Now that I have written about this last trip, I will back up and write about some important things that have happened this past year. I will start by writing about my last trip to bishop.
Last May, I went down to Bishop for my birthday. Fortunately it was unseasonably cool and in the seventies instead of nineties. The first day there I tried and sent Bubba Escapes the Ward in about ten minutes. It definitely helps to be tall. I am sort of confused about the grade since everyone puts it at V11 on 8a.nu but the new guide (which was published after all those ascents) puts it at V10. Later that same day I checked out beefcake, a really cool roof V10, and sent in about forty five minutes. Since I had not seen anyone do it, online or in life, I was forced to find my own beta which I am ninety percent positive most people don't use. From the two side pulls near the start, most people apparently go directly to the pocket on the small lip, but I used a bad pinch for my right hand in between the two. This is probably one of my favorite problems and was the hardest I had ever tried at the time. After doing Beefcake, I started trying the moves of Beefy Gecko (an extension off of Beefcake graded at V11) but got to tired so I decided to call it a day.
The next day, I managed to do Beefy Gecko after a few tries. It was my favorite problem at the time and is still in my list of top five favorite problems. The only problem with it is that it's a drop off, but I like the moves so much and reaching and grabbing the giant finish jug feels so good that it's one of my favorite problems.
After sending Beefy Gecko, I went over to the Happys. There I first tried Last Dance, a V9 which I had over looked last trip. The taller you are, the harder and more awkward this problem gets and being fairly tall myself made this no gimme. I worked this for about a half an hour until I gave up and went over and tried Acid Wash Right, a V9 which I tried on the trip before this and didn't send. I sent in three tries no problem this trip. After sending this I decided that I wouldn't leave without sending Last Dance, which I tried for another fifteen minutes. By this time I had gotten pretty frustrated and wanted to go try something else, but I knew I couldn't leave until sending so I decided to give it one more go and sent. Both Acid Wash Right and Last Dance have very interesting and awkward but very fun moves If the rock was better I would have given both three stars on 8a.nu.
After sending Acid Wash Right and Last Dance, I worked Prozac until I was tired and sore and decided to stop for the day.
The last day there, which was my birthday :), I managed to flash Therapy, Though a little soft, it was my first V8 flash.
This trip was one of the best. I managed to complete three goals: sending a V11, flashing a V8, and sending Acid Wash Right (since i didn't get it last trip). This was surely my best Birthday.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Crater Lake and the Oregon Caves
Since I haven't written in my blog for about two years, I will first write about the most recent things I have done while they are fresh at mind, then go back and write about past things that I feel are important to write about.
Last week I went on a trip with my family to southern Oregon to see Crater Lake and the Oregon Caves. The first day of the trip was almost entirely driving up to the Crater Lake camp grounds. We stopped at least twice to get drinks along this six and a half hour drive. There were many more people than in Lassen and there are lots more campgrounds.
The second day there we hiked to the top of Garfield Peak. The trails have lots of wildlife and the rock looks a lot like the Happys in some areas. The top has an amazing view of the whole lake. After about ten or so minutes it started to rain very lightly, so we stayed another ten minutes then started to hike down, by which time a large dark cloud was rapidly growing. By about half way down the cloud took up most of the sky and you could hear thunder approaching. When we got back to the car it had stopped raining but the clouds were still there, so we decided to save driving around the lake for the next day and go to the store near the campground to get something to eat.
After we were done eating we went to the car and sat for a few minutes watching the thunder. After a few minutes we heard a loud thump on the roof, then a few seconds later a few more, so I looked out of the window onto the ground where I saw a few inch thick hailstones. A few seconds after that, the storm really started to pick up and inch thick hailstones rattled against the roof of the car sow loud, I thought they would break through the roof or a window.
When we got to the campsite the hail had become smaller but showers of hail fell for about another ten minutes, then it rained heavily for a short time then it all nearly stopped except for a few small drops and some thunder.
Then we got out of the car and started digging trenches with rocks to lead the water away from the tent. Surprisingly the tent was fine except that the bottom got a little wet. All the days after this were nice and sunny.
The next day, we went on a two hour boat tour of the lake. The only way to get to the water is by a very steep 1.1 mile hike filled with switchbacks. From the boat, you can see many spectacular formations that you can't from the lookouts rim. On the tour we learned a lot about how the lake was formed and how each feature was formed. My favorite feature was the Phantom Ship. This is a 200 ish foot long island with rocky towers probably about 70-100 feet tall in some parts. After the tour, we drove around most of the lake and looked at many of the lookouts.
Next, we went to the Oregon Caves and stayed in the Chateau. The drive from Crater Lake to the Oregon Caves is about three hours and passes through a few small towns and over a river. When we got there we quickly got something to eat ant got on the last tour of the day. There were only three other people other than us so it was not to crowded. The caves were lit by lights and there were paths and ladders almost the whole way. There were tons of amazing features. There were huge jellyfish looking features and tons of stalagmites and stalactites and even a large column.
On the way back home, we stopped at a really cool woodworking place in Kerby Ville. They had tons of neat sculptures and lots of tree houses. One of the tree houses had three stories and was about forty feet tall.
Overall this trip was one of the best I have ever taken.
Last week I went on a trip with my family to southern Oregon to see Crater Lake and the Oregon Caves. The first day of the trip was almost entirely driving up to the Crater Lake camp grounds. We stopped at least twice to get drinks along this six and a half hour drive. There were many more people than in Lassen and there are lots more campgrounds.
The second day there we hiked to the top of Garfield Peak. The trails have lots of wildlife and the rock looks a lot like the Happys in some areas. The top has an amazing view of the whole lake. After about ten or so minutes it started to rain very lightly, so we stayed another ten minutes then started to hike down, by which time a large dark cloud was rapidly growing. By about half way down the cloud took up most of the sky and you could hear thunder approaching. When we got back to the car it had stopped raining but the clouds were still there, so we decided to save driving around the lake for the next day and go to the store near the campground to get something to eat.
After we were done eating we went to the car and sat for a few minutes watching the thunder. After a few minutes we heard a loud thump on the roof, then a few seconds later a few more, so I looked out of the window onto the ground where I saw a few inch thick hailstones. A few seconds after that, the storm really started to pick up and inch thick hailstones rattled against the roof of the car sow loud, I thought they would break through the roof or a window.
When we got to the campsite the hail had become smaller but showers of hail fell for about another ten minutes, then it rained heavily for a short time then it all nearly stopped except for a few small drops and some thunder.
Then we got out of the car and started digging trenches with rocks to lead the water away from the tent. Surprisingly the tent was fine except that the bottom got a little wet. All the days after this were nice and sunny.
The next day, we went on a two hour boat tour of the lake. The only way to get to the water is by a very steep 1.1 mile hike filled with switchbacks. From the boat, you can see many spectacular formations that you can't from the lookouts rim. On the tour we learned a lot about how the lake was formed and how each feature was formed. My favorite feature was the Phantom Ship. This is a 200 ish foot long island with rocky towers probably about 70-100 feet tall in some parts. After the tour, we drove around most of the lake and looked at many of the lookouts.
Next, we went to the Oregon Caves and stayed in the Chateau. The drive from Crater Lake to the Oregon Caves is about three hours and passes through a few small towns and over a river. When we got there we quickly got something to eat ant got on the last tour of the day. There were only three other people other than us so it was not to crowded. The caves were lit by lights and there were paths and ladders almost the whole way. There were tons of amazing features. There were huge jellyfish looking features and tons of stalagmites and stalactites and even a large column.
On the way back home, we stopped at a really cool woodworking place in Kerby Ville. They had tons of neat sculptures and lots of tree houses. One of the tree houses had three stories and was about forty feet tall.
Overall this trip was one of the best I have ever taken.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
school started
I haven't been able to set recently because school just started two weeks ago and I've been caught up in classes and school work. I'm taking Algebra 1 and I really enjoy it. I'm also taking Life Science, Writing, Literature, and History but Science Lab and writing haven't started yet. I really wish I could set more.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
The Route Setting Clinic
8/21/08
Liam Vance
About a month ago, I went to a Route setting clinic At Hangar 18 in Riverside. It was taught by Chris Danielson who is a very experienced setter who set at nationals.
The first day there we introduced ourselves and Chris handed out sheets and talked about setting and what we were going to be doing. He said, when you are setting, to try to make the problem so that people of many different sizes can do them, and to try to make the problems fun and interesting and not like a ladder. I think his lecture was very helpful.
After he gave his lecture we started setting toprope and lead problems. The only hard part was that we couldn’t try our problems as we were setting. Most of us had to use ladders but in some areas we could use lifts. I set in an area with a lift because I didn’t want to go high up on a ladder and I really like being high up on a lift because it feels much safer. I set a lead 5.9. Instead of using tape to mark the routes, we used holds of one color and I chose green. After we were done setting we were split up into groups of three or four and we ran each others problems to make sure that they were fun, flowed well, and were close to their grade. Everyone who tried my problem liked it.
The next day there we set boulder problems. First, Chris assigned us a grade and place to set. I had to set a V3+ on the vertical wall. Like the first day, we couldn’t try our problems as we were setting them. After we were done setting, we ran our own problems and made any changes that we wanted to make. Then we split up into groups depending on the grade we set, and ran each others problems. Everybody really liked it and said it was right on the grade. One person even said that it was the best problem he had tried that day.
I think the clinic was fun and very helpful and I’m glad that I went.
8/21/08
Liam Vance
About a month ago, I went to a Route setting clinic At Hangar 18 in Riverside. It was taught by Chris Danielson who is a very experienced setter who set at nationals.
The first day there we introduced ourselves and Chris handed out sheets and talked about setting and what we were going to be doing. He said, when you are setting, to try to make the problem so that people of many different sizes can do them, and to try to make the problems fun and interesting and not like a ladder. I think his lecture was very helpful.
After he gave his lecture we started setting toprope and lead problems. The only hard part was that we couldn’t try our problems as we were setting. Most of us had to use ladders but in some areas we could use lifts. I set in an area with a lift because I didn’t want to go high up on a ladder and I really like being high up on a lift because it feels much safer. I set a lead 5.9. Instead of using tape to mark the routes, we used holds of one color and I chose green. After we were done setting we were split up into groups of three or four and we ran each others problems to make sure that they were fun, flowed well, and were close to their grade. Everyone who tried my problem liked it.
The next day there we set boulder problems. First, Chris assigned us a grade and place to set. I had to set a V3+ on the vertical wall. Like the first day, we couldn’t try our problems as we were setting them. After we were done setting, we ran our own problems and made any changes that we wanted to make. Then we split up into groups depending on the grade we set, and ran each others problems. Everybody really liked it and said it was right on the grade. One person even said that it was the best problem he had tried that day.
I think the clinic was fun and very helpful and I’m glad that I went.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Leading
Yesterday I did a lot of lead climbing. I did my first lead 14. It started on the left side of the arch and went up to the roof and across and up the headwall. Even though it went on the roof, it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. I'm really starting to like lead climbing.
Lesson
At my lesson on 7/11 I did 50 push-ups and 60 sit-ups. I also did an exercise where you jump up and grab a hold as many times as you can in a minute. I think this was supposed to help improve my leg and arm strength.
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