More From Kelly

Lina and Kim have returned to Sweden leaving Hammie and I for a week of Dad-camp.  We decided to spend our final days in the State climbing around Durango, CO and fortunately my sister Prairie joined us, ensuring hygiene will be a little better than Dad-camp last year.  I'm looking forward to climbing myself into oblivion on the various sandstone blocks around Durango.

In the meantime, here are a few more pictures from Kelly Canyon.

 Lina runs a lap on Poor White Trash

 Lina looking for the next hold on a fun steep problem

 Jim stretches out

Kim finding purchase on a sweet overhanging prow

Arkansas Wall

The Arkansas Wall is another of Kelly's best.  Tucked away in a corner it doesn't see that much traffic despite being home to one of the best problems, Touched by and Uncle.   

 Cory getting off the deck and one move before the crux stab to a pocket

 Andrew bearing down

Timmy looking constipated on a problem to the right of Touched by an Uncle

Donkey Punch Wall

The sandstone at Kelly Canyon runs the gambit from sandbox to solid.  Almost all the rock is climbable and fun but a few wall are genuinely stellar.  The Donkey Punch wall one of these topnotch outcroppings and is perhaps the best wall at Kelly.  Great features on solid rock and several independent lines make this wall alone worth a trip to Kelly.     

 Antonio on the start of Donkey Punch

Ryan on Cleveland Steamer

Flagstaff Sandstone

One of the great things about Flagstaff is the variety as one can climb on 4 different rock types without driving more than 15 minutes (limestone, dacite, basalt and sandstone).  During our short time in Flag we never got around to any of the many Dacite areas and instead opted for multiple days on sandstone at the fun and friendly Kelly Canyon.

Here are a few pictures of a dyno problem at Kelly that Lina, Kim and Prairie threw themselves at.

 Prairie setting up to dyno

 Kim opting for the heel-hook beta

 Lina sticks the dyno 

The Gym Kid Dyno

Upside Down Climbing in Flagstaff

No visit to Flagstaff would be complete with upside down climbing at Priest Draw.  Here's a few pictures.

Praire gets turned around on Twister

Kim works on her kung-fu kick on Twister

Flexing biceps on The Egyptian

Getting horizontal

A Swede get a Taste of Freedom

Kim has been our adopted Swede for this trip to the States.  She had never been to the USA before and we decided it is our duty to teach her about freedom and show her how backwards socialism is.  I'm sure after touring through the Southwest she'll roundly reject her 18 months of parental leave, 5 weeks vacation, socialized medicine and free education in an effort to truly understand freedom.

Here is a link to her new blog where she has posted pictured from this trip and reflects on the journey in Swedish.

http://kimlinq.blogspot.com/

Kim is one crazy Swede

Monster Project

This year I made it back to what is perhaps the best remaining project at Monster Island.  It isn't located at Monster Island proper but a smaller sector about 10 minutes away, which is just far enough that it is usually difficult to rally the pads required to make the landing safe.  This year I convinced some folks to check it out and we spent a couple hours working it, piecing together almost all the moves.  Ultimately there is one stopper move just below the lip that no one stuck but several of us got "close".  The move requires a degree of commitment as sticking the pocket will result in a big swing that could send you flying down the hill.  Even if I muster the strength and courage to stick the single move it would be a whole different ballgame after the 7 difficult moves leading up to it.  Hopefully next Pie Fest I'll be in better shape and make it back for a glorious send.  We'll see.

  

 Antonio sticks one of the earlier moves

 Still some climbing ahead

  Lisa getting set up for the undone crux

More from Monster Island

The Sawtooth Mountains

Highball slab warmup

 Lina stabs the pocket on Frankenstein Left

Antonio on the obscure classic "The Name's Dalten"

Monster Island

As an obsessive boulderer I usually shy away from taking trips that don't include a considerable amount of climbing and wonder what I would do if my parents lived somewhere like Florida or Denmark.  It's safe to say I would not go home quite as often.  But fortunately for me I don't have to choose between slighting relatives and going through climbing-withdraws as Pie Town has quality bouldering about 15 minutes away.

The rock around Pie Town is a volcanic tuff with quality varying from kitty-litter to super solid.  Fortunately the solid rock tends to be concentrated together and saves folks the trouble of sifting through choss.  The heavily featured rock makes for steep powerful climbing and the high altitude and beautiful setting provides a welcome respite from the scorching dessert only an hour away.

Here are a few pictures from Pie Town's most developed and easily accessible area,  Monster Island.

The collection of boulders that is Monster Island.  The bottom half of the large cliff in the background is choss but luckily the boulders came from the solid upper half

 Kim on the classic Frankenstein Left

 Lina gets oh so close on the Frankenstein dyno

 Vampire Roof is quite popular as it offers several steep lines and a slew of variations

Kim on Piss-Ant 

Pie Town

Our first week in the States has been filled with food, friends and family.  We spent a couple days in Albuquerque to recover from jetlag before heading to Pie Town for pie eating and bouldering.  While we have done a bit of climbing I'd say most of our time has been spent hanging with loved ones and eating delicious food.  The annual Pie Festival was awesome this year as tons of good folks showed up.  Already excited about next year.

Here are a couple picture of what goes on in Pie Town the 2nd Saturday of every September.  Plenty more pictures will follow highlighting the bouldering and some of the festivities.   

 Jack uses his hands to stuff his pie-hole

The youth pie eating contest

A couple gems in Västervik

Björnblocket is an amazing piece of rock.  The problems that climbs out the middle of the overhanging face is called The Hourglass is one of the best problems I've ever seen.  Here Dain tries The Office on Björnblocket's right arete

David and Goliath is on the right-side of the impressive Fallataket and one of the problems I'm jonesing to go back to.

Västervik

We are off to the USA for the month of September.  Looking forward to hanging with friends and family and hoping to climb tons.  I'll start updating the blog about our adventures in the USA but in the meantime there a few more pictures from Sweden I'd like to share.....

So I went to Västervik last weekend for a bouldering event/gathering.  I've wanted to check the place out for awhile and was psyched by what I saw.  During my two days there I collected enough projects to warrant several trips this fall and I haven't even seen half the areas.  My buddy Stefan Rasmussen is the primary developer of the area and has single-handedly turned the region into a bouldering destination.  I sure wish there where more folks like Stefan.  Here are a couple pictures.

Sammy sampling some of Västervik's bouldering

Fredrik gets horizontal

Magnus on a cool roof climb

Mr Västervik himself, Stefan, circuiting a sweet problem