The Importance of Hands (In Climbing)
If you have been in the gym for more than 5 minutes, you have probably heard me yelling at some one to use their feet either better or at all. I hear gumby-esque people telling it to their new friends and long time climbers screaming at their partners alike. So much easier said than done, […]
Learning to soar like an eagle with rock-solid belaying
So you’re finally ready for that redpoint attempt, the one you’ve been working up to for the last month. You’ve worked all of the moves, improved your conditioning, rehearsed the route a thousand times (usually while lying in bed trying to fall asleep), and even ate Wheaties for breakfast. There’s this cool breeze in the […]
Hips and dimes; improve your position: become amazing
‘Hey homey, you need to PAP on FB of that totally bad bae you’re in ship with. A total dime for sure!’ OK, obviously I have no idea what I’m talking about, I just stole all those words off of some ‘how to speak teen’ web post. It’s a sobering thing when you realize […]
Cowboys, pigs, and slopers
Growing up in Nebraska, one of my family’s favorite summertime activities was attending rodeos. Those cowboys and cowgirls are some serious athletes and tough as nails. From riding horses around obstacles at breakneck speeds to wrestling a thousand-pound steer to the ground to trying to stay on the back of a Brahma Bull that seems […]
Dancing in the vertical, three points of contact, and breaking 5.8
Someone once called rock climbing ‘dancing in the vertical’. I like that. Successful climbing requires much the same as dancing. There is balance, rhythm, three-dimensional movement, grace and strength all combined. And both, when done well, appear almost effortless. I think that is why I love to watch people climb. To me, it’s almost like […]
Defying gravity, centering your universe, and maybe impressing Ima
Gravity: it happens! And for some reason seems most accentuated at the most inopportune times (like that time in high school when I was walking across the parking lot hoping Ima Sohot would notice my awesomeness. I tripped on a curb . . . ugh!). Climbing can be just as humbling. Sure, every once in […]
