American Fork Canyon - My Favorite Choss Pile

This weekend, I had the privilege of participating in Bruce Wilson's American Fork Project. For the uninitiated, this is Bruce's adventure documentary that tells the story of the genesis of American Fork's climbing and its role in progressing sport climbing in the US. Bruce's Facebook page gives a very good description of his motivation in creating this documentary, why it's important to remember the developers of the area, learning from its history, and respecting the climbing area and community that supports the sport of climbing.



As we continue to be flooded with the dearth of internet climbing videos showcasing one's ability to crank hard, I felt compelled to give my perspective into the meaningfulness of Bruce's American Fork Project, especially as we come face to face with the consequences of climbing's growth. To bring some context into this perspective, I'm gonna start with a little introduction about my initiation into climbing and my cumulative experience climbing in American Fork Canyon.

I first got into climbing in 1997 while I was still in college. I was addicted to climbing, couldn't wait to launch a full-fledged assault onto any climbing wall I could get my hands on, and always hungry for the latest issue of Climbing or RockandIce cos those were my only sources of paparazzi news from across the pond. This was way back in the day, way before online climbing sites and blogs.

The stuff about climbing in North America was my source of inspiration and climbers like Boone Speed, Alan Watts, Scott Franklin, Jeff Webb, Dale Goddard, John Bachar, Lynn Hill, Todd Skinner, Robyn Ebersfield, just to name a few, were the stuff of legend. All the hype was about Smiths Rock, City of Rocks, Logan Canyon, Charleston, Potosi and of course American Fork. So imagine my excitement when I finally made my way across the Pacific for school at the U here in Utah!

When I first got to Utah, Jeff Webb gave me a tour of American Fork. We've met many years before when Jeff was a professor at the National University of Singapore, so it was a treat to have a local and a person involved in the progression of America's climbing, give me a personal tour of American Fork. As he went on pointing out the climbs at the different sections around the canyon, I could only marvel at the beauty and serenity of the forest and in awe of being at the base of some of the America's test-pieces. Well...ONCE UPON A TIME, America's test-pieces. As I spend the next couple of years climbing in American Fork, I began to realize that each climbing area and its climbing community inevitably become part of climbing's progression. As I spend most days with my wife mostly alone climbing at some sectors of American Fork, it's strange to imagine the hype it once received. Gordon Douglas, who was one of the early developers of the area, related to me that when the Hell Cave sector first went up, there were easily a congregation of 60 climbers. In contrast, it's mostly just me, my wife, with Gordon and Mindy this season. I guess this is exactly how crags are in the progression of the sport...the most hyped up places, the test-pieces of today, will become the warm-ups of the future and the chosspiles of yester-years. Nevertheless, we're grateful for all the pioneering effort, for if it wasn't for those dedicated few willing to equip the canyon, we wouldn't have such a privilege to enjoy such a sport and environment.

This brings us back to Bruce's documentary. Here, we have a guy who's passionate about showcasing American sport climbing pioneering history and what a climbing community truly is. It's simply about a community of everyday people, with day jobs, with classes to take in school, with kids, with dogs, with a spectrum of climbing abilities, getting down to their local crag at the start, middle or end of the day and simply roping up and having a great time. You're not gonna find a climbing flick flashing exotic locations, rock jocks pumped full of testosterone, takedowns of 5.15s and V16s, or 5.14 onsights. Even if there are, these feats will fall victim to the progression of climbing and become forgotten classics and warm-ups for the future generation.

So if you're one who thinks that American Fork is just a chosspile and that you're better off cranking at some exotic Euro destination, you may be right or you just may be a rock-snob...so until the day I have the money or time to travel to some far out destination,  American Fork Canyon will always remain my favorite chosspile.

Matlab vs climbing

It has come to the point that I'm actually deriving greater enjoyment writing Matlab codes than climbing. As I continue to recover from my finger injury, I suppose typing on the keyboard can be considered some kind of therapy.

The summer heat continues. Strangely, Linus finally yielded today. Wasn't expecting to send in 90F weather. Moreover, I was all but ready to try out new beta in the event of another failed attempt. Oh...and I also want to mention that I started from the ground as opposed to a cheater stone or stump. Anyway, decided to call it 13D instead of the printed grade of 13C. This is done with mindful consideration on how hard the sum of its parts are, the difficulty in comparison to the other 13Ds on El Diablo wall (ie. Dead Souls, Cop Killer, Body Count), and time spent projecting it. There you have it, you're a sandbagger Mike!

This season has been quite a struggle, constantly shut down on moderates as opposed to previous seasons. On the one hand, it may be a prep for harder projects. On the other hand, I've pretty much been picking sandbagged routes this whole time, which may explain my predicament stalling on the "moderates" like Linus and Hammerhead. Anyway, just relieved that I can move on to the biz-nizz for the season...Cannibals Direct, originally graded 14a but now a 14b since James Litz broke a crux hold off a couple of seasons back. Hangdogged the climb today and concluded that it feels relentless right off the ground. And as if things couldn't get any worse, one's gotta pull the "bats out of hell" crux to clip the chains. This thing's gonna take a while.

Meantime, we're headed back to the Compound at Maple for Ling to send 9/11. It's great the fire's 100% contained and they've opened up the canyon again...otherwise, "death by turd" will  be the worst send-off Maple can ever get.

The Heat is ON!!!

There's been a recent spate of wild fires here in Utah, Colorado and Arizona. Conditions are ripe for fires with the recipe of high winds, scorching temps, low humidity and absence of rainfall. Some of these fires, especially those in Colorado, are devastating. An example is the Wood Hollow fire in Sanpete county that burnt approximately 46, 000 acres. If you're reading this post, please note that a fire has broken out in Maple Canyon just this afternoon. Utah fire officials has labelled it the Dizzy Rock fire. Right  now the canyon has been evacuated with no access to any climbing area. Updates can be found on http://www.utahfireinfo.gov/

Though the cause of the fire is still under investigation, friends on facebook has began speculating the cause as human...poor potty etiquette and negligent disposal of toilet paper. Anyway, super bummer for us cos I was psyched on returning to the Compound and Tanleng's super close on sending 9/11. Looks like it's back to AF this weekend.

Love...a Subaru

We've finally gotten ourselves a car more suited for our lifestyle...a Subaru Forester. Gotta love a Subaru, especially a scooby nut like me..total cost...$3900.

Our first weekend going off-roading out to the Compound, Maple Canyon. Terrain was pretty harsh unless you have a real truck platform...still much better than our Acura Integra.

There's always been a special place for a Subaru in my heart. Here's the Bugeye I had when we were still living in Spore...which cost $37000.
 


















It's a shame we're broke now cos I'll love to doll up the Forester and pimp it up like these ones...
 

On a separate note, my 2012 climbing season has taken an unfortunate start with a ruptured A1 pulley on my right ring finger. Contrary to popular accounts of "popping", it kinda sounded like a carrot breaking when it happened. It's been 3 months since the rupture and I've been careful in nursing it. Been on the rope more than bouldering so the prognosis looks optimistic though it's not back to full strength yet. Having said that, I'm not banking on any super hard sends in American Fork this season. Meantime, we've been heading out to the Compound more than the Hell Cave...can't say it's been a joy cos I'm getting my ass handed to me...like I needed any kind of reminder that I suck at cobble pulling.

When you hit rock bottom, the only way back is UP!!!

There were a series of events that prompted me to look back at what truly defines an athlete. Not one who goes on smooth sailing through life, bags the prizes, and basks in the adoration of fans. No. It's one who gets side-swiped by life, run over but gets back up and throws it down through the pain and odds.

One of these events is from this year's Tour De France. Of Dutch cyclist Johnny Hoogerland in a breakaway from the pelaton going for the stage win when he and Juan Antonio Flecha got side-swiped by a careless driver. Flecha received the major impact hitting the road at full speed but Hoogerland took the brunt of the crash, landing on a barb wire fence.




The aftermath of Hoogerland's brush with a barbwire fence.

Astoundingly, both Hoogerland and Flecha picked themselves up and crawled to the finish. Hoogerland received 88 stitches for his escapade and the win of the pokadot jersey.



Three weeks ago, I got to meet Noelle Pikas-Pace at the annual UAHPERD conference up in Park City. Noelle's a skeleton racer who competed from 2000 to 2010.



She won three medals at the FIBT World Championships with a gold and two silvers.
After winning the silver medal in the women's skeleton event at the 2005 FIBT World Championships in Calgary, she emerged as one of the favorites to medal at the upcoming Winter Olympics in Turin. That would change on October 19, 2005 at the bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton track in Calgary when she broke her right leg after she and her teammates were hit by a four-man bobsleigh that failed to brake after the finish line. The bobsleigh ejected out of the end of the track and hit Noelle and teammate Lea Ann Parsley, narrowly missing three other teammates. She suffered a compound fracture of the tibia and fibula, and underwent surgery to repair her broken leg, including an insertion of a titanium rod in her right leg. Instead of quitting and wallowing in her predicament, she started aggressive physical therapy and returned to competition seven weeks later at Igls, Austria, finishing 20th.

In 2007, Noelle went on to win World Championships, by the largest margin in history, while breaking the track record in St. Moritz, Switzerland, and again becoming the first American Woman to obtain the title of World Champion in the sport of skeleton.

I know that most of us regular Joes wouldn't face anything this dramatic but we do get hit by life in our own unique ways. Take Tanleng for example. She had her foot dislocated and leg broken in Feb. When it happened, we just couldn't believe how she's gonna get back to normal function, let alone do the things she loves.



But in the end, we got it fixed...with two plates and nine screws.



Those months of recovery were tough on both of us. But through all the pain, pills and tears, she's now back in action. Recently, she sent a 12d and flashed a 12b in a day. 12s are usual fare now and she about to send one of the stoutest 13a in American Fork.

Strangely, we both now have the same story to tell with our right foot. Though I haven't broken my leg, I have dislocated it bouldering in SAFRA Bukit Merah in 1998. Had it fixed with surgery and was out of action away from climbing for a year. During that time, I was getting really good at Counter Strike, school and dating Tanleng. It helped that my wife, who was my girlfriend then, had so much love for climbing that I got drawn back into climbing. Progress came slow with an impaired right leg but it all worked out in the end. I started to love climbing all over again and got in shape at the same time. Very good shape....especially when it comes to bouldering. And when all the tertiary institutions like NUS, NTU and SP started their inaugural series of bouldering comps, I pretty much won every single one they put out.


Here are some of the hardware my brother randomly found in my storage stash in Spore. Don't really know where the rest are. Nevertheless, this is just a reminder that those years from 2000-2002, were my golden times as a competitive climber. I also got sent to the first Asian Championship for bouldering in 2001 and made it to the Finals alongside the usual Japs and Koreans. That was a proud moment.

And with every tide of success, there'll always be a lifespan for every athlete. Having a full time job took its toll but amidst the madness of work, I managed on last hurrah in the South East Asia Climbing Federation(SEACF) Circuit in Malaysia.



Jay recently reported on his blog that the SEACF circuit have been revived this year. Proud that he won the gold and that once again, Spore has a young and strong contingent.

Anyway, if you're reading this and you're in the pits of despair surrounding the circumstances of your situation, you just got to make up your mind about where to go from here. Remain in despair, or pick yourself up.

Contact 2.0

The Demon have been serving me well and is my weapon of choice for outdoor sends...check, Big G. The Mad hommies were kind enough to send me a pair of Contact when I sounded to them that I was toying with the idea of having an indoor training/gym shoe so that I can preserve my Demon.



I received the new Contact three weeks ago and I've got to say that these puppies are a step beyond the ones I used to have. Let's not forget that the Contact were the shoes that got me up my first 5.14.


Lateralus, post send with the "old" Contact.


The technology that these guys have thrown into their new range is just staggering.


A look at the sheer quantity of innovation and workmanship of the new products more than convinces me that the new Contacts (or any other Mad equipment) will perform remarkably.

I also had an opportunity to contribute to Madrock's 2012 catalog with a written section on friction. It is a real privilege to be working with such a cohesive and innovative team.



The Mad hommies will be in town soon for the annual Outdoor Retailer Tradeshow in two weeks. Can't wait to check in and hang out with the Mad crew and sample the new products...oh, and did I mention that they have a new Flash in the pipeline? Can't wait...then check it out here!

Open publication - Free publishing - More belay device

Big G, 5.14a

The Big G went down yesterday!! This beast links the cruxes of Body Count and Cop Killer.



This one's legit, bitches!!!

SCS Youth Divisionals 2011 - Updated

It's been quite a season for the Front Climbing Team. Considering the fact that this is our first season competing on the ropes, the team has done an awesome job holding their own against competition that specializes in difficulty. It's been an enriching experience working with the kids in the team. A truly wonderful bunch who are dedicated, and joyful. Real gems. The Youth Divisionals will be held at Momentum gym this weekend and everyone's psyched about it.


The future...the SLC and Ogden Youth Climbing Teams coming together to prepare for a strong showing at the SCS Divisional Comp coming up this weekend!

Honestly, there were many doubters at the beginning saying boulderers can't rope climb. Yes, we get pumped quickly but give us time, we'll be up and running. And the kids' showing for the past comps are testament to that. And don't forget, as Tony Yaniro used to say..."If you can't do the moves, there is nothing to endure."

Update: Axel Dillman qualified for the Nationals after last weekend's Divisionals representing in his new Demons! Props to the Mad hommies for getting the shoes to him in time!

Madrock Commercial

The Mad hommies just put up this commercial. I love working with these guys and it's been a real privilege to be representing a company that is driven by innovation, interaction with the community, and most importantly, a great love and respect for the outdoors. Enjoy!

Demon 2011 - Long Term Review

It's been 2 months since I've received the Demon 2011 in the mail. Having tried on the demo at the Winter OR, the excitement of anticipating for it to arrive at my doorstep was reaching boiling point. As you would've expect, the shoes went to work immediately upon arrival at the my local gym...The Front SLC.



Since Tanleng is recovering from her traumatic ankle injury, pretty much all of my climbing has been confined indoors. The crappy weather compounded this problem but hey...isn't that what SchidzoSpringnia's all about.

Anyway, the Demon felt much smaller than the outgoing model for the same size but I was sure a little breaking in will do the trick of softening it up. Initial trials out the box was assuring when it came to precision footwork due to the fit of the shoe. The fit was like a glove thanks to the new material used in the uppers of the toe box. Typical material by most manufacturers have been leather and synthetic codura to limit stretch. This new material is a compound made almost entirely of rubber, thus allowing the toe box to flex (hence the name Powerflex) over the knuckles of the toes, alleviating pain often associated with tight shoes.

The shoe is super downturned but the unique thing about it is that the shoe has been able to hold its original shape throughout these 3 months. Again, this is only possible due the introduction of a new midsole material...polycarbonate. Unlike most shoes with midsoles, the Demon possess a great balance between stiffness and flexibility due to the use of this polycarbonate concave midsole. Enough stiffness to stand on the smallest of jibs and enough flexibility to toe grab on the steepest of caves. The new feature on this shoe is the heel cup jointly developed with Dai Koyamada. The heel cup fits snuggly considering that my low volume heel and doesn't let off any bagginess, often associated with shoes made without molded heel cups. Here's a vid of Dai climbing Agartha V14 in a Demon prototype.

AGARTHA V14 from project_daihold on Vimeo.

Prior to the Demon, I was a huge fan of the Super Locos and the Contacts. They were the only shoes I've worn on all my 5.14 sends but I'm sad to say that they have now been relegated to storage due to the phenomenal performance of the new Demon.

On the whole, this shoe pretty much does it all and it has been delivering since day one out of the box. Either that or I'm actually getting strong climbing in the gym this whole time...or maybe both.

And speaking of the gym, the Front's owner, Dustin Buckthal, and his crew of dedicated wall builders (Vertical Solutions), gym staff and phenomenal setters, have been hard at work organizing the FCC Semi-Pro Bouldering Series. The series consisted of 3 separate qualifiers in the Front SLC, Front Odgen, and Front Boise, with 10 competitors from each qualifier battling it out this Fri (Semi Finals) and Sat (Finals).



I managed to qualify for the Semis this Fri and here's the starting order based on qualifying results:



Looks like I've managed to put my dismal Spore climbing episode behind me and gotten my health back. Time to bring my A game this Fri and most important...my new kicks! It's been a real privilege representing the guys at Madrock cos these Mad hommies never stop innovating. And this latest performance shoe is a testament to advance technology applied to a product with great workmanship available to everyone at a reasonable price.

Swizzy Bouldering with Martin Keller

It's great news to know that my Swizzy homie, Martin's representing Moon Climbing. We first met Martin on one of our most memorable Krabi trips with me achieving a personal milestone, sending Asia's Shadow Play and Cara Cangresso, downing tons of mango sticky rice and Chang beer in the process.

Though both of us have moved on to bigger things with our climbing, Martin's progress in bouldering has been absolutely astounding, with sends of Dreamtime Stand v12, Collateral V14, The Dagger V14, and Confessions V14, to name a few.



This one's for the ladies.

Here's a interview Moonclimbing did with Martin.

The pic of me on ASP is also courtesy of Martin spending an entire day in the scorching sun snapping me hamming it up for the camera. Thanks dude!!

You can view Martin's blog by clicking his link on the right column under my fav links and blogs.

Show of Hands

Our last trip to Moe's was eventful to say the least. Eversince Tanleng had her ankle broken, she's feeling alot better coming out of surgery cos we've been diligent at nursing the injury. It's also at times like these that your friends show who you how much you mean to them.

Anyway, it's been two weeks since the accident and I haven't had the chance to climb. All my time has been spend taking care of Tanleng's needs and that's simply way more important than anything else right now. Nevertheless, I had the chance to get to the Front for a sesh last Sat after two weeks of being sedentary and gravity hit me like a massive brick wall. I must say I was unpleasantly surprise cos two weeks prior, I was getting to the point where I felt I was in shape. I was super pleased with sending Show of Hands, Lindner Roof, and Underwhelmed, all in a day. But the sesh at the Front left me feeling like the way it was when I was in Spore...super drained, peeling off holds I can usually crush. I'm glad I recovered from that episode of being super ill with a bad bout of flu. I guess there's some truth to the adage "you snooze, you loose." Then again, I really shouldn't be complaining cos being out of shape is still alot better than my wife's current predicament.

Here are two vids of Show of Hands. One's by Joe Kinder and the other's by my buddie Scott Hall who pretty much cruised the climb.

show of hands from jorge visser on Vimeo.

Show of Hands V11, Moe's Valley from Scott Hall on Vimeo.

Scott's feet beta worked like a charm. Thanks!!!

But being 5'7", I had a hard time coming around the arete for the left hand bump to the better hold. That called for some drastic but novel measure...busting out a Sharpy to make a mark on my left forearm to make sure I bump far enough around the arete for a blind slap for the good hold. That was all I needed for the send.

Tanleng's Injury Update

I'll like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for dropping in with their well-wishes, encouragement, and prayers, and also those who came by to visit. Really appreciate it. I would also like to thank Marc & Sybille Le Menestrel, Mike & Amy Beck, and all the members of the church in SLC for going out of the way to comfort and assure us that everything's gonna be ok. Big props to Chad and Scott for hauling Tanleng out of Moe's. I would also like to give a big shout out to the kid who helped call 911 and went out of the way to guide the EMTs to us. I must apologize for forgetting your name but hit me up if you have the chance.

It was really unfortunate that Marc & Sybille came all the way from Spain for this to happen. Would have loved to spend some time together but it was really comforting to have them by our side when Tanleng was stretchered out of Moe's.

Mike and Amy also went out of their way to make some really important phonecalls to the right people in the orthopedic community. Come to think of it, it's really crazy how small the world is and how connected we are to some people than we actually know. Turns out Amy's dad's Thomas Rosenberg of the Rosenberg Cooley Metcalf Orthopedic Clinic up in Park City. They were the ones who operated on Tiger Woods' knee. The surgeon who operated on Tanleng's Dr. Tim Beals, who's a surgeon at the U Orthopedic Center and also a partner at the RCM clinic and apparently is the best ankle & foot surgeon in town.


Dr. Timothy Beals

The surgery took about 3.5 hours cos the team need to fix quite a substantial amount of ligament damage. As for the tibia and fibula, it came down to plates and 11 screws.


X-Ray of the injured leg pre-op.


The shoe that I had to cut up just to get it off her foot.

Tanleng's doing pretty well post-op. There doesn't seem to be a substantial amount of pain but any type of pain associated with a surgery is bound to keep anyone in a certain level of discomfort any time of the day.

Dealing with this injury has affected both of us quite a bit. Week 1 was pretty rough just to get simple chores (ie. cleaning and dressing up, getting up and down our apartment) done. As a friend said, "there's always more than one victim in any accident." But that's why I married her in the first place. Going through life in sickness and in health isn't just lip service.

Calamity!!!

We've been heading to St.George, Utah every other week just to get away from the winter chill in SLC. The sportclimbing on sandstone is quite a draw for many Salt Lakers but we decided to check out the bouldering at Moe's Valley last Sunday in hope of kickstarting our bouldering season.



Show of Hands, V11

Unfortunately, the season ended as quickly as it started. All was good with my one day send of Show of Hands, until Tanleng fell and dislocated her ankle. Her fibula and tibia were also broken and it looked pretty nasty. Worst part was being stuck in the middle of nowhere with no cellphone reception. Good thing there was a kid with a working cellphone but the 911 operator had no clue where we were despite our best efforts in describing the location. All that finally done, the EMTs couldn't get the ambulance in there so they had to get in there in a truck and then hike the rest of the way in to us. Pretty epic if you think about my poor wife having to wait all that while with the foot completely out of place. When the EMTs finally got her stabilized, we had to haul her out of there on a stretcher and props to everyone there especially Chad and Scott!!! Beer and food on me the next time!


Tanleng's feeling a little better now that the docs managed to put her foot back in place and splinted her up for our 300 mile drive back to SLC.

I'll update this blog again for the latest on her condition.

So much for our plans and aspirations for 2011.

Demon 2011

I'm currently in Singapore visiting family and friends for the hols. Crazy to think that it has been 3 years since I left. Spore is still a bustling little garden city and having seen Seoul, KL, and cities around the US, I've got to say Spore is really quite the clean and lush city it has been touted to be. Respect! More on our trip later cos I would like to present to you the new Demon for 2011.



The 2011 model retains its aggressive down-turned profile but apart from that, everything's NEW!!! The recent Mad lineup of shoes were designed in collaboration with Dai Koyamada. The end product sees a new heel, dual density sole and most radical of all....the Power Flex uppers. Basically, the Mad homies are not using fabric for the uppers. They have invented this flexible, sticky, moldable rubber that can be sewn directly to the rest of the shoe. So basically this eliminates the searing pain most of us feel when we downsize our shoes. The Power Flex uppers amazingly flexes and molds over the knuckles providing comfort and sick toe hooking ability. Honestly, I don't think I'm doing a great job describing it, so don't just take my word for it...try it & I guarantee you wouldn't be disappointed.

I'm expecting my first pair of 2011 Demon to arrive in the mail soon. I'll give more scoops and updates once I get some mileage on them. Stay tuned and thanks for reading. Have a great 2011!!!

The Front Climbing Team Getting Psyched For Regionals!

As reported in the Front SLC Blog, The Front Climbing Team is shaping up and looked super strong at the ABS comp at Momentum last month. Axel Dillman had his best comp ever and took first in Youth C, far ahead of the competition. Austin Hansel and Theresa Nielson also placed well at their first ABS comp. Keep up the good work team! Proud of y'all!!!

Here's wishing everyone a crushing good time at tomorrow's Crux'mas comp and the Regionals!!!

BAH HUM BUG!!!

The weather hasn't been on our side lately. To say the least, the outlook has been grim. We got a snow closure notice from the U the other day for a blizzard warning. On the one hand, the storm turned out to be rather lame cos it's bark was worse than it's bite. On the other hand, I thought the U did a great job getting everyone off school/work so that we can return home safely. Nevertheless, temps are way below ideal for any climbing....bbbrrrrrr!


Here's a vid from Joe Kinder that speaks volumes about the situation right now. The snow really is a sight to behold, especially here in Utah (best snow on earth!). At the same time, climbing's out of the question.

The Dreadful First Snow of The Season from Joey Kinder on Vimeo.

So we pretty much have been getting into the gym alot, working on the last few assignments/exams for the end of the semester and looking forward to our trip back to Spore. And as much as we envy those who are still enjoying their climbing in the warmer regions, I've decided not to dwell on things I haven't done, but reflect on things that I have done this past season.

The season has been eventful to say the least. Looking back, I realized we've actually spent all our time on the rope. I guess the bouldering season didn't really happen. Ever since I snagged the 2nd ascent of Lateralus, I've decided to consolidate my climbing at the 14a level rather than hit up a higher grade. Moreover, with all the stuff that's on my plate right now, I find it hard to keep my climbing at a desirable level having to deal with pursuing a doctoral degree. The challenge is in the balance. Anyway, even as I reflect on some of the more notable climbs I've done this season, they are a greater reflection of my personal struggle to stay on top of my game than number chasing.

American Prayer, 5.14a (Rifle, CO)
Cryptic bouldery lower section that required me to devise a sequence that felt V9/10. Combined with having to compete at the Teva Mountain Games in Vail, I really had to dig deep to pull this one off. I also had to focus on getting the top section dialed in, lest I punted off post crux. Rifle's a beautiful place to climb. Plans are underway for next year.

Deal Souls, 5.14a (American Fork, UT)
Super steep, bouldery, power endurance climb. Clips alone are hard, pulling seemed impossible when I first got on it. Initial progress was good when I had to take a break for a trip to So Cal to visit my Mom. At the same time, we also decided to stop by Yosemite to sample some summer bouldering (check: 80+F, gozillion tourists and bugs). First day, 7:30 am attempt on Midnight Lightning gifted me with a fracture calcaneous (heel). EPIC FAIL!!! Result: Visit Mom ahead of schedule, Mom was pissed and gave me an earful for showing up with an extremely swollen and purple foot. Upon returning to SLC, I could only climb with one foot. But over the course of the rest of the summer, I managed to squeeze my foot into a slightly oversized slipper and sent Dead Souls. Moral of the story...as long as you got them arms, you can make it work with less on ya legs.

Millennium, 5.14a (Maple Canyon, UT)
What can I say about Millennium, except that it's totally my anti-style. I'm better suited to climbs that are short & bouldery, given that I spent so much time in the gym. Considering that the crux is in the low V-grade (perhaps V4?), I got my arse handed to me big time when I first got on it. The pump was sick and I didn't enjoy it. Then again, Tanleng was having a blast at Maple cos that's where her A game's at. I didn't wanna sulk, so suffering on Millennium's better than sitting around like a turd. I totally surprised myself for sending it the first time I blasted through the crux. I've never felt like I had to fight so hard since my send of Asia Shadow Play, Krabi.

I guess it's been a pretty good season thus far except for Big G. Progress came too little too late with winter closing in. I was throwing myself at it 3 days in a row with 5 burns each time, cumulating to me punting off post Cop Killer crux. My fingers were basically frozen. Next season hopefully. And speaking of next season...I'm hoping for bigger things to come...so here's the tentative list:

Big G, 5.14a
Cannibals Direct, 5.14a
Super Tweak, 5.14b.

And in the near future....being able to climb in Spore's infamous weather, 90+F in over 90% humidity...come to think of it, I probably should look forward to the food instead and hanging out with the family...missing my Mom, Dad and bros big time!

Epiphany!!!

I guess everyone have their moments of epiphany. Individually, me and Tanleng had ours on our projects today. Difference is, I still didn't quite manage to send but she DID!!! El Diablo 12d/13a was pretty much her nemesis since day one of coming to AF. Just when she could do all the moves and cumulated all her efforts to one hang, she was still stumped by the huge (cos she's 5 ft) deadpoint to the pocket at the 3rd clip.

Anyway, I was punting on Big G when I randomly spotted a tiny chip for my left foot that worked wonders for sticking the undercling move on the Cop Killer crux, STATIC!!! EPIPHANY!! Problem was, it was my 2nd burn and I was also feeling the effects of Wed's gym sesh. Went on to making the move successfully on my next go but faded out higher.

I guess this really motivated Tanleng to seriously refine her beta and with the discovery of a foothold way out left, her moment of epiphany enable her to make the move to the pocket static! Unfortunately, she was also starting to fatigue cos it was late in the day, probably around 6 pm and light was fading. I managed to convince to her give it one more go with the rationale that she's got nothing to lose anyway. I mean, we've both fallen so many gozillion times at the cruxes of our projects, how's one more fall gonna matter? This turned out to be the send of the day so BIG PROPS to my little pocket rocket!



Looks like I've gotta start bringing my A game the next time. Wish I had this in my arsenal though...the new 2011 Demon, availabe Dec 2010.

About a Beer

Yes, that's right...in climbing, it all comes down to beer. At least for me it is. I mean alot of us cannot deny downing a cold one epitomizes sweet vibes of hanging out at the end of a climbing day. For me, it was. At least that was when I wasn't broke. Now that I am, beer has become something I've put at the end of a stick in replacement for a carrot. Sounds kinda shallow but for those of you who savor the aroma of good hop, you'll know what I'm talking about. So here I have a common can of Pabst Blue Ribbon given to me at LCC's parking lot a couple of months ago....thanks Shingo!



I had it in my fridge for all this while cos I told myself I'll only get to savor it if I get Dead Souls done. And since I was getting pretty close, I figured it'll be pretty soon before I pop the lid and chug that golden ale down....WRONG!!!
Why? Cos it was all put to a stop due to THIS....that's right...Midnight Lightning!!!



Nope. Not only did I not do it, I shattered my left heel on the granite slab beneath it falling off the lightning bolt hold. First day, first try, and I completely missed the pads. So that pretty much ended my Yosemite trip right off the bat. Good thing is, I get to see my Mom alot earlier than intended so we ended up heading down to So Cal for the visit. Guess I don't have to narrate the aftermath of showing up at Mom's with a shattered heel that's now all purple and porky. Since I did mention that I was broke, that meant I didn't get the chance to get my injury checked out. So after 2 weeks of ice and elevation, we returned back to SLC with the climbing season in full swing...except for the fact that now I only had the use of one foot and how excruciating it was to put on just a regular shoe (let alone a climbing shoe). Tanleng was psyched and I was gonna let my injury get in her way of heading out to AF so I figured I can still perform my duty as her faithful belayer. So we headed out to AF with a walking stick in hand...well technically it's just a tree branch I picked up from the brush. So here we have a glorious climbing season going on, with me dragging a bad foot when I was reminded of the beer that's still in the fridge. I guess that was all it took for me to suck up the pain, slip on me climbing shoes and give Dead Souls a go.



Though I didn't send it right away, I felt pretty good on it. So I made the decision to rest a couple days, which I needed to do anyway with the OR Tradeshow in town and having to set at the Front for the comp in conjunction with the OR. Guess it came down to the rest cos it did go down on the first go coming back. That feeling was sweet cos I was so in control pulling every single move and basically cruised it with the sweet knowledge that I was gonna finally savor that little can of watered down beer. So did I drink it...NOPE...I kinda stared at it for a while and figured that I can save it for the next send...one that would feel hard...one that will take relentless effort. And it turned out I didn't have to wait too long for that to come. Cos we were headed to Maple and I was gonna get on something my anti-style....Millennium 14a.



Maple's pretty much Tanleng's playground. She's awesome with power endurance climbs and she pretty much walked Rucksack Wanderer 12d/13a and Deliverance 12c/d in one weekend. Me, I was getting my ass handed to me. See, I'm pretty accustomed to NOT getting too pumped at AF. I can deal with super bouldery moves but MAN...when it comes to long endurancy stuff...I'm a wuzz! So Millennium's basically a jug haul to a V4 crux and a dyno end. And it was starting to get pretty depressing having to put in so much legwork with the thought of never being able to send this rig this season.



But then again, when it's up against beer...I figured I better suck it up and put in 110%. I guess that mentality worked cos I unexpectedly pulled the crux, fought my way to the last rest and gave the dyno all I had. DONE FREAKING DEAL!!! And did I drink my little can of Pabst when I got home....YES!!!!

But does it mean that I'm just gonna kick back now that the beer's gone? I guess not...not when I'm up against BIG G!!!! YYEEEAAYYUHHH!!!

Here's a vid of Joey Kinder walking Big G. Dude's strong and made it look easy. Enjoy!!!

Joe sending Big G from Joey Kinder on Vimeo.

Test Vid - Self Intro

So I was cracking my brains over how I can incorporate a voice over for my Prezi slideshow (previous post). Prezi was suggesting that I record an audio file and convert it into FLV format before inserting it into the slide to be run concurrently with the slides. I had alot of trouble converting my audio file into FLV format but chanced upon Jing. This software's pretty similar to a screen capture but allows the user to perform a vid capture with voice over. Pretty neat!

Here's the final vid using a combination of Jing and Prezi.