On our way home.

It has been a long time, and for Hunter and I it has been a really long time. We are just chillin' in the SF international hostel on fisherman's wharf. The Golden Gate is just outside the window and there is good music playing. This trip has been crazy! I look back at the pictures, and have to think, "Was I really there?". The Balance West Coast Tour is coming to a close. We left Bishop a couple of days ago after several days of perfect climbing. It gave us all a new perspective of what bouldering is and can be. A new perspective of how high you can go, what is physically possible and how spectacular a landscape can be. This trip was just a taste, but I know we are all leaving inspired. Hunter, Paul and I all have projects to go back to. Boulder problems that we really related to and connected with. I felt the starting holds of High Plains Drifter, and though I'm not strong enough now, I will be. Hunter and Paul got on the Hulk, worked the opening moves and, on their next visit, will most certainly finish it up. We met a lot of people along the way. A whole lot. We spread the good word of Balance Climbing and built connections in this great climbing community. Seriously, the climbing community is one of the finest - everyone we met was so cool and so helpful. A kid I met who was working on the Mandala (V12, and that is the only time I'll mention grades) helped me find some super easy and low fun problems around the buttermilks after giving me a tour of the area. That is real! Josh, helped us find our way around and was the best spotter a climber could have and just plain good company. All the people we met, all of the places we climbed were just beyond words. I've been using the words incredible, amazing and beautiful too much, so I'll stop typing and let you check out the pictures.

Farewell to Bishop

Today is our last day in Bishop, and Hunter went huge! He climbed
Jedi Mind Tricks. Very hard, Very classic and VERY TALL. It was the
most incredible climb I've seen all trip long - and that is saying a
lot.

Bishop, Vegas, Bishop

Back track a bit, and lets play catch up...it has been a while since we have had a good wireless connection. Sorry to be slow on the updates, but I think you will enjoy the pictures we have coming over the next few days.

We got to Bishop about five days ago in the evening and barely found the campgrounds, much less a site. Luckily we met up by chance with a fellow Alaskan, Josh, who is on an extended road trip for the next several months. He let us share a site with him and we have been climbing with him since!

The next morning we began with a day at the Happies. Bishop is a small town that happens to be a bouldering mecca! The Happies are one of three main areas at Bishop (the Happies, Sads and the incredible Buttermilks), all within about twenty minutes of eachother. The Happies are volcanic rock with some of the craziest features you could imagine. Huge huecos (big scoops and hold in the rock), perfect patina, huge holds and small crimps and pockets galore! The climbing is generally on overhanging rock with good holds, which makes for incredible problems. Since the sun was blazing we found an impressive line in a cave that had small crimps leading to huge pockets with a mantle high over the ground. Paul climbed it quickly and powerfully. It was very impressive. Hunter stepped up to it and finished it in a couple of goes. It made for incredible climbing and beautiful pictures! I passed this line up - it was a bit higher and harder than I would have been comfortable with. Huge props to Hunter and Paul for keeping their heads cool on a really high mantle. And huge props to Josh Helke at Organic for making such a great pad that gave us so much confidence - that thing has softened some huge drops! We followed the shade climbing whatever inspired us. Easy to do in a place with over 1000 problems all within a ten minute walk of eachother!

The line that pulled through this roof was riddled with pockets. It was so impressive.

Paul near the last moves and a ways off the deck.

This boulder had some great features and a great warm up route.

The next morning we headed off to Las Vegas to pick up Rob. Josh decided to come check out Red Rocks with us and we were stoked to have another climber along. It was a long drive through Death Valley to get to there...Death Valley is creepy - make sure you have a full tank of gas and a lot of water with you when passing through. So desolate. Once in Vegas we found Rob in a sea of people at the largest most well lit airport in the world! We headed to the campgrounds and the next morning we headed up and did some moderate multipitch routes (as mentioned in the previous blog). The next day we decided to clip some bolts on incredible sandstone sport climbs in the Black Corridor of Red Rocks. Amazing, check out the pictures.

Sport climbing in the Black Corridor. The place is like an outdoor gym!

Sandstone! Great pockets, ledges, everything.

Rob cruising up a route in the Black Corridor. There is a black patina over brilliant red rock in the corridor.

Josh on Rebel Without a Pause. This line was steep with big moves. So fun.

After Hunter led it, we all gave it a go on top rope. It fit Pauls style perfectly. Big, powerful moves on an overhanging wall.

The views from Red Rocks are inspiring, and the rock is incredible. I look forward to going back someday soon.

Hunter's warm up.

This morning Hunter warmed up on this boulder, following a line of
huecos over a lip to a slab top out at about 50 feet. Beautiful line!

This place is beautiful.

Our Campsite.

This is camping in the Buttermilks!

Bishop to Red Rocks to Vegas to Bisho

We pulled into Bishop a while ago, climbed the Happies, and then
camped in the Buttermilks that night. The next morning we woke up to
the most amazing landscape I have ever seen. Hunter is planning on
moving here, and I'm just not planning on leaving. I woke up with the
sunrise, made a cup of coffee and walked five minutes to incredible
lines. Classic lines. Evilution. Foot Prints. Center Direct. High
Plains Drifter. Soul Slinger. The Mandala! I warmed up on an
incredible arête on the Green Wall, a wall of perfect glassy patina. I
talked with other early bird climbers and enjoyed some mellow problems
and traverses. I was stoked to see Hunter, Paul and Josh (a fellow
Alaskan we picked up in bishop) come over the hill and we cruised up
to Iron Man Traverse, a classic Bishop problem (picture below). The
next day we drove to pick up Rob in Vegas. The next day we climbed two
four pitch climbs at red rocks: alotta balls and trihardral. Rob, on
lead (trad climbing), pulled off the craziest and boldest sequence I
have ever seen in my life! In a chimney too wide to span with your
arms, two pitches up faced outward into the void. He stemmed up
precariously and with no hands, lunged for a jug on a corner outside
of the chimney! It is easier to explain with the motions, but it blew
my mind. Following it was the most scared I have ever been. The next
day we headed into the black corridor to sport climb. Hunter simply
destroyed everything he got on. It was incredible! Now we are back in
Bishop pebble wrestling, getting stoked on mini projects and climbing!