Just Hanging Around....

Not toooo much going on lately. really - just hanging out the last few days...it feels good to take a rest. I'm almost finished with Adam and Mary's wedding photos. Last night, with the Edge, we had a go-away party for Robby - basically we got our bikes and rode around the Capitol Complex...

Here's the Photos:

http://brayackmedia.com/edge/

Took a few photos of Julia today - both tending our garden and painting Dave's wall...

The Meadow...and Projects

It was a bit hot today - but Julia and I both worked our respective projects on our new wall - the "Flight Deck" -

Her route is definitely harder, and we may end up moving a bolt or two and changing it a bit - but it was a bit hot indeed. I made progress on my route as well - there is a really really technical balancy crux - its a jug sidepull with awkward and bad feet - to a really really high right high-step - and then you step out and there's just this SUPER intimidating move to a finger lock.....and its really scary because you're a bit over your bolt and the fall is clean - but the feet are SO bad - its really hard to commit to bad smears....the rest of my route isn't bad - there's like ONE more hard move (maybe 12a or b) on it...I haven't done it to the anchors yet - I think there's a long move up there, but its in the sun and feels hot up there - its a long move that I need to work - we'll see......

I ran into Matt Stark as well - what a SUPER cool dude - we both were having fun in the hanger.

Today Bill sent "Tiggers and Airplanes" which was cool ! He totally hiked it =)

A day of rest...which wasn't really

Julia had this great idea - on our rest day - lets go bolt some lines - and then we can climb them the next day ... well ... bolting lines is no rest day - it would have been if we would have picked the original lines that we wanted to bolt (just some face climbs - no big deal) - well - I was on my way to the top of the cliff when I walked by a spectacular cliff. The thing is - you never walk by it because its on an upper tier....normally you just walk past some choss and can't see past it - well since I was trending toward the top - and was like JULIA! COME OVER HERE AND LOOK AT THIS WALL!!!!!!

Its two clean walls with a body length roof in between them...and by clean - I mean really really clean - dead vertical - with very little features - though enough to be climbed (at least we hope) - it looks REALLY good....and bolting them ended up being a major pain in the butt. Thankfully I had Julia helping me down aid the routes.

I've been using Bob's drill with is nice - though he only has two batteries for it - and I get about 10 holes out of both of them....maybe 12 if I push it...but I had the Super Battery - which is well...super....really its like at least 100 holes....well I don't know how many because I've never run it out....anyways - doing roofs and downaiding with that thing sucks big time - but it gets the job done.....

So we have three new routes to try and send - they're at Area 51...

Sticking with the "Flight Deck Theme", we're thinking:

Air Traffic Control

Landing Strip

Baggage Claim

Stay posted....

A day at the Mills.....

I drove up to Pittsburgh - and bouldered/climbed at McConnells Mill with Bob, Joel and the Climb North crew - Man - as Bob said - a few days of rest does some wonders - basically I cleaned up all my old top rope projects, sending Mini Ovest (aka Peter Pan) - 12a, I did Crater Expectations (5.12a) and the direct finsih (5.12b) - these, of course, are real grades not what Bob rated them =) - ok maybe I'm just fluffing......

anways - yeah - good day - at the Mills....oh and I managed to onsite a new boulder problem that Justin Mech from Climb North did - "Malaria (V2)" which was qutie cool - a LONG traverse with good feet - followed by a rather high and scary finish....

I took photos of Joel Brady on the first ascent of Happy Little Tree (V6) on the Ross Boulder (you know - Bob Ross the painter?) - well the boudler was named after Nick Ross - who did the first problems on the Ross boulder - anyways - I also shot him working the obvious extension start to it...I won't post these of course - because I'll try and sell them...

Wedding Photos

Here are a few teasers...






Here are a few teasers...

Financial Note

Its funny - I look at my finances back when I was working for the state and now...I basically have the same buffer....I'm seriously making a lot less $$ now - but I'm also spending a lot less - more wisely I'd say (or hope to say) - I think that spending less is a valuable lesson that I'm learning on this little sidestep of life...

Quick Hit - more later...

Climbed with the climb north crew, Bob and Joel yesterday at the Mills - it was one of my better days of climbing there - and conditions were quite nice =)

Joel sent a new problem on the Ross Boulder and is really close on the natural extension to it (Happy Little Tree) -

Saturday was Adam and Mary's weeding - I've been working through the photos basically all last night - converting to DNG - now I'm going to go through and make my "keeper" picks.

I have a few teaser shots which I will post once I get back to Charleston; I'm going out to lunch with my grandma now - and then heading straight back!

My grandpa gave me a huge bundle of Garlic to dry - as well as some onions and lettuce straight out of the garden VOILA!

Coopers Rock - I love this place...

but not in the rainy season!! man - conditions were bad , but we still filmed Moby's Dick - and climbed a handful of problems....Both Julia and I were really close on Twist Dah Hick - and Ryan had made significant progress since his last attempts 6 months ago (in adverse conditions - once things get better - watch out topout holds!)
We did a few other problems - including Tombstone Arete, Sloping Rail, and Julia, despite the wet conditions worked the heck out of "Stick With It" a seriously condition dependant V5+....++++....
As I've said before - I think Coopers Rock gets unjust accusations of being "hard for the grade" - seriously - I think its right on....I mean - Serengettie at Bishop, See Spot Run, Signs of the Cross, and Mexican Chicken at Hueco? Yeah - spot on....or close...

Monkeying Around....

So we went hiking - at Coopers Rock - tried to go bouldering, but everything was soaked; we're hoping things will be better today.....but who knows....we're here for a few more days....freaking rain!

We're gonna try to video today...

Of to Cooper's Rock

Julia, Ryan and I are off to Coopers Rock for the rest of the week; We're planning on bouldering, filming - and then Mary and Adam's wedding is this weekend - I'm really excited - stay posted!!

More Scrabble

Yesterday, Julia and I were playing scrabble - she was winning - until I played "renamings" on triple word...and using all my letters - I got the 50 +45 - and of course - won the game - she was so mad.....not really mad - just contemptuous.....I mean - come on - we had a renaming cermony - we had two renamings today...right? Who's with me???

Couple Photos....

Man - what a weekend!

Much Much better conditions this weekend.....Julia, myself, Matt, Kathryn, Ryan, Ryan, Andrew and Sam hit up the "Other Place" all weekend.

Some big sends of the weekend were Julia's FA of Warm, Warmer, Disco (5.11a) - I drilled a new route left of "Hard, Pipe Hittin' Tiggers" - called Big Khahuna Burger (5.11b) - the spelling of which I need to check. Andrew and Matt sent the FA of "New Mexican Rodeo" (5.11a) - lets see - Matt sent "The Project" 5.13c. As I left, Sam was putting anchors on a really, really good looking trad line in the enchanted wood "Bob - you had just pointed out this route last weekend..."

This week, we're heading to Cooper's Rock for the week - gonna try to do some video + I'm shooting a wedding this weekend =)

I'll have some photos posted soon...


1 Big Kahuna Burger (5.11b)
2. Hard Pipe Hittin' Tiggers (5.12b)
3. Warm, Warmer, Disco (511a)
4. Tiggers Gets Medieval on Pooh (5.11d)

grandeur

So Julia and I are playing scrabble - and we're arguing over the pronunciation of "grandeur"

she says "Gran-do-er"

and I said "gran-jha-er"

so we go online to see who was right - and she claims that both me and the guy pronouncing it on the website are wrong.....

\ˈgran-jər, -ˌju̇r, -ˌd(y)u̇r, -d(y)ər\

Still trying to figure out what to do with my life...

1. Try and get an Engineering job here in WV
2. Try and get an Engineering job in Ky, Tn, Co?, Ca?
3. Go back and try to get my doctorate in Boulder? Somewhere else?
4. Any suggestions?
5. Take up bank robbery...

Out of the Storm and Into the Monsoon...

Yup....its been raining for the past few days - kinda crappy really - we did managed to do a route yesterday at the Meadow...

There's this route - called "Mr. Smiley" - its a pain in the butt - for the life of me - I just can't do the move on it!!! Julia basically hiked it - except for the last move - which was really long for her and hurt her finger...seriously if that thing is 12a - the Submarine is like 11b....

Today is another rain day - the forecast for this weekend is suppose to be really nice though - so I'm hoping that we'll get out - oh and hopefully we're meeting up with Leslie this weekend =)

A few Photos...

Julia and I went for a hike today to check out some of the houses in the neighborhood - lots of cool houses - though the Yurt house stood out...

The 3-Yurt House...
Julia being Patriotic and Supporting the American Cookie Business...

And then there were a few new routes...

We went on a bit of a climbing spree lately - you know - now that the season is perfect - 100 degrees and 100 percent humidity...but serioulsy...

Julia arrived yesterday - so the crew was She, Bob and myself - we drilled a new route yesterday - I did it bolt to bolt - just to make sure it would go - and it does - maybe 11+?

Tentative:

Disco (5.11d)***: Stick clip and follow jugs to a SUPER-THIN stand up slab mantel to better holds. A few more long moves on small holds lead to a deadpoint for a sloper. A few sloper roof moves and you're at the lip - then you get to do the crux...well maybe its not the crux, but its three sloper moves in a row on a slightly steep headwall......and if you blow it - you're gonna take a huge ride - you can't really stop to clip - so I didn't put any bolts past the lip of the roof =)

Bob sent his route: Hard, Pipe Hittin' Tiggers... =)

We ran into Russ and Matt - two cool dudes - and Russ worked "Submarine" - he suggested a couple bolt moves - which of course, I did - and he's right - it climbs much better now - I also added an anchor to it (It used to finish on another route's) anchors...

Today is a rest day - we're just gonna sit around all day and sleep - and watch Pulp Fiction - so Julia will get all of our jokes (maybe.)

Here's the update:



s•30 Plumb Pudding 5.9 ***

This route is a link-up. Start on Way of the Beaver and finish up TK. A bit run out. This one basically skips all the “bolted hand crack” shenagans.

80 ft. 5 bolts. bolt anchor. Matt Fanning 2007

s•31 Maintaining the Line 5.11a **

Start a few paces right of “Way of the Beaver” and follow three closely spaced bolts through a crimpy crux. Continue up plates, trending right for easier climbing at the middle roof. (Trending left here is about 11c.) Finish on high anchors. This route crosses “Rosetta Stone”

90 ft. 10 bolts. bolt anchor. Dan Brayack, Bob Value 2009

s•34 Pooh’s Thought Spot 5.11b

Steep white rock leads to a blunt arête and a roof. Pull the roof and climb brainy rock to a poorly placed anchor. This was the first route established by Matt and Dan at the Meadow. This anchor may be moved soon after press time.

50 ft. 6 bolts. bolt anchor. Dan Brayack, Matt Fanning. 2007

s•35 Hard, Pipe Hittin’ Tiggers 5.12b ***

Boulder up to the first bolt and follow techy slab to a coffin feature. Whip out some king fu and finish on anchors over the roof.

50 ft. 7bolts. bolt anchor. Bob Value, Dan Brayack. 2009

s•36 Disco 5.11d ** (still closed project)

See Above.

70 ft. 7bolts. bolt anchor. Julia Krueger, Dan Brayack. 2009

s•37 Tigger Gets Medieval on Pooh’s Asshole 5.11d **

Stick clip and power through a low roof. Continue up the white face through another roof and redpoint crux to an anchor high on the slab.

70 ft. 8 bolts. bolt anchor. Dan Brayack, Bob Value. 2009

s•38 New Mexican Rodeo 5.11a *** (still a closed project)

Start just right of the crack. Boulder past the first bolt and follow bullet slab past a ledge to anchors.

80 ft. 8 bolts. bolt anchor. Andrew Mason, Matt Fanning. 2009

Bucket Full of Bolts....ok well Hangers

My hangers came in the mail today - 100 of them....coupled with the 100 some bolts + box of 50 I found - we should be set for a WHILE - Bob is letting me use his drill + Behren's gave me his Super Battery....I'm set...