Switzerland and Australia

It is official.

I booked a flight to Switzerland (Part 1).

On Tuesday June 22nd I will be leaving MSP and flying to Zurich. I will spend 13 days touring around and experiencing something new. I will climb for a few days, but the majority of the trip is re-con and relaxation (R.R.). My girlfriend Molly will be joining me and I am very excited to spend my first time overseas with her.

I hope to return later on in 2010 with a crew of climbers and really focus on climbing.

In 2011 I plan to head to Australia, talking with Chris Webb-parsons about the style of climbing and value of U.S. dollars got me really syked.

Who's in? Jamie? Camp?(THAT IS A JOKE).

Moe's Valley and Coming HOME!

well, a ton has happened in the last week.

Another trade show and a lot of shit talk, interviewing and free beer drinking took place last week in SLC as I am sure most you are aware of. It was my last show working (in the context I do now) for Five Ten. I am very happy to be coming back to Minnesota but will miss the open road full of new people, areas, and shitty food (more goodbyes to come).

Yesterday my hommie Joel and I hit up Moe's Valley on the way back from SLC. Moe's looks what I think Joe's would look like and I must say is really cool. I was impressed. I put together a little video of the day (or at least part of the day). I was really happy with how I climbed for not climbing for 5+days and driving all day. I was also happy to see my finger(s) is(are) on the UP and UP, if I had to put a percentage on it I would say 80% POWER?

Moe's Valley Pit Stop from Nicros Club-JA on Vimeo.

A.D.D. MOMENT

I also learned that I have really weak fingers. Like, Really WEAK. When my finger is back to 100% my main focus will be gaining finger strength.

So,

take a look, I will do another post when I am back in the Midwest this weekend. WOW.. I am really doing it. WHOA. It is funny to think about how bad I wanted to get the F' out and for the last 6 months I have been trying to get back in.

p.s.

For all of you thinking of going to Hueco and looking to climb a V8 go check out Chis' Arete. It is a Bullshit V8 but for some reason people are still taking it. I know, I am "that guy" who gives a F' about 8a.nu, and I am so uncool for it...But if you do not like it...

"YOUR NOT INVITED"

-http://dungeontraining.blogspot.com/

inTERVIEW.

Feel free to share this on your blogs. I find it interesting.

Sandstone Violence

With all of the development in "Fad" areas for the last 2 years in Wisco I started thinking...

Sandstone Violence (V8) is THE BEST of the G'Dodge development. What was the best thing done this year at D'Lake?

Mojo?
Sweaty's thing?
Black Sheep?

Start the comment war now, ready go.




p.s.

On Tuesday I received demo unit from the boys at Compex. I was experiencing sever shoulder pain and could barley lift my arm and my FINGERS had not been recouping as fast as I had hoped.

Last night I climbed, with no shoulder pain and my finger was not feeling sore at all.

Today, my shoulder has no pain. My finger, still not perfect but on the "up and up".

Thank you COMPEX.

if you would like to buy a compex e-stim I will be starting a websale climbing spesific e-stim site. e-mail me and I will set you up.

I quit my job, I like holds.

As you know I quit my job. I am moving back to MN and getting off the road. You may be asking yourself why? why would he leave his job of awesomeness?

The easiest way to say it is, I want a life. I have taken 20? days off (give or take) and my tendon in my ring finger is feeling much better but my ligament in my middle finger is still tweaked and somehow along the way I injured my shoulder? WTF? I think I injured it playing Wii bowling. Yep, bowling.

As you can see I am getting more and more injured and having to take time "off" of climbing. The problem is I have nothing to do without climbing. No, really, nothing. In MN I can have a life filled with things that have absolutely nothing to do with scaling rocks.

In Cali, I have nothing. Nothing but climbing. Sure, I could make something but I am more mobed up on the Life I could create in MN.

NOW.. WITH THAT SAID..

I have never been more motivated to climb something hard. Jamie Emerson did a post on projects and let the cat out of the bag. Now I feel really motivated to get the 30 done.

RANDOM ADD INTERRUPTION!

I will have a list of the "BEST IN THE MIDWEST" done for next weeks post. Please e-mail me all of your projects/ established amazing problems of any grade.

oklobzija@hotmail.com

in closing,

I am ready to Move back and try to expand my horizons in climbing and finish all of my Midwest projects and maybe join a fad that I heard about. Steve is part of it, so is Narc.

until later..

What is the Hardest move you have ever done?

I know people can climb hard problems but what about MOVES? I can think of 2 really, really, ridiculously hard moves I have done. What if P-rob/D-woods spent 110 days on a move?




Left Of Lloyds This one move basically took me 110 day s to do. I have done it twice (once on the stand, once on the sit) . I have watched others do the move with no trouble but for me it is very hard.
(EDIT)
L of L has broken, if your my height you would use a key left foot that is no longer there. Chris H did the line using a lower foot so if you are his height it will not be a problem (good luck being that tall).

The 30 Project sit. The single weirdest move I have ever done, it revolves around a extreme smear/flag maneuver and the holds are facing the wrong way (15 says to do the 1 move).

River Roof. Go Find it.

Winter is upon us. I know of a good area, with lots of hard stuff and good rock. Good luck, go find it. This area holds some of Minnesota's best stone and coolest Movement. Here is a topo of the area.

Blue= Super Proj.
Yellow=Another Super Proj
Red= (v9) Icy Hot
Put this one up last year with "tall" Chris.
Green=(v10?) Mike Helke's Problem.
I tried this boulder problem for over an hour. I could not do a single move.
Pink= Another super Proj
This one could be 8B?

So in Closing, Have fun and walk far.

Day 4 of 30

If you wanted to know how I got injured, here it is.


What the hell do people do if they are unable to climb? I am becoming really fat and unhealthy. My weight before I was injured 146, My weight now = 160 and it ain't muscle. My shoulder has also been bothering me to the point that I cannot do pull ups. I am currently living in a Van (Five Ten's) in Redlands Ca. I have a flight booked back to MN on the 29th which will be my last day at Five Ten.

I have to work (for Five Ten) the O.R. trade show in SLC in mid Jan. I will some of you in on what I will be doing for my new employer, but not yet.

I am a little ADD right now so back to the injury/ recovery.

Here is the plan,

Feb= Run/Bike/push ups/Core
March= Sport Climb/ Go to the Red/ SO Dak
April= 30 project.




May= Quit Climbing

June= go to Switz with my lady!