Wednesday, February 1, 2012

2012 Thus Far


A lot has happened in the past couple of months and I’m just now taking the time to sit down for a few minutes and talk about it.  Last Fall was hectic and I was unable to climb as much as I would have preferred to due to the amount of school work I had.  After the quarter ended, I made a solo trip to Bishop, CA for a week before I saw the family for Christmas.  This was a unique trip because it was the first time I had gone into a climbing adventure with no plans, no objectives, and no goals.  I was in need of some serious me-time and the only place I thought of was the Buttermilks.  
The first day ended up being one of the most memorable climbing days I have ever had.  I started the day off by climbing easier high balls to get me in the “Bishop mentality.”  My two friends from school met me there and we ended up climbing with Alex Honnold and Sonnie Trotter.  After spotting them both on the old-school classic, Transporter Room, I went to work on Rastaman Vibration (V12).  This problem was first climbed by Jared Roth back in 2002.  Besides Paul Robinson’s recent ascent of Lucid Dreaming (V15/16), the problem had not yet seen a second ascent.  
At the time of me working Rastaman, I had no idea it hadn't been repeated.  I've tried this thing every time I've been to Bishop and haven't felt close.  However, the conditions were PERFECT and the psyche was uniquely steadfast.  After a day of working the opening crux move, I managed to stick the dyno and take it to the top.  Ground up.  Questing out the slab on the Grandpa was one of the most intense and euphoric experiences of my life.  Rarely do I find myself living completely “in the moment”, but while tip-toeing my way up the grainy and heady slab of this 50+ foot block, nothing else existed.  I was freaking out a little bit on some of the more tenuous foot movements, but I managed to find that inner “zen” and make it safely to the top of the boulder.


While on that same trip, I managed to also complete some other amazing climbs such as The Aquarium (V12), Xavier’s Roof (V11), Wheel of Beef (V11), Center Direct (V10), and A Grand Day Out (V10).  I am very excited to get back to the milks to finish up Haroun and the Sea of Stories and hopefully go out and give Luminance a good effort.   I’ll be getting some footage of Rastaman, Xavier’s Roof, Haroun, and Luminance with my good friend Joe Ramos very soon.  Joe is interning with Sender Films and is an up-and-coming star! 
More recently, I started a sponsorship with Five Ten as an Athlete and Brand Ambassador.  It has been a dream of mine to work with this company for quite some time now.  I look forward to developing my skills as a climber, writer, and videographer so I can produce quality media for all of you to enjoy while promoting Five Ten.  
This coming weekend I am heading out to Yosemite National Park to go climbing with some of my favorite people in the whole world.  Despite the gloomy forecast, I think it’s safe to say that waking up next to Midnight Lightning and enjoying some French Press coffee in the morning will make it all worth it.  Be sure to check back in for video of the Yosemite trip.

Here is a video showing Dan Beall on the 3rd Ascent of  Luminance.  Can't wait to try it!




1 comment:

  1. Nice, Alex. Great photo of the Buttermilks. Keep it up!

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