Ive Been up to a lot the past 8 months. Almost too much to truly recap. So instead I'll flood the page with pretty pictures and try to give you all the cliff notes. It's been a wild ride.
GOOD 'OL UTAH.......
The Greatest of friends came together for the greatest man I've ever know. Scott Adamson, you are the greatest thing that ever happened to me. We all miss you dearly and we will give 'er hell in your spirit. NWS. You are apart of everything i do and always will. I love you.
Thats my Dad and Cousin. We took a little road trip to the desert. I wanted to show them the wild wild west
Cinnamon Triano in front of Bottleneck Peak, San Rafel Swell, Utah
OH CANADA.....
The Prolonged Road Trip Began..... Dave Henkel and I climb in Squamish, British Columbia, Canada
Climbing in the rain, Checkamous, British Columbia, Canada
SMITH ROCK, OREGON
Dave Henkel and Gavin come up pitch 2 of European Vancation, Smith Rock, Oregon, USA
european Vacation climbs the middle formation on the Left skyline
Ripping holds off the crumbling second to last pitch, good work Dave.
Dave Henkel and Gavin on the summit. Good 'ol boys.
SALATHE, THE CAPTAIN , YOSEMITE VALLEY
Jackson Marvell Escaping the Portalege after a night of me hogging it.
The party in front of us trying to get the tipped out number 6......
Look Ma! Finally when the trees look like shrubs......
Jackson Marvell and I before we knew we would get caught in a rain storm on the top of El Cap. Good times Jackson. Your the Best.
PORTLAND ALPINE FEST
Teaching Clinics at Portland was rad. Its always inspiring to me to see how Climbing can rile people up. STOKE WAS THROUGH THE ROOF
Jenny MacDougall Showing off her imaganary placement at the Women's Ice Climbing Clinic
BACK TO UTAH FOR THE NWS PARTY......
All the things in this world that constitute no weak shit.....
Juanita and Josh throwing gang signs on haagenshlong tower, San Rafel Swell, Utah, USA
Im kinda camouflage! On the fitst Pitch of lightbulb tower, San Rafel Swell, Utah, USA
Emilee, Ari, Aaron, me and some guy (in yellow) on top of lightbulb. It was a crowded summit
DECEMBER IN YOSEMITE. SOLO ATTEMPT ON ZODIAC
When i arrived there was two feet of fresh snow on the Valley Floor. I should have been looking for ice but instead i post- holed 130 pounds of gear to the base of zodiac instead. Sorry ahead of time for the excesive selfies.........
STUFF STUFF WATER GEAR STUFF
Totally bomber placement on pitch one. Thanks Jason Stuckey for the Alien!! oh it was so good.....
So on pitch two the snow had melted into horse tail falls and i was getting hit perpetually with GIANT drops of water. less than ideal for me anyways. so i spent a few days trying to climb pitch 3 but would eventually down aid back to the top of pitch one because i was getting soaked. So i drank a lot of coffee. and had a lot of fun. I'm commin' back for you zodiac.
Yup, a portaledge on the top pitch one. Not very impressive, But when your trying to climb through a waterfall its nice to have a hang out zone to retreat to.
JACKSON MARVELL'S 100th tower! ...........UTAH!!
Super proud of Jackson. Here we are shivering on top of his 100th desert tower. It was early December when he finished this amazing project and i felt so lucky he took me along for his 100th send. It was the best! O DUB for the last one!
100 beers for 100 towers!
CHAM-WOW! FRANCE, ITALY, SWITZERLAND
My trip to Chamonix was great. Conditions were less than ideal...... but hell, did my friends and I make the best of it.
So I rented a place is Les Bossons for 5 weeks. I Played a lot in the mountains, ate a lot of rose macaroons, and laughed with a lot of amazing people.
Pete and Dave Searle approaching our route, Cecile et la mesange on the Aiguille du Peigne
AH!
Dave Searle styling the mixed crux of the route. We found little or no ice on our pitches. Dry year in Chamonix.
Goofing off on the cosmic arete!
climbing water ice in Conge, Italy
YUP
Jackson Marvell and I simul soloing the Mallory, Thats right, climbing 4,000 feet of climbing to a tram that takes you back to the land of Genipi and macaroons.
Jackson Marvell and I eating cookies / macaroons on the Frendo Spur. Mixy Mixy.
NO THAT IS NOT PATAGONIA! although the winds on the Italian side this day were insane. Jackson Marvell Heading up the gully.
Winter climbing in the mountains is a tough one sometimes. The Wind was giving us a hard time and keeping us from bigger objectives. We stood no chance in the negative temperatures. This was a COLD day. As you can see the lenticulars were swallowing mount blanc whole.
Jackson Marvell and I just a bit frosty on the glacier.
ICE SKATING IN SWITZERLAND!!! I grew up as a competitive ice skater and I will forever feel better with ice skates on my feet. Pure magic. Thank you for adventuring to this high alpine lake with me Jackson Marvell.
THIS GIRL! Jenny Mac Dougall brings the stoke to cham.
Jenny cruising up some town ice. Thats right, TOWN ICE. Chamonix is kinda ridiculous.
Jenny down climbing out of the Gates of death, Augille du Midi.
SCOTLAND!!! I LOVE YOU SCOTLAND
Scotland has become one of my very favorite places in this world. Its magic, Its people and of course its climbing. Very inspired by the Scotland style.
When i got to Scotland nothing was in condition, so I went to wander the country on a good 'ol January bike tour. Single malts, castles and Scottish candies. It was amazing. It totally got me ready for Scottish winter climbing. Rain and snow bring it on!!
After the bike tour I met up with the ALL STAR RAB folks to do some winter climbing! Fabrizio Zangrilli, Jon Fredrick, Greg Boswell and I.
Doing some scrambling waiting for things to freeze up
Getting caught in proper Scottish spin drift on Ben Nevis.
Climbed that sweet corner systemThere was even an off width on i!!! i got to chicken wind. so good. In the Carigorms.
OH IT WAS SO GOOD!
CODY ICE FESTIVAL
After coming home from Europe i got to teach a badass crew of ladies how to mixed climb with the amazing Kitty Calhoun.
Cody Ice Fest participants getting rad on their first ever ice climb! Thank you for putting on such an amazing Festival Ari Novak!
MICHIGAN ICE FESTIVAL
Oh man do I love the Michigan Ice Fest. I already cant wait to go back. Maybe its cause its my home state, maybe because its just so damn wild up there. Whatever it is, i'm hooked.
Finally got to tick HMR. or help me ronda for those who dont know.....
Bill Thompson , Matt Abbots and Colton Moore work super hard and laugh super hard every year. They do such an amazing job of putting the fest on. Thank you guys!!
Ari Novak and I in our sweet Ice cave belay on Lake Superior
Thad , Kendra and I having fun , love my Ice Fest Crew!
MONTUCKY! HYALITE CANYON
Jenny Macdougall , Ari Novak and I ate drank and climbed very well on this quick 56 hour mission.
After Driving many a hours from Seattle Jenny climbs through Screaming Barfies on Mummy 2
Scepter in the fattest conditions i've ever climbed it in.
PIT STOP BACK IN UTAH
so I had something like 48 hours and somehow Emily Sudweeks and I managed to get 22 pitches in. It was wet, there was snow and somehow we were still clipping bolts all the way to the top.
so funny, right?
emily getting jiggy somewhere up high on route.
MEXICO BABY. EL POTRERO CHICO
Here Jewell Lund Climbs into the Belay on Land of the Free. And yes, yes Mexico is. Margaritas, tacos and stellar climbing. Needless to say Jewell and I enjoyed ourselves very much.
I LOVE THIS GIRL. For those of you who don't already know, she's one of the kindest raddest people in the world. I LOVE YOU JEWELL
Jewell Lund and I Climbing Time Wave Zero. Or Microwave zero as the locals call it. IT WAS SO HOT.
Yup those Mountians are in Mexico. We rode bikes, we wrangled cactus and we laughed our asses off. It was an incredible trip with this lady.
Here our friend Lucas tops out one of the spires while Jewell takes the photo from the opposite spire. DUELING SPIRE CLIMBING!
Lots and lots of hanging belays in mexico. cookie time!
DEVELOPING THE PEYOTE WALL , EL POTRERO CHICO
so the peyote wall is the beautful glowing oarnge cave 600 feet of the deck on the north side of el torro. A well known local developer JP Cashiola had been working on developing this beauty for his second season. We both had limited time to develop down there. I tried to find something reasonable yet still beautiful and my sights were just set too high for a two week time window. JP was kind enough to invite me up to collaborate on his baby. And what an adventure did we have.
JP leading out up to the top of the wall to set the anchors. Due to the nature of the rock we decided to rap in.... there was some choss!
for nervous veiwers, we closed off the canyon completley for the day so nobody was on the valley floor or surrounding areas. we cleaned and cleaned so that the wall would be safe for climbers.
JP baking in the sun on our home away from home.
we had all the fun!
BOLTS BOLTS BOLTS
so the hang wasn't horrible. We would do 3 day pushes on the ledge till we would run outta supplies and water. Then we would rap the 600 feet of static JP had fixed and jug up with heavy heavy packs.
It was in the 90s every day on the wall, we were breezing through water and having to work a lot at night so we didn't overheat.
BACK TO THE DESERT , UTAH
getting my number 6 fix on big red, indian creek
Jenny MacDougall and Scott Benett get their jam on at the crack house in moab
climbing fun stuff up longs
Jenny MacDougall and I on her first desert tower! South six shooter
jenny and I playing footsie in the morning in the back of the tacoma.
Lizzy Scully dancing up technicolor
UP TO DATE? WORKING AND TRAINING, SOMEWHERE IN COLORADO
So there is a lot of this. Running, biking, lifting and climbing until jewell and I leave for Pakistan. Putting my head down and staying focused on making money. Gotta collect those freedom dollars for the next adventure. Here i am riding cottonwood pass outside of leadville colorado.