It’s that time of year in Colorado when the bears begin to forage through low-lying dumpsters, and climbers across the West finally send their summertime projects.
Despite having coined the phrase “Sendtember” (or so I believe) a few years back, I must confess that I don’t know how often I actually make good on the concept. Often my sends don’t seem to come (if they come at all) till late October. This makes sense because everything I do—whether that’s writing a blog, sending a project or even reading a clock in military time—takes me exactly twice as long as I think it should. By the time I figure out what time it is, it’s already wrong, and by the time I finally send my project, Sendtember is October and no one, including me, cares any more.
A volume hand-crack and hang board campus board. What was this gym thinking?
I’m trying to change that this year—the sending in Sendtember part, that is. To prepare for Sendtember, I added in some training days in the gym during the last three weeks of August: bouldering, hang-boarding, and campusing. I have felt minor gains in strength and was hoping for a good showing on 9/1.
Alas, a super-tight sub-scapula in my left shoulder made underclinging feel painful. Performance was low. This is unfortunate because my project is basically 50 feet of left-hand underclinging. I’m not losing hope just yet. I went for a massage this week to release the knotty sub-scap, and after an hour in the pain cave, writhing like a squashed bug beneath sweet Becky the therapist’s thumb, I’m hopeful this weekend’s redpoint burn will go better.
Sam Elias in Rifle, CO. Photo: Chris Hunter
Also, it’s the annual Rifle Rendez SPEW this weekend, which is always a good time if you like drinking Avery beer and updating manky hardware. Last year I accidentally ate a weed cookie during Chris Sharma’s slideshow and got so high I couldn’t sleep. This year I’ll be the guy installing new glue-ins on Hang Em’ High—certainly weed-cookie free.
Here’s a round-up of all the other infinitely more interesting things that have happened This Week in Climbing. Wishing every reader a fun Sendtember!
Alex Honnold Free Solos the U-Wall
The ever unaffected Alex Honnold spent the summer tearing Squamish an American-sized eh’-hole.
On August 17, Honnold turned 29. For his Birthday Challenge, he climbed 290 pitches in and around Squamish (though he swears they were “290 easy pitches,” whatever that means).
Then last week, Honnold third-classed the University Wall (5.12a) for its first ever free solo. The U-Wall is one of the classic, big free routes of the Chief. Originally an aid climb from the 1960s, this prominent climb was freed in 1982, three years before Honnold was born. Alpinist has a great piece on the history of this route, as well as a Q&A with the man himself. In the interview, Honnold calls the U-Wall a “hardman version of Astroman,” which I thought was telling. It wasn’t that long ago that the entire climbing world, myself included, was really impressed with Honnold’s free solo of Astroman, a feat that, in 2007, first launched his professional career. It shows how far Honnold has pushed the discipline of free-solo climbing that now the idea of soloing Astroman really does kinda seem like No Big Deal.
J-Star crimps really hard, turns 29, releases sick new vid
J-Star also turned 29, confirming my observation that there are a crap-ton of really good climbers who have August birthdays. Jonathan Siegrist made his first trip to Independence Pass and repeated Mark Anderson’s testpiece, Insurrection, in a couple of tries, suggesting a grade of 5.14b. But J-Star is also probably one of the best crimpers in climbing …
Check out Anderson’s blog on his first-ascent process of this beautiful, if short granite face. And see Jonathan’s excellent post for more about his quiet life as an itinerant American rock crusher.
Also, watch this.
Adam Ondra climbs new 9a. Belayer totally hot.
Photo by © Julian Bückers / julian-bueckers.de
Adam Ondra won the bouldering World Cup in Munich on August 23, and was impressively the only climber to top out all four problems. It earned him a spotlight in the International World Games Association, which named him the Athlete of the Month.
His new route at the Flatanger Cave of Norway, The Illusionist (9a), is featured in a new internet spot that released this week from Petr Pavlicek at Bernartwood Films.
There are a number of things one might find interesting about this short film. For example, that scene when Ondra just hangs desperately off of the crux holds—unable to make another climbing move and instead just spends 45 seconds screaming his nappy little head off just to stay on the rock. Or what about that seemingly horrendous grounder into the talus that Ondra takes from off the crux? (Not to mention how the ever-bold Ondra seems to be in no way perturbed by this grounder.) Or how about how off-the-sickter-scale this Norway crag looks?! Or even the choice of wearing two different La Sportiva shoes …
There are just so many things to talk about!
Instead of all that, what I found most interesting/inspiring about this video is the Norwegian super-model holding the other end of the rope. This babelicious belayer gets more screen time than any other belayer in the history of climbing films, while she performs such exciting tasks as taking rope in and then paying the rope out. As Ondra climbs, Petr cuts to her again … And again. … And again. … You can see why …
The belayer, of course, isn’t just any old pretty face with a Grigri. She is the super-talented and strong pro climber Rannveig Aamodt. (And, in case you’re wondering—sorry, guys and/or girls—but she’s married.)
Good luck to Ondra next week in the Lead World Cup in Gijon, Spain, on September 8-14. Despite the fact that this isn’t a deep-water soloing competition—the only climbing format that makes any sense to us Americans—it’s safe to say that we Patriots will be still rooting for you!
Richard Branson’s son airlifted off Matterhorn
Playboy billionaire Richard Branson’s 29-year-old son, Sam Branson, got a bad bout of altitude sickness on the summit the Matterhorn during his charity climb for Virgin Strive Challenge and had to be rescued by his dad in a helicopter. Apparently the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Papa Branson wrote: ”Having experienced eight helicopter rescues myself, it clearly runs in the family.”
Doesn’t Branson know that you’re not supposed to brag about being rescued? Either way, homie should join the American Alpine Club for the rescue insurance alone.
Deadpoint Magazine asks: “Can Running Make You a Better Climber?”
Despite having not actually read the contents of this article, I’ll take a stab at answering the question.
No. No it can’t.
Gabri Moroni sends Underground (9a)
One of Italy’s strongest climbers sent one of his country’s sickest routes. This looks like a dream climb.
Eat More Fat, Less Carbs
The New York Times gives us the latest research on diet, overturning last week’s research that suggests you should eat more carbs and less fat.
Another reason not to go to Missouri …
The University of Missouri is renovating its student rec center and replacing an indoor climbing wall with a generic weight room. Student climbers are protesting the decision on a Facebook page: “Save the Mizzou Rec Rock Wall,” which is filled with dozens of truly incredible testimonials about the power and influence that climbing has had in these students’ lives.
Dan Hooley, a retired professor, said: “I said on the Facebook page that I can’t think of a facility at the rec that so changes lives as much as the climbing wall does. It really does engender a life-long pursuit of an activity that creates friendships that last years and years. That’s unique.”
I hope the MU administration figures out a solution—and it sounds like they’re at least open to ideas. This country really doesn’t need any more meatheads … Besides, rock climbing does your mind—and body—good.
Rock climbing does your mind—and body—good
See?
Seattle Climber Dies
Sad news coming from the Pacific Northwest. A 31-year-old climber died at Skaha when, according to a post on CascadeClimbers.com, he only clipped one strand of his rap rope into his belay/rappel device. Sobering reminder to triple check your rappel set up—and to always test it before you unclip from the anchors.
UPDATE: According to a comment below, the exact details of this accident are still unknown …
Climbing’s favorite couple show off their vansion
My good friends Jonathan Thesenga and Brittany Anne Griffith—JT and BAG—show off their rig in this cool video from Goal Zero. But the best part of this video, by far, is my dog’s little cameo.
Enormocast episode 64: Bill Ramsey and Dan Mirsky
Three of my favorites get together to rant and rave. This episode is not to be missed
This Week in Climbing may, or may not, appear every week.
This is the best Evening Sends post in the history of climbing.
I can’t believe they didn’t edit out that goddamned Brooklyn! That giant dog just tries to steal every scene!
Hahaha!
I’m a big fan of your work and have been following Evening Sends for years. I share your posts frequently as part of my job in outdoor marketing in fact. However, your report on the accident in Skaha is erroneous. The man who died tragically in a rappelling accident was a good friend of mine. Something did fail while he was on rappel, but no one knows exactly how it happened or where he was in relation to the rappel station. He could have gone off the end of the rope, lost his break hand, or, as you suggested, not clipped both strands into the rope. Your advice to always triple check your rappel is sound, however the assertion that you, or anyone, knows what actually happened is false. I ask you to please consider making a few changes to your post to honor both the facts of the story and his truly amazing legacy as a climber and outstanding human being.
Thanks for the information. I updated to reflect that the details are still unknown. My deep condolences for your friend …
Thank you. I really appreciate it.
sprayathon. But srsly, this is the best:
Enormocast episode 64: Bill Ramsey and Dan Mirsky
Approv
Wait! Didn’t Alex Puccio and Shauna Coxsey recently climb more hard boulders than the entire combined male population of the world? Or is that already old news / taken for granted?