April

April has been a very eventful month for me, from traveling to Boulder for Adult Nationals to having Senior Prom. Since I have been so busy, I am putting all my adventures into this one post.
The first adventure was to Boulder, Colorado for SCS Adult Nationals. This was my second time to compete in this event. Last year I did surprising well as I ended up in the finals. I felt that I could do just as well this year. I trained for a little less than a month, and I felt confident. My father and I traveled to Boulder on Thursday. We got in later that night and crashed pretty quickly. In the morning we headed into downtown Boulder. With time to kill we walked around the prAna store, met up with some friends, and got some sushi for lunch. Knowing I still had to climb, we headed back to the hotel to rest. After watching some March Madness, we headed to Movement Climbing Gym. It was truly humbling to get to warm up with people such as, Matt Segal, Emily Harrington, Paige Classen, Sasha Diguilian, Sam Elias and many more. The warm up went well, and I was ready to go climb. My first climb was a pretty long climb that started on vertical, then into a steep section, and at the top flattened out a little. I felt really well on the climb. Not feeling very pumped, I got to the crux and unfortunately my heel blew, causing me to fall. It felt premature, and I was pretty disappointed. Trying to put the last climb behind me, I continued to the last climb. The competition was set up where there was no rest in between climbs, but you had 8 minutes on each route. You had to strategize how long to rest before attempting the next route. The last route lingered in my head as I climbed the sustained steep route. I ended falling about half way up. I let the previous route get in my head, and I did not perform as well as I would have liked. In retrospect, I fell pretty much where everybody else fell on the 2^nd climb. I knew that I had a slim chance at making finals. I was upset, and I felt that I should have climbed better. I ended up missing finals by one spot. That is just how competitions play out sometimes.



Adam

Instead of letting the competition get me down, I went to Boulder Canyon to do a little lead climbing. My friend Adam from Ft. Collins took Joe Gifford, my dad, and me to an area he knew. My dad enjoyed seeing me outdoor climb for the first time. He almost didn’t make it though. He nearly passed out on the way up, and he ended up laying on a rock for 20 minutes before he could continue. Then as soon as we got up to the crag, he cracked open a beer that I carried. The climbing was not too difficult, but I was still humbled by the technical vertical climbing. We hiked out later, and went to watch the finals. The finals were run very well, and the competition was very entertaining. A big shout out to the junior climbers, Josh Levin, Shane Puccio, and Alex Johnson who faired very well against the stiff competition. Overall the trip was really fun and I look coming back in the fall to compete in the American 
World Cup held at Movement.



Insulter 13b

My next adventure was to a somewhat local area in Texas. It is a hush hush area located on the Nolan River. I had really wanted to go, and I finally got a person who knew the area to take me out. I went with my some friends from the gym, Colin who knew the area and Mario who was also psyched to see the place. After a little bit of bush whacking and getting a little lost, we found the climbing. I was really surprised to see this amazing rock in Texas. The limestone was surprisingly really solid. Pretty much all of the climbs were man made drilled pockets. Even though there was only a few natural lines, it was really nice to get on fun climbs that were close to Dallas. The climbs were very impressive. The warm ups like Black Rain 12a and Aqua Lung 12b to one of the few natural lines, Mariner 13a and the power climb, Insulter 13b. They all had something about them that made them unique and enjoyable to climb. We spent the whole day climbing these lines. I ended up sending all the lines but Insulter, where I came up a little short on my flash burn. Overall I was really happy to get outdoors, and I am very grateful that Colin showed me around. We left the area and finished with some home cooked barbeque. I look forward on going back out to the area in the near future.
The next two weekends I was out of town in Oklahoma City and Atlanta. I went first to Oklahoma City where I competed in a local Rocktown USA Climbing competition. This is always my favorite local competition of the year. The people are always extremely nice, the grain silos are interesting to climb in, and they always have a theme that everybody dresses up for. This year it was 70’s theme, and everybody pulled out their jean shorts, old trad gear, wigs, and tight fitting clothes. The volunteers really went all out on the outfits and the competition in general. Everyone is very helpful and glad to welcome you there. Route setters Billy and Aaron did an amazing job. I cannot imagine having to set vertical all day, and the walls are also 100 ft. tall. One of Billy’s routes took me about 16 minutes to complete. The climb went up and down, back and forth, but the time was worth it. A big thanks also goes to John Conti, for taking some really spectacular shots. I recommend this competition to everyone next year, it is truly a fun competition. Afterwards, I went back for Prom, where I had a great Senior Prom with my beautiful date Claire Edwards.



Claire and I

My last trip was to Atlanta to participate in a full weekend of training. It was a training camp led by US Team coach Claudiu Vidulescu. We first landed in Atlanta Friday night. We wasted no time as we headed straight to the gym. We climbed at the new state of the art Stone Summit Climbing Gym. We climbed for about 3 hours before heading back to a clubhouse to sleep. The next day we climbed for 7 hours. The 7 hours really took a toll on me since the walls were 60 ft. tall. Claudiu had me working mostly on my tempo. I started to improve my tempo when I started to climb faster. After the practice I got the privilege of having dinner with my Grandparents who live in the Atlanta area. It was really nice to catch up with them, since I do not see them very often. The last day I continued to work on my tempo, but this time it was a lot harder since I was worn out. I really felt that I learned alot from Claudiu. I hope to continue to work on tempo and other small things to help improve my climbing.



My father about to die on the hike.












Adam







Colin and Mario





















Joe

Horseshoe Canyon- Pebble Wrestle 2011

Orbital MechanicsV8

It was only a few weeks ago when I had no plans for spring break. I knew that I wanted to go climbing, but my plans just were not materializing. I finally decided to go to Horseshoe Canyon for the first weekend of the break. I traveled with my team members and some of their families. Before we left, a friend of mine told me that they were holding a competition the same weekend I was going. Always being a competitor, I felt that the competition would push me to climb harder. I signed up for the competition and then left for Arkansas. The trip went pretty quickly, and we were able to make it in around sunset. We ate dinner then decided to go for a little night bouldering session. My friends and I headed to the Idaho boulders to do a few climbs. We warmed up, and then headed off to work on Glass Bowl V10. This climb is a very beautiful line that consists of dynamic movements into a core intensive mono move near the end. I ended up sending it in about 30 minutes, and my friend Addison came up just short of sending the problem. I hiked back feeling happy about the send, but I knew the task had to be done again in the competition.

Glass Bowl V10

            The Pebble Wrestle competition was set up in a redpoint format. This meant that the score would consist of my top ten climbs. Ten boulder problems is a lot for one day, but I was up for the challenge. After the rules meeting we were set free to go climb. My friend Addison and I first went to the areas we were the night before. We warmed up on a few problems, and then continued to an arête V8 named Numerical Methods. Addison got it first try and I got in a few tries later. The next climb we headed to was Glass Bowl. I was a little worried that I would not be able to send it again, and eventually end up wasting some valuable energy. I luckily sent the climb first go, and we were then on our way to the Far East Boulder. I made quick work of a few climbs there, consisting of Jeff’s Prow V9, African Arête V7, and Traumatic Lunch V6. While climbing there, we met some nice guys that told us about a boulder that had hard fun climbs on it. We were excited to hear the news, and they thankfully led us to the boulder. This boulder had a big overhang with pockets all over the place. The boulder was very unique for the area.  The first climb we did was named Undertow V10. I onsighted the climb, and Addison did it soon after. We both agreed that it probably felt more like a V8, but the guide book and the score sheet said V10. We then did another V7 that was named Hang Ten. At this point we were completely wiped out, so we headed back to camp to get some food and rest for a little while. After some lunch and an hour of rest, we headed back out to get our last few climbs. We first stopped at the climb Orbital Mechanics V8. I knew that my energy would only let me have few goes on it so I had to make them really count. I got it on my third try, but really struggled the whole way. With limited energy I decided to finish off with attempting some V7’s. The first one I went to was Leather Face. The climb was really not too difficult, but I was having a hard time topping out the problem. After numerous failed tries, I finally topped the climb. I wasted a decent amount of energy on the climb and knew I would have to do my last climb quickly. I was fortunate to flash my last climb named Butt Plug V7.

Nico on Dig Dug V4

After the most physically exhausting competition I have ever done, we turned in our scorecards and continued to enjoy the company of the 80 competitors and have some food.  The competition was put together very well and had a very fun atmosphere. Dynamic Earth held the event and did an amazing job. The raffle was one of the largest I have seen, plenty of Fat Tire for those over 21, and plenty of friendly competitors and spectators. Following the food, they announced the results. I knew that I climbed well for me, but really had no idea how my score would stack up against all the other climbers. When they announced my name as the winner there was a slight silence as people looked around. I walked up to get my award, and then everybody started to clap. The majority of the people were from Missouri, Arkansas, and a few other states. I guess they did not recognize my name from any of their climbing groups. Luckily my friend Addison gave me a loud cheer. It was not too long until the competitors and spectators started to embrace me and congratulate me. I really did not take it offensively and took of it more of a compliment that I came out of nowhere. I was happy to reach out to a climbing community that I really had no knowledge of. We headed over to the barn after the results and raffle. They had a pretty cool band that played a few Black Keys songs (my favorite band). It was really nice to mingle with all of the different climbing communities and hear about their groups and climbing stories. The competition was an overall success, and I am really happy that I went.

I now am turning my attention to SCS Adult Nationals. I am building up my endurance, and I plan to be very competitive in Boulder.

Addison on Jeff's Prow V9

Numerical Methods V8

Canon 

Fraziac V6

Glass Bowl

The Team

ABS Youth and Adult Nationals

Two weeks ago I headed up to Boulder for the ABS Adult Nationals. I was very excited to see how I would stack up against some of the best climbers in the world. I have never been a great boulderer, but I decided to train hard for it this year. I went with my coach and some of my team members. The climbing walls and the venue were the best I had ever seen, and Boulder is a Mecca for strong motivated climbers. I got to climb on these amazing walls on Friday. I thought I did pretty well by sending 3 of the 6 problems and only missing one bonus hold. Even though I was pleased with the way I climbed, I ended up come just a few shy of semi finals. I was a little disappointed, but I knew climbed well so I could not say much. The rest of the time was fun and entertaining. I competed in the citizens comp the next day for fun. I also went to semis and finals, which were awesome. The trip was fun, but it was most of all a learning experience, and I'm really glad that I was able to represent Prana by sporting my new Prana clothing through out the weekend. A big congratulations to Alex David Johnson on taking the top spot for the US!
   I flew back to Colorado a few days later. This time I had my older brother Garrett and my mom to keep me company. The first stop we made was to Ft. Collins, home of Colorado State. I have been trying to decide what college I want to attend next year, and the trip to Colorado State helped me make that decision. The city was down to earth and very friendly. The campus had a great atmosphere with a gorgeous back drop. I was truly impressed with the city and campus, and I guess the climbing is not bad either. With outdoor climbing minutes away and the impressive college, I plan on attending Colorado State next year!
   After I successful trip to Ft. Collins, I was ready to go climb. The competition was set up differently this year. You first would warm up at a gym then drive to the venue to compete. The categories were separated so I did not get to climb until 8 pm. It was hard to sit around and just wait to go climb. After a long day of waiting, I went to go warm up and compete. We had 4 routes to climb, and I was excited to get to it. I flashed the first three and then got stuck on one part of the forth. I finished in 9th for the day. I was a little disappointed, but I knew I still had time to make it up. Also with the forth being on a vertical wall, I was hoping to get something more over hung the next day. The next day I had to do do the same thing and wait until later in the day. I wasted time that day by going to the warm up gym to help some of the kids I train. After spending time helping kids warm up, it was my turn to get ready. This go around we had just 3 climbs. I flashed the first two and the final climb was yet again on the vertical wall. I climbed decent on the climb, but pretty much everybody fell on the same move. I was not as aggressive as I should have been, and it resulted in me missing finals. I felt that I would have been competitive in finals, but it it just goes that way sometimes. The last day I spent in Ft. Collins taking time to look at the local climbing gyms and outdoor climbing areas. The trip was another success, and I am looking forward to coming back to Boulder for SCS Adult Nationals in early April.
Here are some pictures from Youth Nationals

 Qualifier 1

 Qualifier 3

 Qualifier 4

 My Mother and I

 Semi 1

 Semis 3

Garrett and I

First Post!

I have finally given up the fight against society and gotten a blog. Over the last month I have been going to a few local areas to boulder. I unfortunately wasn't able to get out to Hueco Tanks this break, so I have been trying to boulder locally as much as I can. The two main areas I have been climbing at are Eisenhower and Nolan River. The areas are not high quality or comparable to Hueco Tanks, but they are fun and definitely worth the trip.  I would not recommend them unless you live in the DFW area.
I spent most of my time at Nolan River where I got the majority of my sends this winter. The area was established originally by Matt Dendy and a few other people. Within the last few years Ryan Sewell has put up many difficult lines. It is a cliff band that consists of chossy limestone. Even thought the rock is sub par, the climbs tend to be pretty fun. After many broken holds, I sent lines such as Superfly V11, Bourreau Des Coeurs V8/9, Moving To Salt Lake V9, and my favorite line Jizzercise V6.
Unfortunately I only got to spend one day at Eisenhower State Park. The area was discovered and mostly established by Vijay Kannan. The area consists of a bunch of free standing boulders that sit on the edge of Lake Texoma. Like Nolan, the rock quality is poor, but the problems are worth the hour drive. The area has many great lines that are now underwater. I was fortunate enough to have Vijay himself show me the new found area. We first went to a boulder that had not been climbed before. Both Vijay and I were able to get a few FA's of Rock Eater V5, Budd-Chiari V5, and Benassis V2. While the sun was setting, we headed over to a project that after many broken holds had been established as an interesting line. Vijay and I gave it a few tries. Vijay got the FA, and I sent it a few tries later. We were happy to have finally put the project to rest. We both agreed on the grade of a V8, and Vijay decided to name it Blood Agar.
Here is me sending Blood Agar (My first attempt at editing a video):

And a few pictures from Nolan as well.

 Will Butcher on Swing Set V7

 Adam Kaiser

 Adam

 Adam

 Adam on Jizzercise V6

 me

 Will focused

 Will squeezing

 Will's tongue

 Adam determined

                                                     Will on Quality Control V7