Photo update

Seems like the weather here is just getting hotter every day. Yesterday I managed to climb Nagual V13 and The Flame V12 even though it was the hottest day of the trip, around 90 degrees. With these temps skin gets destroyed before you even know it. A lot of the hard boulders here are just out of the question without good conditions. Tomorrow we will wake up early and try to make the best of the decent temperatures in the morning. The Rock Rodeo is on Saturday but I don't know if I want to compete in this heat and wreck my skin completely.

Nagual V13


Nagual V13


The Machinist is on this boulder

The Machinist V13

The Machinist

Flashing Full Monty V12

East Mountain

Jingus Bells V7

The Machinist

I've had some good climbing days here in Hueco even though the weather has been really hot for climbing. The other day we climbed at North Mountain and I did Right Martini V12, Black Mamba V10 and at the end of the day flashed Barefoot on Sacred Ground V12.

Next day we went to East Spur to finish Coeur de Leon V13 which we had tried earlier in the heat. I did it quite fast that day but it did feel hard I must say. Next thing we went to Focus but I was too tired to even try it. After that Andre was psyched to try Full Monty so I decided to give it a go even though I was really tired. I amazed myself and probably everyone else by flashing it! It was the first flash for this problem. I was psyched! After that I still managed to do Windy Ass which I would call V11 no matter what the guide book would say.

A few days ago we chalked up this sick project on East Spur. It's a long problem that climbs out a big roof with long moves. Moves on it are just awesome. Yesterday me and Jon started working on it and at first it felt really hard. Figuring out the beta took a long time since it's a about 25 moves long. Despite the warm weather I managed to do the first ascent and named it The Machinist. Jon quicly made the first repeat. We both felt it's a pretty solid V13. It's a very physical climb and both of us got really worked from climbing on it. Hence the name Machinist.

So, today is a restday. El Paso isn't exactly the most exciting place to hang out and spend a rest day and going to across the Mexican border to Juares seems kind of scetch after hearing about the 17 000 murders that take place in Juares every year. It's not easy trying to rest here but I can feel my muscles need rest to recover for tomorrow. There's still a lot of great projects and classics to climb and the Rock Rodeo is coming up next weekend!

FA of The Machinist

Right Martini V12

Full Throttle V13

Back in Hueco Tanks

Yesterday we finally got back to Hueco and I had a nice first climbing day. First I flashed the classic Full Service, V10 and after that made a quick ascent to Full Throttle, V13. After that I flashed Le Pelerin, given V12 but it felt really soft. Later in the day I did Algerita V13 and managed to fall from the last jug of Skidmark because I was so pumped. Feels really good to be back in Hueco! I'll post a photo update soon.

Boulder, CO

I've been here in Boulder for the past few days now. It's cold here. Nothing like Hueco where it was nice and warm. This weekend I competed in the US Bouldering Nationals at the Spot. It was a nice competion and the problems were really fun to climb. I qualified third, but in the finals the problems were long. I got pumped and that was it for me. I didn't do very well. Daniel Woods crushed by flashing all four final problems.

We also climbed in Boulder Canyon where I did Cage Free v10, a really cool dyno and flashed Freak Brothers V10.

Today we will drive to Albuquerque and from there to Hueco tomorrow.

Finals problem 3

Snow in New Mexico


Juares, Mexico

Hueco Tanks

I've spend a few days now here in Hueco Tanks and it's been great. The weather has been quite warm overall. Today it was a bit cooler and I had a pretty good day of climbing. First I flashed a classic problem called Power of Silence V10. After that we went to Diaphanous Sea V12 which I also flashed. It's hard to comment on the grade since I flashed it but it seemed pretty soft for the grade. We also had a session on Terremer and I felt really good on it. Hopefully we will have some better weather for this problem. Yesterday I did a really cool V13 called Alma Blanca and on my first day Darkroom V12.

Tomorrow we are driving up to New Mexico and later Colorado and then back to Hueco. Here's some random pictures from Hueco.

Power of Silence, V10

Dyno

Hueco!

Ok, tomorrow I'm finally off to Hueco! I already thought the trip wasn't going to happen until last thursday. This is my first trip to Hueco and I'm super psyked. I'm flying to El Paso via London Heathrow, which was closed yesterday due to really heavy snowfall and over 800 flights were cancelled yesterday alone. That doesn't sound too promising for me making it to my flight. Anyway, I'll try to post some photos here soon.