek out dream boulders and new problems. Chuck was a bit skeptical about my description of the area but believed once we found some stone to play on. In all after two days of hiking, scrubbing, and falling we developed nearly 20 problems, left a ton of work and boulder problems to be climbed!

It was a perfect fall weekend, cool temperatures and beautiful scenery.

Some of the problems are pretty tall, some are crimpy and sharp and some are complete with huge hand holds. There is plenty to do for all abilities and so much more to go in. I will be heading back to eventually bolt some sport lines and do some more bouldering!

Green River Time part 2

plaque for a new route (carve in the name of the climb and the grade and then place it at the base of the climb)

summit photo on a desert tower over the green river

andy shooting pictures of pete

andy and an old mine jeep

piz on the Menitove Special 5.11

Here are a couple video clips of the trip:

Green River Time

green river towers (we climbed the 4 to the right)/(it looks like there is only on more on the left)

canoe parking in the tamarask trees!

Orin getting on his new route First Kiss 5.12-

base camp (just a few feet from the river)

I spent the last week away from my wife and on the Green River with some climbing friends: Andy, Pete and Orin. It was our hope to climb some desert sandstone towers, canoe, camp and climb some more. All in all it was a great trip with many great memories forged through our expereinces on and off the rock.

As luck would have it we discovered a few crags with perfect sandstone and wildly unique cracks. In all, we established seven new free climbs and equipped them with anchors. We also got the first free ascent of one of the green river towers by free climbing an old aid section.

I am sure that we all will remember the tents getting crushed and nearly blown into the green river by the wicked cold front. Andy demonstrating what a california butt fish swam like. The mouse that had died and been preserved in some old uranium mining equipment inspiring the name of a new route "mouse in a tractor". The old barrel that Andy tossed into the green. The chef boy r dee night of terror. The sand storm during dinner, making those bean burritos just a bit crunchy. More offwidth climbing then we could have possibly imagined. Deserted desert tower summits. Replacing tat at anchors, huge racks of big cams, falling rocks, 150 foot pitches and more. Night jugging, night canoeing, Orins first new route. And of course, lots of trundling (or for those who don't know, rolling giant boulders down the hillside until they explode in a pile of dust). Enjoy the pictures...

cirque and norway

Somewhere above a small town in Lofoton, Norway. It's 3 am and it's just not dark out!

Hiking the wrong trail to the first climb of our Norway trip. Notice the ferns that thrive in the Arctic Circle.

Finally out of the car and planes after leaving the states in June. Its about midnight in Lofoton, Norway and what better thing to do than to start rock climbing! Here A-Burr and Brian and Ari and Mike are exploding the van and looking for geat and proper clothing.

Jane and I at the Cirque du Soliel. She looks really nice : )

Random school photo of my oscar (the fish) he has a giant grasshopper in his mouth! He is a serious eater and normally bites the heads off of what he is eating. Today was a treat for him.

Well it was bound to happen sometime, Jane and I had a night on the town.

It was awesome! Neither of us had been to the cirque du soliel before and

we each were amazed with the performance. Props to all the skilled gymnasts.

They make all of us common folks look weak and pathetic. I'll stick to my rocks.

Labor Day 2009

Chuck F just took this photo of me in the classroom. Always helping the kiddies.

Fall slowly coming to Lander!

Cool limestone formations at the crag.

Jamie getting it done at the Iris.

Yes, I am that flexible. Climbing at the Sinks Canyon.

A last look at the Iris before heading home.

We set out towards Wyoming to sport climb at Wild Iris near Lander.(Later after the trip someone said to me, I didn't know that you still sport climbed. I lauged) So, the drive went surprisingly smooth and we made it to camp after about 6 hours of car time. My back and butt were sore from the bucket seats of my wifes car. The full moon rose big and bright as it crawled up over the horizon. The Wyoming highways were empty except for the other travelers heading into the stix. Kelly and I met up with Mike and Mark and Kate at the crag saturday morning and we were off. Mike had spent the last year in Ohio for work and felt the 8500 ft elevation as we began climbing in the shade. As the day progressed our fingers and climbing styles got used to the pocket pulling that is required at the Wild Iris.

We hiked to the crags through the open prarie and then down through the pine and aspen forests which were just beginning to turn yellow for the fall. Each afternoon the clouds built and rain appeared to the north and south, but luckily missed the rocks that we were playing on.

When Mike half the crew was ready for rest, Kelly and I found some other friends at another wall and laughed the afternoon away clipping bolts and taking whippers.

How Time Fly's

Dad and I hiking on top of Mt. Evans during a late August snow!

Mom and dad in Colorado Springs, enjoying the scenery.

I found this big horn sheep horn and was getting closer to my inner child.

It seems like yesterday when I was living in Austria and climbing on the Untersberg after work! Limestone multipitch sport climbing with good friends!

The hike up to the Untersberg. About 1500 feet of perfect alpine limestone after only an hours hike from the car.

I felt sad when my parents left town this weekend. It was after they left that I realized that I hadn't seen them since December of last year. We had a great time visiting Mt Evans, taking some short hikes and enjoying good food together. I miss having them close, to when I could always see them whenever I wanted. I guess that is what growing up and moving out of the state does. I guess that I just have to make sure that I cherish those precious times together and make sure that they occur more often. I am glad that one of my sisters is pregnant, it gives me another reason to visit home and be with my family more.
But until then, I will make the most of my time here in Denver, Colorado with my wife and continue working to make our dreams come true!