"pretty well sums it up don't it?"

"The first question which you will ask and which I must try to answer is this, 'What is the use of climbing Mount Everest ?' and my answer must at once be, 'It is no use'. There is not the slightest prospect of any gain whatsoever. Oh, we may learn a little about the behavior of the human body at high altitudes, and possibly medical men may turn our observation to some account for the purposes of aviation. But otherwise nothing will come of it. We shall not bring back a single bit of gold or silver, not a gem, nor any coal or iron. We shall not find a single foot of earth that can be planted with crops to raise food. It's no use.
So, if you cannot understand that there is something in man [and woman] which responds to the challenge of this mountain and goes out to meet it, that the struggle is the struggle of life itself upward and forever upward, then you won't see why we go. What we get from this adventure is just sheer joy. And joy is, after all, the end of life. We do not live to eat and make money."
-- George Leigh Mallory, 1922

THE EXPANSION

JUST QUICK UPDATE: THE EARTHTREKS ROCKVILLE GYM EXPANSION IS GONNA BE SICK.

ONE OF THE NEW BOULDERING WALLS

THE NEW WORKOUT ROOM

Dean.

Yosemite Falls High-Line from Camp 4 Collective on Vimeo.

Climbed ONE (1), lol

GYM DAY

Tomorrow, I've decided is V8 day

No, not the vegetable drink.

No, not the automobile engine.

The climbing gym-rat, crowded cave, bouldering kind.

If I'm fit, (and a gym sets honest) v8 bouldering equates to 80% of my maximum effort.

I'm not fit right now .

With the next six months of life invested in my senior year exams, clinicals, papers, presentations, & independent study I feel blessed if I get in the gym once a week ...

Outside climbing , roadtrip plans? - not even a possibility for me right now (note: all my friends out there on the road this fall - I hate you. Just kidding, savor it!)

Nonetheless, I've decided to boulder-my-lights-out tomorrow- I'm aiming for as many v8s as I can do in a session (it may not even total one (1) people lol).

After I get out of class Wednesday evening , I'm giving my v8 challenge 100% for the 100+ minutes I have to spare before my 1 hour commute back home to get 5 hours sleep before 6:45am clinical at Georgetown University Hospital the next day.

Cultivate the attitude of glorifying God in all that you do.

NM

Yosemite: Land of Many a Dream

Time Lapse Tour of Yosemite National Park from Henry Jun Wah Lee on Vimeo.

one day...

PROPAGANDA, GOOD FRIENDS, & DAS BOOT !

(photos courtesy of Micah Humphrey.. thanks bro for all the pics over the years)

My last weekend in Washington was amazing for a whole lot of reasons, but on the climbing side of things we had some major group sendage that happened at Little Si! I am grateful for any trip to the northwest gem that the Snoqualmie area is, but it was especially cool to share one last, unexpected climbing day with good friends, sunny skies, and great ascents! We all decided to drag Dom to Little Si one more time, and I'm glad we did; Lisa dispatched her project Psychosomatic, 5.12d, Jimmy, Dom, and I sent Dairy Freeze, 5.12b, and I finally got the redpoint of my project Propaganda, 5.12c! This line, which follows the black streak in the photo, is one of the more sustained sport climbs I've done - it's difficulties are matched by it's quality of movement and rock aesthetic - a classic at Little Si for sure. I look forward to coming back to climb the extension - Black Ice, 5.13b/c- one day.

(attempt just prior to the redpoint... note: Lisa working Psychosomatic adjacent to me)

(Propaganda... believe the hype)

After a full day of climbing, to top things off, all had a good time at Micah's going-away party in Seattle - e.g. drinking out of a 64 fl oz Das Boot at bar 1 of 3 on the night! I marveled that evening at how many good people I know that truly make the northwest great. Quality people, quality place, quality vibes. I left this summer - my last of undergrad- full of gratitude for all the memories! Now time for my long-awaited senior year of college !

God Bless You .

NM

MOKULEIA

(photo courtesy of Camilo Lopez)

Yes, rock climbing exists in Hawaii .

(photo courtesy of mountainproject.com)

RED FEVER

Me working on The Force, .13a

(photo courtesy of Lily Cornett)

First off, I apologize to the five loyal followers of this blog, holding their breath for the next post, lol. Second, the Red River Gorge in Slade, KY kicks butt! I now know what all the hype about Red River Gorge rock climbing is... and it's a well-deserved reputation.

I was fortunate to tag along on a ride to the Red with my friends Lily and Scott for a whopping 1o day road trip, April 22nd - May 2nd. It was definitely not a planned trip; I was definitely pushing it- cutting into my finals reading period- but I'm so thankful that I made the spontaneous decision to make my inaugural visit to this climbing mecca.

The Red is probably the single best sport climbing destination in the nation, and one of the best on Earth. Although Smith Rocks and Little Si will forever hold special significance to my rock climbing, I cannot deny the quality, great selection, and consistency of rock climbs at the Red River Gorge. Seriously, most climbs are atleast 3-4 star classics! Oh, yeah, the community around there is tight too, which is awesome (thanks Miguel & co. for the hospitality).

One goal that I'm in the process of accomplishing is visiting every major rock climbing destination in North America. The Red River Gorge is one such destination. Before venturing to more distant climbing locales, I want to explore all that we've got "in our backyard." Our home here offers SO many fine climbing destinations, of all disciplines and rock types- granite, sandstone, volcanic tuff, limestone, quartzite, gneiss, rhinorock (yeah Little Si!), etc.

Enough of me blabbering, I'll let the pictures/video (i.e. top one in video bar ) do the talking...

40 ounces of Justice, .13a @ Motherlode

the ancient creation of textures, colors, and formations are intriguing to look at and hold

Scott on the 1st crux of Table of Colors, .13a ... next time I go I want to do the direct start

One I'll be back for ... Golden Touch, .13b

My favorite wood sculpture of Miguel's

Twinkie, .12a -this line never gets old- steep, big holds all the way to the top

God bless.

NM

SPRING BREAK @ SMITH ROCKS

Smith Rocks is an amazing place to rock climb. I've enjoyed a lot of success as well as weathered bitter defeats (e.g. tons of trips/attempts on Chain Reaction years ago) but there is an ambiance to this place that keeps me coming back, with every trip making my memory glow.

This spring break, I was fortunate to enjoy some R&R with my friends Scott, Dom, Andrew, Jake, and Alex. It was so cool to do a new multipitch route with Andrew and see him project his first Smith 5.12a to completion. It was inspiring to see Jake's tenacity and psyche to learn the technique involved with Smith Rocks' climbing style for the first time. It was impressive to watch Dom make quick work of The Quickening - a steep "5.12c." It was good to reconnect with Scott over some beers.

as for me... well, ... it was frustrating.

No hard sends, lot's of training invested, and too many expectations left me feeling short-changed. I love my friends and rock climbing all the more for how they teach me the enjoyment to be found in humility. Favorite climb of the trip for me was with Andrew on the 400' multipitch Zebra Zion, (.11a variation) team ascent/descent!

Andrew sending Middle Aged Vandals, .11c - a great (overlooked) route with just enough holds in just the right spots to hold down the grade

Dom making the clip before the first crux on The Quickening, .12c/d

Butt shot. Me working on Churning in the Wake, .13a

This trip I finally had the balls to run it out to the top, while working Heinous Cling, .12c

a quick video

Til next time Smith Rocks.

God Bless.

NM

PREAMBLE TO MY RECAP OF SPRING BREAK

Progress is a slippery concept.

Sometimes gains are pronounced, other times it's the old "two steps forward, one step back " (or something like that). Recently, I've been feeling my attitude about progress is all wrong... here are a few of my treasured misconceptions as a rock climber that I'm letting go of after this spring break trip

1st : Progress is linear

this is false. I'm in the paradoxical situation of feeling stronger than ever before without sends, reaching the next grade, nor with anything to add to the 8a.nu scorecard. There are many layers, dimensions, and contexts with growth and development as a rock climber... not to mention as a person.

2nd: I HAVE to send

not really. Well, (lol) okay who am I kidding! I want to be able to do climbs I aspire to, but if I don't, what's the real consequence? What really happens even if I am able to send? I've had projects that have lasted years, and the investment was real... and so was the bottom line. I want to be more skillful at onsighting, flashing, and just plain not taking as long as I do to figure things out. In the end, I don't always have what it takes to do a rock climb, nor do I have to. Your best effort isn't necessarily the one that will get you to the top of the wall. It's possible to extrapolate the same- possibly even more- meaning/lessons from a climb if you don't get the send.

3rd: I want to be better than you at rock climbing

this one is a little hard for me to talk (err, type) about. I've been thinking a lot recently, in the wake of a lot of doing- training, flailing, ego pumping, camera working (lol), and scavaging the web over the latest Adam Ondra feat. I thought about climbers at the professional level- say a climber in the mid 5.14, v13 range, and what their impression would be of his dominance ? Chances are they're not all that bothered by it- ...but I am ! lol. This childish part of me still holds onto wanting to be the best. The reality is that there will always be people warming up on rock climbs that I'll never be strong enough to project, there will always be distant, dreamy climbing locales that I'll never accrue enough sick days, nor money saved, to go visit, and you (the one reading this) will out-climb me someday... I am okay with all these things, because I need to continue to enjoy my experience, your company, and the blessing that climbing is in our lives at any level.

NM

Excellent Gym Session : )

Saturday, February 19th, 2011:

Progress is being had with my training! It's a special moment when you can savor the process without concern for the end result...today was one of those moments. Here's what went down:

• 12 boulder problems v5-v10 (2 v5s, 1 v6, 4 v7s, 2 v8s, 2 v9s, & 1 v10)
• Quality Campus Board Workout (8th and final one I've decided before Smith Rocks)
• 5.12a/b 3rd go (hardest lead of 2011)
• 5.11b flash as brutal "cool down"

With three (3) weeks remaining before Smith now, I'm going to scale back on the bouldering (30 min max/session) and focus primarily on lead climbing. I'll supplement this with core work, endurance cross training, and probably some hangboard'n at the house to keep the fingers snappy.

Here's the footage of what might just be the hardest boulder problem I've scaled at EarthTreks.

Climb hard, have fun.

Glorify God in all that you do.

NM

SMITH ROCKS “Ticklist” – March 12th-20th, 2011

Here is my ambitious itinerary... in reality, sending any of these would be fantastic !

Shipwreck Wall

Liquid Jade 5.12a/b, bolts (note: get Scott back on Blue Light Special 5.11a?)

Aggro Gully

Aggro Monkey 5.13b, bolts

The Quickening 5.12d, bolts

Scene of the Crime 5.13b/c, bolts

Honeycomb Wall

Up for Grabs 5.11d, bolts

Seasonal Effectiveness Disorder 5.10a, bolts

West Ship – River Face

Feet of Clay 5.12b, bolts

Power 5.13b, bolts

Solar 5.9 (three pitches), bolts

Time’s Up 5.13a/b, bolts

The Blade 5.12a, bolts (note: need stick clip)

Skeleton Surfer 5.11b, bolts

Cocaine Wall

Freebase 5.12a, bolts

Powder Up the Nose 5.10d, bolts

Rolling Stones Wall

Exile on Main Street 5.11a, bolts

Churning Buttress

Oxygen 5.13a/b, bolts

Da Kine Corner 5.12b/c, bolts (note: need stick clip)

Kings of Rap 5.12d, bolts

Churning in the Wake 5.13a, bolts

Morning Glory Wall - Overboard Area

Taco Chips 5.12d, bolts

Magic Light 5.12b, bolts

Morning Glory Wall - Zebra Area

Zebra Seam 5.11d, bolts/gear?

Zebra Direct 5.11a, bolts

Zebra 5.10a, gear to 3” (three pitches)

Choss in America 5.12c , bolts (note: starts at 2^nd pitch ledge of Zebra Zion?)

The Four Horsemen

Calamity Jam 5.10c, bolts

Pack Animal Direct 5.10b, bolts

The Dihedrals

Latest Rage 5.12b, bolts

Watt’s Tots 5.12b, bolts

Latin Lover 5.12a, bolts

Karate Wall 5.12b, bolts

Sunshine Dihedral 5.11d, bolts

Take a Powder 5.12a, bolts

Peepshow 5.12a/b, bolts

French Connection 5.13b, bolts

Last Waltz 5.12c, bolts

Heinous Cling 5.12c R, bolts

Darkness at Noon 5.13a, bolts

Vision 5.12b, bolts

Go Dog Go 5.12c, bolts

Christian Brothers – The Prophet Wall

Boy Prophet 5.12b R, bolts

Choke on This 5.12d, bolts

Rude Boys 5.13b/c, bolts (note: get Scott’s son-in-law on Dancer 5.7 @ Combination Blocks Area?)

Monkey Face – West Side

West Face Variation 5.8, gear to 2.5” (three pitches)

Monkey Face – North Side

North Face 5.12a, gear to 2.5” (two pitches)

Monkey Face – East/ South Side

Pioneer Route 5.7 A1, gear to 1.5” (five pitches)

Monkey Space 5.11b, bolts/optional gear to 2” (three pitches)

Astro Monkey 5.11d, gear to 2” (six pitches)

Miscellaneous

Delirium Tremens 5.10a

Drilling Zona 5.11c

Badfinger 5.10b, gear to 2.5”

On the Road 5.11a, gear to 2.5” (small TCUs)

Pure Palm 5.11a

Wherever I May Roam 5.9 (five pitches)

Two of many ...

(click to enLARGE)

Looking forward to good friends, good climbing, and good times.

God bless everyone.

NM

photo courtesy of : http://www.mountainproject.com

Glimpse of a workout (02/08/11) during my six-week campus board phase of periodization training. The set of rungs I am using are the medium size (largest is the middle set)... I'll start to use the small rung set soon.

(note: soundtrack is a free music download courtesy of djshadow.com)

Current Inventory of My Gear...

Ropes (1)

1 x 60 meter (on its way out)

Harnesses (2)

Rock Shoes (3 pair)

Chalkbags (2)

Helmets (1)

Cams (7)
w/ 7 carabiners
1x3”
1x2”
1x1”
1x.75”
2x.3”
1x.25”

Draws (15)
i.e. 30 carabiners

Nuts (20)
1x full set (w/ some hexes too)

Locking Carabiners (5)

Belay Devices (2)
1x ATC Guide
1x Gri Gri

Slings
3x48”

Miscellaneous
3x Rope Bag
1x Personal Anchor System
1x 8’ Cordelette

Training Continues...

footage courtesy of Suradetch

New Year, New Training, New Goals

Rate of improvement is based almost entirely on your willingness to fail.

-Todd Skinner

"Uhh... ...campus board training is hard, and not fun" I say aloud, thinking to myself that must be the secret to why it's so effective yet elusive for climbers. Clearly Wolfgang Gullich was a genius innovator of rock climbing. Although, my objective isn't Action Direct (it's Smith Rocks in March), I am learning a lot and committed to my training with the campus board now.

(click to enLARGE)

After 7+ years of climbing, I'm finally getting around to the sane use of a campus board lol. That is, for t-r-a-i-n-i-n-g. Ironically, only one week into a structured six-week campus board training regiment I've started, I can see the rewards. I am optimistic for sustained gains to come in my contact strength/crimping confidence, and my power/lock off ability; nonetheless, I am proceeding very cautiously... a word for the wise. Campus board training is scary. Pushing your body and tendons to the brink of injury, it's flirting with disaster to become stronger. It's uncomfortable.

I climb with an earned level of familiarity and confidence with what my body can do, but I don't train with that intent. I am working for humility in my training. My workouts are equal parts muscle confusion and ego confusion lol. To investigate where my attitudinal and physical limitations are takes work! This is where I'm at with this whole campus board regiment; where are my weaknesses?, how do I exploit them?, and how do I best experiment with ways to forge new boundaries, new states of being, .... new formulas for untapped potential.

1-4-3-4...

My campus board training regiment is two (2) workouts per week, with two (2) days rest (i.e. Ø climbing) between workouts. Each workout is approximately 30 minutes; with 30 minutes prior to warmup bouldering/stretching. I throw in at least one session per week of just fun climbing to prevent burn out

Workout for the first couple weeks:

1. LADDER 1-3-5-7-9
(2 sets w/ 1min rest between)

2. LADDER 1-4-6-9
(2 sets w/ each arm - 4 total- w/ 1min rest between)

Rest 4 minutes

3. LADDER 1-4-7
(3 tries w/ each arm leading - 6 total- w/ 2 min rest between)

4. TOUCHES 1-4-1
(3 sets of 1-4-1-4-1-4-1-4-1 leading w/ alternating hands, i.e. L hand touches rung 4 two times as does R hand, w/ 2 min rest between)

5. TOUCHES 1-4-3-4
(2 sets of 1-4-3-4-3-4-3-4 for each arm, for each set keeping other arm constantly on rung 1, w/ 2 min rest between sets)

Note: For those interested in campus board training, I'd recommend researching, resting, and taking tendon/shoulder health seriously.

Resources I've found to be good:
Eric Horst's books http://trainingforclimbing.com/new/books.shtml
Nicros http://www.nicros.com/archive/archive15.cfm
Moon Climbing http://usa.moonclimbing.com/campus-boarding-c-334_351.html