My Dream

I really want to do this boulder someday.

Vecchio Leone from Michele Caminati on Vimeo.

Rando's

My roommates refer to "Rando's" as chicks from the bar. I refer to the random boulder problems I have never been to in MN.

This is one of 3 areas in the midwest that I have not been to. I first heard of the "county road 6" from my friends Neil and Eric, they had visited the area a few year back. I decided to try and find the area and a boulder problem called Big Shots (v6).

With the help of Josh Helke I found the area and climbed the boulder. Big shots is a tiny roof with some cool slopes and sharp crimp, it is a ton of fun climbing but is a total contrivance/eliminate but if you can look past that it is amazing and in Minnesota.

Jim Mer-DOg = Malcom Smith of the Midwest!

Jim is like Malcom...

Just kicking it where he likes to live and climbing on what he's got.

Firefight 8b First Ascent from Willackers on Vimeo.

Jim

THIS IS NOT JIM, THIS IS ALEX.

Jim climbs hard.

Jim put up the "stand" start to the line left of Exodus (yet to be named). He did not tell me the grade but I would say that it is at least v10??? Who knows? With the stand now finished the extensions (from the start of EX and Trav'n left and the full Trav from the end of Ex to the satnd start 14b?)

Jim also repeated Tengo on Saturday. He took it down hard for the 3rd.

Alex Climbs Hard.

My friend Alex Savage is on a year long trip to Europe.. Just climbing.

I saw this picture of him climbing on Vecchio Leone. When I first started climbing I saw a picture of Bernard Zangler climbing on Vecchio when I first started getting into climbing and is one of the reasons I "will climb 8b".

Very Syked for the future,

Paul and The Raven

Nicros had Paul Robinson come to Minnesota to shape his "signature series" of holds that Nicros will release this fall/winter.

Part of my new job at Nicros is to take the athletes around and show them some climbing areas in the Midwest. The first place I took Paul was The Raven in my opinion the "Best of the Midwest".

here is a video of the day,

Paul became the 3rd person to climb v12 in Minnesota. He did it in good style. RESPECT. He also did "the move" on the Nicros screw-on jib problem @ VE. He is at the gym now so I will update you if he did it, I think it is around the CATS 8B range. Today was supposed to be a Sawmill day so Paul could make a run at the B3 boulder "The Ameture" but Paul was not ready for the long drive and needed to train for the upcoming UBC comp so we bailed (sorry PI :)).

Paul Robinson

Paul did the Raven, could be v16??????

I found a sick equation for bouldering grades that I will share with you later but to sum it up, it is the only way to REALLY FIND OUT HOW HARD THINGS ARE.

I will post the video tomorrow.

I may make it private so ll the haters get f'd.

Climb 8b.

Climbing,


On sickgnargnar I posted this comment on GOALS,

1. The Shield (tried a little but my finger was not up for it)
2. Greatest Show (kinda)
3. 30 project
4. Ameture (Have not tried yet this season)
5. Climb an 8a boulder @ the lake (not sure if the rock will make anything that hard)
6. Lead rubber man (if I cannot die attempting) (Have not tried)
7. Flash whiskey ago go(so?) (Have not tried)
8. Go to switz (I leave June 18th)
9. Go to spain (hmmm?)
10.Heal my finger (did it then re-injured it)

I added the last 3.

11. Homestar
12. King of Town
13. The Prow

I am injured at the moment and have not climbed since I did the Prow. My left shoulder is on the fritz alone with my Right. Could be time to go under the knife...??

I think I am going to throw in the towel on this season.

I head to CO mid may I would really like to be back into climbing by then and I would love to do the classic Black Ice. We will see.