Deer in Headlights

Have you ever been introduced to a problem that feels so completely impossible? Do grades really do it justice? "Deer in Headlights" is precisely one of those problems. Just getting both feet off the ground is an accomplishment and the second you do, you understand where the problem gets its name. I talked to Ana Burgos after she did it and she told me, "It just suited me." Ok...Ana is about 4'11". I then heard from my friend Eben who said he thought it suited him. (He's like 5'11") I'm sorry. This problem doesn't "suit" anyone! Ana you are just strong!!!! Well, it felt hard to me.
Craig McCullum, shot this with a photo camera and unfortunately you can't see the mount. At least you'll have beta for the top though! At the time, the snow had yet to completely melt and the rock was dirtier than a hub cap on a four wheeler which always makes for an exciting exit....

Bishop=Challenge

photos by Kyle George Photography

I can't help it. I'm really proud of myself for unlocking v10. I truly believe that it was something in my mind that was holding me back. A couple weeks ago, my little family and I met up with a rad posse of climbers: Ana Burgos, Jill Church, Nick Vosbein, Lisa Rands, and Matt Birch, for some beautiful granite climbing in Bishop. My first day out I sent Slow Dance (v10) at the Happies on my 4th try. What is it about a problem that attracts you to it? Lets be honest. Sometimes, climbs look a lot better than they climb and vice versa. The most classic lines in my book not only look great but are great. Slow Dance is not a classic but it was a great climb. I was initially attracted to a sculpted looking hole that I could barely fit two finger tips in. Upon further inspection I felt a hidden thumb catch on the side and was sold. I'm a huge fan of pockets so I have fun at the Happies. The sit down felt a little ridiculous because you basically start laying on your back. Well, maybe it's just me because I can barely reach the foot holds which are tucked into a little cave that flows all the way to the base of Acid Wash (You could really scare someone popping out of that hole which Ava quickly discovered!). The rest of the climb was fun and it provided me with all the necessary challenges, but I had it in my mind to go and challenge myself on some harder problems. I have been repeatedly told that I should just climb what I want and not pay attention to grades. Yea, duh but if I stuck to that I wouldn't be challenging myself. I've noticed that I have a "style" which is all well and good but I need to branch out a bit!! So Lisa and Matt and I took a tour of the Buttermilks and I tried a handful of v11/12's and had the best day I can remember in a long time. Not that I sent anything..not even close! But I was so worked for the next 4 days that I could barely move my right hand. That was exactly the day I'd been looking for! Challenge!!!

The Spree: 1

2 in a day, 3 in a week. The spree.

Postural Righteousness: Stretching

For our second installment of Postural Righteousness we'll be working on stretches. Before you watch the short video it is important to recognize how your personal body is aligned.
To do this, stand in front of a long mirror that will show you your entire body. Notice if one shoulder is higher than the other, is your head tilted, is one hip higher than the other, is one foot more forward or more turned than the other. Try to align yourself so that you are even. Then begin these stretches.
#1 Chin to Chest:
Place hands on top of head and relax your neck so that your chin travels down towards your chest. Do this without forcing your head down. Hold for 20-30 seconds taking deep and complete breaths and repeat 2-3 times.
#2 Ear to shoulder:
Place your right hand over the top of your head so that you can grasp hold of the left side of your head. Using the weight of your arm, let your head relax sideways so that your ear travels towards your shoulder. Breath, and hold it for 20-30 seconds. Switch sides, then repeat each side 2-3 times.
#3 Chin toward armpit:
Place your right hand on the top left side of your head, look at your armpit or knee or hip and allow the weight of your arm to gently stretch the opposite side of the back of your neck.

These will all make more sense if you watch the video
The next stretch isn't in the video but is a great one as well.

#4 The Door Jam stretch
You can use any vertical solid surface really. With your arm held bent at a 90 degree place the length of your forearm on a door jam and turn your body away from the door jam. This stretches you pecs and sometimes your biceps.

Repeat all exercises 2-3 times or throughout your day.

If you have any questions please feel free to post to the blog that way everyone can benefit.

Postural Righteousness

"We all have the right to have good posture!"
This is my belief anyhow. I, admittedly, have good posture. That is, when I think about it, I have good posture. I teach Pilates to a range of abilities. As a part of my class I talk a lot about posture, body alignment, and body awareness. But I didn't always have good posture. In fact, I Don't always have good posture. I have to think about it! A lot.

In the past year or so many of my friends have asked me, "Are there exercises to help my posture?"
Rock climbers have terrible posture. You know it, you can see it. We all look like the Hunchback of Notredame. I'm starting a new element of this blog and I'm calling it, "Postural Righteousness". I will do my best to give weekly exercises and ideas to help all of us with this habit (it is a habit you know), stick with me and we'll all get over it.

This is the hunchback................................This is Me...................

So, stand up straight, stick your chest out and make your mama proud. Your first homework assignment is simple:

You are an upright individual. You walk on two legs, sit on your bottom, swing your arms when you walk. Do you really know what your body is doing at any given moment of the day? We are going to start by connecting our minds with our bodies because this above all or any exercises I can give you is going to be the key to your presentable uprightness.

1. Sitting down, without moving away from your computer, try to visualize all the parts of your body. Got a mental picture? Now, start to add to this picture. What is the position of your feet, your hips, stomach (near your navel that is), chest. Visualize your spine, your back, your neck, your head. Where is the top of your head?
   
2. Paying special attention to what your spine, stomach, neck, and head are doing. Where is your stomach in relation to the bones that form your spine and your hips?
3. Place both feet on the floor. Lean forward. Do you feel your hips tilt and your stomach change position?
4. What does your neck do when you lean forward? Does it stay in line with your spine or does your chin jut forward?
5. What is the position of your shoulders? Are they held high, tilted to one side, or maybe level. Lift your shoulders as high as you can trying to touch your ears and take a deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. Lift them high!!!! And then drop them. Repeat. Breathing in, lifting your shoulders high, and exhale DROP them.
   Are your shoulders lower than they were?
6. Sit back in your chair so your bottom touches the back of your chair. This may feel awkward and stiff but stay with me. Try to begin from your tailbone and slowly press your lower back against your chair. Feel you hips tilt to a very upright position. Smoothly, allow the rest of your spine to rest against the back of the chair. Did your shoulders rise? Try to relax them down. You should feel that your shoulder blades are even on the chair as well.
   
7. In this position, relax your neck and shoulders by taking a deep breath in and exhaling any tension you might be holding.

Congratulations, you have now met your body, acknowledged it, and now you can begin to help it. You can do any number of these things during your day. Sitting or standing. Just by taking into account what your body is doing at any given moment is your first step to better posture.
Breathe.

Inspiration Station

Call me a dork, a dweeb, a fan, a freak, a fool---or join me in being completely inspired by the olympics! I don't know about you but I'll take some inspiration where-ever I can get it and the olympics seems like a darn fine place to pick some up. Last nights men's half pipe final was a body buzing high of inspiration. Shaun White. No more needs to be said.
Dude, he sent that thing.
So today I've vowed to stop drinking more coffee and remember that I haven't eaten yet. Scarf some eggs, drink some emergen-C, eat some carbs and go for it.
Today, I'm taking my dog on an hour long snowshoeing adventure to go check out the state of the boulders. Our five foot dump of snow is beginning to melt off so I figure there have to be some dry top-outs out there in the wild!
I'll find some time to do some work before I head over to a friends wall to train before I pick up my daughter from school.
One thing: I'm getting tired of my breakfast routine. Any suggestions?

A Tale of Two Islands

The latest Urban Climber Magazine is OUT! The cover is Kyle's photo of me on Mobeus and it welcomes the reader with an accurate picture of the sloping, powerful and yet graceful problems that await climbers in NZed. Our feature article is my first published work and has ignited an excitement in me to do more! The 10 page spread is, in my opinion, carried by Kyle's stellar photos. As a non-climber, Kyle's eye is honed in a different way and I hope you enjoy his images!
The issue itself seems to give each individual article a cohesive, over-arching theme: classics.
Our article is named for a Tale of Two Cities, another is named for the amazing poem by John Keats, "Ode on a Grecian Urn", which was a poem that resonated with me in high school.

"Beauty is truth, truth beauty," - that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.

The quotes that narrate a beautiful photo essay by Andrew Burr range from Mark Twain to Top Gun (One of my favorite movies to quote.) This issue is full of content that transcends the world of climbing and yet it matches so well. I love the play on words. Kudos to Justin Roth.
I have to mention that the juxtaposition of the woman climbing on the rocks (you know which one I'm talk'in about) and the woman flying through the air like super dancer climber is one of my favorite parts of this issue.
Go get it and let me know what you think!

For more about our trip in NZ which spanned 5 months go to:
www.surfandstone.blogspot.com