Summer time, and the livins easy...

This blog was written in parts. Some parts were written late at night when I've been too stoked on some new route to fall asleep. Many were written with raw tips after a long day in Squamish. And some were written in the morning, still cozy in bed with the sun shining through my window having slept in past 11.

What do all of these times have in common?
They are all a part of what has been the best summer I've ever had.

When I first started climbing it was news to me that rock climbing was actually bigger than just pulling on plastic. Once I made this discovery, I'd dream about going camping with my dirt bag buds, climbing till we got too hot, going to the lake and eating a can of beans for dinner before crawling into a tent and doing it all again the next day. So I guess you could say that this summer I've been, quite literally, living the dream. Before June I could count the number of times I'd been to Squamish on one hand, and this summer with the help of some wheels and psyched friends I was able to dive head first into the endless rock that this place has to offer.

I spent a lot of time in Cheakamus Canyon, playing around with all the heifers and musical bovine on the Circus Wall and when the sun defeated us, chilling out in the Well of Souls. I even had some fun on Big Show a couple of times. And when the tendons shut me down on the sport routes I convinced 'the more experienced guy with the gear' Sean, to drag me up some multipitches. These climbs gave me an appreciation for the goal of getting to the top. And my oh my is it a wonderful thing to get to the top and look down at the beautiful British Columbian scenery stretching out in front of you.

But I'm getting ahead of myself... my awesome climbing year started before the warmer months rolled in. In April I took a trip down to Smith Rocks, Oregon with some pals, and even met up with a few Calgarians while we were down there. My finger was still far from healed at that time so I didn't get a chance to get on anything hard but it was fun none the less getting a taste of the different climbing style. The rest of the boys ripped it up. Heres a snap of Ryder on Chain Reaction.

Soon after we returned from Oregon, my lovely parents were generous enough to take a weekend away from real life in Skaha and dropped Ryder, Sean and I off at the campsite on the way there. We were once again joined by some Alberta peeps and Leo, a fellow team member, and it made for an awesome long weekend. Leo hadn't had much outdoor climbing experience before and his ease and comfort on the rock really impressed me. He found the energy and motivation to climb more than 8 routes (a few with some seriously sketchy run outs) on both days... something I envy. Thanks to Randy Atkinson for the picture of me flailing on some 12a on the Belfrey in Skaha.

Fun trips with close friends are always a good time, but nothing beats the home crag. I've managed to tame the granite (and by tame I mean slap uselessly along its edges and slopers) and get a better feel for the Squampton style. I sent a couple hard routes (hard for me...warm ups for others...) and defeated my summer project Timer Queen, which was exciting, but not nearly as exciting as Sean's epic send of Free Will, 5.13c. I spend a lot of time with that kid and I can't think of a time I've seen him happier than when he lowered off that route. Big congrats to Ryder on his recent send of Division Bell. Gosh these guys are strong...

Now as I sip my hot chocolate and stare with a long face at the grey wetness outside, the day before I start school at SFU I can't help but feel a lump in my throat knowing that my dream summer has come to a close. So before I'm hurled back into a tornado of reality, I'd like to take a moment to thank mother nature for providing us with this magnificent playground and my climbing posse for always being there to lend a catch and a smile.

Best of luck to everyone with they're new life adventures!
ex's and oh's

About to leave Smith... :(

Wannabe dirtbaggers...

Climbing... Sweet and Succulent

Mediocre. A word often used to describe my climbing abilities. I've spent a lot of time wondering what sets the Sean McColls and the Johanna Ernsts apart from the average Joes. I've come home to update my status about some 5.12 I'd sent, only to find Sasha DiGiulian on my newsfeed having sent a 14b. I've got out of bed at 3:00am to do pull ups in frustration after spending hours on youtube watching footage of world cups and hard outdoor sends...

And after all this, somewhere along the way, I stopped sulking for a second and realized that I'm still climbing for a reason. Not for the sponsors, seeing as I don't have any (...hope La Sportiva sees this...), not for the 8a update seeing as my tick list isn't nearly impressive enough to justify having one, and not for any local crag cuties. I'm still climbing because me and the rock, we're tight. I might even go as far as to say I've fallen head over heels in love. In love with the community of psyched climbers, in love with getting shut down repeatedly on that bloody red point crux of Timber Queen, and especially in love with the occasional send the climbing gods grace me and my tattered fingers with.

I think that's what ties the soloists and the high balling pad stackers to the gym rats and the off width climbing pants shitters...

We frickin' love this sport and it loves us back.


apparently very stoked somewhere up on the chief

Yo!Basecamp

If you've ever met me you've probably heard me rant about the one and only Yo!Basecamp. It all started when Pilgrimage came out. The movie documenting Chris Sharma, Katie Brown and Nate Gold's bouldering trip to Hampi, India totally blew up the little box I knew as climbing and an obsession with the stronger climbers of the world was born.

I shortly after learned of Yo!Basecamp, a climbing camp out of the Sierra Nevada Mountains run by Andy Puhvel and Lisa Coleman, with guest counselor....(drum roll please) Chris Sharmaaaaa. Don't ask me how, but I somehow convinced my mother to send me to a climbing camp in California with perfect strangers. Having been to camp several years in a row, I decided I wanted to do something different with my summer this year, but as camp season drew closer I started to miss the anticipation of what had been the best week of my year for the past five years.

So, flights are booked and I'm very excited to announce that I'll be attending Yo!Basecamp once again this year. Andy and Lisa are beyond rad to say the least. They put their heart and soul into running this camp and sharing their love and knowledge with the youngins of the climbing community. The camps offer everything from bouldering to learning how to climb a crack traditional style to rappelling off your own anchors. And of course, what would camp be without the delicious food, chilling campfire stories of pioneer climbers up on El Cap, frisbee golf on the slabs, swimming in the reservoir and last but not least the talent show (might I add that I've been the champion of the talent show two years in a row.)

Some pictures to give you an idea of what it's like to spend a week at the happiest place on earth...




















lovely lisa




















climbing helmets are B.A.




















a game of frisbee golf on the slabs















hole #3, the Widow Maker















Andy and Lisa's ridiculously adorable kid, Cashus
















the Yo crew :)




















Won and ice cream for topping this one out




















Wes without a helmet tsk tsk















awesome andy

RTCC

The 2010 Ride to Conquer Cancer,benefiting the BC Cancer Foundation, is quickly approaching. Starting in Vancouver and ending in Seattle, this two day ride raises funds to support scientists, researchers and other lab geeks who are constantly in search of a way to beat this disease.

My half marathoning super woman of a mother participated in the 272km ride last year, and raised over $5 000. This year she's participating as a volunteer, waking up at the crack of dawn and slaving away until dusk to support the riders. Why would anyone do such a thing you ask? Well according to her, "We've been lucky enough to avoid cancer in our family up to now, and I want to do my part in keeping it that way." Go mama, go!

The BC Cancer Foundation was established in 1935 with the idea of creating a cancer free world. Seventy five years later they're still raising money and people are still losing loved ones. To make a donation visit the RTCC website.

And that's all I have to say about that.
toodles














ma and pa on race day














mid ride, you sweatin yet?














yup, this guy rode the whole thing on a uni-cycle

My first steps into the wonderfull world of blogging...

What better a time than a week after nationals to start a blog.

Tendovaginits (yup, you read it right), an inflamation of the tendon sheath in both of my ring fingers, also known as tenosynovitis kept me out of the climbing gym and off the rock from November until April. It was a long and emotionally taxing few months spent on the couch watching Progression and various other climbing movies (many thanks to Big Up Productions for helping to preserve my sanity). Mid April eventually rolled around and I began training once more. It was a rocky start, and before I knew it my carry-on luggage was stowed, my seat back and tray tables were in their upright and locked positions and I was preparing for take off from YVR to YQB, wondering what Nationals had in store for me.

Held at Délire Climbing gym in Québec City, Nationals took place over three days. It was a well run comp with super fun routes that featured many volumes (funny shapes pasted on the walls) that I’d never encountered before. It was incredible to see the strongest youth climbers Canada has to offer doing what they do best, these guys never cease to amaze me. Congratulations to all the cup winners and good luck to those of you travelling to Scotland to compete at the Youth World Cup. Thanks to all the Délire staff, route setters, parent volunteers, committed coaches and of course the competitors for making it such an awesome weekend. Having nationals in the east is such a big step for competition climbing in Canada and I am psyched beyond belief to see the sport growing. Who knows… maybe we’ll even get some money flowing for us under funded climbers…


Having finished my very last exam as of yesterday (hallelujah) I’m officially done high school, and psyched as ever for summer training. Hope to see everyone out there pullin hard this season.

Happy kranking to all,
and to all a good night.