The Stone from the Moon

Recently I've gotten extremely psyched on bouldering! This happens spontaneously every now and then and surprises me. A few weeks ago I was messing around on the most classic problem in Groom Creek, Moonstone. Moonstone is a beautiful aesthetic boulder problem that flows better than any boulder problem I have ever attempted. I had never stuck the crux move which is a hard lock off on the right crimp and a dynamic move to a really terrible crimp for the left hand. Then just the other day when I was joking around and messing with my friends I unexpectedly stuck the move. A doorway opened and my motivation sky rocketed, "I can do the move" this was a problem I thought I'd never be able to do until the conscious pathway was rerouted and showed me I could. A week later I came back to try the whole problem from the start…

Bouldering will get you strong, the perfect training but also the purest form of climbing, nothing but you and your movement on the rock. I think it should be appreciated for that context.

Overhanging Nightmare First Ascent

September 23rd I went out near the Dam Wall in Prescott Arizona to finish a project I started last April. Local guidebook author and first ascentionist Kevin Keith and I had found a line that we attempted ground up but never had the chance to go back to due to weather conditions.

The route follows a slab for 15 feet to a large 6 foot roof, going directly over the roof you slap an arete and cross into an overhanging hand/finger crack. Follow this crack up past slopers to a wide crack, over this and up slabs to the top. The first and only day I got on it until this past september I learned how to bolt and drill Anchors from Kevin which was a great learning experience to have.

Overhanging Nightmare can be seen here in the center.

The first go on it, I fell at the second crux. After rapping back down to try it ground up again, I knew I was just blocking myself mentally. I wanted this climb and I knew the moves, I simply just had to breathe and execute. The thing thats always in the back of my mind on this route is that if you fall on the latter moves of the second crux going for the wide crack theres a potential that you will smack into the roof. Last April I fell somewhere in this area, as I fell I tilted my head back looking directly up into the sky, this ended up saving my life as it allowed me enough room for my head to clear the roof. If I had been looking straight ahead I would have smashed eye level with the lip of the roof. This automatically made Kevin and I put a PG-13 rating on the route.

As I tied back in, I took three deep breathes. I could feel the fire ignite inside of me, I was going to give my all; my motivation level was at its highest. I run the slab out to below the roof and place a cam. I grab the slopers on the lip of the roof, throw a heel up and slap for the arete sticking it with the strength of many lives. I pull up and cross over into the crack and establish my self. Place my final pieces for the run out and charge it. Consciously breathing and moving through the cruxes. I jam my hand into the wide crack, aware of the fall consequence but not fearing it; I place the final cam and get myself over the bulge to the slab. I had just sent the First Ascent of Overhanging Nightmare 5.10d PG-13, on my birthday.

Pulling through the first crux.

For more information see: http://mountainproject.com/v/overhanging-nightmare/108355557

Evolv Cruzer Review

Evolv Cruzers Review:

For the past 5 months I have been wearing the Evolv Cruzers almost daily. If you haven't heard of them they are the latest Approach/Casual shoe from Evolv. These guys are much more than just a casual approach shoe. In the 5 months of wear I put these things through a lot of abuse, I climbed White Horse Ledge in these, hiked countless miles, bushwhacked through the rain, and wore them to just about any event I went to. Heres what I found:

Rubber: I think the Eco-trax rubber that evolv puts on all there shoes is best put to use on their approach shoes. Before wearing these I was using Merrels barefoot full shoed shoes with vibram rubber and I slipped constantly, they could not handle anything it seemed like. With the eco-trax rubber I never slipped once even when climbing and hiking in the rain, on ice or through mossy rock. I give the rubber a grade of 9/10

Comfort/Fit: The Cruzers have a tight fit to them, which is good and bad depending on what you want. I am a size US 10 and order these in a 10. I thought they fit pretty tight especially for the first 3 months. I liked it because I knew i would be doing a lot of rock scrambling/climbing in them so the tight fit was a welcome. but if you want a more loose fit I recommend going a half size up. The comfort of the shoe has been unlike any shoe I have worn before. The shoe is lined with memory foam that morphs to your foot exactly, so every time you put it on you get a custom tailored shoe for your foot that is super soft! and super comfy! The shoe wraps around your foot securing it in a perfect fit. For comfort/fit I give them a 10/10

Laces: The laces on the Cruzers have held up great and have shown no signs of wear for the last 5 months. 10/10

Colors: The Cruzers come in black, slate, red and toffee. I chose the Toffee cause it looks freaking sweet! with many color choices theres something for everyone. 

Durability: The Cruzers fought throw everything I threw at them, but they didn't come out unscarred. The ankle stitching broke loose about 4 months into use, and then the toe stitching gave. Although I put these shoes through a lot of rough terrain, I think the stitching should be much stronger, theres no excuse for poor manufacturing. The stitching ripped but I can still use them just fine that is a plus, but they work better in there slipper form. 6/10

The Cruzers are unique in that the heel tab can fold down and you can use the shoes as a slipper as well. You can go barefoot in them too! I think this is great because like my cruzers when they go through a lot of  abuse and start to see signs of wear they can be converted fully over to a slipper. The slipper conversion makes these shoes perfect for crag climbing too, I can come right off my climb and slip these guys on no problem.

Over all the Cruzers are a great shoe and I  would recommend them to anyone and everyone. they have been by far the most comfortable shoe I have ever worn and the fact that I can use them as slippers to makes them even better. Over all The Evolv Cruzer gets a 8.5/10

Get your pair at www.evolvsports.com