Vegas

When it's snowing and cold all over the country, you can always count on Vegas to be... less cold and snowy. It seems everywhere in the west got pummeled by a massive storm recently, and Vegas was no exception. It dried up though, and the climbing has been great since.

Getting dark while on Progressive Guy v10

Photo Axel Perschmann

I was able to finish up some climbs I didn't do last spring including the amazing Americana Exotica v9/10. Sorry, no pictures or video. Then I got food poisoning or maybe a stomach flu, and vomited all night. The next day I tried to climb this a cool problem called ultraviolet, and got totally shut down. I guess some rest was needed.

Karma had been nursing a leg injury for the last few weeks, so I tried keeping her on a leash most of the time for a week or so to see if that would clear it up. Unfortunately I noticed she was still limping a little at the end of the day so I decided it was time to take her to the vet.

The vet figured out that her knee was the culprit, and suspected a torn ACL. My brother's dog, and several friend's dogs have had this happen, and it is a costly and long recovery. When the x-ray results were back, I was happy to find that she did NOT have a torn ACL, or at least not fully torn. She could have a partial tear, or something else could be injured in her knee.

The vet recommend that I restrict activity for a week or two. Of course I had already been doing that, but when she said to keep her from going up and down steps if possible, I realized that leashed hiking through canyons instead of unleashed hiking through canyons, probably doesn't constitute the kind of restricted activity the vet had in mind.

So now I have Karma confined to the car and short walks for a couple of weeks, and then probably back to the leash until i'm confident shes back in top form. Poor little doggy.

Karma protesting me putting her on my lap to keep warm, by not posing for the camera.

Photo Axel Perschmann

Having recovered from illness myself, I was able to get back and finished up Book of Nightmares v11/12. Book is a very nice arete climb that involves a combination of technique and power. After falling once after the crux (3rd move), I was able to seal the deal a couple tries later.

Book of Nightmares from Paul Nadler on Vimeo.

Black Lung Attempts

I had a goal this winter to climb Black Lung v13 in Joe's Valley. I have been making progress, but no send yet. Now it looks like a big storm is on the way and I may have to wait. Sometimes these storms pass by though, so I may get more chances. Either way, I'll be heading to Vegas in week or so. I'll just have to see what happens.

One of my best goes so far.

Black Lung Attempt from Paul Nadler on Vimeo.

The cycle of life

Today for something loosely related to climbing.

This is a video of Karma eating a small animal while out climbing one day. Warning! Not for the squeamish.

Karma hunting from Paul Nadler on Vimeo.

On a related theme. Here is the scene I happened across on my return to Joe's Valley. I guess it's lion hunting season.

Slasher Video

Slasher from Paul Nadler on Vimeo.

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.

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.

Joe's Valley

I can't remember the last year where I haven't spent a significant amount of time in Joe's Valley, and this year is no different. Joe's is one of my favorite climbing areas, along with Squamish. Interestingly these two areas couldn't be more different from each other. Maybe It's the extremes that attracts me.

Anyways, I'm here in Joe's, working on new things and old things. It has been very rainy, and I haven't been able to climb nearly as much as I have wanted to. Today again it's raining, and it looks worse tomorrow. Hopefully the weather improves for some some good conditions before I have to get back to Colorado for work.

Thanks to Axel and Katinka I have some pictures to share of a couple of very good climbs in Joe's.

AFA (American Freedom Association) v2. This is very fun problem on perfect rock, with a committing finish. One of my favorite easier problems in Joe's. You can find it by hiking a few minutes up the wash behind the UMWA boulder. It will be on your left, sitting in the wash.


Fiery Furnace v10. This is a very good, but overlooked problem in the Hulk area. Just hike a minute or two past Dirty Harry and you will come across a beautifully face reminiscent of hooters, but more enjoyable to climb on. Some techy moves lead to a very large Dyno, or various static methods. Despite baking in the sun, Axel and I both managed to send. Neither of us did the big jump.

Me


Axel



Axel also sent the tree at Big Joe.