Wrapping up the summer...

Ok so being home suddenly means less time to sit and chill, therefore, less time to update the Blog.

So this update will include pics from the last day or two at ten sleep, and some fun stuff in August.



Here is a picture of Nicola at the French Cattle Ranch on a day she was on fire and on-sighted or flashed 3 11d-12a routes! Rad!

Super solid blue and orange vertical limestone with edges and little pockets.

On what was to be our last climbing day in Ten Sleep we got rained out in a wicked storm. Luckily I had this harem of girls to keep me warm ;-)...

From left to right
Nicola, Gitta (from Chicago), Joyce (Wyoming,via Brazil), Alisa (Calgary) and Nori (Wyoming)








Nick barely on EKV 12c at the Slavery Wall. A cool area with pockets from mono's to pods mostly at a gently overhanging angle.

Nicola sent this one with ease despite the rather large whipper potential. One of the best routes of the grade for sure!!
















Nicola crushing on the last day of climbing at Ten Sleep. One of her best climbing days ever with a 12a flash, a 12a on-sight, and two 12a redpoints including this one at the Rusty Cage wall. A wall littered with two finger pockets and sloping pods, creating technical and powerful climbing.
















We enjoyed home for a week or two and the Okanagan summer...you know lakes, wine and heat... but decided it was time to make a short foray to the coast and Vancouver Island to visit family and do a bit of climbing.


Nick on Smooth Boar at Horne Lake. An absolutely brilliant 12 c/d up the left side of the cave!











After the awesome visit with my family Nicola and I went to Squamish to visit Jer and Mando. We spent a fun few days bouldering and Jer and I even did a short multi-pitch on the apron (I let him do all the leading).



Here I am slapping for those classic Squamish slopers...





















Here is Jer actually sticking the classic Squamish slopers...




















Here is Jer explaining the beta...














AND...



Here is what classic Squamish slopers feel like in 33 degrees!!










After a bit of fun in the boulders Nicola and I went to visit Heather and Grant and take their new addition for her first hike!

Heather, Nali and Grant...(Grant's on the right)














Tufa looking concerned...or hungry...I'm not sure which!























And back home to some beautiful alpine meadows and flowers on Brent Mountain near Apex Mountain.






















Well it has been a great summer...

I think we are both looking forward to the excitement and challenges of a new school year!










I will endeavor to update the blog again during the fall and winter and even add a couple pictures of Skaha, because it seems we hardly ever take photos of our home base!!




Cheers,
The NICS

One more day to go in Ten Sleep!

One more climbing day.

This has been an awesome trip. I met some REALLY cool people and climbed some rad rock. Being on a trip where climbing is your main focus is an awesome way to detach from the reality of work and stress, to just appreciate the moment. As that moment comes to an end though the pressure of life sneaks back and for me at least the want/need to succeed on the rock becomes intense. Especially when you invest a couple of days on one route.

So that makes success that much sweeter!!! Woo Hoo!





It was a bit of an impromptu vid but I like it because while I didn't climb my best I wanted it and I succeeded...which is definitely one of the raddest feelings in rock climbing.

Now the question is how do I stop from getting the red point jitters and climb to my full potential?

Anyway, Nicola has a bunch of cool pics she has taken which we'll put in the next post...probably after we get home...looking forward to the rest of the summer and enjoying some chill out time at home!

cheers,
Nick

EKV

Well...not too much to report on. I fell off above the crux of my project and Nicola has quietly been smashing everything she has tried. In fact she did one of the best 12c routes i've ever been on at Slavery wall called EKV. Amazing pockets and jugs to an exciting technical thin crux followed by forearm exploding crimps to the top. RAD...unfortunately no pics of that route but o well I hope you enjoy the rest.

Cheers,
Nick

Another picture of Nicola on Great White Behemoth 12b (Just because it's rad)


The Burden of Immortality 13a


Starting the hard stuff on Burden of Immortality


Leaving the two finger pockets and getting into the Crux of Burden of Immortality



Nicola and Nori finishing of on a Rad 11b just before sunset.

3 more climbing days

HOWDY

Three more climbing days....it all seems to go by so quick. I guess being sick for a week during a 3 week trip is a poor use of time. Anyway Nicola and I have been loving it here. The climbing, the area, the people...all great!

We have reached the point where we are now trying to finish off our favorite projects and not get overwhelmed by the life time of climbs still available. The climbing here has turned out to be incredibly varied. Yes it is on the vertical side...but there is a ton of different angles and unique holds. The angles are actually for the most part similar to Skaha: gently overhanging and small holds. Nicola and I are both really digging the variety of edges and pockets...in fact the pocket pulling is really cool and forcing me to learn to use a lot of back flags and technique I usually forgo for simple thuggery!

Life here is simple....sleep in, eat, read, talk about climbing, eat again, read, talk some more about climbing, go out side and sweat, read some more, go climbing about 1-2pm....sweat a lot on the hike up...climb until dark, eat, talk about the climbing day over beer, sleep and repeat.

Yep a great place to live in the moment! Anyway a bit of eye candy for you!!!

cheers,
Nick

Nicola on Great White Behemoth 12b





Joe on The Incredible Horsecock 13d


Yes that is a mono....



Tufa in her little sleeping pit!

Puzzles, Puking and Pulling

I know the alliteration is blowing you away...anyway sorry for the lapse between posts. I have been sleeping. Seriously for about 30 straight hours, after the puking stopped. Most of the guys in the house caught the flu and lost a good 5-10 pounds in 3 days. It has been about 5 days since the "Ten Sleep Plague", as we are now referring to it, and I still feel a bit funny. No not ha ha funny!

We went climbing at the Godfather boulder the other day and after an arduous (10 min) hike I promptly laid down in the dirt with Tufa and slept for an hour. Not my usual M.O. at the crag! Anyway hot springs and a full day of eating later I am feeling more human and plan on getting back on the rock today!

Nicola has been keeping herself busy doing yoga, walking Tufa and baking for everyone within a 1/2 mile. So just normal life for her.

The climbing is still proving to be rad. Every wall we go to has a different feel and unique holds. I think we will head back to the French Cattle Ranch this afternoon and do some vertical technical stuff with bad feet, weird holds and confusing foot work. Oh boy I'm gonna get worked again!!!

Well cheers and enjoy the photos...

Nick and Nicola
PS we've been enjoying the comments and emails...


Nicola on the grandfather boulder 12a....short but sweet!

Nicola on a 10a at the Grandfather boulder.

Nick doing Screaming Night Hog 12c at the Slavery Wall.

Afternoon at the Slavery Wall...

Nori on Jackabite 11c/dThe epic puzzle making sessions at Alli's house!! (Pre-plague).

Ten Sleep rodeo and pockets....

The hike to the crag...full of wild flowers!!
Nori, Nicola and I at the end of a great first day.
Seriously the elevation is the reason I'm so pumped!! (Killer Karma 11d)
Nicola in the Beer BONG...(Classic 10)
Wyoming tour guide!



Well we're here and it is RAD. We are staying with Alli in her house here in Ten Sleep, which as it turns out, is more like a hostel for climbers!! We have met a bunch of cool people from all over already, who all seem to crank super hard!! The first two nights were filled with cowboys, two-steppin and fireworks at the 64th annual Ten Sleep Rodeo and street dance! It's a bit like the Calgary Stampede...only with REAL cowboys!!

The climbing is awesome...and so far very tough. I feel like I am at climbing summer camp. As many of you know I occasionally forgo the foot work for power...this strategy has proven very ineffective on the vertical/slab that is a lot of the climbing in Ten Sleep. The movements are so intricate, delicate, technical and unique you can't help but loving the climbing. It also helps that the rock is awesome and filled with cool features and those kinds of holds you see in the gym and think "oh right as if that would ever happen!!"

Any who...Nicola of course is crushing with TWO 12a flashes yesterday!!! And as for me...well i am learning to whip on vertical rock! I have been trying something at the French Cattle Ranch that has already taught me a months worth of lessons!!

Ok enough babble...hope everyone is great and you enjoy the picks...Not too many of the climbing...(you can only look at so many ass shots)...

cheers,
Nick

Ten Sleep here we come....

Here are a couple of pics Howie took of Nicola and I in Skaha this spring.

I thought I would post something to get the summer started! Nicola and I are headed to Ten Sleep Canyon in a few days...16 hours away from long limestone pocketed routes. Should be awesome with lots of rest day hiking and even a room to stay in at Kevin and Alli's house in Ten Sleep.

Hopefully I'll have the time(and motivation) to post some pics and vids of ten sleep in the next few weeks!!

cheers

2010 !!!?

Well where did 2009 go? And 2008 for that matter...

Anyway settled in to Penticton with a house and a dog and a wife....wowsers.

Nicola and I will be slowly re-acquainting ourselves with the blog and updating some old stuff (like a couple Castle Hill Vids) and sharing some of our new adventures! Of course most of these will still be activity related but you never know what might pop up!!

So if there is anyone out there still following this blog and you have a question or want to know something leave us comment or send us and email...


I hope 2010 is a great year for YOU!!

cheers
Nic's