Part 4

We woke up to snow on monday, it got cold sleeping out!

Luckily, I was sleeping under Mike's truck after I woke up in the middle of the night to put all of our stuff inside and after it started raining.

Mike on a great pitch on Journey Home. Miles of 5.10 climbing on this classic.

Mike on the heady first pitch of the Black Canyon classic Journey Home. This was our second route of the day and it was a great time. It was still a little in the sun when we began at about 330pm but it was in the shade the whole time afterward.

My banana's got all heated up on the dashboard in the truck while we climbed the Scenic Cruise. They turned to mush. Yuck!

I am really glad that you have visited my blog.

Thanks and I hope to see and hear from you soon.
Rob Pizem
And last but not least, don't forget to check out my favorite sites: http://www.scarpa.net, http://www.arcteryx.com, http://camp-usa.com, http://sterlingrope.com, http://ColoradoMountainJournal.com, http://www.wunderground.com, http://climbing.com, http://rockandice.com, http://deadpointmag.com, http://urbanclimbermag.com, http://andrewburr.com, http://ladzinski.com

Part 3

Looking down at Mike B (low right) coming across the traverse on Scenic Cruise

Bloody hand! I cut it removing a nut from the pitch below! Oops.

Mike early on the Scenic Cruise.

Mike coming up our second pitch of the Scenic Cruise.

I am really glad that you have visited my blog. Thanks and I hope to see and hear from you soon. Rob Pizem And last but not least, don't forget to check out my favorite sites: http://www.scarpa.net/ http://www.arcteryx.com/ http://camp-usa.com/ http://sterlingrope.com/ http://coloradomountainjournal.com/ http://www.wunderground.com/ http://climbing.com/ http://rockandice.com/ http://deadpointmag.com/ http://urbanclimbermag.com/ http://andrewburr.com/ http://ladzinski.com/

Fun de chichuune

Yesterday I managed to do something I've been dreaming of trying since 2007 when I first saw it. I climbed the mega line of the Grande Grotta, Fun de chichuune 8a. The route is 40m long and it's essentially a roof for most of its length. As you can see in the photos below, you climb through blobs and stalactites, interspersed with scary blank sections. 

It is #8 on this topo. 

There were tons of kneebars and other creative rests along the way. I spent most of the time hanging upside down by my knees. The weight of the quickdraws felt like it might pull my harness off. There are 28 clips.

It was a hot day so I was sweating heaps and the tufas were often damp or outright dripping with water. I managed to remove my shirt on one of the rests at halfway and use it as a towel. Later, towards the end, I had to thoroughly chalk up my forehead. That's a first.

Most of these pics are in the first third when it's not so steep (!)

 

Not even halfway yet!

 

Can you spot me here? I'm at about the 3/4 point. 

And the best part, it was onsight. The first try. Meaning I thankfully didn't have to try the whole enormous beast for a second time, which would be crushing. You might cry.

Route pics © C Vaillancourt 2010

El Cap Day in the Black Part 2

Mike B was trying out the new CAMP Stratos harness. I heard no complaints on the many hanging belays that we were subjected to on this day.

CAMP NANO biners and draws, the lightest and the best on the market. I didn't even know that I had them on my Arcteryx R-320 harness. So light and easy to use.

The second rap to the bottom of the Cruise Gully.

Looking down the Cruise Gully.

The arrowhead was found by Lee after climbing on Saturday. Matt (on the left and he are friends from Golden that happened to be climbing this weekend).

I am really glad that you have visited my blog.

Thanks and I hope to see and hear from you soon.

Rob Pizem

And last but not least, don't forget to check out my favorite sites:

http://www.scarpa.net/ http://www.arcteryx.com/ http://camp-usa.com/ http://sterlingrope.com/ http://coloradomountainjournal.com/ http://www.wunderground.com/ http://climbing.com/ http://rockandice.com/ http://deadpointmag.com/ http://urbanclimbermag.com/ http://andrewburr.com/ http://ladzinski.com/

Slide Shows

Slide show for the folks at the Lakewood Link! Great job competing this year!

Venue in Eugene, OR at Backcountrygear.com

Flowers on my bike ride in Eugene.

Founder of Eugene, OR.

Skinner Rock in downtown Eugene.

I am really glad that you have visited my blog. Thanks and I hope to see and hear from you soon. Rob Pizem

And last but not least, don't forget to check out my favorite sites: http://www.scarpa.net/ http://www.arcteryx.com/ http://camp-usa.com/ http://sterlingrope.com/ http://coloradomountainjournal.com/ http://www.wunderground.com/ http://climbing.com/ http://rockandice.com/ http://deadpointmag.com/ http://urbanclimbermag.com/ http://andrewburr.com%20http//ladzinski.com

USA summer sport climbing - we're comin'!

A quick shout out to our USA readers. I'm going to be in your part of the world for July-August 2010. Flying into Denver late Jun. No rack, so forget trad unless I can borrow yours. Vague plans include Maple Canyon and Rifle. But I'm psyched for any beta and suggestions for good summer areas. Leave a comment, email me, Facebook, whatever. Look forward to seeing you and your sights...

Fruita and House Hunting

Jane and I in the back of some ones pickup after we got a flat tire while mountain biking in Fruita, Colorado. Of course there was a storm coming, we had no flat repair kit and we were as far as we could have possibly been from the truck! Oh well folks are nice and we got a ride back to town. : )

Looking at Colorado National Monument. There is plenty of rock climbing to be done here!

A cool house that is buried in the sand in Fruita!

Me and mike the chicken who survived for days without his head. They have a festival in Fruita every year to celebrate. I had to join in!

The goofy slide show set up for the kids at Rockn Jamn South Gym. I had to dim the light otherwise the projector wouldn't show up on the screen. So I built a tarped cave in a corner and it worked out perfectly! The kids loved it and we had a great time.

I am really glad that you have visited my blog. Thanks and I hope to see and hear from you soon. Rob Pizem

And last but not least, don't forget to check out my favorite sites:http://www.scarpa.net http://www.arcteryx.com/ http://camp-usa.com/ http://sterlingrope.com/ http://coloradomountainjournal.com/ http://www.wunderground.com/ http://climbing.com/ http://rockandice.com/ http://deadpointmag.com/ http://urbanclimbermag.com/ http://andrewburr.com/ http://ladzinski.com

Weekend Fun

Keith and Co snapping photos and video of Steph Davis.

My and the desert flowers!

Me in Keiths sweet shirt.

Steph taking on the desert crack and Lauren on belay.

Lauren Lee, pre crack.

I am really glad that you have visited my blog.

Thanks and I hope to see and hear from you soon.

Rob Pizem

And last but not least, don't forget to check out my favorite sites:http://www.scarpa.net

http://www.arcteryx.com/

http://camp-usa.com/

http://sterlingrope.com/

http://coloradomountainjournal.com/

http://www.wunderground.com/

http://climbing.com/

http://rockandice.com

http://deadpointmag.com/

http://urbanclimbermag.com/

http://andrewburr.com/

http://ladzinski.com/

Twisting and Turning

Quarry wall at North Table, Some good routes but mostly a bit junky. Nice cause it's not too busy these days.

Colorado Astronaut

Jesse heading up a mixed route in Golden. Easy climbing up cracks to a bouldery crux at the anchors.

Returning from our job interviews the highways were a mess. We luckily didn't have any damage. Vail pass was shut down while we drove home. A few hours of sitting in the car was not planned!

Life has a way of always keeping you busy. For instance, my wife and I have been searching for a new place to move with one caveat, we both are able to get teaching jobs in the new city. This seemingly simple task has been one that has taken many hours of completing written and online job applications, writing essays, sending emails and letters of interest and scouring the net for any new opportunities.

Well, with a ton a work and time invested, things have finally progressed for us. We each were able to land teaching jobs in beautiful Grand Junction, Colorado. After sending applications literally around the world, we landed work just 4 hours from our current location. But what we didn't realize was the coming whirl wind of events that would begin to unfold.

We now had to tell our friends and families, next, sell our house, finally find a new place in Junction. All the while finishing our current school years out, taking masters level college courses, and trying to fit in training running and climbing. Let's just say it has been a real challenge and at times we have not been able to do all those things at once!

I am really glad that you have visited my blog.

Thanks and I hope to see and hear from you soon.

Rob Pizem

And last but not least, don't forget to check out my favorite sites:http://www.scarpa.net http://www.arcteryx.com/ http://camp-usa.com/ http://sterlingrope.com/ http://coloradomountainjournal.com/ http://www.wunderground.com/ http://climbing.comhttp//rockandice.com http://deadpointmag.com/ http://urbanclimbermag.com/ http://andrewburr.com/ http://ladzinski.com/

Busy Time. Infection??

Been super busy and running around for a while. Stay tuned for some big news!
Plus I have a staff infection in my right knee. How it came is a question for me too. The doc said that they since we always are car ring around bacteria in our bodies, that sometimes it just finds a nice place to breed and so it does. Any way my knee has been the size of a baseball and painful to use for a few. At least my meds are working and the swelling has just gone down a bit.

I will post some photos of climbing at the Quarry Wall at Table Mountain in Golden soon. What a nice crag. Not too busy, the routes are dirty, somewhat poorly cleaned but are fun. There is a couple of great clean cracks and the rest of the routes are fluff to give you something to do if a party is on the good climbs. Nice views and if you want to take some of the precut quarried stone you could carry it back to your home and make a nice fireplace or stone wall too!

Finally, I will be in Eugene, Oregon this friday night giving a slide show. Anyone around come down for a good time! Cuba Norway and Utah first free ascents are the name of the game.

Get out and rock climb!!
piz : )

I am really glad that you have visited my blog.Thanks and I hope to see and hear from you soon.
Rob Pizem
And last but not least, don't forget to check out my favorite sites: http://www.scarpa.nethttp: //www.arcteryx.comhttp: //camp-usa.com http://sterlingrope.com http://ColoradoMountainJournal.com http://www.wunderground.com http://climbing.com http://rockandice.comhttp://deadpointmag.com http://urbanclimbermag.com http://andrewburr.com http://ladzinski.com

FFS! Don't feed the goats!

Okay, well now I know. Fine.

So there's this goat, right? She hangs out at the base of Afternoon sector. We think she's pregnant. She'll sit, or stand, unmoving, at the base of one of the routes. Usually the goats are skittish. Not this girl. She stands her ground. You want to stand there to belay? Tough.

Dave Bateman and the other Aussies Brad and Adam met her on their first day. They turned their backs briefly, only to turn around and discover her casually flipping through pages in their guidebook. It looked as though she was checking out what to climb next.

So I was calmly eating my mandarin and thought "What the hey, let's see if she'll eat a piece out of my hand". Well she did. But then didn't want to call it quits at one piece. She was all up in my business after the rest of it. Being a gentleman, I obliged. Okay I was scared. Goats look evil. It's that slanty pupil. She then was rumaging through our food bag and the only way to disuade her was to clip it to the first bolt of one of the 6c's.

So unless you're made of mandarins, FFS, don't feed the goats! 

In less goat-related news, I did my hardest onsight today, Aegialis 7c/27 in the Grande Grotta. It's about 30m long and 40 degrees overhanging climbing a series of stalactites, blobs, and continuous tufa curtains. I wasn't very warmed up, having only done a 6b, so I was thankful to find a stack of kneebars (like 15 or something) and just managed to squeak my way through. I spent about 25 minutes on it, and I think it's harder than the other 7c's I've onsighted.

A nice French guy Oliver decided to try his luck after me, and I loaned my kneebar pads for him to try. An hour or so later he walked around the corner to return them looking exhausted, and I asked him how the pads went. He said "I couldn't find one kneebar!". Oh how we laughed! I couldn't believe it! He said I should go to one of his favourite crags Gorges du Tarn in France where there are no kneebars. I said that would be scary because I would have to get fit! :)

I'm now blogging from my new office, as we moved house yesterday. Picture below. The umbrella is today's new enhancement. I must say, I think this is the best office environment I've worked in to date. 

Video: Upskill Climbing Camp #2 - Kalymnos 2010

Not to be confused with the video from the first group a couple of weeks ago, this is all new material, all new actors, and is based on a true story.

More Cheese Please! Upskill Climbing Camp #2 - Kalymnos 2010 from Upskill Climbing on Vimeo.

Join our second group of the year on their tour of duty in Kalymnos, Greece. To sign up for the next one, or to peep more Upskillery, visit www.upskillclimbing.com