PROGRESSION in the sport….

By Maxim Zolotukhin

This past weekend I made the drive down Alexandria, VA, for ABS nationals. This was my fourth time attending the event in five years, and while it was the first time I found myself watching from the sidelines during finals, I can honestly say this was best run/set climbing competition I’ve been to in 10 years of competitive rock climbing.

Good looking rock climbers socializing in ISO

The theme of the weekend seemed to be PROGRESSION. This progression manifested itself in every aspect of the competition, from the production, to the atmosphere, to the climbing and the athletes themselves; CHANGE seemed to be afoot.

MANBEAST.

The first huge leap forward was USAClimbing hiring our good friends at NE2C to produce the event. Putting long time creative differences aside, NE2C and USAC teamed up to put on a spectacular show; professional lighting and sound, combined with Jason Danforth and Scott Mechler’s years of big time MC’ing experience, brought the architecture of ABS nationals to another level. This type of production is imperative to the future success of climbing on a larger commercial-scale. Additionally, local documentarian Pablo Durano was on hand to shoot incredibly tight footage with the help of a giant crane.

Pooch. IN IT.

Another palpable difference this year over comps in the past was the energy and atmosphere surrounding the competition and the professional athletes taking part. It was hard to put my finger on, but everything just seemed…BIGGER. Daniel Woods signed posters for an hour and a half and didn’t put his pen down the whole time. This to me was pretty incredible. I mean, Daniel’s always been Daniel, but this year, he was DANIEL. For our sport to keep growing, we need our athletes to become larger than life; kids need role models, and companies need athletes that are marketable to hang their hats on. Perhaps we’re starting to get there…

Rob D tickling the ivories

Of course, finals themselves did not disappoint. Big props to Chris Danielson, Jamie Emerson, Kyle McCabe, and the rest of the setting crew for basically a flawless performance. These guys are the best in the business and their team chemistry and vast well of comp knowledge culminated in fantastic finals round that was invariably more challenging to set for climbers like Woods and Alex Puccio who keep breaking ground as far as bouldering standards are concerned. Results broke down perfectly with Daniel finishing the first three problems and falling on the last move of the fourth problem (which he quickly dispatched after the last climber’s time was up) and a last-minute ascent of problem number 4 by Puccio who knew she had to send after failing on problem 3 which runner-up Alex Johnson had done. I hope to be lucky enough to collaborate with this team of setters in the near future.

Things Jamie and i both like: Setting, punk rock, scarves, and AMAZING BOULDERING COMPS!!!

And let me just say it one more time: DANIEL WOODS. My Boulder friends Paul Robinson and Carlo Traversi were giddy upon entering ISO on friday. “I can’t believe he actually got stronger!” said Paul. “It really is a new level” added Carlo. Apparently this had been Daniel’s week: Monday – long training session at CATS, Tuesday – long training session at the SPOT where he was supposedly flashing V14, Wednesday – first ascent of The Game V16 in Boulder Canyon after 17 days of attempts and breaking a hold that day, Thursday – flies to Virginia, Friday + Saturday – wins ABS nationals in dominating fashion.

WOODS: sets his lasers to KILL

Damn. What else can be said? We are witnessing PROGRESSION in every aspect of our sport and I couldn’t be more excited. On the heels of this weekend came the announcement that the IOC will now officially recognize the IFSC, opening the door for climbing to enter the summer Olympics in either 2016 or 2020. Who will represent the US at the Olympics in 2020? My money’s on the progeny of former world cup champions Robyn Erbesfield-Raboutou and Didier Raboutou, who, apart from being the cutest brother-sister team EVER, are also obliterating any rock climbing challenge that comes their way. I hung out with these munchkins in Spain this summer and in Hueco this winter and they are the real deal; Brooke, 8, has lead 5.13 and bouldered V9 on rock, while Shawn, 11, has sent 5.13c, flashed V8, bouldered V10, and reportedly spent multiple days falling off the last move of a 5.14a in France this summer. Sick!!

We here at the BRG have some big plans of our own for the future, so stay tuned.

THE FUTURE IS NOW.

-Max Zolotukhin-

Photos from Caroline Treadway @ carolinetreadway.wordpress.com

MORE HEART OF STEEL COVERAGE!

By Gavin Heverly

The comp was over weeks ago. Here at the BRG, we are already in the planning stages for HEART OF STEEL 2011. But the national climbing media continues to give us some excellent press for last month’s event. Needless to say, we are very thankful and psyched about it! Urban Climber Magazine got a hold of some amazing panoramic 360 shots that long-time friend and climbing partner William Van Tassell took the day of the event. They came out awesome, and they give you some sort of idea as to how crazy and packed and high energy the comp was.

You can see them by clicking HERE.

VASYA ON MEN'S #1.

HEART OF STEEL WRAP UP

By Kaleigh Bush

On January 30th, the Boston Rock Gym and Evolv hosted the second annual Heart Of Steel climbing competition. Hundreds of climbers and spectators packed the facility like a can of sardines on Saturday morning to behold a spectacle that unfolded in a style not foreseen by anyone.

The event, spearheaded by Gavin Heverly and Max Zolotukhin, was the product of countless hours spent turning wrenches and toiling over piles of climbing holds in order to satisfy a vision cast by raw ingenuity. The route setters aimed to upstage last year’s event by crafting truly innovative boulder problems and bestowing them upon competitors in a format that would trump prior efforts within the industry to blaze a trail for the future of bouldering competitions.

The qualifying competition was by no means mild-mannered. With more than double last year’s turn out, each bouldering room was at capacity teeming with climbers eager to take a stab at every boulder problem within the varied ranges of ability. The main bouldering room erupted in “oohs” and “aahs” whenever a daring climber flew over the heads of a brimming crowd on one of the more dynamic routes, either sticking an impressive finish or falling onto a pile of spotters like a crowd surfer. With so many motivated competitors anxious to fill up their score cards, the preliminary competition was a sincerely cut-throat redpoint round. Final scores were determined by the top six boulder problems with falls indicated but only detrimental in the event of a tie.

After scores were tallied, finalists were announced: Sidney McNair, Francesca Metcalf, and Sasha DiGiulian would go head-to-head on the female finals problems; Rob D’Anastasio and Vasya Vorotnikov qualified for first and second men’s finals slots while Michael Bautista and Zeb Engberg tied for the coveted third place slot right down to the number of falls taken. As promised by the Heart Of Steel guidelines, only three males and three females would duke it out in the finals competition, so a sudden-death boulder problem was set in a deciding round that sent Bautista to finals.

The strongest climbers who entered the competitive arena for the day performed beyond the route setters’ expectations and, consequently, the finals routes had to be tweaked in order to present a challenge to the finalists. Route setters modified the finals problems behind the scenes while Taylor de Lench premiered his movie Sick: Climbing In New England.

At 6pm, the Heart Of Steel’s level of intensity soared to new heights after a tarp was dropped to lay bare the amended first finals problems. Behind a smokescreen, spotlights, and a soundtrack governed by climactic industrial and metal music, an already unorthodox climbing competition was transforming into an epic production of a finals round. While cash was being taped inside of boxes along the course of the first finals problems, Gavin explained the rules of engagement: each finals problem was endowed with a $200 cash value for each competitor’s attempt. Within the ten minute time parameter set for each climber, the problem could be attempted an unlimited number of times and the only goal was to pull as much money off of the wall as possible. The cash left hanging after the ten minutes expired would be awarded to the first place male and female finalists. After the finalists previewed the problems, they went to war in a face-off boasting a more similar appeal to an episode of American Gladiators than to your traditional bouldering finals competition. All of the female finalists flashed their first problem in an impressive display of fortitude, still managing to outperform the expectations of the route setters. Meanwhile, Bautista dyno’d to his final bill in a fit of bouldering theatrics and Vorotnikov pleased the crowd by fluidly breaking intended beta and easing the plight of a long, exhausting boulder problem that climbed more like a sport route.

Finally, it was time for the mob of spectators to relocate for the second finals problem where, as Gavin had confidently promised earlier, “minds would be blown.” It was then that a second tarp collapsed to unveil the event’s main attraction: the Dark Crystal. The Dark Crystal is a diamond shaped climbing feature littered with climbing holds that dangled in mid-air attached to an adjoining climbing wall. No words can do the revealing moment of the Dark Crystal justice; only a panoramic view of the hundreds of jaw-dropped thunderstuck witnesses to its grandeur. Gavin quickly noted that the looks on the finalists faces upon preview were like, “this isn’t bouldering! What the hell is going on in this room right now?!” The spectators immediately thought the same thing. But nothing short of sheer bouldering insanity ensued thereafter.

The finalists, after a jam packed day of seriously technical and difficult bouldering, were presented with the challenge of conquering the Dark Crystal during their final climb of the evening. Before a massive crowd, each finalist put his or her heart of steel into gear and battled the Dark Crystal in an adrenaline-fueled duel likened to some obsessive video game rivalry between the player and a monster impeding on his or her triumph. None of these finalists had climbed as hard as they did all day to be put to shame by some outrageous climbing feature, and they were out to prove it by way of brute strength and superhuman trickery. It was exhausting to watch. And afterward, we’re all left with the same questions in mind: how will Heart Of Steel one-up its futuristic display of a finals competition next year? How will it accommodate the increasing multitude of climbers and spectators who want to be a part of it? The sky seems to be the limit for the innovators at the forefront of the Heart Of Steel.

All photos courtesy of George Lucozzi/ASA Photographic

Final results in order of how much money each competitor won are as follows:

FEMALE:

Sasha DiGiulian-     $450

Francesca Metcalf- $450

Sidney McNair-       $300

MALE:

Vasya Vorotnikov- $830

Michael Bautista-    $280

Rob D’Anastasio-    $90

HOLY WOW!

By GAVIN HEVERLY

The HEART OF STEEL comp is this Saturday January 30th. Then again, if you are reading this, you probably know that. We have some seriously ridiculous stuff planned. Top Secret things that you will just have to come see for yourself! Here are a few pictures of the prizes and raffle items.

SO MUCH STUFF.

GET PAID!

We have some amazing sponsors this year. We want to thank them all. Especially EVOLV for being our title sposnsor! Buy their shoes, they really are the best! Remember, this giant table full of amazing stuff is going out to the recreational, intermediate, and advanced categories. Plus tons of great stuff to raffle off (which means even if you dont place in your division you stand to win!).

We are also premiering Taylor De Lench’s climbing film SICK at the comp, so that’s just one more reason to stop by! Here is the trailer:

See you Saturday! Here is the schedule for the day.

9:00am -10:00am: Registration…getting ADRENALIZED! Free coffee/hot chocolate!

10:00am – 2:00pm Qualifying/Citizens comp…TRY HARD.

2:00pm – 6:00pm Time to unwind…Free food, raffles, video games, sponsor tables, a CAR IN THE GYM, and the world premier of Taylor De Lench’s movie “SICK: Climbing in New England”!!!!

6:00pm – 8:00pm The HEART OF STEEL gauntlet style finals round…The top 3 men and women (that’s right, just 3, no coasting into finals!) will be brought out and a spectacular spectacle will ensue…Two finals problems for the girls, two for the guys; 8 minutes per problem…For each climber, there will be $200 hanging from the wall throughout the problem (10, 20, 20, 50, and $100)…The finalist’s task? to grab as much money as possible in those 8 minutes…after a finalist climbs, the money they don’t collect goes into a pot; then, whatever money they DID grab is replaced before the next finalist climbs…When the dust has settled, whoever has grabbed the most money off the wall through both problems wins the REST OF THE MONEY in the pot that the other finalists didn’t grab. What does this mean? first place could win up to $1200! Where you get on a problem doesn’t really matter, all that matters is HOW MUCH MONEY YOU GRAB! Come witness the insanity!!!!

8:30pm – 9:00pm Awards…who brought their HEART OF STEEL?!?!

10:00pm – Dawn AFTERPARTY…you know what to do

BOSTON ROCK GYM ANNOUNCES SECOND ANNUAL HEART OF STEEL COMPETITION

By KALEIGH BUSH

Climbing enthusiasts everywhere, mark your calenders: on January 30th, 2010 the Boston Rock Gym and Evolv will host the second annual HEART OF STEEL bouldering competition. Flaunting a $2,400 cash purse in addition to a gorgeous line-up of prizes provided by a flock of industry leading sponsors, the HEART OF STEEL appeal speaks for itself. And, believe it or not, this year’s sequel is guaranteed to upstage last year’s inaugural jaw-dropping throwdown.

“Big cash prizes and good competition mixed with incredible event organization make this one of the most well run and unique climbing competitions going on,” explains one of last year’s HEART OF STEEL finalists Jon Glassberg, “HEART OF STEEL is setting the standard and breaking the mold for competition format and style. Period.” Glassberg’s thrilling performance earned him third place overall in the men’s Open division last year. Glassberg is shifting his focus this year by joining forces with the Boston Rock Gym’s elite team of route setters rather than entering the arena as a competitor.

HEART OF STEEL’s distinction as New England’s premier indoor climbing competition was imminent in its countless hours of preparation the first time around. But within the dawning moments of its preliminary competition, HEART OF STEEL proved itself capable of revolutionizing the face of indoor climbing competitions not only in its district, but nation wide. The triple digit turnout was littered with strong, revered climbers; the routes were as futuristic as the concepts that breathed life into the HEART OF STEEL brainchild; Manowar’s ‘Heart Of Steel’ (the song after which the competition earned its appellation- a reference appreciated by fans of metal music) pumped adrenaline into the iron-clad veins of every participant, climber or otherwise. The tone had been set and a vision had been realized. “I love it when a competition has a style and a theme and becomes something that spectators and non-climbers can latch on to and really associate with,” says Glassberg. And this year, we can only expect a fine-tuned version of something that was nearly perfect to begin with. But overshadowing the many aspects of HEART OF STEEL leading up to its main event is the highly anticipated game show style finals round that really awards this climbing competition its rightful badge of honor.

If for no other reason, you won’t want to miss HEART OF STEEL for its outstanding display of a finals round. The event’s most notable distinction is its groundbreaking strategy for distributing cash prizes to the top female and male athletes of the day. Exponentially increasing denominations of cold hard cash are taped along the course of each finals problem, baiting each competitor to shamelessly duke it out amongst the others in an outrageous episode of sheer plastic-pulling pandemonium. Bathed in spotlight, each competitor is challenged to pull as many bills as possible off of the wall, creating their own personal cash pot. “Instead of being awarded a check for finishing in a top position, you can complete a finals boulder problem and have the cash in your hand as a direct result of climbing well in the moment. A tangible reward that is very motivating to climbers,” Glassberg said.

In addition to the generous cash prizes, there’s a whole slew of killer swag provided by some of the climbing industry’s top sponsors. Just some of the loot up for grabs this year include three crashpads; two Nemo tents; sleeping bags, packs, and softshells from The North Face; Evolv shoes; rope from New England Ropes; Petzl harnesses, and more. Additionally, there will be free coffee and hot chocolate, free food, video games, and sponsor tables to take advantage of during down time.

The HEART OF STEEL competition is quickly becoming a benchmark for innovation in the competitive climbing circuit, and everyone made up of the industrial-strength vital organs to handle it is encouraged to be a part of it. “The Boston Rock Gym knows how to throw a party,” Glassberg assures us.

Gavin Heverly on the mic while Vasya V. puts on a show in men's finals last year

INTERVIEW WITH SO ILL

By Amanda Beals

So as you know I have dipped my toes into the heightened world of rock climbing at the Boston Rock Gym. While I have been traveling a bunch this past month, I have had the opportunity to interview a variety of rock climbing industry illuminati. Gavin, the manager of the Boston Rock Gym, suggested I look into So iLL and attempt to snare an interview with this bombastically forward thinking, yet old school, rock climbing holds designers and manufactures.

I took Gavin’s advice and emailed the CEO Daniel Chancellor and he responded enthusiastically to my media request. Now, for those of you who are not familiar with rock climbing holds let me lay it out easily. When you indoor climb, the holds are the myriad protuberant shapes that allow you to ascend. Without holds, there is no indoor rock climbing.

What is unique about So iLL Holds is the retro, futuristic, all bets off shapes of holds. This is augmented profoundly with the high level workmanship and chemists So iLL works with to create a hold that is dynamic and impenetrable.

AB: So, your site is wild and woolly. Is that the spirit that motivates So iLL?

DC: We have always focused on a *Reality Distorted look and feel for So iLL. We geek out on bringing this ideal into both products and marketing for the brand. Currently, we are designing a new website. Its going to get interesting.

AB:I looked for a history on your company and could not find one. Tell me about So iLL came into being?

DC: So iLL started during my first year of college (April 2002). I was working all night and sleeping through my Entrepreneurship courses during the day. The first few years were rough. We didn’t have high speed internet until 2005 and I ran biz phone calls off pre-paid calling cards. I was 18 and living the dream. Shaping, molding and pouring on the back porch of my college house. The dream started there, and has now become a reality.

AB:I know that the Boston Rock Gym heralds your company as changing the course of history for indoor rock gyms. What are your thoughts on that statement?
DC: Interesting. That is a pretty big statement. I feel as though we have always tried our absolute hardest. We put 125% into Everything we do. Whether crazier shapes, wild marketing images, etc, we have always been trying to push indoor climbing into a new direction. A lot of other companies have followed lately. That is ok. We are happy to enlighten and help.

AB: How do you envision indoor rock gyms evolving or devolving over the next 5 years? And, in which ways will So iLL be a part of that?
DC: Indoor climbing is crazy on the up and up. Tons of new gyms are being built every year. Lots of “mega-gyms” are now popping up all over the country. In Europe, the facilities being built are fantastic. Small and Nice satellite gyms. Concrete floors, giant wall features, urban architecture, etc. I feel as though the U.S market has some interesting things to learn from them.

AB:Has social media enhanced your buisiness?
DC: I believe so. Since launching our Tumblr page (soill.tumblr.com) I feel as though a behind the scenes look at the daily grind has been good for climbers. Its the first place I put new products, ideas and traveling images, all updated from my phone almost daily. These are also posted to my personal Facebook page: Daniel Chancellor. Let’s be Friends.

AB: When you first log on in the a.m. do you read ClimbingNarc or 8A?
DC:Though both nice sites, I have not in a while. Pretty busy swimming through 100 emails every morning… Being in contact personally with our gyms and home wall owners is something we strive for. My cell phone is listed on the website and I sort through and respond to each and every email. Big or small, order or question. We are happy to be reachable.

AB: What makes your products stand out?
DC: We are constantly trying to push things further. Most recently, we have been working on a new Giant Fiberglass Volume. These are very popular in Europe, but are just now starting to hit the U.S. The Growth was shaped by Jason and is currently about to start in production. Its a 4 x 4 ft fiberglass volume with a Patent Pending mounting system so screws won’t tear up the wall. We’re excited to launch this massive feature. Multiple T nuts are included for mounting other holds onto it.

Along with this, we have been working on a few other things we will be launching at the January Outdoor Retailer Show. We have been working with a team of Chemists for about a year on a new product and have filed the Patent info on it as well. We are excited about its launch.

For holds, we are currently shaping a ton. Going back to our “roots” so to speak. We are excited to launch an entire new product category in 2010.

AB: For a newbie reading this blog, who has always dreamed of climbing, but is afraid it is too hard, what say you to them?
DC:Go Get Some. Find a local gym and get involved. Its so very accessible now with the gym community in the U.S. There are plenty of people out there looking to help someone new. — A crew is waiting for you. Auto Belays are calling your name. Holds want to be grabbed. You need to sweat. Start twerkin it with a belay device and become educated. What a better way to spend your time than watching Jersey Shore.

Glue Hands With Silent Feet.

By Chris Mireault

The next time you’re on the climbing wall, try this basic skill building exercise, it’s one of my favorites! It’s called “glue hands with silent feet” and it goes something like this.

First off let me explain “glue hands.” To initiate glue hands, pretend you have glue on your hands, simple enough right? Now every time you grab a climbing hold, try not to move your hands from the original position that you first grabbed the hold until it’s time to reach for another hold. That’s it!
This exercise is geared to make you think twice about how you grab a hold. Rather than just feeling the hold out and hoping for the best, you will have made the perfect placement the first time. Ideally this will train you to use hand holds better the first time around.

The other exercise is called, “silent feet.” Silent feet involves making perfect foot placements on foot holds without making any sound during placement. This act of silently placing your foot requires much more concentration and will require much practice at first. This exercise is also geared at having you, the climber, make your foot placement correctly the first time around.

Once you get the hang of silent feet you should start to move with more fluidity and grace. Also in theory, the better the foot placement and less foot scraping, the longer the rubber on those expensive climbing shoes will last. This is always a plus in my book.

Combine the two exercises together and you get what is called “glue hands with silent feet.” Practice these together as often possible and in time you will find yourself moving on the rock with more precision and confidence in no time. I guarantee it.

Try it the next time you’re in the gym and let us know what you think.

For more awesome exercises, and to learn climbing technique from a pro, check out Boston Rock Gym’s NUSCHOOL technique classes. These classes are guaranteed to get you climbing better faster.

PROBLEM OF THE WEEK #6

By Chris Mireault

BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE: The Florida Climber’s Plight

By Kaleigh Bush

Florida gives rise to a fairly ubiquitous vision: flat sandy beaches mopped by the broken waves of the Atlantic; highway medians adorned with strips of sweeping palm trees; and toe headed, heat intoxicated sunbabies riding their ocean Cadillacs to shore dressed to the nines in sunburns and wetsuits. The vision does not yield mountainous terrain. Nor does casting this landscape likely fortify the climber’s penchant for brisk arid climate and good friction. I’ll also go ahead and assume that the last thing you’d reasonably anticipate from the balmy swamps of Florida is the emergence of a laudable rock climbing community fit to foster the kind of dude whose dexterity on a rock face can hold a candle to that of the most championed climbers on an international scale. But chances are if you’ve visited just about any crag or boulder field in the US and maybe even worldwide, you’ve probably met a handful of Florida climbers. There’s even a good chance they were kind of strong. Maybe not the prized heifer at the county fair, but, arguably, we’ve generated a couple of those as well.

BRG's own (and FL native) Maxim Zoltukhin making an embarrassing spectacle of himself (but crushing none the less) at ABS nationals.

Nick Sherman is from Orlando, but now resides (and kills it) in Boulder, CO.

I was born and raised in Gainesville which is located in north central Florida where, ironically, I started climbing three years ago. It’s worth noting that, less ironically, my loosening ties to Gainesville and the beginning of a disparaging relationship with my home town simultaneously erupted inside of the Gainesville Rock Gym which still stands more than a decade after its inception. The gym is located on the outskirts of downtown within close reach to the bulk of the University of Florida’s student population inhabiting the nearby historic district. Before I started climbing, Gainesville catered almost perfectly to me. Now, I’m hoisting my sails after uniting with a throng of peers who anticipate more enriching locales in the foreseeable future.

It’s no surprise that Florida flaunts several quality climbing gyms, though, because the great enabler for Florida climbers is plastic as there is literally no real rock actually fit for climbing anywhere in the state. Tornado Alley is all the flatland rage, but Florida is in fact the flattest of all the fifty United States. It’s PANCAKE FLAT. The peninsula’s mean elevation is a negligible 100 feet (the highest point being 345 feet at Britton Hill, located near the Alabama border). The closest thing we’ve got in Peninsular Florida to real rock aside from the limestone bedrock that we’re founded on is some naturally occurring limestone exposures just west of Gainesville where privately owned quarries feature some gorgeous walls masquerading as climbing potential. Unfortunately, this limestone makes for second-rate climbing because its quality has proven to be poor and too chossy to scale seriously.

FL native Randy Hill on ABSOLUTION (v12) in Idaho.

Tomfoolery as Gainesville, FL climber John Reger takes the 1st place in Men's Advanced at the Triple Crown Bouldering Series

Matt Segal is from Miami. But is now a well-known climber, North Face athlete, and is pushing the limits of hard trad climbing out in Boulder, CO.

The impossibility of local Florida climbing aside, climbing is habit-forming regardless of where the skill is honed be it outside or indoors. But the general consensus among climbing enthusiasts is that the chief purpose of the climbing gym is its utility as a training implement; the concept is appealing in that it lends climbers a facility for training when the option of climbing outside isn’t available due to adverse weather, being too hard-pressed for time by school or work to spend a day at the crag, or whatever. But I’ve climbed outdoors and indoors enough to realize that the rigid dichotomy between the two environments is as apparent as the contrast between the fibers of plastic and of stone. In the face of this realization, reconciling with the fact that I have to drive for at least seven hours to get my hands on some quality sandstone or granite is quite the cross to bear. Consequently, us Florida climbers who are passionate about what we do are left feeling like salt water fish in a fresh water aquarium when we’re giving it the ol’ college try with nothing at our fingertips but a decent training tool. And when we do get to rock climb, our callouses are sturdy as brick houses but quick weekend climbing trips are too fleeting for our tender fingertips to restore any previous durability. So more than a few good burns on an ultra-crimpy problem and our tips are left pink, shriveled, and nearly deprived of sensation. I won’t even get into the dilemma, regardless of how substantial it may or may not actually be, of how indoor grades stack up against outdoor grades as a system for measuring progress. Is it precise to call yourself a V4 climber if you’re a solid V6 plastic climber but have only topped out V2 outside? Or are indoor grades entirely null and void since indoor climbing is barely even comparable to rock climbing? The debate is probably as contrived as the concept of climbing grades to begin with.

So how do we Floridians satiate our appetites for climbing, then? We train hard inside for brief weekend respite fit for voyaging to the prominent southeast boulder fields and crags that rally flocks of climbers from all over, performing at all different levels of difficulty, most notably during the three months that encompass the popular Triple Crown bouldering series. But the unrelenting desire to touch real stone doesn’t subside during the off-season which is a truth that remains self-evident in climbing documentaries like SubtleSqueeze’s Summer Sessions series. Aside from Horsepens-40 (Steele, AL), the Stone Fort (previously Little Rock City, located in Chattanooga, TN), and Hound Ears (the private boulder field open to the public one day a year for the Triple Crown competition), we’ve got an adequate supply of other options available to us within reasonable distance. (The main difference between the Florida climber and anyone else is probably the concept of a “reasonable distance” for traveling to climb, I suppose.) Rock Town is located nearby in extreme northwest Georgia between Atlanta and Chattanooga. A recent favorite to a crew of Florida climbers is Rumbling Bald situated near Chimney Rock, NC which flaunts the best winter climbing in North Carolina because of its perfect southern exposure. Also, there’s a plethora of boulder fields and crags supplying the climbing community with plenty of first ascents that have yet to be achieved in and around Chattanooga, which largely remain locals-only hotspots for now. But the crown jewel of the climbing season for me and my friends is the annual new year’s pilgrimage to the bouldering mecca of the US that is Hueco Tanks located outside of El Paso, TX. My first year as a flatland climber, I was unfit for the approach into the boulders that Hueco accessibility demands. I wasn’t prepared for my first plunge into the sheer western beauty that is Hueco until last year. This indian reservation cradled by its own delicate history is littered with countless perfect boulders crafted from unusual rock formation and is nothing like anything climbable anywhere I’ve yet to visit on the east coast (pseudo-primitive desert camping in a three season tent was reminiscent of Florida when I woke up covered in sand following every blustery night, though). Floridians faithful to this tradition drive for almost twenty-four hours to the border city of El Paso every year, unless they opt to fly. This trip, to me, is a significant source of motivation for inspiring another long year of gruelling indoor training and a handful of familiar southeast climbing excursions.
So, there are rock climbers in Florida. There are definitely surfers in Colorado. We’re undoubtedly among the unorthodox and would probably rather be somewhere else more conducive to our respective lifestyles, but we all get by finding a way to do what we love. And we love climbing as much as the next guy. I would also argue that being a Florida climber and having friends locally who are pivotal in the greater climbing community fosters a unique brand of pride that emanates from all of us who know what it’s like to have to set aside entire weekends for climbing in order to rock climb at all. Most of us either put climbing on the back burner when real life kicks in at the onset of real adulthood, or we move out of Florida and build our lives around climbing as a priority. Regardless, one day I will move out of Florida and build my life around climbing as a priority, which speaks volumes about the powers of passion. And my parents’ ceaseless wonder about where the hell they went wrong.

PROBLEM OF THE WEEK #5

By Chris Mireault