The Drifter

The first time I saw Chris on High Plains Drifter I prematurely congratulated him on the send, naively throwing in a "good job!" after he stuck what I believed to be the crux. While I was ready to organize a victory parade the rest of the crew continued to cheer with a fervor that suggested the problem was far from over and I proceeded to watch as Chris punted off the last move. Apparently this had been going on for several sessions and after Chris punted a few more times we walked away from the boulder with Chris enduring our ridicule and planning to return another day.

Fortunately Chris did go back to the Drifter and managed to overcome the mental block that had stymied previous attempts. The send came hours before Gord and he loaded the supervan and hit the road. A good way to end a road trip. Well done

Here are a few pics of the send.

Cruising the beginning

Sticking the move that had spit him off for days

One happy Canadian

Falling

While I've managed to scrape myself up a fair number of boulder problems in Bishop I feel I've been doing a whole lot of falling. Maybe it's just that the boulders here are big so you feel the impact so much more.
Here is a fall sequence on Saigon Direct. I eventually summed the courage to stand on top of this boulder.

Milking It

Bishop has been fantastic. Blue skies and giant granite boulders have been the norm and will continue to be so for the next week or so. The boulders have been packed as spring breakers have invaded Bishop in droves. While pads can be found under most of the classics you might need to elbow your way threw the crowds to actually climb something. Fortunately the areas slightly off the beaten path remain fairly quite and early mornings provide a couple hours of climbing in solitude (the hordes generally start to appear after 1000 am).

Here are a couple pics.

Jenny warms up on the Green Wall

Brooke displays a total lack of accuracy as she over-shoots the jug on Go Granny Go

Andrea tries hard on Bowling Pin

Lina grappling Birthday Direct

Leaving the Tanks

We are leaving the Tanks and heading on to the greener pastures of Bishop. The Tanks were a mixed bag as few new problems went down for me but it was great to hang with friends and circuit old favorites. I can only go so many days falling off past cruxes and seeking out obscurities before I get bitter and need to just pack up and go somewhere new. While Bishop is far from new it holds a lot more problems that I haven't tried and it'll be nice to not have to worry about reservations and finagling guided tours to get to your projects.

Here are a couple more pics from the Tanks.

Preston takes a flight on Barefoot on Sacred Ground

Beto grapples up Loaded with Power

Gustavo (the Marron Stallion) finding balance on Bloodline

Lina searches for holds on Slim Pickin's

Me on Focus

More Pictures from the Tanks

The Tanks has been warm but we're still finding time to grapple a boulder or two. We celebrate big sends by sipping beers and bronzing. Good times.
Here are a couple pics.

The Butterpumper

Jason on Try Hard

Feet first on Try Harder