Monday, August 5, 2013
Smugg's Video
In our first video in over two months, the crew travels to Smuggler's Notch. Possibly one of New England's most underutilized bouldering areas, classics litter this beautiful location tucked away in Vermont. On a weekend in July, Smuggs can be the perfect summer location as temps usually range up to 20 degrees cooler than at other crags.
Not convinced yet? Check out all the classics we got to get on during our weekend trip up the notch. Biscuit, Pacman, Boomerang, Nemesis, Little Cottonwood, The Roots, and Tomes Roof are included. Holy schist!!
Thursday, May 16, 2013
High Five Bouldering
New LTS video!!!! This new installment features 3 New England bouldering hotspots and 5 classic boulders. Enjoy!
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Lincoln Woods - Part Deux
Our newest video of 5 climbs at Lincoln Woods in RI. Lincoln Woods has been rekindled for me over the past couple of months. After climbing there a ton 6 or 7 years ago, it got a bit stale for me and I quickly started looking for some other locations in the area. It wasn't until Chris and Alex (newcomers to LTS) made there way down there and got psyched. Immediately I began to think of all the climbs that I hadn't done but wish that I had. As soon as I pulled into the parking lot I became reminiscent of a past that I let slip away. Psyched to be getting back to this area and ticking off some of the projects that I had once thought to be beyond me. Excited for more to come!
Monday, March 25, 2013
ARP Video - Pawtuckaway, NH
Alex gets some sendage out at P-Way! Short video but nonetheless fun to put together. Really psyched about the amount of footage we're getting. Hope you all enjoy and as always we welcome feedback and requests.
Cheers,
The LTS Crew
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Chalk Bags and Diaper Bags
Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think my climbing days would be filled with so many Pack 'n Plays, cloth diapers and little hugs. Back in my early twenties they consisted of chalk bags, crash pads, tape and hangover remedies. Now it's all about the juggle and prep. Being a climbing/working Mom means knowing that simple jaunts to the crag or quick sessions in the gym are now replaced with tons of packing, layering, set up and timing. Even when you get a rare opportunity to climb without children you're still always thinking about them and checking in to see how things are going. To some that sounds dreadful, but to share our passion with our children I wouldn't trade it for anything (except maybe some new Sportiva Solutions jk...kind of).
As a young twenty year old, climbing was in and out of my life when I felt like it. Then when I had my daughter, who is now 7, time and passions became different. As soon as she showed interest at the age of 3, I threw her in a harness and got her on the wall. She did great from the get go and from then on it was something we shared. With her it was easy because she was older and loved just being in the gym with all the attention she got (such a ham). My husband and I started taking her climbing outdoors when she was 4 and she had a love/hate relationship with it. She wanted to climb harder grades but was just too little, so you can imagine the frustration for her, but she was feisty! We loved just being able to take her with us making the ascents fun for her and sometimes even turning it into a camping trip. This continued until I got pregnant with my second child. I was determined to keep climbing (safely) as long as my body would allow it and almost made it to my due date (37 weeks prego), when I'm pretty sure my pelvis almost broke in half from my weight. I looked crazy with my big belly sticking through my ever so flattering full-body harness, but I just kept on trucking and it kept my mind and body active while spending the last few moments of peace with my husband and daughter before the chaos that is my son came roaring through! Before we knew it Logan arrived and climbing took a back seat for a bit.
Seven weeks went by and I was ready to get back on the wall. From then on it became a balancing act of kids, home, sleep, work and climbing. Fitting in the time to climb is something we had to just figure out. We took our first outdoor trip to The Red in KY when Logan was four months old and boy was it an adventure! Not as much climbing as we were used to there, but still a beautiful trip none the less. We knew if we didn't start taking those trips then, we would never do it. Ten days filled with long drives, thunderstorms that we thought would wash the tent away, beautiful crags and natural sights with our kids. From then on its just been adapting to this lifestyle and climbing as much as we can as hard as we can. Sometimes we get lucky and get some good sessions in and sometimes Logan makes it impossible so we take what we can get. As a 32 year old mother of two I try to stay as dedicated as possible to all aspects of my life. Whether I am projecting 12s on lead or V4s on boulders, I just have to look around and realize how lucky I am to still be able to do this with my family and friends! My passion will always be there along with the drive to climb harder and better, but there is nothing like finishing a climb and looking down to my husband belaying and my kids hanging out. Passions don't have to end when you have kids, it just adds more flavor to the adventure. So to all you climbing Mommies out there, keep on crushing!
As a young twenty year old, climbing was in and out of my life when I felt like it. Then when I had my daughter, who is now 7, time and passions became different. As soon as she showed interest at the age of 3, I threw her in a harness and got her on the wall. She did great from the get go and from then on it was something we shared. With her it was easy because she was older and loved just being in the gym with all the attention she got (such a ham). My husband and I started taking her climbing outdoors when she was 4 and she had a love/hate relationship with it. She wanted to climb harder grades but was just too little, so you can imagine the frustration for her, but she was feisty! We loved just being able to take her with us making the ascents fun for her and sometimes even turning it into a camping trip. This continued until I got pregnant with my second child. I was determined to keep climbing (safely) as long as my body would allow it and almost made it to my due date (37 weeks prego), when I'm pretty sure my pelvis almost broke in half from my weight. I looked crazy with my big belly sticking through my ever so flattering full-body harness, but I just kept on trucking and it kept my mind and body active while spending the last few moments of peace with my husband and daughter before the chaos that is my son came roaring through! Before we knew it Logan arrived and climbing took a back seat for a bit. |
| 7 Months Pregnant @ Rumney |
Seven weeks went by and I was ready to get back on the wall. From then on it became a balancing act of kids, home, sleep, work and climbing. Fitting in the time to climb is something we had to just figure out. We took our first outdoor trip to The Red in KY when Logan was four months old and boy was it an adventure! Not as much climbing as we were used to there, but still a beautiful trip none the less. We knew if we didn't start taking those trips then, we would never do it. Ten days filled with long drives, thunderstorms that we thought would wash the tent away, beautiful crags and natural sights with our kids. From then on its just been adapting to this lifestyle and climbing as much as we can as hard as we can. Sometimes we get lucky and get some good sessions in and sometimes Logan makes it impossible so we take what we can get. As a 32 year old mother of two I try to stay as dedicated as possible to all aspects of my life. Whether I am projecting 12s on lead or V4s on boulders, I just have to look around and realize how lucky I am to still be able to do this with my family and friends! My passion will always be there along with the drive to climb harder and better, but there is nothing like finishing a climb and looking down to my husband belaying and my kids hanging out. Passions don't have to end when you have kids, it just adds more flavor to the adventure. So to all you climbing Mommies out there, keep on crushing!
Monday, March 18, 2013
Ravenswood - Gloucester, MA
Alex sends an Unknown V6/7 on an obscure boulder out in Gloucester, MA. Sick send by both him and the post-credits FA by Baby Logan (check it out).
Monday, March 4, 2013
Two From Lincoln
This is our first official climbing video released as Less Than Sponsored Productions. Super psyched about this! Even though it's only a short, two-climb video, it was a great experience to work with RAW footage and especially the 3D Text for the title in the beginning. I already know some things that I want to work on so that it's not as choppy but nonetheless we're excited to release it to the world. This is the beginning of what we hope to be a great year full of LTS videos. Hope you enjoy!
Sunday, March 3, 2013
No Big Deal
Who's got the funk?? I'VE GOT THE FUNK!!! No, I am not referring to my awe inspiring dance moves. Seriously America, I've got talent. I am also not referring to the terrible odor which sometimes emanates due to my abundance of testosterone. These pits can get FUNKY! I'm not even talking about how I used to be able to rock out on a Clarinet...what a lady killer I was. What I AM talking about is the Greater than Great Depression I have been cast into after ripping off my damn toe in dodgeball and missing out on a trip to Hueco Tanks. No Big Deal right? FUNK THAT NOISE! HUECO TANKS! THE GOD DAMN QUINTESSENCE OF ALL THAT IS BOULDERING!!! HUECO TANKS!!! HIGHBALLS TO BOGGLE THE EYEBALLS! HUECO GOD DAMN TANKS!!! THE CHUCK NORRIS OF THIS WHOLE CLIMBING GAME!!!! oh funk it all....
"So Boof, what happened? I mean you just ripped off your toe?"
YUP.
While playing dodgeball, yes dodgeball, I was surging forward for a ball and it seems my big toe folded under my foot. We play in socks if you are having trouble with the visualization. Keep in mind this was the semifinals on tournament night and I may have had a couple swigs of JD to help keep me focused. At the time I felt like I stubbed my toe and tore my sock (hint, it wasn't my sock). I shrug it off because its finals night and I had some mofos to slaughter with my dodgeball skills. Just swallow the pain and play on.
I then proceeded to play dodgeball being the only player left against four. I had a surge of the most insane energy and began hurling balls like Dragonball Z and catching like Randy Moss. I was even screaming bloody murder every time I threw. The tide turned and we were moments from victory. Then, a loud whistle blow rose above the ruckus of the action. Turns out I was running on a bit of an adrenaline rush.
The Ref, "DUDE! You can't keep playing like that!"
"WHAT! WHY!" I yell back, like a speed head crashing to reality.
"Look at the ground" he says.
I look at the ground and there is blood EVERYWHERE. We are talking some NC 17 type of gore. That's weird right? So I remove my green skeleton sock (which is now RUINED! DAMMIT!) and it appears that I have ripped my toe off. Whoops. There's even these white blobs of fat hanging out. I know, I know, too much information. But seriously, WHITE FAT BLOBS! hanging out of my toe. Who'd a thunk.
So, 9 stitches later the prognosis is that I ripped my toe open from the force and there seems to be no bone or tendon damage. Gosh o Golly, what a lucky duck right?
WRONG!
DON'T YOU REMEMBER! I WAS SUPPOSED TO GO TO HUECO GOD DAMMIT!
no big deal, no big deal, no big deal....
Nothing to worry about, I mean its great in New England in the winter and I love the cold, yum yum cocoa and chicken soup and big hugs. No big DEAL! I love it when during February break i get to stay at Metrorock and help all the screaming chittlins who for some damn reason have the whole week off from school!!! No BIG DEAL! I love donating money to the airlines, they are really in need of some charity. NO BIG DEAL!!! I HATE WARMTH AND SUNSHINE AND GOING TO A WORLD CLASS CLIMBING PARADISE!
If you are like me, and many a climber is, than you have found yourself stuck in this funk. You get psyched on an upcoming climbing trip and train your ass off, trying to become a climbing machine with a single purpose mission to seek and destroy all things climbable at your planned destination. Than, SMASH, your body pulls an "et tu Brute" and stabs you in the back, or in my case, rips off your toe. You are now left with no hope but to careen into an emotional well of suffering and anguish.
So what do we do with all this damn funk? James Brown might say we should "Get up off that thang." Personally I would rather grab on tight and crash into this sadness meteor style.
So here's my solution.
Step 1 - Self medicate: Perhaps a slow steady ride down Knob Creek is just what I need...smooooth.
Step 2 - Eat, Santa, eat: Use pity points. "Honey I could really go for some chinese....." (Insert pouty face and point to foot) Soon you will introducing your good friend General Gau will be visiting you on the Creek.
Step 3 - Vegetate: It is high time I Hop aboard the Hogwarts express and watch all 8 Harry Potter movies in a row and than for a hand workout I can murder me some zombies on the Wii.
Step 4 - Recharge: Now time to sleep, A LOT. This immobility is taxing. It's high time I recuperate.
Step 5 - Rinse and Repeat.
Climbers need to take breaks and sometimes getting forced to take one is a fantastic prescription. Right?
Time to smash the lego puzzle that is my body to pieces and rebuild. Yeah! and Hueco, who needs Hueco right? I can just head to local Lincoln Woods, climb to the top of the pond boulder, and plummet into the welcoming watery abyss. No Big Deal. Right?
(paradise lost)
"So Boof, what happened? I mean you just ripped off your toe?"
YUP.
While playing dodgeball, yes dodgeball, I was surging forward for a ball and it seems my big toe folded under my foot. We play in socks if you are having trouble with the visualization. Keep in mind this was the semifinals on tournament night and I may have had a couple swigs of JD to help keep me focused. At the time I felt like I stubbed my toe and tore my sock (hint, it wasn't my sock). I shrug it off because its finals night and I had some mofos to slaughter with my dodgeball skills. Just swallow the pain and play on.
I then proceeded to play dodgeball being the only player left against four. I had a surge of the most insane energy and began hurling balls like Dragonball Z and catching like Randy Moss. I was even screaming bloody murder every time I threw. The tide turned and we were moments from victory. Then, a loud whistle blow rose above the ruckus of the action. Turns out I was running on a bit of an adrenaline rush.
The Ref, "DUDE! You can't keep playing like that!"
"WHAT! WHY!" I yell back, like a speed head crashing to reality.
"Look at the ground" he says.
I look at the ground and there is blood EVERYWHERE. We are talking some NC 17 type of gore. That's weird right? So I remove my green skeleton sock (which is now RUINED! DAMMIT!) and it appears that I have ripped my toe off. Whoops. There's even these white blobs of fat hanging out. I know, I know, too much information. But seriously, WHITE FAT BLOBS! hanging out of my toe. Who'd a thunk.
(bringing sexy back)
So, 9 stitches later the prognosis is that I ripped my toe open from the force and there seems to be no bone or tendon damage. Gosh o Golly, what a lucky duck right?
WRONG!
DON'T YOU REMEMBER! I WAS SUPPOSED TO GO TO HUECO GOD DAMMIT!
no big deal, no big deal, no big deal....
Nothing to worry about, I mean its great in New England in the winter and I love the cold, yum yum cocoa and chicken soup and big hugs. No big DEAL! I love it when during February break i get to stay at Metrorock and help all the screaming chittlins who for some damn reason have the whole week off from school!!! No BIG DEAL! I love donating money to the airlines, they are really in need of some charity. NO BIG DEAL!!! I HATE WARMTH AND SUNSHINE AND GOING TO A WORLD CLASS CLIMBING PARADISE!
If you are like me, and many a climber is, than you have found yourself stuck in this funk. You get psyched on an upcoming climbing trip and train your ass off, trying to become a climbing machine with a single purpose mission to seek and destroy all things climbable at your planned destination. Than, SMASH, your body pulls an "et tu Brute" and stabs you in the back, or in my case, rips off your toe. You are now left with no hope but to careen into an emotional well of suffering and anguish.
So what do we do with all this damn funk? James Brown might say we should "Get up off that thang." Personally I would rather grab on tight and crash into this sadness meteor style.
So here's my solution.
Step 1 - Self medicate: Perhaps a slow steady ride down Knob Creek is just what I need...smooooth.
Step 2 - Eat, Santa, eat: Use pity points. "Honey I could really go for some chinese....." (Insert pouty face and point to foot) Soon you will introducing your good friend General Gau will be visiting you on the Creek.
(Do you feel lucky?)
Step 4 - Recharge: Now time to sleep, A LOT. This immobility is taxing. It's high time I recuperate.
Step 5 - Rinse and Repeat.
Climbers need to take breaks and sometimes getting forced to take one is a fantastic prescription. Right?
Time to smash the lego puzzle that is my body to pieces and rebuild. Yeah! and Hueco, who needs Hueco right? I can just head to local Lincoln Woods, climb to the top of the pond boulder, and plummet into the welcoming watery abyss. No Big Deal. Right?
(Well, do you...punk?)
Monday, January 21, 2013
Fee Fie Foe Fum
Perched in the crow's nest, looming over the sea of spectators, I cranked the volume dial and brought the bass booming to trembling zenith. Notorious Dark Horse MC Bryan Rafferty was bedecked in a blue tuxedo and top hat that could earn him an invitation to join the Mad Hatter for tea. As the beats blared MC Raff announced as climbings smartest young lady, Adrianna Jacobsen, promptly dispatched problem #1. Amidst the growing excitement I thought to myself, "Are you not entertained?" These modern gladiators are going to make us climbing mortals realize the true breadth of their power. Hell, they may even earn their freedom, or perhaps just a fat stack of crispy cash.
As the women's finals continued the excitement of the room grew to a bubbling boil. Each contender establishing new high points. As the three heavyweights of the evening duked it out it was clear we had ourselves a rumble. Each of these ladies had won a Dark Horse earlier in the season and all were hungering for their second course. Isabelle Faus was on a clear mission to mutilate, while Angie Payne's cool calm demeanor was hard not to root for. The Floridian jaguar, Megan Martin, got off to a bumpy start on problem #2 but the fire in her stare was proof of her determination to make up for it with the final two problems.
Turning the big fat music dial a few notches to the right the crowd and I were now ready for problem #4. With MC Raff amping up the crowd, Isabelle Faus took to the wall. Wasting no time, Faus effortlessly blazed through the section that had thwarted the previous attempts of others. Battling on she quickly established a new high point and a comfortable lead. Damn! She is strong. Megan Martin, needing a flash, shed her shirt in proper problem 4 fashion. She quickly rotated through the complex and powerful opening sequence but in the end her unparalleled power was a lemon drops squeeze short of pulling her through the sloper pinch crux. This left veteran Angie Payne to tackle Faus from her saddle atop the Black Stallion of climbing prestige.
Until this point both Faus' and Paynes' finals outcomes were identical, flashing problem #1 and #2 and crushing their way to the penultimate sloper on the evasive #3. If Payne wanted the win she needed to hit a new high point. Breezing though the start Payne creeped into the crux section. With new ankle breaking heel hook beta, Payne threw herself at the crux section time after time, reaching Faus' high point. As I watched her twisted foot I waited for it snap off as she contorted it into positions that made my foot blush. Dirty. Still no go. Giving the universal MAKE SOME NOISE arm wave Payne beckoned for the crowds support on her las effort. Not wanting to let this climbing goddess down the crowds cheering boomed like a Kansas City thunderstorm. Try as she may, the veteran could not break new ground on problem #4. As the countdown clock ticked its way to zero, it was Faus who remained triumphantly perched atop the demon eyed steed.
Intermission came to a close as the changeover blasted up the Men's finals at lightening speed. The men all made mince meat of the cat dyno finish for Men's #1. As the finalist burned through the first few problems, Paul Robinson seemed poised to take the crown with 2 flashes and a top. However the pure power of #4 proved to be this superman's Cryptonite, leaving the crown available for the taking.
Coming just short of the finish on #3 Nick Picarella zoned out for problem #4. As he approached the powerfest before him Nick's eyes were a blazing inferno. This man needed a flash. Perched feet away from the finishing jug I watched as Nick attacked this problem as a legendary warrior would charge headfirst into a wave of adversity. A few move's in it became clear where this was going. With an Aura of determination pulsating through him and hyper charging the crowd Picarella went Chuck Norris on this problem. As Norris would slam a revolving door, Picarella slammed his hands down on the jug finish, Unleashing a guttural below that would scare a Gorilla. I half expected him to backflip off the finishing jug. He was now the man to beat.
Unfortunately for him the Dark Horse attracts super humans from all across North America, and returning champion Daniel Woods had no plans of giving away his title. With 2 flashes and a top nothing short of a miracle would stop Woods from using the competitors bones to make his bread. Fee, Fie, Foe, Fum, Woods came to Boston to get it done. As Jack easily climbed up the Magic Beanstalk, Woods trounced his way up problem 4. Damn it must feel good to be a gangstah. There was no toppling this giant.
In the coming minutes the three champions of the earlier comps tried in vain to knock 2 time Dark Horse champion Woods from his elevated mount. Young Gun Josh Levin couldn't pull of the insane deadpoint on #3 and even invented some of the gnarliest beta of the night in the process. Jimmy Webb and Vasya Vorotnikov both came at it like the beasts they are known to be but in the end Woods was left to gallup off into the sunset, and home to Colorado with prize money.
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Angie Payne just coming short on women's 3
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Nick Picarella almost topping #3
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Adrianna Jacobsen peeking her way through #3
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Paul Robinson making short work of Men's 3
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Woods topping #3
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Daniel Woods with static beta on Men's 3
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The champ closing in on the kill
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The champ is here
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