apAdventures

A few days ago April described temperatures almost reaching 90 degrees here in Bishop, CA. Today we woke to snow covered mountains and perfect bouldering conditions. Temperatures when we started climbing were probably around 35 degrees (Fahrenheit) at The Buttermilks. Friction was perfect. After a few easy warm-up climbs I ditched the group and said I’d meet them at the Grandma Peabody boulder in a few minutes. I was psyched to warm up my finger tips by giving Center Direct, v10, a go. After a few quick laps on Go Granny Go, v5 I couldn’t wait any longer. I threw my pad under Center Direct and sent, first go. I packed up and as the group was walking down the hill to join me I said, “So, what’s next?”

Here are a few pictures of what came next…

April topping out the high Sunshine Boulder

April feeling the pump on Iron Man Traverse, v4

April close to sending but too pumped on the finish of Iron Man Traverse, v4

Me sticking the dyno on Iron Fly, v9

Anke trying the awesome Green Wall Essential, v2

posted by pjv

As temps in Bishop soared yesterday to almost 90 degrees Paul, myself, brown dog Morgan and our German friends Grit, Manu and Anke spent the day up at cool 8,500 feet bouldering on the beautiful granite blocks of Rock Creek. The energy was high, the lines absolutely stellar and the fall foliage in full display. Here are a few pics of this absolutely perfect climbing day:

Manu sticking the last sloper of Pull Down Like De Jesus, v4

Paul goin’ vertical (for real!) on Osama, v6

Grit crimpin’ hard on Choice of Weapons, v4

Anke working her technique on Twisted Sister, v3

Manu’s turn on Twisted Sister, v3

Paul sending A Boy Named Sue, v7

Me finishing off Groove and Arete, v4

posted by arr

This October 2nd, 2008 marked our fourth wedding anniversary. Four years! Wooo! Unfortunately though, that day was spent in the van cruising pavement somewhere in Wyoming rather than busting our butts up our annual “anniversary hike.” A quick refresher of anniversary hikes: Last year took us (most of the way) up Long’s Peak in Colorado. The year before that across the Grand Canyon and back. And the year before that North Dome in Yosemite, California. The timing of doing a big hike exactly on the second day in October in the midst of a cross-country drive didn’t quite work out so well. So to make it up to ourselves, now that we’re settled here in Bishop for the next two months with nothing on the agenda aside from climbing up some big rocks, we’ve decided to deem the *entire* month of October “The Month of Anniversary Hikes.” Which in short means if we’re not climbin’, we’ll be hikin’!’

Our first Bishop hike: Blue Lake (10,400 feet) via the Lake Sabrina trailhead (9,400), 7.6 miles.

Lake Sabrina on the way up

Blue Lake

Blue Lake

Paul and Morgie staring at the trout in Blue Lake

Lake Sabrina on the way down

Me in the beautiful fall foliage

posted by arr

We’re here!

The snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountains

Our campsite

The Buttermilk Boulders!!!!!! 😀

Grit on Iron Man, v4 with Manu, Paul and Anke

Stay tuned……

posted by arr

After three days in the car traveling across the United States, Paul and Morgan and I started getting “van-fever.” We needed a break and Salt Lake City happened to be just around the next bend….literally. We decided to phone our good friend Courtney to see if he was in town and in the mood to chill. Courtney, tied up at work all day, never did answer his phone. No worries though, because as Paul and I were paying our dinner bill in downtown Salt Lake at Thaiphoon, 30 or so minutes from Courtney’s neighborhood, five or so hours after we originally left him our arrival voicemail, THE one and only Courtney B. Phillips strode right by us on his way to watch the vice presidential debate with his new babe Mel. Things just have a way of working out I guess when it comes to chillin’ with your bestest buds.

Not surprisingly, our originally planned dinner visit with Courtney turned into a 2 night stay. We learned that our German friends meeting us in Bishop wouldn’t be arriving until late Saturday night, which gave us some extra time.

Feeling very jiggly and soft from the long three days on the road, Paul and I decided to get some exercise at the new Momentum Climbing Gym. Wow. Sweeeet gym:

The Momentum Climbing Gym, Salt Lake City, Utah

After that I took little brown dog Morgie out for a neighborhood run. She too was in earnest need of some exercise. Then it was Powder Whore time for Paul, myself, Courtney and Mel at Brewvies. For those who have never been, Brewvies is a brilliant bar/movie theater combo in SLC where you can munch pizza and drink beer while you watch your flick. And Powder Whore was premiering their latest telemark-skiing video “The Pact.” A most excellent video…even for the non-tele skier. If you look closely you can see us sitting in the audience, 4th row:

http://www.powderwhore.com/news/

Topped the evening off at Acme Burger. And then a relaxing breakfast the next morning at The Porcupine. Would have loved to stay longer with Courtney and Mel, but Bishop is a-callin.’

posted by arr

Apologies to all for the lack of updates recently. We’ve been busy inching our way west over the last week.

Since we last spoke, Paul and I said our goodbyes to the South African boulders and boarded a flight headed back to the states. Landing in Syracuse New York, we then spent a few days chillin’ in Marathon with my family. From there it was on to Pittsburgh for some time with Paul’s family. And now here we are somewhere in Nebraska starin’ down Interstate 80, the van’s grill pointed toward California. Bishop! Here we come!

After three days of rain earlier this week we began to feel, for the first time this trip, that we were being rained out of a few valuable climbing days. In actuality I think we benefited well from some forced rest because when we had the chance to climb, we ticked more of the remaining Rocklands climbs left on our tick lists, with little effort.

Our first destination after the rain stopped was the Campground boulders. April and I went there one other day back in the earlier part of our trip (about 40 days ago, wow how time flies) and left several really good climbs incomplete. Our plan for the day was to each tick our projects on the famous Teapot boulder and then move on to the classic roof problem, John Denver, 7a.

For April, her focus was to send a several move 7a on the right side of the Teapot boulder. Previously she fell several times dead-pointing to a slot midway on the climb and after tiring herself, could not pull off a send in one day. After refreshing her memory about the movement she stuck the dead-point and cranked it to the top after just a couple tries. Sweet!

April setting up for the dead-point: No Name #2, 7a on the Teapot Boulder

Sticking the dead-point

Cruising to the top

For me, I chose a variation which starts on the 7a April completed and veers left. If you travel across to the left and link up with the classic, Up the Spout, you score a 7c+ called Tea Time. But, by sticking the 7c+ crux and taking the direct line up the blank face and adding another few hard lock-off moves, the full sequence comes in at 8a+ and is called Tea With Elmarie. To my surprise, I grabbed the lip and pulled over the top, sending on just my second try for the day! We high-fived and were off.

Paul nearing the top of Tea With Elmarie, 8a+

After Tea With Elmarie I ran over and tried a climb called Baboon Sumo, 7b. As I was working the climb April and I were talking about why it was called Baboon Sumo. Minutes later, we heard a bark, uh…a screaming, barking, howling battle taking place in the nearby campground. April, who was filming my attempts quickly flipped the video camera around and pointed it towards the action. Below the tree cover which was blocking the majority of our vantage point, a baboon sumo wresting match was taking place, right in front of us! All we could see was the congregation of over 30 baboons coming in to watch, or take part in the fight and all we could hear were what sounded like blood curdling yips and yells coming from whatever was loosing the battle.

When the baboon action subsided a little April flipped the camera back in my direction. You see, after spending nearly 7 weeks in Africa so far, we nonchalantly dismissed the baboon murder scene and chalked up the incident to a simple phrase we’ve learned well here: TIA*. I sent next go, we packed up and were off.

In the climbing video Rocklands, John Denver is a stunning roof climb that Scott Milton gracefully climbs. With the very limited guide we obtained from the Internet we had no record of where the climb actually was. However, in the video, as Scott Milton tops out you can clearly see the campground in the background. For us, that was the only clue we needed to perform a little detective work of our own and find the problem’s location.

After a short snack of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches I was energized enough to find myself topping out John Denver. Rather than gracefully take in the view of the campground like Scott Milton had in the video, I glanced over to the baboon murder scene and doubled checked the status. To my relief I saw the baboons migrating further away from us and heading up the mountain side opposite the campground.

Unfortunately, April didn’t manage to pull off a send that day but was able to complete all the moves and give a few good sending attempts. As the sun started to set we called it a day and were off.

The following day we hiked to the Roadside boulders in the main Rocklands area to continue the clean-up of our tick lists. Throughout our trip friends we’ve met have recommended a variety of great climbs we should try. Two recommendations high on our favorite lists were a beautiful, high, sloping arete which April needed to send and a long, powerful traverse with a rewarding top-out that I needed to send. After warming up we went straight to business. April managed to give a few tries, getting higher and higher on the beautiful arete. Each time she got further on the route and fell off she would show me how little chalk remained on her fingers. The climb faces the sun almost all day and the heat was causing her to sweat off. Wondering if conditions were not in her favor she looked at me, questioned if it would go and then pulled on and showed me the answer…

April sending the unknown sloper problem on Boulder C, Roadside

I give our great friend Ander from Alaska credit for the recommendation of Black Spider. High up on the hillside near the Roadside boulders is a long traverse which ends in a steep face climb to a high top-out. After trying just a few moves I instantly got motivated to send. While blasting through the moves on my second sending go I realized that I was nearing the finish and starting up the scary face. April, who was filming my ascent decided she needed a better view and in order to get a better stance she grabbed a tree branch to pull up on. Well, as I was making one of the last moves, locking off a crimp, reaching to another, I felt the end of the tree branch she was grabbing clock me in the head and press on me. My lock-off became extra hard but I still managed to pull it off. Whew! As I stood up on the top I was rewarded with an amazing view of Rocklands in the late afternoon sun. Ahhh, another climb ticked off but millions more to go.

Paul sticking the crux on Black Spider

The top-out view from Black Spider

*This Is Africa

posted by pjv

Today should have been a full-on climbing day for us. Instead, the dang Cederberg mist blew in and hung around all morning. We still however, managed to get out for a couple hours in the early evening; a short 2 hour window of dry rock.

Our mission was simple, or shall I say “Paul’s mission.” Warm up. Send Black Velvet, 8a.

Mission complete.

Black Velvet, 8a

One hand…

…both hands! Send!

posted by arr

Five days lounging in J-Bay plus 1 “warm-up” climbing day plus 1 delicious chicken and dumplings dinner equals a well-prescribed rehab for Paul’s knee. So far so good anyway. Yesterday we spent a full 8 hours climbing on the Road Crew and Roadside boulders. And we’re back in action baby.

Getting right to business, first up on the day’s ticklist was Paul’s send of Purple Nipple Clan, 7c, a twisting slopey little-known gem under the Umbuli Roof. The famous Umbuli Roof, 7c problem, adjacent to Purple Nipple Clan, was what drew Paul to the roof in the first place, promised as a classic from the guides and fellow climbers. But upon entering the roof Paul was immediately drawn to the slopey non-existent orange holds of Purple Nipple and instantly bailed on trying Umbuli. Good choice. He briefly worked out the moves 2 days prior on our “warm-up” climbing day and yesterday made quick work of it, sending on his first go. No dropknees required on this climb.

Paul ticking Purple Nipple Clan, 7c

Next on the agenda was my quick work of the beautiful Roof on Fire, 6c+. The aesthetics of this climb are of the Rocklands norm: a boulder sitting precariously on a tall narrow pedestal, it’s bright orange underbelly roof propped up by only a sliver of an edge. I had tried this gorgeous problem previously when Mike and Raquel were visiting, but was a bit weary of the 8 foot or so cliff over which your ass hangs when you pull onto the climb. For whatever reason (perhaps being all psyched up from Paul’s Purple Nipple send or perhaps the hearty fuel of the chicken and dumplings dinner kicking in), on this particular day the aesthetics overpowered my wussy-ness. I erased the cliff from my peripheral and cruised the moves and ended up loving the climb so much I sent it 3 times that day.

Roof on Fire, 6c+

Left foot toe-hooked, right foot pressed

Pure rock climbing enjoyment: sticking the big move at full extension

Let ‘em cut and hold the swing

Match it up and cruise to the top

Totally jazzed from the morning’s ticks, Paul and I then hiked on over to the Roadside Boulders, hoping that our psyched spirits would cruise us up some more boulder problems. It was Paul’s turn now and his sights were set on the short, yet wicked powerful, steep and crimpy Caroline, 7c. Paul had tried this climb two other times since we arrived in Rocklands, but never after a rest day. Bonus. However…..his previous beta included FOUR dropknees, two of which were right knees. Negative bonus, times two. This seemingly significant fact didn’t seem to phase Paul though. He quickly worked out some new beta and within 30 minutes eliminated all four dropknees and climbed the problem bottom to top, straight on. The grade of 7c at Rocklands translates to about V9/10 for all you Vermin Scale climbers out there. And with a dropknee free send, probably pushes it closer to the V10 side of the grade. Alas, it ain’t The Vice, but still a worthy tick.

Paul crushing Caroline, 7c, dropknee free

More amped than ever, we next moved on to A Question of Balance, 7b, a climb that I’ve tried probably 20 or so times now. Just as the name implies, this problem requires a mystic balance-y move off of a left heel-toe-cam that I have yet to figure out. Unfortunately, I have no send to report on this one yet. I did however, feel signs of improvement. Sometimes the slightest inch of progression can feel just as good as a send.

Paul then decided it was time to seal the day off with a slam-bam finish with the dead vertical infamous Roadside highball Creaking Heights, 6c. Again, just as the name implies this problem is well, high and creaky. One must delicately move up the thin seam in the face on little sidepull crimps and slanted nubbin feet. About three quarters of the way up (in the leg-breaker zone), the climber is then faced with an enormous juggy stalactite feature, hanging down in the widening seam, beckoning to be grabbed and yarded on to gain the lip of the massive boulder. Only, the climber is not allowed to grab it. Because here is where the “creaky” part come in. Yeah, the stalactite flexes. Yikes. Fortunately though, if you keep it cool and just plain climb like a rock climber, the creaking stalactite-free finish isn’t so hard….or so I’m told anyway by Paul. Cause I sure as heck didn’t go up there!!! I used all my meager bravery reserves up on the first move of Roof on Fire, remember?!

posted by arr

Our much needed ‘vacation from our vacation’ is over now and we’ve settled back into simplicity here on the farm. Only now we’re kickin’ it at the Alpha Excelsior Farm versus the de Pakhuys Farm next door.

And life couldn’t be simpler in Liz and Connie’s charming 2-person Weaver’s Cottage. Like our previous accommodations in the de Pakhuy’s Blokhuys, there is no TV, no radio, and no neighbors. The cottage is very private, set far back from the main farm area and cute as a button. Not only does the little structure keep the rain out with an authentic thatched roof, but also comes equipped with a cast iron cookstove! The stove is the cottage’s only form of heat.

Having grown up as a child with wood heat and dinners simmered on the cookstove, I was beside myself with excitement to try our’s out….immediately. Majority vote (between Paul and myself) landed us on preparing chicken and dumplings on our next rest day.

Typically, the simplicity of our rest days match that of the quaint cottage. We wake up when our eyelids open (not when an alarm goes off), leisurely prepare and enjoy a nice breakfast together (not quick-kiss one another goodbye and grab a yogurt to slurp up on the commute to work), maybe check our email or read our books for a couple hours, and perhaps, if we need groceries for example, head into Clanwilliam and spend an hour or two in one of the town’s coffee shops. Then around early evening we usually start planning and preparing our rest day feast; always the highlight of every rest day that can last anywhere from 2 to 4 hours.

Up until now, most of our rest day feasts have been braais: meat and veggies or potatoes cooked over an outdoor fire. But now with our little cookstove, we were eager to try something new.

Around 6pm or so, Paul gathered some wood and started up the stove. Luckily, the temps are still dropping quite cold in the evenings, so our wood stove served a duel purpose, both dinner and warmth. I pulled our little hen out of the fridge and got to work.

After much waiting and simmering and waiting, around 8pm the chicken stew was just about ready for adding the dumplings. Having actually never made chicken and dumplings by myself (only helped, or usually just watched, my mother prepare the dish), I was a bit nervous of how the meal would turn out. All this waiting and simmering and waiting! Please get fluffy you little dumplings, PLEASE.

Twenty minutes later, I lifted the cast iron lid and peered inside, giving one dumpling a firm little poke with a fork, prying it open just a tad to check it’s fluffiness. Holy cow. I can’t believe it. I did it! Absolute chicken and dumpling PERFECTION cooked over a cast iron cookstove just like my momma used to make. I might as well have sent a v10 that night, beaming from ear to ear, proud of my accomplishment. 🙂

So, this is what it’s like to live the simple life; my day’s only crux being the task of preparing a delicious meal with my loved one. I think I could get used to this.

Weaver’s Cottage, Alpha Farms

Preparing our rest day feast

Chicken and Dumplings

Perfection!

posted by arr