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Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Belly











New photos taken with my new used Nikkor 50mm f/1.4. I really love the belly and the lens. Not equally of course. There are so many lenses available at the second hand stores around here. It is unbelievable.
Star is going on 37 weeks and I wanted to start practicing with the new lens and this is what I have so far. I am still waiting on CS5 so no editing has been done.

Enjoy!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010

New Photos












One of my friends here in Japan is a professional photographer, Jensen Walker. He had never shot climbing in Japan yet so I invited him on a bouldering trip to Mitake a couple of weeks ago. He sent me some of his cool shots. Here are some that I liked.

www.jensenwalker.com. Check him out.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Japanese Beer Festival
























Last weekend was the beer fest and I forgot that I took some photos. The Festival was very nice. There was an assortment of 200 beers, local and domestic. I had 10 IPAs in the first hour alone. Let's just say that I love IPA and can not wait to have more soon!!!


Here are a few photos from the Beer Festival last weekend.
Monday, September 20, 2010

New 12a.

Last week was good but wet. On Tuesday Jack and I went to a secret climbing area where we both had projects. We both sent them. And we bolted a new line!! Jack's line is a very bouldery line that goes at 12b/c named Dixie King. A classic line that people will love at the grade once the area is opened. Mine line is the one that I talked about before. I finally was able to nail the last v4 crux move. There being no resting/chalking point I named the line No Rest Required 12a. We were both very happy with our results. And the new line looks line a 12-, so many great lines are being added all of the time. We are heading back there tomorrow to work the new line and another 12a that I have not climbed yet. Good things.

Also I have a new project at Mitake. Miney No Yu V5/6. This is a very new line at Mitake that Jack put up. Really nice clean face on the tallest boulder at Mitake. On my first attempt I made it to the larger holds in the middle where I thought the crux would be over. Well the top was wet from three days of rain. I toed down with a high right foot and realized I should wait for cooler conditions for this send. Some folks say V6, Jack says v5. I say easy for v6 but very heady v5.
Pinch Over Hang is also a really cool boulder. Tough for v6. I tried a few times making it to the hold but, not far enough to hold on to it. Next time, maybe.

On a totally random note I read that Nalle was headed to Lincoln Lake. This is very exciting. There are some Very strong climbers there putting up some amazing lines. LL seems to be the new hot spot in the states. Sweet to see Nalle make the trip. I am stoked to see the results.

Anyway, keep it real and sorry for the lack of photos. I am putting together a short HD movie now. I am very close to finishing but I want to shoot a few more problems before I finish.


Go Climb Something!!!
Sunday, September 12, 2010

This Week Climbing in Japan

Ando on the start of Ninja Gaeshi





New problem in the woods








Start of a great day


The rest of this week was very nice. I was able to make and complete a task list comprised of things to do around the house. Very successful. Not to mention the development of two new boulders at the secret area and I finally sent Ninja Gaeshi v5/6.
This Saturday Star and I went car camping in the mountains. Which was splendid. We had a very lovely night in the back of the car. Due to the prego belly I hooked Star up with two layers of sleeping pads and three blankets to sleep on. She was very comfortable. It was nice. The next day we went searching for new boulders to climb. We found two very nice boulders that really cried to be climbed. One is a low arete that moves to a sloper top out. We cleaned it and worked it. Fells like v5. Then we walked a bit more and found an amazing boat shaped arete that is just begging to be sent. We cleaned the bottom and top but I will need to go back with a rope and clean the middle. At 25 feet on a steep slope, some mental prep will be needed for the sloper top out. Bottom feels like v4/5.
The next day we went to Mitake with some friends. Star decided half way up at 8ft boulder that it was time to give up climbing until after the baby has taken his first breath of air. But I finally sent Ninja Gaeshi v5/6. After four sessions and lots of lost skin, it went down. Jensen, a buddy from base, has started to climb again. It is really cool to find more friends that are climbers.
We spent the next few hours standing in line to climb problems at all levels. Jensen made it to the top of a v3. This does not sound like a big deal but Jensen has not climbed in at least a year, so we are very pumped at his success. It was really cool. All in all, a great week.
On Tuesday it's back to Mizugaki and Wednesday brings another trip to Mitake to check out the Pinch overhang boulder and it's surrounding boulders.
Go Climb Something!!!!
Sunday, September 5, 2010

I've Been Published






In a resent issue of Rock & Snow, a Japanese climbing magazine there is an article about the Horse Pens 40 Climbing area in Alabama. There is a photo of me climbing Fun Dip v4. Really cool.


Go Climb Something!!!!
Friday, September 3, 2010

Two Days at Mitake














Here are some pictures from Wednesday and Friday at Mitake. I really like this area. It is very nice in the morning with temps in the low 20's this time of year. Here are the pictures and I will be going back Sunday for another go at a fun v5 and v6.
Thursday, September 2, 2010

Hut Area Revisited










Jack's V8 project


Cleaning a new V3/4



Four new problems on this boulder



Jack and I went back up to the Hut area in the Mountains for some more scouting of new lines. The area should be called Arete Area due to the abundant beautiful aretes here. Jack worked a v8 that he has been eying for a month now. A very hard traverse that leads to a mantel with a high left foot hand match. Tough. We established a couple of new problems in a really cool sector. This sector has some killer problems with SO many more problems to be had. The first problem is a really nice steep face left of an arete. The lack of feet make us think that it will go at v6/7. Just left of this arete is a nice face with a couple of problems on them. The first starts on the arete with a bad smear to a great pocket. It ends with a sloper top out. Fun I was able to get the FA I named it Mud Slide v4. To the right of that is a more difficult problem that we are saving for a later date. Right of that is another cool problem with a tough start. It moves up an arete and shallow crack. Jack sent it first with me next. I can not remember what Jack named it.

A really fun day. We found a few more fun problems that will have to wait. Next Tuesday we are headed back to send the 11d/12a project and bolt another line. On Wednesday morning I went to Mitake with some friends. I will post some pictures in a bit.

Go Climb Something!!!