Post Dawn Wall Predictions

Because you haven’t heard enough about the Dawn Wall in the past three weeks...

Here are some of my post free-climb FA predictions:

• Adam Ondra will book a flight to California ASAP to try to onsight the Dawn Wall.
• Young children named Tommy will all have climbing gym birthday parties.
• The average person will still get free-climbing and free-soloing mixed up. They will remain ignorant that bouldering exists.
• General gym attendance will increase for a month. Only a few will go more than once.
• The Dawn Wall will see increased traffic.
• Tommy Caldwell will begin searching out his next seven year project after his month in Patagonia with his wife,  Fitz, and Alex Honnold.
• The average climber will be inspired, but otherwise unaffected besides perhaps being asked by non-climbers if they too plan to try the Dawn Wall on their next long weekend.
• Kevin Jorgeson will incorporate skin strengthening exercises into training for subsequent projects.
• The general media will still not understand climbing lingo the next time something like this is broadcast.
• Fitz will be crushing routes long before kindergarden (this would have happened whether or not Tommy sent the Dawn Wall). His first ascent of El Cap will be climbing (not hiking) from the ground up.

Giving Beta

“I understand that your beta works for you, and you’re going with it even if you’ve fallen from that same spot 32 times.” - Chris Kalous host of the Enormocast

Knowing the beta can make or break a send. How are you supposed to find the magical hidden side-pull-bucket tucked away behind the arete onsight? Unless you’re very lucky or have watched a few videos of others sending the climb (no longer making your first attempt an onsight), you probably would need a helpful hint to find that money-bucket and send. However, as helpful as knowing the beta can be, one must remember that there are often multiple beta variations for a route and even many boulder problems, and there is an art to giving beta.

Here are two beta-giving pitfalls you should avoid:

One: The Spray-Down

Please refrain from talking me though a climb from the moment I’ve finished my figure eight to when I clip the anchors. This is often referred to as a spray-down. I like discovering the holds and moves between them for myself, and chances are you are bigger and stronger and more into dynamic moves than me, so I won’t be able to use half of what you tell me. Now if my goal is to get the flash and I ask you for a step-by-step run-through that’s different; in that case bring on the spray. However, if someone doesn’t ask for advice let the climber figure out the route and wait till he or she asks for beta to give advice, or at the very least ask before beginning to unload your knowledge.

Two: The One-Beta-Fits-All

There rarely is only one way to send. When giving beta, offer it as a suggestion instead of the sole solution. Try phrasing your suggestions as questions: Have you tried throwing up a heal? Or say worked for you: I bumped to the jug from the sloping rail. This gives the climber options without making them feel like they have to use them to send. Do not command someone up the wall; unless they are of identical build, strength, and skill level as you this will likely prove quite frustrating to the climber. As long as you are not projecting a blank 5.14, there are usually several options for sending.

One great example of alternate beta was Hazel Findlay’s send of Golden Gate, the 41 pitch 5.13b route up El Cap. She was warned that at 5’2” she would be shut down on the notoriously reachy 15.3 ‘Move Pitch,’ because she wouldn’t reach the holds. Instead of attempting the same beta as her 6’2” climbing partner, she got creative and sent in her own style. Here is her recount of her beta for “the move” from eveningsends.com:

“I climbed the lower section of 5.12a and reached the undercut from which you do the Move. I looked up. The next hold was farther away than the entire length of my body! But in the flow of the climbing I saw a faint sloper in between the two holds. I could only hold it with my right and if I got my left foot really high. But I could not match the sloper. This meant that instead of reaching the next hold as a side-pull, I was forced to do a huge cross over with my left hand and take the side pull as a gaston….It sort of dawned on me that I would have to match this horrible gaston and make it a side pull. …. After a few attempts I had reached a point where, I could kick my right foot up on a smear and, in a back-contorting position, ultimately match the hold. Then the next move—reaching the pocket—involved being completely stretched out in a totally off-balance position with foot movements that felt crazy hard.”

We should also remember to not give ourselves strict beta either. Just because you saw someone else climb a route one way doesn’t mean that is the easiest way for you to climb it; it’s just one way that someone sent. Don’t limit yourself: get creative and scan the rock for holds that aren’t caked in chalk. If you’re climbing 5.12 and below, chances are there is an intermediate somewhere to get you to the hold that’s slightly out of reach. Beta can be helpful, but don’t let it limit you from finding your own way to the anchors.

Horseshoe Canyon Ranch

I spent the past two weeks climbing in Jasper, Arkansas with Tommy and Tristan. It was awesome, despite some weather challenges, difficulty finding gas stations at 3am, and having entire walls missing from the guidebook.

Welcome to HCR where camping is $5 per night and climbing is $5 per day (plus tax), and very few people climb during the end of December and beginning of January. Some days we had the over 400 routes and many more boulder problems to ourselves.  

Tommy hopping on the send train to flash Petrified 5.12a.

Tips for HCR:

• The weather in January is quite variable. I heard it could be anything from 16 to 60 degrees outside. I never saw 60, but it did get into the 40s one day, which was awesome. Unfortunately it was also 35 degrees and raining for three days, never got above 20 degrees for a couple days, and the temperature dropped to around zero several nights. The lesson: bring warm clothes and rain coats not just your water bottle and a pair of jorts.
• During the offseason (aka all winter) if it’s cold and/or rainy it’s 222% worth renting a cabin for $95 a night. You get a heater that cranks to 86 degrees, a shower, wood stove, pullout couch, two beds, a mini fridge, a microwave, and a porch for about $25 per night if you split it between four people. No reservations necessary during the winter; several nights we were the only group staying at the ranch.
• HCR is perfect if you like bouldering and bouldery sport climbs. The crux for most routes is right off the ground leading to easy climbing after the second bolt. Stick clipping is often advised.
• There is a four star 5.6 with the biggest jugs I have ever met. Climb it.
• Several areas do stay dry in the rain, but be careful when climbing on wet sandstone; unlike granite it becomes soft when wet and holds break easily.
• Try the nearby day hikes to awesome waterfalls along the Buffalo River as a rest day.
• There is a lot of goat poop. Everywhere. Especially in the goat cave where it’s at least a foot thick. Bring a tarp to set your bags and extra jackets on.
• Chasing and/or catching the goats roaming the property is forbidden.

The Twelve Days of Christmas for Climbers

On the first day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

A Golden Retriever puppy

On the second day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

Two portaledges

And a Golden Retriever puppy

On the third day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

Three rope bags

Two portaledges

And a Golden Retriever puppy

On the fourth day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

Four ATCs

Three rope bags

Two portaledges

And a pair of Five Ten Dragons

On the fifth day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

Five pounds of chalk

Four ATCs

Three rope bags

Two portaledges

And a Golden Retriever puppy

On the sixth day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

Six number sevens

Five pounds of chalk

Four ATCs

Three rope bags

Two portaledges

And a Golden Retriever puppy

On the seventh day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

Seven mondo crash pads

Six number sevens

Five pounds of chalk

Four ATCs

Three rope bags

Two portaledges

And a Golden Retriever puppy

On the eighth day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

Eight angle pitons

Seven mondo crash pads

Six number sevens

Five pounds of chalk

Four ATCs

Three rope bags

Two portaledges

And a Golden Retriever puppy

On the ninth day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

Nine locking biners

Eight angle pitons

Seven mondo crash pads

Six number sevens

Five pounds of chalk

Four ATCs

Three rope bags

Two portaledges

And a Golden Retriever puppy

On the tenth day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

Ten packs of quickdraws

Nine locking biners

Eight angle pitons

Seven mondo crash pads

Six number sevens

Five pounds of chalk

Four ATCs

Three rope bags

Two portaledges

And a Golden Retriever puppy

On the eleventh day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

Eleven bamboo brushes

Ten packs of quickdraws

Nine locking biners

Eight angle pitons

Seven mondo crash pads

Six number sevens

Five pounds of chalk

Four ATCs

Three rope bags

Two portaledges

And a Golden Retriever puppy

On the twelfth day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

Twelve dynamic ropes

Eleven bamboo brushes

Ten packs of quickdraws

Nine locking biners

Eight angle pitons

Seven mondo crash pads

Six number sevens

Five pounds of chalk

Four ATCs

Three rope bags

Two portaledges

And a Golden Retriever puppy

Merry Christmas and Happy Climbing!

Fall Season Recap

It’s officially winter according to the calendar (and has been since before Thanksgiving according to how many layers I’ve been wearing), so I figured I’d give a fall season recap before kicking off the winter season with a two week trip down south.

First off, there are some notable sends by people that are not me and therefore impressive (not an exhaustive list):

• Alec sent Universal Socket (V6 pway). 
• Matt, Brandon, and Big Andy caught the send train on Sarlacc (5.12c Shell Pond) to close out their sport season.
• Tommy sent Romper Room (5.12a Sundown).
• Big Andy took the send Mothra Steward (V8 pway); see the full “Battle of Big Daddy” here. 
• Tommy and Brandon crushed Leave it to Beaver (V8 pway), Tommy with an icy top out.
• Tristan ended the season on a high note by sending Headz Ain’t Ready (V9 pway) and flashing Boulder Natural classic Hobbit Hole (V3) and Mouth Full of Chalk (V6) on December 20^th.

So how was my season? Well…I toproped a lot of awesome routes. I “sprained” my ankle the last weekend in September, so all my true sends were before that, making them technically in the summer according to the calendar but fall according to the academic calendar. To make my season sound more impressive, I’m counting them for the fall, so we’ll say I sent an 11b (no idea what it’s called) at Shell Pond and the sit start to the Crimp Problem (V5- pway), not overly impressive compared to the sends above but some good lines.

Overall it was a great fall season, full of lots of driving to different Crags in New Hampshire and Maine and a little climbing at them (often due to getting lost, sleeping in too late, or underestimating the vastness of Maine). The wonders of Sandwich Crag were explored, a leaver biner was well lost to Great White (5.13a) at Waimea, and I unknowingly climbed on a broken ankle for two months without missing a weekend until I learned it was broken after Thanksgiving (hence all the toproping to not take big falls on what I was originally told was a  “category one sprained ankle”). I am 237% glad that the clinic didn’t see the break initially; otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to run (toprope) laps on Eyeless in Gaza (12b mega classic), lead a few trad pitches (okay, I was bad a deviated from toprope a bit), or climb in Conway on my birthday during peak leaf season.

All in all, it was a great season with the guys sending and then letting me clean their draws off of awesome (hard for me) sport climbs; and I still made some pway Friday trips to work on lowballs and spot. Many thanks to everyone who put up with my ankle complaints and never hanging any draws, and even more thanks to Tommy for picking me up to climb every weekend to climb, rain, shine, or snow with icicles crashing around us. 

Climbing Tips for Boys (About Climbing Girls)

Lets clear up one myth upfront: Girls are not that complicated.  Climbing girls are even less complicated. We have one-track minds to, you guessed it, climbing.

So now that you know what climbing girls think about, you no longer have to be confused by our intentions when we ask if you’re going climbing, invite you to climb with us, or talk about sick trips we should go on in the future. No this does not mean we are taken by your six pack abs or ability to crank one finger pull-ups.  We simply are looking for a climbing partner to belay us, spot us, take turns leading pitches with us, and hopefully chat a bit about life and climbing in between. What we are not looking for: a date.

Now that we’ve determined that climbing does not equal a date, you can relax, because your climbing, shirtlessness, and pick-up lines are going to be what impresses us.

So I’m going to be psyched when you send your 5.12 project and bummed with you when you don’t, but whether or not you send isn’t going to influence if I want to date you. Chances are, your send is not the most rad I’ve see even that week; Sasha DiGiulian is 5”2” and sending 5.14, so please don’t try to impress me with your climbing. It will just make you nervous, frustrated, and possibly come off as cocky. I’m not climbing with you because you’re the best—you wouldn’t be belaying me if you were—so don’t think you have to onsight everything.

As far as taking your shirt off goes, please consult the weather on that one. If the route is baking in the ninety-degree sun, by all means ditch that sweaty layer. However, if it’s thirty degrees and you have to leave your beanie on, ABSOLUTELY DO NOT. Also, don’t get overly excited if it’s ninety and I take my shirt off; I’m just as hot and sweaty as you.

As for making moves on me at the crag: don’t. I will either: a) be really confused because I didn’t see that mid-big-wall kiss coming; I thought we were just climbing buddies and/or b) now be really uncomfortable cause I have to spend the rest of the day pretending you didn’t just try to pull me in by my harness. Worse yet, I might also be upset and embarrassed if anyone else saw and thought that I was into climbing PDA.

Now what do you do if you like a girl you climb with? First, don’t overthink her wanting to climb with you (see above). Next, impress her with something other than climbing; try something radical like being nice. Don’t treat her differently at the crag; chances are she wants to be though of as “one of the guys” and not be singled out for often-times being the only girl. Instead, try being friendly and a good climbing partner at the crag, and if she seems comfortable around you ask her to go for drinks after climbing or for coffee on a rest day. Keep all romantic intentions separate for your climbing sessions, and know that even if you do date that doesn’t mean that climbing now can be a date. It’s a fun thing both of you enjoy doing, and you’ll see new sides of each other as you battle hard routes, but that doesn’t mean she is looking for a good luck kiss before every climb. She still has that one-track mind to rocks and will likely forget about everything while on the rock, including that you’re dating.