The Coolest

I haven't been posting much and I haven't been traveling much. I did make a trip to the beach with Jo Beth and her family but as far as climbing goes I've been sticking to the gym, battling the heat, and honing my skills. Always honing...

Photos I took in Apalachicola, FL:




So...

It's cool in the mornings now. And by cool I mean 65-70. It feels nice anyway. School has started again and I'm thankful that this will be my final semester. As it is, I'm having quite a difficult time staying motivated in classes like American Women Writers. I've started back at my job as well.

Now its kinda funny but at the time it was demoralizing; I had this horrible day at the gym. Feeling weak, climbing like junk, my execution was in the toilette and I went off on this horrible tangent about school and work and whatnot. Ruined my whole day thinking about it. But I got over it and I've been climbing better lately.

That day is the reason I'm writing this post right now. Climbing is always waves of strength and relative weakness. But summertime in the South has the ability to accentuate the highs and lows. Small dips, normally unnoticeable, become huge mental barriers to personal progression. I just wanted to remind everyone that a few bad days, or a bad month even, doesn't mean a lack of progression. On days when you are feeling especially unmotivated or tired, concentrate on simple things like technique or endurance. Keep in mind that the summer is coming to an end. I can't wait!

The Cool

TENNESSEE! I am so happy to be HOME. Of course it's hotter here than the sun itself, but I don't care. I enjoy working up a good sweat in the gym anyway. My time in Colorado this year was amazing. It was filled with good friends, good food, and good climbing all around. I even surprised myself with ascents of boulders that I thought were beyond my ability. Now it's time to step up the game in preparation for a month long trip Fontainebleu, FR in February of 2012. I'm also considering Switzerland in March and South Africa in July. Any suggestions?

Unfortunately, I'm in very poor shape at the moment. Loss of fitness is the "dark side" of climbing outdoors for months on end. I'm not the most talented climber. My success hinges less on natural ability and more on the hundreds of days a year I spend preparing in the gym. Two-a-day workouts aren't uncommon for me. It's very disheartening therefore to witness the loss of my hard-earned gains. What's amazing though is how quickly it occurs. Over the course of my trip (5/18-6/25) I didn't visit the gym a single time. In that time my fitness and power levels dropped to about 60% of my "in-shape" max. Now I feel locked in a physical and mental battle to regain my former position.

I also start work on Tuesday and I can't wait. Work and school act to balance my life and, while I have less time for climbing, it's much more productive. Here are a couple photos that I had left over:

Nintendo!!

John's cat Diego

I don't really know when I'll have something to post next. Have a great summer everyone!

-Brion

Photo Update

Well I don't have a whole lot to say but I do have quite a few photos of things we have been trying lately.

Me on Little House on the Prairie
photo: Nate Drolet

Brad on Little House
photo: Nate Drolet

Preston on Little House (check out that try hard face!?)
photo: Nate Drolet

What are you doing Brad????
photo: Nate Drolet

The first grip on the Honey Badger

Uncovering The Mote In God's Eye
photo: Brad Weaver

Brad on Mote In God's Eye

Brad on Mote in God's Eye

Mt. Evans Update

I feel very lucky. Almost everyday for 3 weeks now I have been fortunate enough to enjoy the beautiful scenery, incredible boulder problems, and the company of good friends at Mt. Evans. On top of that I have been climbing very well which is always nice. I'm feeling worn out now and today is the first of 2 well deserved rest days, but I'm still hoping to scrape out a couple more boulders while I'm here. Here are a couple shots John got of me on things I've been trying:

Big Worm (v14)

Me on Vanilla Sky (v13)

Friends have been climbing well too. Here are some photos I took:

Preston on the Great War for Civilisation (v13)

Brad on Phobos (v10)

Also, here is a super nice shot that Ivo Penchev took of me on To You Scattered Bodies Go. You can check out Ivo's awesome website for more.

Moving Forward

Well I'm up at 5 am because my skin is on fire. It's really incredible that this is the first time in 3 weeks of intense bouldering that my skin has given me any trouble. I'll probably be taking a couple days off to heal it up before heading back out to the boulders. I think I need a couple days to recover mentally as well. I've found that trying boulders at my personal limit is more exhausting mentally than physically, and recently I've been feeling a little under the weather in this respect. I've also been thinking of home more and more. I am not one of those guys that can just live for months and months on the road. I need a home, a place to stretch my legs, and something apart from climbing to focus on.

More than climbing in Colorado, the future of climbing in the South is the subject of this blog post. I would speculate that the next few years are going to be a renaissance for climbing there. By comparison, the South is behind in terms of popularity of the sport and in terms of climbing difficulty (the two are probably highly correlated). Of course, access issues have always stunted the growth of climbing there, but gyms like Stone Summit in Atlanta and TBA, the local gym in Chattanooga, (among other organizations and businesses) are attempting to advance climbing throughout the region. Youth programs are growing, outdoor sports are gaining acceptance, and a motivated group of climbers is bringing the area out of it's self-imposed dark-age and into the mainstream. Climbers in the region are strictly divided on whether this movement is good or bad.

It certainly means more people at climbing areas, and again, access is a huge concern. Also at stake though is the old school feeling - peace, solitude, and friendship. I've had extended contact with both sides. My first climbing experiences were filled with secrecy, intrigue, and close friends. I remember sneaking in to Little Rock City when I was 15 and I remember the great days I had at the satellite areas around Chattanooga in complete solitude. I've also experienced several alpine seasons in Colorado, competitions, sponsorships, and new school gyms. Whatever happens in the next few years will be O.K. with me - I'm not fighting anything - I'm just excited about some new boulders. Jimmy Webb and I have a couple good leads and there I feel strong enough now to really push difficulty in the region.

I have another week in Denver before heading to Rifle for a couple days and then back to Chattanooga.

Hope to see you out there,

Brion