Southeast Shape Up

         I'm still kicking it here in the Southeast.  Most of my time has been spent training and keeping a better diet. I've been dropping some fat and climbing up some cool rocks. The Southeast sandstone was the first rock I ever touched when I was 18. To this day it is still one of my favorite places to visit for bouldering. While here, I've been checking out some of my old favorites like Rocktown, and checking out some areas I've not been to before. These are mainly the Hospital Boulders of Gadsden, Alabama and some of the satellite areas around Chattanooga, Tennessee. Extra psyche always comes from experiencing a new zone, making new goals, and achieving them....or getting close. The Hospital Boulders are awesome. Even though it is not the biggest area it certainly has its share of gems. We've been putting in the time to work through some excellent problems.
        In addition to training and climbing, I've been working on another little video edit cause that's what I do. I'm usually hit or miss on whether or not I make a video of a certain trip or experience. Sometimes it's nice to leave the camera in the bag and just have fun, i.e. my Swiss trip.  Here in the South, however, I've decided not to be so lazy this time and make use of the camera and laptop since I lugged it all the way here. With the help of Kenyon Smith, I've been getting some good footage of some great southern boulder problems. Working on the edit has been a productive way to pass the time on the rainy days. It should be a fun video to watch for anyone trying to get amped on a southeast trip. It should be uploaded around mid January. Until then, hopefully everyone is having a good winter and staying injury free.

                                         screen grab from southeast video edit

Recovering in Alabama

      After a big climbing trip, my body can feel pretty wrecked. Upon returning from Switzerland I can home with a few souvenirs. I gained about 10 lbs of weight in Europe, much thanks to the affordability of the world's best chocolate and maybe the cheapest 6 pack of beer I've ever seen. Also, came home with a little elbow tendonitis. It is pretty standard to come back with a few bumps and bruises, and the body must heal before the next adventure. That's what I've been up to.
    Now I'm in the southeast USA again. I've been doing a little work for my parents, healing my tendonitis through rehab, catching up on resistance training, and getting ready for the next journey. It's a bonus that I get to do it here in the south which has some of the best sandstone around. The main areas that I've been cycling through are Rocktown, Citadel, Hospital Boulders, etc. The list of projects for me is growing everyday. I'm mainly focusing on mileage at the moment but have ticked a few good moderates while here, including the Iron Claw sit start. I had never done this line before but it was truly stellar. It has perfect compression with big moves. It also has one of the coolest pinches I've seen.  It's been great getting my bearings in this great sandstone dreamworld.
    The rock out here is getting me ready for the next adventure, which will be a two week trip through the west with my buddy Brad Perry. We'll be going through Vegas, Moe's, Joe's, Salt Lake City, and then Ibex. Utah is in the cards for January. I hope for good weather and good sending mojo.
I can't wait.

                                          Iron Claw Sit; Rocktown, Georgia.   Photo by Kenyon Smith