2012 - Year of the Sweater

With the arrival of the new year, you can't help but think about what the previous year brought. Nobody can, it's just what happens. For me, looking back over the last year I feel a sense of satisfaction knowing that I accomplished so much. Let's recap:

Awesomeness in 2011

1. Got Married
2. Had a baby
3. Trained my ass off (making me realize what is possible and more importantly what is not)
4. Became addicted to photography
5. SLTS is going big!

I feel as if with all of these amazing things, 2011 was the year that I truly invested in myself. I am always the type to go minute to minute, day to day without giving much thought of what will happen in the future. This past year I not only started thinking about what was to come, I also became driven and motivated to make the most of it. Getting married and having a beautiful baby boy, Logan, is by far the highlight of my life. Everyday I am blown away by how amazing he is, and it is incredible to think that my wife and I created such an amazing baby. Even when he's crying and throwing up all over me, the thought of bringing him out to the crag, buying him his first pair of shoes, and watching him crush all of my projects with ease is so exciting!

I still plan on training whenever I can, however, with a new baby to take care of it makes it hard to stick to a regiment. With a disappointing finale on Pipe Dreams in October (I may have flailed and cried), I'm excited to get back on the horse, train hard and not only send my nemesis but also get on a lot of other amazing climbs that I've never even touched. There's so much rock out there and I want it all...

With photography I recently invested in myself a bit more by upgrading to a Canon EOS 7D! I am very excited about pushing forward with my photography and how it's going to open up opportunities for me. It's truly become an obsession! I find myself eager to learn much like a junkie in a dark back alley looking for his next fix. It's incredible to look at things with brand new eyes, imagining what it would look like through a lens. Even the most minuscule insignificant pillow can look amazing with the right lighting and perspective.

Finally, Slightly Less Than Sponsored chose to go big! Me and the crew have set our goals for the year which includes video, photos, interviews, travelling and much much more. Our sights are set on production, we're going to interview some of today's rising stars, travel to some of the sickest climbing spots in the country and document everything. We want to make SLTS a hub for the side of climbing that is lost in the wake of all of the madness. With today's elite flashing V15's and putting up grades that 5 years ago were thought to be impossible, our goal is to remind everyone of where we all started...less than sponsored. We hope you all enjoy what we have and we look forward to a great 2012!! Happy new year from the SLTS crew!

Oh and as for the post title, I recently fell back in love with sweaters. Throw one over a tank top and you're ready...for anything...

The Call of the Dirtbag

The Call of the Dirtbag

The climbing trip; That beacon of light at the end of every part time climbers tunnel. The holy grail many long to drink from, thirsting for an escape from modern life’s complexity. This ray of hope guides the thrill seeking adventurer though whatever mundane means of monetary compensation they spend their week slaving away at. Grinding the day away whilst the mind wanders to the warmth of the El Paso sun. Basking in that urge to plummet into the primal passion to push physical limits and heed the call of the wild that lingers in the soul.

In my travels, a couple weeks in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge is always preceded by 6 months of drooling anticipation. The purchase of pretty new ropes, sexy new draws, shoes to painstakingly break in, cams big enough to keep a gators mouth from closing on your head, and of course, a Thule rack to cram it all in. The email blasts that go ON and ON and ON clogging your inbox and distracting you from any actual work you probably should be doing. The creation of road trip mix to help you through the 30 hours of combined drive time to this middle of nowhere refuge of rock ecstasy. Let us not forget the chart mapping out the various pizza topping combinations you plan on sampling at Miguel’s this year and the cooler ready to be packed with AL8 ONE ginger ale and Kentucky Bourbon.

I have gone on the extended excursion to the Red River Gorge. Every trip reveling the days away through the endless overhanging sandstone the Red is renowned for. Every time returning with my mind stuck in an uncomfortable place that is the mut of woe and ecstasy. The trip always a success, but never nearly long enough to satiate my needs. The longing for more time climbing filling me with each passing mile on the long road back to Boston.

I recently flew to Salt Lake City to spend a long weekend in Utah’s gorgeous bouldering mecca, Joe’s Valley. I spent 4 days scrambling around sampling an array of boulders that I could spend a lifetime climbing. A LIFETIME!!! and I was there for 4 DAYS!!!! Such a measly fraction of what could truly be. At Joe’s camping is extremely simple and also extremely free. To top it off you can wake up, walk out of your tent, and get on the plethora of boulders that cover the entire valley. Also, did I mention camping was free? Like, as in, you pay zero monies for it. Zilch, nada, a big wonderful goose egg. Music to a dirtbags ears. On a serious note, always remember to adhere to leave no trace and not blow free camping for broke jokers like myself. Oh sweet climbing trip, how i dote on thee.

The problem for me seems that with the passing of each climbing trip the louder the call of dirt bag echoes through my soul.

“Come to me Boof” the Californian Buttermilk boulders whisper to me as I lie in bed staring at the ceiling. “Leave it all behind and I will sooth you with my embrace.”

I whisper back something about how I can’t, lying to myself, but losing my resolve with each reply.

The open road continues to call my name louder and louder through the monotony of each passing day. The simplicity of completely immersing myself in the world of climbing beckons to me like the flashing white stick figure of the crosswalk lamp. How can I resist the allure of temporarily freeing myself from the inevitable shackles of rent, utilities, traffic, work, and the other rigamarole that many of us pass each day slogging through. It’s like saying no to Buffalo Wings. I can resist at first but inevitably those delicious bits of spicy chicken are going to enter my mouth.

Don’t get me wrong, I live a good life and am happy with who and where I am. Life has treated me well and blessed me on so may levels. This does not stop that savage howl from piercing my soul, pleading with me to leave it all behind, hop in my car and dedicate my time and money to the perpetual search for the perfect climb. Spending each day concentrating on becoming the best that I can be in this discipline which I have come to cherish.

It’s hard to truly develop to my potential as a climber without taking this leap. If I truly wish to achieve reaching the pinnacle of my climbing ability. I MUST become totally immersed. The main focus of the day can only be on my development and this can not happen without first escaping from anything that may hinder this progress. The only logical outcome of this conundrum is to cease any useless resistance and allow the road to carry me away.

Picture this. It’s the crack of dawn as the sun breaks through the bug net of your tent. You roll off your crash pad, (as it does make for the greatest mattress one can find on the road) toss on your warm wonderful camp clothes, and pop out into the welcoming glow of the morning sun breaking over the horizon. First and foremost you get the water going for the coffee. You drink said coffee as the cresting suns warmth increases. Then you get the calories in for the thrashing that shall ensue, this morning we will crush some eggs and homefries (I LOVE to cook, especially camp stove style). Hop into your car and zip to the closely awaiting crag of your choosing (they all are so nice but you have ample time to try everything so you may as well throw a dart at a map of the area. You warm up slow, making sure to avoid injury (the demon that lurks and waits to strike the most devout dirtbag). You have no agenda. You climb every inspiring line you find and when the sun goes down you head home to OBLITERATE the 2000 calorie burrito you intend to make. Wash it all down with whichever spirit tickles your fancy (I’m a whiskey or beer man personally) and spend the remaining hours of post sleep reading, writing, or twiddling your damn thumbs, while huddled by the warmth of a fire.

That is the dream of every person who truly loves climbing. It gets NO better than that and my ability to resist this is waning away to nothing. I have a car. I have money saved up for a rainy day. I have other warriors who I am sure would tackle this adventure with the ferocity of a bengal tiger. Whats stopping me? What’s stopping us? The fear of change and the unknown can only hold me back for so long. I must follow intuition and overcome this fear, taking to the open road as the newly hatched turtle takes to the sea.

My life is really not as boring or awful as the above may suggest. However, when I compare my life to the perpetual dream of life as a climbing vagabond; it’s a no contest. One day I will transform into the road warrior on an epic quest to slay boulders and vanquish sport lines (hell i may even try out this trad climbing that all the true baddasses throw down on); living the dream of climbers of all ages. I will go to the Red for the whole fall or to Joe's for weeks on end, throwing myself around like a voracious and possessed rag doll. Each day the call grows louder and much like the protagonist pup in Jack London’s Call of the Wild, it’s only a matter of time before my innate impulses overrule all that keeps me from who I truly am at my core ( at this point I ask that you imagine the savage howl of a hungry wolf). See you on the road.

- BooF

Tales of an MC - Dark Horse 2

Another Dark Horse Competition is in the books. Last Saturday, November 5th was a new experience for me in a lot of ways. I've been MC'ing and setting for the Dark Horse Series since we started in 2009 but this was the first comp that we held in the new expansion in Everett. So sick!!!! It's like the area was built for big bouldering finals. With a ton of new volumes from Motivation, a new area to set in and a head full of ideas, the crew and I went to work. We got the foundations up quickly for almost all 8 finals problems. Within the next couple of days we had run and tweaked them down to some amazing boulders. All very unique, all unbelievably awesome. We had mono switches, very technical sloper moves, a crazy bat hang bicycle and a whole lot of big move mayhem...all on the most aesthetic set ups I have seen!

A look at the finals area (Photo by Pat Bagley)

The whole week leading up to the comp was filled with hard work, drama, laughter and an amazing amount of climbing. I feel like we came through in fine form with only one blowout among the crew (I think a record for a Dark Horse comp). With all of the madness leading up to a big competition like this one, there is always the anxiety of hoping everything will run smoothly. It plays a huge toll on your body physically and mentally. By Saturday we are all ready to crawl into a corner somewhere and sleep, but the show must go on.

We had over 120 competitors show up to throw down, we tried a new format for the citizen's portion where we staggered starting times for the pros and amateurs. This way the open competitors have an extra hour and a half in the bouldering area without huge crowds to narrow it down to the final six males and six females. It made for a little mini finals during that time, it even gathered a crowd watching some of the hardest qualifiers go down. After the citizen's round we again had the Young Guns Finals, these kids continue to amaze me and it's easy to see the future of climbing watching these kids throw down.

When the pro finals rolled around, everyone herded into the expansion and awaited the action. The feeling in the air was full of energy fueled by an amped up crowd.

The crowd from the view of the MC

When the microphone crapped out I thought the night would be a bust. All this anticipation leading up to the new expansion with tons of new volumes and some sick climbers. But I would not go silently into the night, I threw the mic down with a thud and continued to scream for an hour keeping the crowd pumped up and loud as hell. They did not disappoint and neither did the climbers. The finals did their job, spitting off some and provided moments of greatness throughout. Definitely a success, and regardless of a few set backs, it's hard to believe that the rapid growth of the Dark Horse Series will not continue. We'll continue to go bigger and better and provide a sick show for all. Thanks to everyone that came out to crush and support, without the fans, this would not be what it is...awesome!!!

Here is a video provided by the Louder Than 11 crew...

A Day Off @ Boston

How much fun can I have on a day off?

I asked myself this question late Sunday night after a grueling weekend of back to back double shifts totaling in 32 hrs of work in two days. Tomorrow was Monday, Columbus Day, I had the day off and I desperately needed a distraction to get my mind away from my last two double-shifts. 

I lay in bed trying to suss out my plan for tomorrow. I decided to try to cram in three of my favorite Boston activities: climbing, sailing and music. When I woke up around 1130a I was still groggy from some accumulative sleep debt and need to take a slow morning. I popped in a movie about the history of climbing in Yosemite, it passed the time while I snargled some breakfast and planned my day. First it would be to Hammond Pond (a local climbing area about a 20 minute bike ride away in Newton) with my Brother and friends, Ingy, Peggy, Addison, and Tom. From there I would bike to Charlestown for some sailing in The Harbor with MoWo and Gracy. 

Video: A Boston Climber's Journal: A Day Off @ Boston pt.1

From there I planned on trying to see some music. What ended up happening was Taco night @ MoWos. This was the bomb and such a nice way to relax after so much outside-ness. After Dinner I could not find a music option that I was super stoked on so I gave my buddy "All the Nicolaides" a call, if there was good music in Boston he would know where it was going down. Instead of music he invited me to the climbing gym, with him and Flan (one of my roommates and friend). We did some mellow topdogging linking up easy climbs just to get some movement in. Then we settle on attempting the brand spanking new obstacle course. This was fantastic and many of the obstacles were a fun challenge. Next we did some fun campusing shenanigans that got us giggling and having fun. The night ended at around 230a with some car packing Tetris(R) followed by some chinese food. Most of the events, I attempted to document with my new GoPro camera and "Thunder Gun" into a video.

Video:* A Boston Climber's Journal: A Day Off @ Boston pt.2

-Jeb, out-

*Note the footage from pt. 2 is filmed at a much later date.

The Grampians Part II

Well, its been a while since I dabbled the keys on the computer and put down some thoughts here... and a lot has happened since then. Mainly an awesome 3 month climbing trip covering West to East of the good ol' U.S. of A.

However this little entry is getting into the loving and wonderful area know as the Grampians. The Last time I was there was well over a year ago, with the always amazing Bryan Rafferty, and the good quality Jamie Dreads. My ultimate goal is to get myself inspired again by climbing as it has been lacking of late. the Plan came about a little over 2 weeks ago when one of the boys I work with and I were chatting about how we have some climbs that we want to crush. Anyway, the trip was planned, and those few climbs have now turned into an Epic list of awesome bouldering problems, ranging from v4 to v7 for myself anyway. All of the climbs that we have selected are some of the classics in the Grampians, all getting at least a one star rating, pushing all the way through to 4 star v4s and 5s.

In total there are around 11 climbs that I would love to 'tick' if you like, realistically if I can get half of these I am going to one happy little Aussie. If anything this trip will calm my itchy little feet from the travel bug for a short while, and hopefully get me in the mood again for some Climbing.

Stay tuned for the follow up to Grampians part II, and who knows... I may just be seeing you soon. Did anyone say Dark Horse Finals???

Back on the Pipe

So after 6 months of staying off of the Pipe, on October 16th I broke down. I couldn't handle being off of it any more, the wait was over. I could hear it taunting me, "Get back on the pipe Raff, you know you want to..." And I'm sad to say that I couldn't say no...

I hope you all know I am talking about the boulder problem Pipe Dreams in Farley. For the past 10 months I've been training and climbing with the sole intention of going out to Farley and taking down my nemesis. In the last 8 months I've dropped 20 pounds, been training like a madman, and just waiting for the conditions to be right for the send. The humidity of summer finally passed, and for once it didn't rain on a Sunday. It was a now or never situation considering my wife is ready to give birth at any moment and who knows when I'd be able to make it out again. I wanted to have maximum friction so I left at an ungodly hour in the morning, picked up Alex Enright and headed west. 

The ride out was full of friendly banter about music, climbing videos, upcoming comps and climbs we're psyched on after Pipe Dreams! Finlay (aka. Crag Demon) was crammed in a 1'x2' space between the door and three pads shoved in the back seat of my 'Coroya'. Every now and again she would try to break free into the front seat taking the path of most resistance in between Alex's shoulder and seat belt. But after a few girlish screams and some hard elbows, Finlay was back where she belonged. We continued our journey and our discussions of how after the epic send we'd run up to Stereogram and blow our tendons out on the tremendous pile of hurt (different story all together). One and a half hours never seemed so long, maybe it was because it felt like 3 in the morning, the sun was barely up and the coffee hadn't kicked in yet. But before we knew it, we were in the old parking lot, throwing way too much in our pads, watching Finlay taking a steamer on a nearby bush and heading down the path.

The path to Pipe Dreams

After getting attacked by the local gang of miniature yipping dogs, we arrived at the warm up boulders at the base of the hill where the crest of Pipe Dreams can be seen. Warm ups were excruciatingly long but necessary, I was achy and sluggish. For the first moment I thought, wow I may not be ready for this. Finlay of course found some mud to lie down in and a tree to carry around with her in hopes that we'd be able to spend the day playing fetch rather than doing anything that we wanted to do. Next thing I know, I was chalking up the holds, ticking microbeta that I remembered clear as day and sitting on the pads at the base of the wondrous wave of rock that I had learned to hate and love so much. Now or never...

Keep in mind that everyone has good and bad days, you could be crushing one day and struggling up your warm ups the next. It happens to us all. Maybe it was the expectations that I was going to send first go, the amount of psychtitude (it's a word) that I've been building for the last six months, the gorgeous morning, the bagel with Nutella that was so damn good, or maybe it was the winds of fate. Maybe I should've trained harder on standing on nothing because that's what that f*@#ing foot felt like. I cruised through the bottom crux without wincing and made it to my personal crux every damn time, standing on that high foot and bumping right hand into the slopey side rail seemed to be anything but possible for me that day. I wasn't tired, I wasn't hungry, I wasn't even annoyed with Finlay, I just couldn't purchase on the foot that's been giving me trouble for 10 months. What can you do? There would be no send that day...

Am I frustrated? Yes. Am I angry with the world? I had my moment, I'm not going to lie. My goal was to send Pipe Dreams before my baby boy is born and that will happen before the end of the weekend. I'm going to be a dad by Halloween and that makes me smile. Three things come to mind when I think about my epic journey to send Pipe Dreams:

1. Pipe Dreams will always be there, and I will send it one day
2. That's climbing - it's what I love about this sport, you have to work hard and accept your failures as much as you bask in your accomplishments
3. I am going to be holding my son Logan on Sunday instead of driving west to Farley and I couldn't be happier

For those that are curious, we did walk up to Stereogram and decided that it was a no-go kinda day. So we headed over to Pterodactyl so Alex could try the sit start variation, and we ended up with a few great pics:

 Me on the last move from the stand of Pterodactyl V8

Alex halfway through the sit start variation of Pterodactyl Sit (V11)

More to come...

How the West was Won

I have a confession.... I'm cheating on climbing. It's selfish I know, but it's only for three or four months at a time and anyways, climbing is such an attention whore these days that I doubt I'm missed too much. Besides, this is not some flirtation.

Skiing and I have been quite serious since about the time I became legal... at least that's when it became enjoyable. Anyway, if not for skiing chances are I would have never been introduced to climbing.

Here's how it happened.

As mentioned, I grew up skiing. Family vacations to Vermont have been a regular thing since as long as I can remember. Then in college I founded the Ski-n-Board Club mostly as a way for my friends and I to get the student government to fund some trips up to the mountains. Then it happened, my senior year in college I went out to Crested Butte, Colorado with some friends for a week long ski trip. This was my first trip out west and it was amazing... Colorado anyway.

The trip itself sucked. If you haven't experienced altitude sickness, I suggest you don't. I've developed the AAAAA system as a means for people to remember the ways to avoid it/ speed their recovery:

Avoid going from sea level directly to an elevation of 12,162 feet.
Avoid hydrating yourself with beer and mixed drinks.

Avoid sleeping in double beds with three or more people- rest is key.

Avoid bull-riding. You never look as sexy in the act as you imagine anyway.

Avoid increasing altitude, including chairlift rides up 2,775 feet worth of elevation gain.

Don't make my mistakes.

Had I been fortunate enough to hear about AAAAA before my trip I could have avoided the many ailments of altitude sickness including but not limited to exhaustion, headaches, nausea and vomiting. Plagued the entire duration of my trip I am left with some truly classic memories of blue sky days, powder turns and puking slope side at least twice a run.

Also, though not documented, I'm fairly certain another symptom of altitude sickness is a friend will hook up with a guy you're really into in the living room while you're laying in bed.

Needless to say I wasn't my usual, charming self. While in town getting groceries my friend Greg picked up a box of a medication called Altitude Adjuster and suggested I give it a try. In the bustle of bagging groceries I glanced at the label. My face instantly heated and I snapped, "FUCK YOU GREG!" Startled, Greg slowly pointed to the box and underlined the title with his finger encouraging me to read along.... clearly I did need an attitude adjustment.

After all, I was on spring break in Crested Butte, Colorado with good friends, amazing snow and blue skies ... plus I had lost at least five pounds.

Long story, short, after all of this, that trip changed my life... I knew where I needed to be. After graduation I landed an AmeriCorps position and moved out to Boulder for skiing and adventure. During this time I met my dear friend and roommate Mary, a phenomenal climber who shared her passion for the sport with me... and it's all history from there.

Four years later I found myself back at Crested Butte, only this time during the early summer for the bouldering at Skyland Boulders- a tucked away playground where climbers are energized by light playing in the bright greens and whites of a thick Aspen grove and the wind bringing the trees to life.

As for my tumultuous relationship, I'll sit the two down one of these days and come clean, but until then... what's that rule about different area codes?

SLTS of the Future

New things are taking off at Slightly Less than Sponsored. First off, we're in the process of finalizing our new website that we'll be launching in the next couple of weeks. We're all really excited about it! It will allow us all to express our own individuality by each having our own pages linked directly to SLTS Homepage! You'll see what I mean. Get ready for photos, videos, climbing trips, shenanigans, etc.

Second, we have a new logo...

Yeah, I know, it's nothing too special but it's my first go at creating a logo. I'm sure it will be updated in the near future. 

Third, we are on Facebook! That's right, right in the face...

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Slightly-Less-Than-Sponsored/214804258583717

Make sure you get over their and "Like" us so we can start building this thing bigger and better. The posts will keep coming, we'll keep on talking about our passions and the ridiculousness that we experience on the day by day.

Fourth, we have new faces joining us. Matt Arsenault - a climber and surfer with wavy golden hair you can get lost in, is joining the crew. Look forward to his posts, they're sure to be enjoyable.

As we're moving into this new phase of what we're hoping will bring joy to the masses, your support is undeniably important to us. We don't ask for anything but that you spread the word and follow our mishaps and adventures on our blog. Thank you all so much and we're looking forward to this next step. Peace!!

- The SLTS Crew

Life Imitates Art

You know what hasn't been updated lately? This blog. The honorable, attractive, rag-tag group of mediocre climbers are certainly a busy bunch. Now don't get me wrong here, you know this blog means the world to us! It's just, you know, life can get in the way. So it's with this half-almost-sorta-apology for our absence that I dive back into the blogosphere, with a renewed commitment to the cause.

There's a good lesson to draw from our temporary lull though, and that's what I'd like to write about in this post.

Life can get in the way.

Even the most dedicated climbers can get distracted with all the million details of the day-to-day and lose sight of their goals.

I'm probably not the most dedicated climber in the world. I love this sport with the passion of a thousand suns, but over the past few months I've made less time than normal to feed my climbing addiction. I've been cycling, traveling, socializing, and trying to do a decent job in the workplace. As a result, my strength and endurance are a little low. But with the (slowly) sinking temperatures and brilliant fall sunshine, the clouds of distraction have lifted and the psych is back.

Full blown.

And Climbing, that beautiful beast of a sport, has been there waiting for me this whole time. She's certainly not sympathetic-spitting me off of easy moves with no remorse-but she's not one to hold a grudge either. I'm hoping that a stout training regimen will help me find my way back to her good graces, like a wayward child regaining the approval of their parents. If I mind my P's and Q's, perhaps I'll be in good enough shape by the time Dark Horse rolls around to avoid making a complete fool of myself.

This post has been very Katie-centric, focusing on my personal experiences, but I know I'm not the only one in this boat. For the contributors of this blog and many readers as well, climbing isn't just a way to get fit and meet good looking people. It's a lifelong passion. We're allowed to get distracted, goof around, and then return when the time is right. So here's to getting back on track!

Sylvester Stallone @ Rumney this Sunday

This Sunday (the 24th) SLTS is teaming up with Fake Disco Threads (http://bit.ly/FakDis) to capture an average climber's typical day in the woods... only now, our adventures are paired with a sick soundtrack, high definition and zooming capabilities to emphasize our amazing guns.

Come partake in edge of your seat action.. documenting what having fun in the woods is all about... playing hard, dirty language and SPF 8. It'll look something like this I'm sure...

(playing the part of Stallone will be SLTS's very own Bryan Rafferty)

We'll be heading up to Rumney in the am and seeing where the day takes us. Come find us and be a part of our day.... it's definitely the best option available to you this Sunday.

See you there!

High Kicks in Small Spaces

Climbing is known for being rough and tumble. My mom called me a hooligan the other day when she saw the scabs on my elbow, I have poison ivy all over my ankles from last weekend's adventure, my shins are permanently scared and I don't even bother with nail polish anymore. Whether you climb indoor or out, on ropes or without, you'll take a beating.

So for a sport that absolutely rips through my wardrobe I struggle rationalizing spending top dollar on the latest apparel. Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate how sweet my butt looks in a pair of lululemon yoga pants, but come on, let's face it, it looks equally fantastic in a pair of Old Navy yoga pants (see exhibit 1 for comparison).


Exhibit 1.


As this examination has proven, it is silly to spend excessive money on clothing for climbing. (unless a company's got an incredible return policy, like Patagonia or REI (return every item), or if they are designed to take a beating like Carhartt.)

The solution? Well, I'm a big fan of Goodwill and Savers. I think a good pair of used dungarees goes a long way... plus there are aisles of them for you to choose from. Once you select a few candidates, all you have to do is test them out. In a fitting room I would suggest practicing a few high kicks to simulate heel hooking. You want to make sure the waist is flexible enough to allow for ample flexibility and movement, but restricted enough to prevent plumber butt. Also, keep in mind that jeans these days are designed to stretch- make sure to jog in place to test their elasticity.

Plus, in the warmer months an added bonus to buying previously owned jeans is the ability to turn them into shorts sans remorse... heads up though, don't cut them too short or you'll be experiencing some awkward riding up issues.


In case there is any question, I've put together the following proof:

Mathematical Proof- If smart is sexy and you're smart for saving money on clothes that serve the same purpose and keep you looking sexy, then I'm pretty sure that makes you sexy².

The excitement of a trip

So my friends, it has begun.....

the three month journey across this country called America. My 'climbing' trip. Now I put climbing into this title loosely, however I feel like it is still going to be epic. Like all trips climbing or anything else for that matter, it all begins with the planning of everything. I have had this trip booked for almost six months now, however don't really have too much planned. I have kind of time frames and areas that I would like to be and when, but that's about it. I am going to be visiting people as I go, trying to talk them into a little weekender trip, or more. California is the first port of call, Keith Share is the person joining me on the first leg. Now when you think Cali, you think Sunshine, Yosemite, Bishop, etc etc etc Sunshine is my first though. However, apparently there is a 40 to 60% chance of rain over the weekend.... boo to that.... big time, no matter I am sure that we will find something to climb that isnt covered in rain.

Next on the agenda is Portland Oregon, Smith rock to be a little more precise, Sarah Harmon the one, being magnificent. Colorado is gonna get snuck in there as well. A mid trip non climbing Ohioan wedding will be there to break and shake things up a bit. Then the one we have all been waiting for..... Boston!!!! (crowd goes wild) (goes wild I said (shakes fist at reader)) All of these places are going to be amazing and I really can't wait to get to each new spot, however not wanting to take away from the trip ahead of it.

Anyway, 'planning' is usually first, then comes the packing. three months is a reasonable length of time for a trip especially when you have to try and fit your life into a 90L pack, with a 40L day pack. the excitement really builds when you have everything laid out in front of you. your tent, Sleeping bag and thermorest, stove, pots and pans, clothes and alike, and lets not forget the climbing gear too. you look at it all and think, "How the hell am I going to get all that stuff into these two bags?" Tetris is now the aim of the game.... a few things get sacrificed and dont make the cut. All this is helped along a little by the fact that I had my car stolen with quite a bit of gear that was going to be coming along...fuck you who ever stole and torched my car..

sorry, side tracked there a little. any way. Planning, then packing, then all of a sudden after the months and months saving, You are at the aeroporto at 5 in the morning to catch your first flight... Sydney to LA is around 14 or 15 hours.... you should try it some time within the next year when you come and visit me in Australia, think of this as your little guide to it all. No stolen cars though, that sucks.

So here I am now, midnight on Wednesday, after about 30 hours of transit, awaiting the excitement of what is to come. I hope to see you somewhere in this wild country people.
you show me around here, and when you get over to the Down Under, I will gladly show you what we have to offer up!

Learn the Ethics

The rock climbing community has to be one of the most awesome communities I have ever been a part of. People who think like mindedly about each other, who care about their actions, and try their best to respect the environment. After all, the environment is our playground. If we don’t respect our climbing areas then they could soon disappear. With the massive influx of rock climbers entering the community, due to rock climbing’s accessibility, I feel the community is beginning to become displaced in its ideas of maybe the most important part of cragging… ETHIICS!

The climbing gyms of America are breeding climbers who don’t have the first idea about crag ethics. Time and time again I go to popular crags and watch sport climbers, belay improperly, back clip quick draws, top rope through the anchors, or monopolize routes. This is the equivalent at screaming during someone’s back swing in golf. SWING GOLFER GOLFER GOLFER!?!?!!?!?!?!?! I don’t expect these skills to be known or even to be something you could necessarily read about, but you certainly should learn the ethics of the crags you are at. At some locations it may be kosher to top rope on the anchors. In others, monopolizing routes may be the correct edict. The fact of the matter is that for many new outdoor climbers these ideas aren’t even on their radar. Why?

The why is the part that scares me most about the futures of rock climbing and our crags? The gyms certainly aren’t stressing ethics. They are just moneymaking pleasure feeding machines. People who are “gym rats” do not give a flying dung muffin about ethics outdoors. Why would they? They have no need too; there are no environmental or social impacts when climbing at the gym. But when they make that transition to outdoor climbing with the same “I don’t give a shit, I’m just here to rock climb,” mentality it becomes a major problem. I feel there are really only two avenues available for climbers to enter outdoor climbing with respect to the crags and its climbers.

There is the peer method. Experience climbers who take “gumbies” climbing with them, teaching them ethics and know-how as they begin their outdoor climbing experience. Instilling these ethics as just another part of outdoor adventure and climbing. “That is a copperhead… it is poisonous… NO, don’t touch it… (Grumbling) stupid gumbies.” The major problem with this is not all new climbers know experienced climbers, and there are many that don’t care to. The same goes for the veterans. They may not want the responsibility of taking a “newbie” out climbing. The only alternative method, to learning an area’s ethics, is to read, to communicate, and spend time with the locals of a specific area or the crag.

I’ll give you an example. When I began rock climbing outdoors I had no idea what to expect. I knew there was no sport climbing in CT, the land of Ken Nichols, but everyone at the gym said there was tons of toproping. Before I bought a single piece of gear I had purchased the Climbing CT guidebook and read it cover to cover. This, while giving me a baseline, didn’t even begin to cover the cluster fuck that is climbing ethics in CT. While I did all the important stuff right, building anchors in the proper spots for routes, tying anchors to trees and walking off instead of repelling (all things mentioned in the book), I was in no position to understand why there were no bolt anchors. The same always baffled me about the incredibility long hike into Main cliff at Ragged Mountain that the book described. When in fact there was a shorter route.

Ragged Mountian Map (Notice the incredibly long walk)

I later found out that Ken Nichols, who had a whole ton of first ascents in CT, did almost all of them without fixed protection, and he intended the area to stay “pure.” As for the hike, well the short hike crosses private property. The landowners are ok with the locals using it, but they didn’t want the ever-exploding climbing community to be waking though their yards on a daily basis, quite understandable.

Notorious bolt chopping asshole

Another quick example is the climbing in VT. The administrators of their access group called Crag-VT operate more in secrecy then anything else. They have access issues with almost all of their crags, and they are quoted as saying “There will never be a guide book to VT.” This ethic allows them to keep the crowds away and keeps the crags open for the locals. The only people who climb there are people who have learned about the climbing by word of mouth. They have taken the peer approach to ensuring that their crags will be kept safe and clean.

The total opposite is an area like the Red River Gorge, where almost everything is bolted and documented down to the last tree. This area is breeding accidents and has seen a higher increase in the amount of climbing accidents in the recent years then almost any other area. Not to mention the blatant disregard of ethics has lead to the closures and restrictions placed on Torrent Falls, Muir Valley, and most recently Road Side Crag ( Road Side Closure Info ).

Torrent Falls Red River Gorge KY

The only thing that is for certain is for better or worse this sport is becoming mainstream, and the crowds are only going to get worse. So please learn the proper way to respect crags, teach others of your knowledge, listen to the locals, and don’t ever assume you are always right. Keep our crags and areas open and clean for others.

Top 5 Pick Up Lines/Strategies for the Climbing Gym

Lets be honest, the climbing gym is a place full of attractive folks. You could let this intimidate you (so…many…abs) or you could roll with it. If you choose the latter, this blog post is for you! A handy guide to the best and most effective pick up strategies at the gym.

1. "Can you spot me?"

Translation: can you stop what you're doing and look at my backside right now? This is especially effective when you're getting on a climb that you know you can send easily.

2. "Nice beta on that move, I'm going to try it!"

Translation: I really enjoy watching your muscles while you climb, but I need an excuse to be staring so intently. Alright got it, I can pretend like I am studying your beta. Yeah, thats it.

3. The pen pal strategy

This one has a few steps, but putting in the time up front can pay dividends later. First: set a route or boulder problem. Next: name the problem with a targeted pick up line for your person of interest. Last: hope that they see it and respond favorably. You may laugh, but this method has a proven track record. You know who you are.

4. Take off your shirt

There aren't many places in Boston where you can get away with taking off your shirt in public. At the gym, its totally normal to be like "oh wow I am soooo hot from all this climbing, oops there goes my shirt LOL". This is to be used as the checkmate move at the end of the night.

*Alternate beta. If you've spent the winter feasting on post climbing burritos and beers, you might not be quite ready to show off the goods under the hood. Fortunately, there is another strategy. Just wear zip-off pants and sensually turn them into shorts. Oh yeahhhhh look at my awesome calves. Be sure to make a scene of the unzipping.

5. Post climbing ab workout.

Ending a climbing session with an ab workout can be great from a fitness perspective, and even greater as a pickup strategy. Here's your chance to impress your special someone by proving that you can do more inverted twisted crunches than they can. You could say that ab workouts aren't always competitive, but you would be wrong.

Well, that's about all the advice I have for today. Best of luck out there, ladies and gentlemen and remember: The couple that belays together stays together.

Passion is a Habit

Throughout my life there have been a few things that have "come" to me and changed my perspective on life. One is climbing, nothing has transformed my view of the world so drastically, enough to change the course of my very existence. Little back story...for this we're going to go back to the golden year of 2001. What a year, GW was our new president, Harry Potter made his way into the theaters (and our hearts), Britney Spears established herself as a pop culture icon, and Bryan Rafferty topped out at 265lbs. Wait...what?! Yeah, 10 years ago I weighed 265lbs of unmotivated laziness. My glorious sunny weekends were not spent at the crag but scratching my crack while drinking a slightly cool Milwaukee's Best Ice...ok it was piss warm but hardly the point. In steps Andy Brower, now best friend, and roommate at the time. Andy was one of those, how do I put this, jack of all trades types that could crawl off the couch and kick your ass at almost anything if you dared challenge him.

Andy and I after one of many marathons that he runs without really training for...douche...

Anywho, his goal was to get me motivated to stop being as he put it, "the fat kid that shouldn't be fat." So one day Andy drags me up the hill of our campus to the rec center, and gets me to traverse along the bottom of our school's half assed woody and do a bit of bouldering (mainly because I was scared to death to go above 10 feet - rope or no rope). The beginning of the end, it's amazing that the 25ft high woody acted as my temple and sanctuary for the remainder of my years in school. Since then climbing has become my passion, my sanity and what has helped me find myself in the dark. I've dropped 85 pounds and have made climbing my life. I do not see myself going back anytime soon.

The second is a little book known as "The Symbol"...hahahaha just kidding. I'd like to say that it is something magically ridiculous but inspiration doesn't always work like that. I found the second on a whim, the intrigue had always been building, the means and motivation were not always there however. Once I got the news that I was going to be a father, the decision was simple. I wanted to document as much of my child's life as I possibly could and make it look good. Desire turned into reality when I bought my first D-SLR, what I'm talking about of course is photography, granted this is something very new to me but I have that good old fashioned feeling again, that tingling inside that gets you excited for that next fix. And more importantly than that, it complements climbing beautifully. I find myself absorbing as much as I can when I can, examining photographs and thinking about how that moment was captured in time. I started to analyze what I never would have considered when viewing a photograph; lighting, depth of field, colors, it's mind blowing!!! So this blog post is a way for me to share some of my favorites. They are not very good and by no way anything special, but when I see them I smile and find a small sense of pride. So I share them with you all:

Jamie 'Dreads' Anacleto - my first bout with photoshop and remote flashes. Love this photo...

Boof's eyeball through the sign 

Black and white adds such an amazing feel to photos 

Color is pretty cool too though 

Hehehe...Noah...having fun with the stink eye 

My first sunset shot, the shot I took two minutes earlier looked like shit, made me realize how timing and lighting play such a huge part in a photo 

Josh Larson on something hard! Photoshopped to shit but 

the angles and shadows were what I was focusing on

So there you have it, my newest venture, diving into the world of photography. I welcome feedback from you photogs out there because in all honesty I have no idea what I'm doing. But I know that it makes me smile to think about where I can take it and how great it feels to point and shoot. Hope you all enjoy the first batch, hopefully there will be more to come.

Cheers,

Raff

PS. Baby pics coming October 2011 :)

Too Many Puppies are Just Like Me!

This is a story purely about my experience so here is the disclaimer about this post's content.

The following story is totally about me, for me, and by me. If you don't care for me, you should stop reading abruptly. I originally wanted to tie this into some sort of message for everyone, but since I couldn't find any, I'm just going to write my story about me. So shut up and deal with it.

For the last 4 years I have been attempting to climb my first 5.12. It started on a trip to Red River Gorge with a few of my friends in 2008. After a 7 day climbing trip, I finally felt that my sport skills had progressed to the point where I could send a 5.12. So I picked out a climb in the guidebook and started working. Unfortunately for me I settled on a climb called, "Too Many Puppies." Named after a Primus song and bolted by the famous Porter Jarrard, I feel as if I might have made a mistake.


Making the last clip before the final boulder problem.


That first year I chuffed the crap out of that climb, stringing together only 2 bolts on my first attempt. These two bolts being the rest section that now feels like 5.10a/bish. During that first attempt I was so weak, I couldn't even finish the final boulder problem.


The second boulder problem and difficulty crux.

Fast-forward another year. I had had a rough winter with school and work, not done much training, but I was psyched to try again. I tired every easy 5.12a in the Red that year with no avail and I finally made it back to Too Many Puppies on the last day of the trip. I decided that this climb wouldn't beat me again no matter what. Well it beat me again. I managed to string a few more clips together, but again the top boulder problem reigned supreme and spat me off the top 6-8 times. If you haven't done this climb before then you should know you have to pull the last boulder problem to make the final clip, which is at your shins. So 6-8 times I took that 30 footer, down down down the route. 5.12, clearly, was still not in my cards. As I finally pulled the move and whimpered my way up to the chains I felt better for finishing the route this time, but it wasn't enough.

It is important to note that I am mostly a trad climber. I don't often climb sport. I really enjoy the trad climbing in the Northeast and don't often work on climbing the difficult sport in the area. I like to climb stuff that scares me and is beautiful. But Too Many Puppies needed to be done.



The last move of the second boulder problem.

Year three. Back to the Red again. 5.12 still on the brain. Spring 2010 was a bad few months for Jay. I was working 20+ hours a week, taking a full course load (including my senior project and the hardest of the Computer Science courses at NU) and working 10ish hours a week at Metrorock. I didn't climb for almost 3 weeks before the trip. I hadn't trained all winter. I lost my voice and got sick 2 days before the trip. No matter I was going to send that Fucken climb. I went to KY with one quest in mind 5.12!!!!!!!!!!! I again attempted a few of the 12a's in the Red without success, but I wasn't really after them. I wanted to crush Too Many Puppies. I took a rest day on the day before last. (Honestly I was just to dam sick to climb) I slept at the crag all day and tried no to cough my lungs out of my body. Finally, on the last day, I decided it was now or never. I warmed up and stayed away from Wild Yet Tasty, maybe the easiest 5.12a in the Red. It was likely that I would have sent that, but I didn't care. I needed to climb Too Many Puppies. Just at the other end of the wall loomed the ominous Arete, with its three boulder problems stacked on each other. Too Many Puppies are being shot in the dark. I had to put a stop to this obsession. I tried the climb again. I fell off the second boulder problem, but lowered and went from the start. I made it up to the final bolt before the top boulder problem. There I was just to pumped to continue. I grabbed the draw (Mendongza style) and clipped the rope. This was my best run on the climb to date. I rested and finished the top boulder problem and clipped the chains 1 hanging the route. I was ecstatic, but this still wasn't enough. Too Many Puppies are trained to kill. The trip ended 5.12 still hadn't happened, but worse there were just TOO MANY FUCKEN PUPPIES!!!!!!!


The only rest on the route... right before the final boulder problem.

Year: 4 (Last week) Goal: "Too Many Puppies." This year when I got to RRG I had only faced one set back in the last year, for a change. I broke my humorous around Xmas and wasn't able to climb for 3 months. No matter though I still had a month to recover. Finally, the trip came. We stopped in the New for a couple of days, then on to RRG. A good warm up I suppose. We spent the next few days climbing over hung climbs to stay out of the rain. Finally on Thursday the weather cleared up and "Too Many Puppies" was in the forecast. We warmed up at Military Wall then hiked to Left Flank. Jeb hung the draws on "Too Many Puppies" and we began to work the route. Too Many Puppies with guns in their hands. On my final burn of that day I had the bottom two boulder problems wired and made it 90% of the way through the top boulder problem, which I believe to be the redpoint crux. I felt accomplished. The next day I would send this climb!

When the next day came, I was so sore; sitting up in bed was a challenge. No matter back to the project. We dropped the size of our climbing entourage that day to just my car, Jay, Jeb, Shay, and Justin. We spent all morning warming up on the climb to the left of "Too Many Puppies." This climb is a slabby and then overhung 10, called "To Defy the Laws of Tradition," another Primus song. That Porter Jarrard always had great names for his routes. After putting one send attempt down, in which I made it one hold further in the top boulder problem. Then all hell broke loose. I decided to take a nap to wait for the sun to warm the climb. 3 hours later I couldn't even do the bottom boulder problem off the ground. I was so pissed. I ripped my shoes off and threw them in the dirt. My fingers were getting bare from so many attempts on the sharp crimpy holds. I was so mad I could scream… and I did. Too Many Puppies are trained not to bark at the sight of blood that must be spilled, so we may maintain our oil fields.

Jeb then promptly jumped on the route and sent the climb!!!! You would think this would inspire me, but for some reason it sent me for a loop. I became even more discouraged. I wasn't sure if I could ever send this climb. It had bested me so many times. Clearly, just Too Many FUCKEN PUPPIES!!!!!!


The fallen.

That night I got drunk at Miguel's, wallowing in my own sorrows and drinking what I had expected to be my victory beers. I decided to call it a night and passed out early. The next day, I woke up and had to go back to get my draws off Too Many Puppies, so I could climb somewhere else. Shay, with the promise of not having to return to Left Flank ever again after this, came with me. I decided that this was my last chance this season and I would give it one more burn. After warming up, I flew through the bottom two boulder problems without issue or even pump. I felt great. When I got to the only rest on the climb I felt like I was able to get back to about 90%, then I began to fire the top boulder problem. I pulled straight passed the moves that had given me problems in the past. Then I fired the crux move to the right-handed undercling in the ceiling. The end was so near. There was only one puppy (hard move) left to go. I heel hook matched my left hand for balance on the arete and fired my left hand for the jug on the ceiling and as I did my heel popped. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO……. FUCK!!!!!!!! I screamed as I fell the 30 feet to the end of the rope. So close. So close…. SO CLOSE. I was ready to pull back up the climb, do the top, and take my draws when Shay convinced me to try one final time. She had been at the bottom of that climb taking pictures and belaying for me for 3 days. I owed her one final go. So I lowered, rested for about 10 minutes and went again. Same result, I fired through the bottom crux and up to the rest. I felt like I was able to get back to about 90% again. Then I began to fire the top boulder problem this time I acquired the undercling on the ceiling with a little more ease. I then jammed the crap out of my heel onto the crimp rail to match my left hand. Then up into the ceiling, as my fingers closed around the jug… I knew it was over. I brought my feet back under me pulled to the final jug and clipped the shunts!!!!!! FUCK YA!!!!! I screamed as I let go of the final jug and hung on the anchors. Too Many Puppies are just like me!

Overall I wouldn’t have traded the work or experience for anything.

There were Good Attempts:


There were Bad Attempts:


And at least one Funny Attempt:


Too Many Puppies was my climbing grail for many years and my motivation to break into the next level. 4 years of trying and failing, a quest I never want to be on again, and my first 5.12, finally, done. Watch out Red River Gorge. You are now in my sights. Now there are no longer "Too Many Puppies" just to many classic 12's in the Red to be climbed in a lifetime.