Rene

The volcanic areas around Bishop are home to several worthy boulder problems. One of the less trafficked gems is Rene in the Happy Boulders. Rene is highball with a pull from a shallow two-finger pocket for the crux. This problem should be high on the list for anyone visiting the Happies.

Prairie reaching for the pocket

Wishing the hold was a little bigger

Antonio fires the crux

High Plains Drifter

High Plains Drifter is one of Bishop's best know classics. A good line with superb movement and an endless slab top-out, it should be on everyone's to-do list.

Prairie snags the granite sloper before the crux move

Antonio gearing up for the send

Prairie once again

Back in Sweden

We are back in our apartment in Gothenburg and already missing the warmth of the USA. The streets are still covered in snow and the forecast calls for the days to get just above freezing at best. Fortunately it's sunny and as the days continue to lengthen it feels like spring isn't that far away.


Here is a parting shot from the States.

Party pants and hand guns. God Bless America!

Relinquishing the Motherload

We are hours from hopping on a plane back to Sweden and saying our final goodbyes to friends and family. It has been a great trip and the extent of it will probably only be realized when we get back to our frozen home.

While our trip is ending others are just getting started as we've turned over the helm of the Motherload to Antonio and Chris. They are doing us a favor by taking the beast back to New Mexico and making a road trip out of it. The Load is in good hands.

Chris armed and ready for the road

Antonio rocking the party pants

Ladies beware

Bishop

It was nice to make it to Bishop this trip, even if it was only for a few days. Lina had the misfortune of a sudden work deadline and spent most of the days in front of a computer while Hammie joined us for rock gripping.

Here are a couple picture from the Buttermilks

The Hunk

Chris fires Change of Heart

Chris on Soul Slinger Right

Got to love the setting

More Hueco Tanks From the Archives

We are down to our last week in the States and we finally made it to Bishop. The forecast didn't call for bitter cold so we cruised up from Malibu to join Prairie, David, Chris, and Antonio. I've only got a few days of warmth before heading back to icy Sweden and I plan to make the most of it by climbing every day and I reckon I'll be doing a lot of retro-posting after returning home.

In the meantime, here is an old video I put together from Hueco Tanks.

The Fountainhead

The Fountainhead was one of the better problems I did in Vegas. A beautiful line with slopers and compression, it's located up Black Velvet and is worth going there just to do it. Maybe next year I'll make it back and do the sit start.

Ian eyeballing the next sloper

Jon a couple moves from the dicey top-out

More Vegas

Here's a few pictures of Lina climbing at the Kraft boulders

Jones'n

Warming up

Sorange

Features

Scattered amongst Vegas' boulders are some pretty special features. The sandstone type and quality varies by area so a good variety of shapes and styles can be found. Here are some pictures of a few of the grips I fondled.

The very cool "brick pinch" formed by the two runnels on Jack of All Trade

Though a bit sandy, the slopers of The Carapace are reminiscent of Font

The very beautiful Blood Trails is worth the 30 minute approach

The cool smiley face sloper of Mr. Smiley

The balancey and beautiful Pork-chop

Vegas Keeps Calling Me Back

During my time in Vegas I did a lot of great problems but it is the ones I didn't do that have me wanting to head back. The good problems in Vegas are topnotch and for the most part they will be waiting for me (though with the sandstone you never know if they will be the same problem).

Among the problems that I'd love to grapple is A Clockwork Orange in the Kraft boulders. It might be a pipe-dream as I need to be a little stronger and have good temps but it's a rad line that certainly has me psyched.

The first move

Heading to the 2-finger pocket before the dyno crux

Jon wishing it wasn't so warm

Vegas: A Good Start

We had the pleasure of crossing paths with our friend Alex and his lady Ashley during our first days in Vegas. This serendipitous meeting was the perfect way to begin our trip to Vegas as we did some catching up, played some "Settlers" and climbed on boulders. Wish we could have spent more time together but our respective paths parted after only a few days. So it goes.

Here are a couple pics

Ashley puts on her "try-face" on Jones'n

La Chevel

Ashley finds short person beta for La Chevel

Sandstone slopers

Hammie visits Alex's crib

From the Archives: Hueco Tanks

Until I post a proper update from Las Vegas here's another video from some old footage. Some of this was shot five years ago but I think most is from 2008.

Enjoy

J-Tree

The weather improved across the board so we left the restful confines of Malibu for van living and rock gripping. We are now back in Las Vegas after a brief stop in Joshua Tree. Our two days in J-Tree were good for Lina to get reacquainted with real rock and I sent a couple problems I have been meaning to try. Here are a couple pictures

The intimidating So High

Off the deck

Shipwrecked

J-Tree slab climbing

Two from the Tanks

Here's a little video of Lina doing a couple classics in Hueco Tanks last year.

Enjoy

Welcome to the New Year

We brought 2010 to a close on the beach in Malibu and we'll be hanging here for the next couple days until we decide where to go. The plan is to hit up local areas until a promising forecast directs us to Bishop, Joshua Tree, or Las Vegas. I guess we'll just wait and see.

Hope everyone had a great 2010 and that 2011 brings only good things.

Here are a few more pictures from the Kraft boulders in Las Vegas.

Kraft Dinner Right

Snake Eyes

My Tan