Behind The Wall

At VE Mpls today, I got to work behind the wall installing T nuts. I got to climb with people I know (The fabulous Fabrice) and I got to work the front counter. As well as sweep, mop and dust. Truly multi-tasking.

Oh, and I got to help jack up a scissors jack that was stuck in the rubber and put pieces of wood underneath it so we could drive it out. (This is where Ron’s and Aaron’s skills would have been helpful.) Oh, oh, oh, I almost forgot - then I got to practice escaping a belay using a Klemheist.

 

 

Here’s what I look like behind the wall:

 

Here’s what T nuts look like from the backside:

(Remember, before the T nut is installed with 3 screws for each nut, a hole was drilled on the front side using two different bits. Then the holds can be screwed into the T nuts so climbers can have fun.)

Here I am about 30 feet up a 60 foot wall, hanging from a rope so I can put the screws in the T nuts. (The light you see in the lower right hand part of the photo, is on the floor below me.)

This is super fun because it’s uncomfortable, dark, dirty and I get to use the 3 Hs – harness, helmet and headlamp.

The Hugger & The Killer

Miriam (The Killer) was so excited to see Greg (The Hugger) setting routes today at VE Mpls, that she just had to give him a hug. Greg is like me – not a guy who likes to be hugged. But unlike me, he cheerfully and enthusiastically reciprocates. Here’s what it looked like:

More VEM

It felt a little silly for this suburban gal to drive right past VE- St. Paul and on too Minneapolis...in the dark... on Saturday night....alone... Jez how bold is that!?
Well, i found it fine, there was lots of parking, my son was there (hardly ever see him) and Jen showed up.
WoW what a place, it is Be U tiful! all shiny and new.I even got a tour form staffer Emily and then another one form Pat and the Russell showed me around. Lots of wall that go way up and straight up, lots of comfortable leads for me to enjoy. Had to set a different pace with routes this long.
Then we went to the Bad Waitress with Jen, Sarah, Russell and Suki for a beer. What a great crew, lively conversation. Thanks ALL. I will be back, I clocked it on the way home, it's only a 30 minutes drive. I can justify that easily.

Red Rocks Rendezvous

The next RRR is March 30- April 1. Details here. I’m sure you’d have a great time at the Rendezvous. You definitely don’t need a big group to have a great time. And don’t be intimated by the climbing - If you can lead sport routes at 5.8-5.10 on big, safe bolts, you’ll have plenty of routes to do. If you’re comfortable with trad leading 5.7-5.8, you’ll have plenty of multi-pitch routes to do. If you have a rope, some quick draws and some motivation, there’d be a lot of climbing you could do with 2-3 people that’s about a 15 minute walk from a road.

I’d be more scared of the casinos than of the climbing. You can lose big time in the casinos. (If you want to know where Russell and I stayed in “Naked City,” I’ll be happy to tell you. Or, you can stay here which is about 10 minutes from Red Rock park. And it’s where we had a huge buffet meal for $16.)

I liked this video because it showed clearly what the rock is like. Sharp edges, that feel soft to the hands.  Big heucos. Great friction.

Racking For Cracks

This is how Steph Davis prepares racks her gear for climbing cracks. Including a 200’ pitch for which she used 28 cams.. This seems like good advice:

“The most important, and also simplest tip, is to tape the cam sling just below the biner. There is nothing more annoying (and desperate), than slamming in a cam off of one arm, while in a layback position, and having the biner flip upside down so you have to spend an extra few seconds (and possibly your chance at getting the rope clipped into it) hanging on and turning the biner around. Believe me, it can make you want to cry.”

Guess Who I Found At VEM?

I climbed with Fabrice today at VE Mpls. He pronounced the climbing “Bon” and will be a regular climber now. The new VE is about 10 minutes from his house. And less than 5 from his store.

Climbing Desert Cracks

A preview of three women climbing Castleton Tower in Utah. (Link is here.) From the website:

“When it comes to bouldering, Anna Stöhr and Juliane Wurm are hard to beat. But when they first try out crack climbing at the Castleton Tower, they learn a few tricks from Lynn Hill”.

Viva La France

This Red Bull sponsored video is called “Flight of the Frenchies.” My favorite flyer is the one who does a cartwheel off a cliff. (Here’s link to video is embedded video doesn’t work.)

El Potrero Chico

A recent report on climbing in EPC, This couple found the area deserted because of all the reports about the drug wars. They also found it to be safe.

“We tried to recruit friends from Portland to join us in the land of drug lords, machine guns, and border busts. We tempted them with tales of thousand foot routes on perfect limestone, cheap beer, and friendly locals. We tried everything, but nobody would bite.”

Liz Reports On VEM

Liz has a report of her climbing at VE Mpls. She was one of the first 6-8 climbers on the day it opened.

VEM Update Part Quatro

The new Mpls VE opened today – Thursday – at 10AM. Some of the regulars were there early to capture first ascents. Here’s Miriam on one of the new top ropes. Here she is being lowered down one of the tall leads she did

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Here’s Liz starting one of the tall lead routes.

 

Here’s Miriam near the top of a different lead route.

VEM Update Part Tres

VE Mpls didn't open on Wednesday but maybe Thursday. Here is some video of the first ascent of the art wall done today. The climber is one of the wall builders.

2012 Red Rock Rendezvous

Registration starts today. It’s probably a hoot and I might even enjoy it. The problem is: I don’t like people, so I wouldn’t go.

“The ninth annual Mountain Gear Presents: Red Rock Rendezvous (RRR) rock climbing

festival, title sponsored by The North Face, will return to the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area near Las Vegas on March 30 through April 1, 2012. Registration begins Monday, Nov. 1, and is limited to the first 1,000 registrants. For the 2012 RRR, Mountain Gear is adding Special Friday Clinics to the three-day event that include a range of outdoor activities and classes.”

Missed It By That Much

Today, Alex Honnold and Hans Florine attempted to break the speed record for climbing the Nose on El Cap. They missed the record by 45 seconds. Doing the last pitch in about 4 minutes! Story here.

“Hans had 4 minutes from the start of the pitch to get the record.  Hans says he is faster climbing that pitch than jugging, so he was soon racing up the 10b crack to the start of the bolts.  He didn’t hit those perfectly and had just a smidge of delay, a few seconds at most, with his aid slings on the bolts.  I had a rough idea of the time line to about one minute accuracy.    It was nail biting time for all the spectators below.  It was going to be really close… really close.  Soon, Hans disappeared over the top heading for the tree.  They were to come to the lip of the top, and wave, if they got the record.  We waited … and waited…and waited… finally the word came down… they missed the record by a mere 45 seconds in recording the third fastest time ever done.”

VEM Update Part Dos

VE Mpls opens Wed at 10am. Here’s a photo from this afternoon showing the rubber impact attenuation installation.