Friday, November 26, 2010

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Battletoads

Here are a couple of videos from Joe's Valley that I managed to get edited this weekend. Video all taken by Axel Perschmann.

One of my favorite climbs in Joe's Valley. Battletoads, v10.

Battletoads from Paul Nadler on Vimeo.



Messing around collecting firewood, juggling, and trying to climb.

Joe's Valley Shenanigans from Paul Nadler on Vimeo.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Slasher

Last year about this time, I started working on a nice undone line in Joe's Valley, UT. It lies up the hill from the warm-up boulder on the right fork. It was the project to the right of Afterthought. Big moves starting in a pod, and moving through some amazing slashes in the rock, finally lead to a big dyno. After many days, I was falling on the dyno. On my next attempt, just as I was pulling hard for the last move, my pinky slipped out of the slot hold, putting all my weight into my ring finger. I tore my A2 pulley pretty bad, and had to leave without doing the problem.

The finger wasn't, and still isn't 100 percent, but you can't wait forever. I came back to Joe's in October, and began the process again. It took me a while just to do the move I hurt my finger on. It was hard to pull on that hold, knowing what had happened, and what could happen again. Slowly I dialed in all the moves, and got back to giving send gos.

I was hoping a couple of weeks would be enough to dispatch the problem, but progress was a bit slower than expected. Rain and snow forced too many rest days, and it came down to one more day before I would have to return to CO for November. Every attempt I was getting closer, falling on the lip the last few tries. It was getting late, and my finger was starting to get sore. I knew I had one more try.

I pulled on and got through the first moves without making any mistakes. I threw for the lip, not worried about my finger, but aware of exactly how hard I could safely pull. I grabbed the decent hold on the lip and held on for dear life. This time I didn't find myself back on the pads, and I quickly topped out. Success!

Thanks to everyone that hiked up there with me, worked out beta, video, etc.

Slasher

Photo Cole Benoit


Photo Cole Benoit

Video at some point.