I've been doing a lot of testing and thinking lately about high-top climbing shoes and I think I've fallen in love with this style of shoe.
The Gear For Big Wall Climbing
Why I Hate Projecting
Raising your personal bar in climbing requires a bit of projecting to eventually redpoint hard routes that you desire to climb without falling. I used to laugh at all the climbers in Rifle that would eat, sleep, and breath that same route over and over and over till they got the send. They talked about their project as if they owned it. Projecting has never been my favorite part of climbing...but it is necessary.
Non-Climber Questions
The few times I have climbed in Zion National Park, I have been confronted by random non-climbers that are always bewildered and in awe of what I'm carrying. Their slack-jawed expressions are usually followed by a collection of questions.
Here's an experience I had earlier this year, published on the Liberty Mountain Climbing blog.
How To Climb The Calendar
I found it interesting that a lot of climbers were trying to climb their first or a lot of 5.12 rated routes during 2012. Then in 2013, a good amount of climbers had their eyes set on climbing their first ever 5.13. So when 2014 rolled around, I published a piece called Climb The Calendar - 5.14s in 2014 on the Liberty Mountain Climbing blog.
Ice Climbers Are Tougher Than Rock Climbers
December of 2013 marked my first time ever ice climbing. I know...how did I ever abstain from ice climbing during my 10+ years of rock climbing? Well, I just did.
Thanks to my employer, I was able to attend the Bozemen Ice Festival with two other co-workers to represent Grivel as a sponsor. While we were there, we were able to spend two days on the ice. After experiencing that style of climbing and being surrounded my a ton of people that live for "slaying the ice," I came up with a list of reasons why ice climbers are tougher than rock climbers. I published the list and a ton of photos I took at the festival on the Liberty Mountain Climbing blog.
