EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Matt McCormick on his recent trip to Pakistan and the Copp-Dash Inspire Award.

By Gavin Heverly

Matt McCormick is a good friend of mine, and a familiar face around these parts. For years up until he moved up to Vermont he was a regular at the Boston Rock Gym. A positive figure in our climbing community, and always motivated to train and try new things, we were all really excited to hear that Matty had won the 1st Annual Copp-Dash Inspire award to take a trip to Pakistan to deliver books to children and to make an assault on the unclimbed Southwest Pillar of K7 West. I caught up with Matty to get the lowdown on his trip.

THERE SHE IS!

Gavin: Tell us a little bit about your climbing history. What was the journey that led you from the gym to Pakistan?

Matt McCormick: The progression and journey is a major part of what keeps me psyched in my climbing. Knowing that there’s always more places to go and routes to climb is really motivating. I started climbing in 1997 in Massachusetts where I mainly climbed at The Boston Rock Gym and Crow Hill in Leominister. From the start I always have been interested in pretty much all aspects of climbing; from bouldering to ice and mixed climbing. Going to Pakistan this summer was really the result of those 12 or so years of progressing through all those different disciplines in climbing and traveling to pursue my goals in each.

Climbing in the seeming never-ending rain.

G: What was the application process like for the first annual Copp-Dash Inspire Award? What made you go for it, and how did it feel when you got it?

MM: The idea to apply for the Copp-Dash award was pretty whimsical. My good friend Jim Shimberg suggested that we apply (he later chose to not go) and so I did a bunch of research, picked an objective and filled out the application. More so than other grants, the Copp-Dash was really meaningful because Jonny and Micah. Although I did not know Jonny and had only hung out with Micah briefly in the Red River Gorge, their energy and spirit seemed pretty contagious throughout the climbing community. I had just landed at Logan Airport coming back from Yosemite when I got the message that we had gotten the grant. I had not been overly optimistic about my chances of getting the award and all of a sudden it was fully real that we were going to Pakistan.

G: So why K7 West Face? What was it’s appeal to you? Tell us a bit about the climb, the region, and the mountain.

MM:I’m definitely not the first person to eye the Southwest Pillar of K7 West. A few different teams have made attempts of varying significance on the pillar but no one has made it to the summit as of yet. The pillar combines both high-end rock and mixed climbing which is super appealing to me. The Charakusa Valley is a beautiful place with tons of wild flowers and streams running through base camp. Far from the cluttered glaciers of some of the bigger mountain base camps.

The reason to travel. Seriously.

G:Ok, the experience and the trip itself…let’s hear it. Success? Failure? Difficulties? High Points? Low points?

MM: It’s seems that successful expeditions to the alpine are the sum of many parts. Weather, partnerships, skill, and good bit of luck. The weather really hampered our attempts on the main objective of K7 West. On each of our attempts we got absolutely soaked and ended up walking back into base camp looking like drowned rats. We managed to summit the beautiful pyramidal summit of Naisa Brakk in a pouring rain storm after repeating Tasty Talking (11-). Climbing-wise the expedition was not as successful as I would have hoped but that seems pretty par for the course the majority of time in the alpine.

One thing that stuck with me the most was the amazing people that we met in Pakistan. The Pakistani people were some of the most welcoming and friendly people I’ve met anywhere and I made many friends that I hope to visit on future trips. May f our friends expressed a perception that we were crazy to go to Pakistan due to the anti-American sentiment. What we found couldn’t have been farther from that perception.

G: Why talk about this crazy snow-capped mountaineering business on a rock gym website anyways??? In your eyes, what are the connections? Is it unreasonable for the average gym climber to aspire to go on expeditions of this nature?

MM: For me it comes down to a passion for climbing in general. Whether it’s far-away alpine objectives or trying to send your plastic project, the same energy drives you to send. My climbing started in the gym as I think it does for many young climbers these days. The future of hard alpine climbing lies in climbers taking hard free climbing skills to the mountains and climbing and training in the gym lends itself to this end without a doubt.

It is certainly not unreasonable for the average gym climber to undertake an expedition of this sort. The first steps of researching, planning and then ultimately buying the plane tickets is all it takes. There are objectives for every one of all skill levels. Interestingly, Jason Kehl and some others were in Kashmir this past summer to boulder in the alpine. Maybe this is the future of bouldering…? Expedition bouldering!

NOR’EASTER AND UNIFIED BOULDERING CHAMPIONSHIPS WRAP UP

By Gavin Heverly

All photos by Stephanie Crumley

For those of you whom have been living under a rock, this past weekend was the Eastern Mountain Sports/NE2C Nor’Easter Fest up at Loon Mountain in New Hampshire. The event was a slammer jammer mash-up of music, cyclocross racing, bouldering competition, outdoor climbing clinics, vendor village, and really, really bad food selection. I went up for the main events on Saturday and to support our head route-setter Maxim Zolotukhin in the UBC Pro Tour finals. He placed 16th in qualifiers which didn’t quite get him in to finals. Boston Rock Gym was also the partner gym for the event, and we helped with some logistics, volunteers, as well as climbing holds and crash pads and some other random stuff. The Geekhouse X BRG cyclocross team was also along for the ride as their team captain and Geekhouse owner Marty Walsh was racing!

The author being a social butterfly in the vendor village.

At any rate, Saturday went down something like this: Woke up super early to get Marty to the race. We arrived at Loon and skipped our way right to staff parking. A nice luxury of being an event partner. Thanks guys! Marty got suited up and we scoped out the cyclocross course. It looked, as Marty put it “like a mountain bike course”, which meant that a lot of the roadies in the race were going to be not psyched, but guys like Marty whom have a mountain bike racing background were stoked!

The Custom Built Handmade GEEKHOUSE Cyclocross machine ready to roll.

Marty rocking the coolest cycling kit on the entire course as he rolls through some of the switchbacks on the race course.

After the cross race was over, I headed over to the vendor village to chat up some pals I hadn’t seen in a while at the Prana and Evolv tents. Everyone seemed pretty psyched on the cross race seeing as how the entire vendor village was basically in the center of the course. Overall the cyclocross race was pretty awesome. A great course and a welcome addition to the Nor’Easter. It definitely helped make it seem as though there was something HAPPENING since there were bikes whizzing past you all throughout the day. A nice element. There was also some big stage with bands playing. But I didn’t really pay any attention to it, and that seemed to be the general consensus. Although after the UBC comp, some more big name bands like The Gaslight Anthem played, as well as !!! (Chik Chik Chik), and The Walkmen. And while I didn’t stick around, I would guess a great deal more people were interested in that.

SPEAKING OF THE UBC COMP!:

Boston's own Francesca Metcalf waiting for her go as Terry climbs on Men's 2 in the background.

Sasha DiGiulian high on Women's 2

The comp started pretty promptly at 3pm. Lights, camera, ACTION! Jason Danforth took the mic and introduced the day’s finalists:

MENS: 6th place Terry Paholek, 5th Ian Dorey, 4th Brian Kim, 3rd Ethan Pringle, 2nd Vasya Vorotnikov, 1st Daniel Woods.

WOMENS: 6th Melissa Lacasse, 5th Natasha Barnes, 4th Alex Johnson, 3rd Angela Payne, 2nd Sasha Digiulian, 1st Francesca Metcalf.

So with that sort of placing going in to finals, it certainly felt like it was anyone’s game. And man did it turn out to be a surprise ending. The turnout for the comp was a little less than what I expected, although with the weather being about 68 and sunny and breezy, perhaps it was both a blessing and a curse for the event. I quickly snagged a seat front and center to absorb all the action I possible could. it became clear early on that Daniel Woods, the crowd favorite, and shoe-in for the win was NOT having such a hot day of climbing. Problem #1 which was a techinical tension based boulder seemed to work against his style and essentially shut him down. New York’s Brian Kim flashed it. Done and done. “What’s this?”, everyone thought as he easily flew to the top. He cruised to the top on number 2 as well. Where as Daniel and Ian Dorey had some real trouble with the opening dyno. Vasya came about as close as you can on #2 without actually sending. Also quite the upset. In the end, it was clear that the men’s competition was going to be east meets west as Brian Kim and Ethan Pringle duked it out.

On the lady’s side, it was clearly anyone’s game. Although I think most people were assuming Angie or Alex would take it. Francesca Metcalf crushed. Although women’s #3 appeared to be a bit reachy for all the competitors. (Editor’s note: I was told over a cup of tea in my living room the following day by one of the route-setters that all the girls botched the beta on the problem.) Natasha Barnes came out of nowhere to fly up women’s 1 and 2 with ease. In the end, it was hard to even tell who would win.

Natasha Barnes come all the way from SF, CA to crush on Women's 2.

All in all a good comp.The organization seemed to be much better than at the Salt Lake City comp. the MC-ing was greatly improved upon, although left something to be desired, and the route-setting was a lot better as well. Here were the surprising results of the day:

MENS: 3rd Daniel Woods, 2nd Brian Kim, 1st Ethan Pringle

WOMENS: 3rd Angie Payne, 2nd Francesca Metcalf, 1st Alex Johnson

The Nor’Easter is a massively valiant effort by the dudes at NE2C to bring an exciting and energized outdoor festival to the East Coast. Combining music, climbing, cycling, and more to give the residents of New England an entire weekend of activities and to grow the community that I know for sure Jason and Pete of NE2C care so much about. So while there are a lot of things that I would do differently, my hat is off to them for their passion, organization, energy, and dedication. The climbing world could use a lot more Jason Danforths and Pete Wards. Looking forward to next year. Count me in, and count BRG in.

ASCEND!

SIZE MATTERS?

by Gavin Heverly

Ok. We aren’t delusional. We know our walls are not the tallest in the industry. Or even in the Boston area for that matter. But what we WILL brag about is our route-setting. Maxim Zolotukhin, our head route-setter is probably the most passionately obsessed route-setter in the country. And I am not kidding. Then there’s Donny “Hot Karl” Martin. Who has been setting here at the gym for what seems like forever. He cares so much about the quality of his routes, and how much the customers like them that it’s almost a problem. Myself, I have been route-setting for something like 8 years. And I basically consider it to be one of the most scientifically challenging art forms in existence. Anyhow….Maxim will be talking more about the BRG’s route-setting philosophies in a later post.

For now…let’s talk about the HUGE volume holds we just got this morning. Ranging in size from 12″ to FOUR FEET across, these things will be *sick*. Don’t believe me? Come see the masterpieces Max and the rest of our pro-setting team whip up with them for yourselves.

HUBBA HUBBA.

TEASER TEASER TEASER

By Gavin Heverly

Wow. Mountains. Being primarily a boulderer, and occasionally doing some multi-pitch trad….I am not going to lie, I totally romanticize the idea of traveling to some far region of the world and spending weeks or even months assaulting a mountain. My good friend, long time BRG member, and strong climber Matt McCormick recently returned from an expedition in Pakistan. Look out for an exclusive interview in the coming week or two regarding his trip and his experiences.

For now, check out the video Matt made about preparing for the trip:

Problem of the Week #9

by: Chris Mireault

Here is a simple V3 that has decent flow and a progressively harder finish. Set your feet correctly up top on this one and your good to go. Enjoy.

Come and climb it today at the Boston Rock Gym in Woburn, MA.

Problem of the Week #8

by: Chris Mireault

The “Advent Candle Route,” as some like to call it, has a straight-forward problem with a really nice sidepull/undercling. I find this problem perfect for laps or for a nice little challenge. Difficult for some, not so much for others. Either way it’s a problem worth climbing.

See for yourself! Come climb it today at the Boston Rock Gym in Woburn, MA.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH TIM KEMPLE

By Gavin Heverly

THE MAN HIMSELF

New England has spawned it’s fair share of climbing names. Dave Graham and Joe Kinder are well-known climbing names. Not to mention other heroes like Henry Barber, Joe Lentini, and  Ed Webster. But what about on the other side of the lens? Tim Kemple is a New Hampshire native whom has become one of the more published and revered outdoor photographers of the day. His images are simply stunning, and he manages to capture not only the subject, but also the atmosphere and mood of the situation he sees through his lens. Which is no small feat when you are taking the kind of pictures in the kind of locations the Tim does. I had a chance recently to chat with Tim about his roots, his current projects, and his aspirations. He is currently living in Utah and travels all over the damn place to take sexy shots of great people doing amazing things. Must suck.

BRG: How long have you been climbing? How long have you been looking through a camera lens?

Time Kemple; I’ve been climbing for 18 years and shooting for ten (professionally for 7)

How did you first get in to photography? What was the catalyst?

I went on a road trip with Joe Kinder, Dave Graham and some other friends in the summer of 1999 to Utah. I brought along a camera as something to play with on rest days When I came back I called up a photo editor at one of the magazines because I thought there were some good shots, and he gave me a great critique, I’m super thankful for that to this day.

Do you consider yourself a climber first, or a photographer? Does your profession enable you to pursue climbing, hinder it, or perhaps a bit of both?

Well these days photography is my job and climbing is what I do to escape and be in the mountains. If someone asked me, say on a plane, ‘What do you do’ I’d tell them I was a photographer. I guess its more than my job, I live it breath it, I’m really engulfed in the entire creative process.

Its impossible for me to climb and shoot well on the same day, I’m too much of a perfectionist. But photography has taken me to some awesome places to climb, and visa versa so I guess they complement each other well.

KEVIN JORGESON ON ARGUABLY THE BEST V10 IN THE COUNTRY, “SPEED OF LIFE” AT FARLEY,MASSACHUSSETTS.

Did you do a lot of juggling early on? Did it take a long time to reach that keystone moment where you could “quit your day job” to be afull-time photographer?

I went to college at UNH (for Microbiology) and shot those 4 years through college mostly for editorial clients… it wasn’t until I graduated that I was making just enough money to pay rent and live a pretty meager lifestyle.

Do you attribute any one person or organization to really believing in you early on and helping to launch your career?

Yeah that photo editor was at Climbing Magazine, Tyler Stableford. He was definitely a catalyst. Then further down the line other Photo Editors helped me focus my creative juices. David Clifford and Zach Reynolds; they helped me take it to the next level… and its part of the reason I get bummed when I see Editorial staff sizes get cut down.

At what point did it go from being something you did, to what you DO (if you take my meaning.)?

At the point when I started to focus more energy on photographing well rather than climbing well. I’d say that was about 4 years ago.

Sometimes when your work is also your passion, it can be tricky. Do you ever find yourself being disillusioned or that your passion is challenged by attaching financial and professional obligations to it?

No. I’m really motivated by the creative process… and the artistic part of my mind is something I don’t fully understand… or at least a part I’m not 100% comfortable with yet. So I’m psyched to be learning about myself and other people and expressing that creatively. Getting paid is just a bonus.

KEVIN JORGESON ON THE FLY. V14. RUMNEY, NH

In what direction or way do you think outdoor/action sports photography can grow or progress? What do you feel you bring to the table to bring about those changes?

Well I’ve been outspoken about how editorial (magazines) do a poor job of cultivating the future growth of both artists and athletes… I’d like to see that come around. I’d also like to see mainstream demand more accurate representation of action sport… not just some image shot in the studio and composited inphotoshop for a car advertisement for example.

The climbing industry seems to be going through a lot of exciting changes right now. Whether it’s huge climbing comps, the expansion of the sport, giant fancy gyms, etc. Are you excited to be a part of this? You’ve obviously played your part by being involved with some exciting photo shoots and working closely with the NE2c guys. Where do you think it’s all going?

Yes of course I’m stoked to be involved… and it does feel like climbing is coming into a new era. The past decade and a half was about finding new areas, rapid development of cliffs, growth in equipment and technology. I think the next era will be about a more refined athlete (at least if we are talking on the higher performance level) that is forced to live overseas because we don’t have the limestone that will produce those next level type of routes. We also don’t have that motivated community that really cares about 5.15s.

THE OFTEN UNDERESTIMATED SUMMIT OF MOUNT WASHINGTON IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

What are your plans for the future?

Well I’m slowly putting money aside for a Nissan GT-R… that’s on the two-year plan… did I mention I have a thing for fast cars? More currently I just formed a video production company with Renan Ozturk and Jimmy Chin. We are calling it the Camp4 Collective and we have already begun shooting projects; mostly 2-5 web videos for outdoor/action sport clients. We have a big press release announced for later in the week. So yeah lots of video work ahead to mix in with the still projects.

Do you have an all-time favorite shot?

Not really, all my images bring back memories of cool people, cool places, and lots of hard work. I think artists always like their most current work the most, and I’m the same way… I think the work I’ve done the last year kills everything else I’ve ever done. But that’s probably not the case, and I’m aware of that. I do like looking back on those old slides of years ago though…

If you could photograph anyone doing anything, anywhere, what would it be?

Tiger Woods with all of his girlfriends… something David LaChapelle-esque - it would be simply awesome.

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