Another angle of this jump from the ice caves. Felt impossible until I sorted some higher feet and then could do it on repeat 🔁. Good crew energy that day 🙌🏻. #independencepass #icecaves #bouldering @blackdiamond @theboulderfield
Back to this. #yosemitebouldering
Tierrany V14. Yosemite’s new hardest (but not for long). On that one-two with @jwebxl. Brushed this thing up in 2013, but didn’t start giving serious efforts until end of 2019. Finally sorted out the bottom business with Jimmy a few weeks ago…crew vibes for the win. He found his way to the top and I followed a few tries later. This ones a really atypical Yos bloc, less trickery and more iso power on decent holds. Reminds me of Swiss, except for the HP40 sloper top out 😳. Photo by @jwebxl. @blackdiamond @fiveten_official @frictionlabs
I’ve always been drawn to climbs that have both historical significance and an air of mystery surrounding them. In today’s day and age, that combination is getting harder to come by, with every piece of stone captured a million ways and cast out into the daily feed without a moments thought. While this sharing of information satisfies our immediate arm chair curiosity, it has the potential to rob us of a real experience complete with the trials and tribulations of understanding something for yourself. In American climbing, there is no route more shrouded in mystery than @tommycaldwell ‘s Flex Luther at The Fortress of Solitude. He made the First Ascent in 2003, proposed it as the first 5.15 in America and save for a couple snaps from @timkemple, there’s nearly no information about the route. Over the years, whispers of broken holds and unclimbable choss have dominated the narrative, but I always found that information to be speculative and incomplete. It continued to draw me in, to discover the truth for myself. Finally this year, I decided to put everything into climbing Flex. I spent a month in the Spring sorting the moves but was thwarted by wet holds and a lack of partners. I returned at the beginning of October to continue my efforts. It’s been a long month of hot days, wet days and everything in between, but finally yesterday I was able to clip the chains on one of my dream routes. It’s definitely the hardest thing I’ve climbed on a rope so far. The whole process has been captured on film and I’m looking forward to telling more about this story in a future release. For now, I must extend a massive thanks to everyone who has supported this journey. To my sponsors @blackdiamond @fiveten_official @frictionlabs, my wife @marymeck for always supporting my wild dreams and everyone who ventured up to the cliff this month @honngy @margojain @jon_cardwell @christian_adam_ @ethan_pringle @ryanolsonk @broncopeters @nelsoncarayannis @agrphoto and Jeff Achey @wolverinepublishing . Looking back I will cherish the days spent at the cliff with such a wonderful collection of talented and supportive people. 📸 @christian_adam_
10 years ago, after a sleepless night and recovering from a few too many beverages, I took a drive up Boulder Canyon to throw myself at The Game V15 for a few hours. I started off solo and spent 3 hours failing to reach a previous high point. Nearing the end of my session, some friends started showing up to either support or try the boulder and energy started to build. It was quite the crew consisting of @jonnyhork, @connor.griffith_ , @jon_cardwell , @dave_graham_ , @jwebxl , @jamiecemerson , @greg_mionske , @sticcs. It’s hard to not get swept up in the energy of such a motivated crew of climbers, and despite being really tired, my stoke was renewed. I pulled on, decided to try really hard, and somehow made my way to the top. At the time The Game was considered to be the most difficult problem in the world. I didn’t know about any of that, but nabbing the second ascent helped me build confidence in my capabilities as a climber. It was a significant mental turning point for me and a memory I look back on fondly. Video by @jonnyhork.
Send days at The Fortress are few and far between, but yesterday I had the chance to witness @honngy make the 2nd ascent of Flex Luther, which was established as the first 5.15 in America by @tommycaldwell nearly 20 years ago. Matty put the work in and got it done and it was super inspiring to see him fight through the multiple intricate and bouldery sections of the 100 foot route and finally clip the chains. I was also stoked to tick my hardest belay 😂. We’ve both been waging war on this route over the past year and his ascent has me more motivated than ever to see the process through. My split tip is finally healed up and I’m ready to give some more goes this week! @blackdiamond #liveclimbrepeat
@carlodenali on “The wild hair” in the ice caves. Craziest rock I’ve ever touched.
Always open. Photo by @marymeck.
Another shot of Flex Luther 5.15 from @christian_adam_. Really puts the whole wall in perspective. The ground quickly drops away from the base of the cliff and it causes the exposure to increase exponentially as you progress up the wall. Love that feeling of being extremely small in a massive landscape. @blackdiamond @fiveten_official @frictionlabs
Quick desert escape last week. Took some tries to solve the big first move on this one, but took it to the top once I stuck it. Gringo V12, freshie from @jwebxl in The Swell. Can’t beat the location. Photo by @marymeck. @blackdiamond @fiveten_official @frictionlabs @theboulderfield
Brione, Switzerland. March 2020. A few days before the world shut down. Missing that sweet river rock. Full video at the link in my bio featuring ascents of Pro Touch 8A and Versace 8B. Filmed by @marymeck. @blackdiamond @fiveten_official @frictionlabs
Chasing the cooler temps but they always seem just out of reach this time of year. @blackdiamond @fiveten_official @frictionlabs @theboulderfield
Spent the better part of April and May on the Western Slope of Colorado climbing at a rarely visited cliff called The Fortress of Solitude. I’ve spent many days at this cliff over the years, having climbed Kryptonite 5.14c/d in 2015, made the First Ascent of Mask Off 5.14b/c in 2017 and bolted a new mega line with @jon_cardwell in the winter of 2016. For the amount of days I’ve spent up there, sends are rare due to the difficulty of the climbing and the taxing nature of the approach. I knew going into the trip that focusing on keeping a learning mentality would be the best approach. Absorb, endure, and enjoy the process. My main goal was to try @tommycaldwell ‘s Flex Luther, which he established as the first 5.15 in America in 2003. I tried the route a few days in 2015 and was impressed with the difficulty of the climbing and also the style, which is particularly slow, technical and engaging throughout its entire 100ft. It was a style that I wasn’t accustomed to and still not good at, and I love that fact. I showed up this year in the best route climbing shape of my life and waged war along with @honngy (pictured here) and on a mini trax when I didn’t have a belayer. Progress was slow at first with a lot of seeping holds but about 3 weeks into the trip I had a big breakthrough and climbed from about 6 moves in (just below the low crux) and fell on the last hard move. It felt like a send was imminent but a mixture of warm weather and a lack of belayers in my final week(s) proved to be an insurmountable barrier with my limited time left. So it goes. Overall I really enjoyed my time up at the cliff this Spring, tapping into the limestone sport climbing game after a couple year hiatus. I’ll certainly be back when the weather is prime again! Many thanks to @marymeck for the many belays and to my sponsors for their continued support @blackdiamond @fiveten_official @frictionlabs @theboulderfield
This ones been getting some recent attention so I figured I’d post the First Ascent footage from 2016. Wild Basin, CO. @shawnraboutou on the spot. @blackdiamond @fiveten_official @frictionlabs @theboulderfield
Another one of my favorite Yosemite Valley hops… Float Like A Butterfly, Sting Like A Bee V10. 📽 @marymeck. @blackdiamond @fiveten_official @frictionlabs
Warming up with a couple laps on the bottom half of Kryptonite 9a/14d. So nice to revisit this route after so many years. One of my absolute favorites. Photo by @christian_adam_ . @blackdiamond @blackdiamond_climb @fiveten_official @frictionlabs
Probably the best pitch of granite I’ve recorded to digital gigabyte. @carlodenali on the second ascent of Meltdown a few years ago, with @garrettcreamer and @heywhatsupitsmehewitt repping @airworx.io helping me out with the cable cam setup.
@honngy paying dues.
@honngy paying dues.
Mickey’s Beach was one of the first places I ever sport climbed and it still holds a special place in my heart. It’s not the easiest area to climb at but it rewards with spectacular sunsets and some really unique moves on the ocean. I’ve always wanted to climb the Mickey’s Beach Arete w/o the chipped pocket, and I’ve tried it a few times over the years, coming close but never quite finishing it up. Last weekend I made a quick stop while heading north and after one fall from the bottom (shown here), latched the crux dead point over the ocean and took it to the top. What an amazing move! Full uncut send footage on my YouTube page. Link in bio. @blackdiamond @fiveten_official @frictionlabs
Couple new ones and an older classic from Joshua Tree. This video went live on @fiveten_official last week. If you haven’t had a chance to check it out, follow the link in my bio.
Good to see this guy back in action. @nathanieldavison on his “Departure”. A fine day out reflecting on the past, present, and future in an oxygen depraved haze. Again soon please.
Good times in Yosemite Valley last month circuiting some of my favorite boulders with @blackdiamond @marymeck @davewetmore1 @christian_adam_ @ryanespi (🎥). Could climb these boulders every day for the rest of my life and still find new things to learn. Forever a student in the Valley. #climbthecircuit
Back in one of my favorite places @yosemitenps for the annual @yosemitefacelift. Taking over the @blackdiamond account for the next few days. Follow along with more details and stories from this years clean up!
