I started rock climbing around 1/2000, at City Rock in Berkeley, which has since moved and become Iron Works. After a couple of months I was doing 5.10A. I climbed a lot in Austin in summer 2000 (at the Austin Rock Gym), got pretty bad elbow tendinitis, and stopped for a while. Since then I usually tape my elbows. I go to Mission Cliffs in San Francisco sometimes. I bought a rope and have climbed outdoors at Cragmont Park.
Some recent outings:
8/16/2001
The broken rib (see below) turned out to be torn cartilage.
I started climbing again after a few days
and it's gradually healed, about 95% now.
After 2 weeks I did the route that injured me.
Yesterday I climbed with Dave Rockower at MC. The high point was an 11B that I rested briefly on; it was a finger exercise with small positive grips on an overhang.
7/15/2001
I've been climbing regularly (up until today's injury, see below)
but no big breakthrough or improvement.
At Ironworks the high points have been an orange 10B corner route
on the back wall: bouldering start, lean/stem across a 6' gap,
then some back/highstepping.
When Elise was in town I flailed repeatedly on Sloth,
a 10C in the back right arch;
later I did it with some hanging.
The highlight of bouldering was a black V2 with a semi-dyno
from a giant undercling at the end.
Also I've done all three V1s on the giant overhang wall in front;
long, muscley routes.
At Mission Cliffs the best climbs have also been corner routes,
the purple 10B in right/back (which has one move that uses every
inch of my considerable reach) and a white 10C whose start goes under the arch.
There was a black V1, starting from an eye-level block,
up to a sidepull, then some big traverse moves.
Took me several tries and was a thrill when I got it.
Today I broke a rib while attempting the successor to Sloth. I was at the usual crux, just past the arch. At this point you're facing the left wall, and you need to get to a foothold directly behind you on the right wall. I attempted this move awkwardly, twisting my lower body 90 degrees while swinging my right foot up to stomach level. I felt a sudden pain in my rib area. At first I thought it was a cramp, but when I ran a finger along the rib-ends one of them was sticking out about 1/4". Rob V. let me down. He accompanied me to the Alta Bates emergency room, where the fracture was confirmed by X-ray. It doesn't hurt too bad; I'm hoping to be back in action in a few weeks.
5/14/2001
Day before yesterday I took my 9-year-old nephew Ryan to Ironworks.
He had climbed a few times at small places near Pleasant Hill, where he lives.
I didn't know what to expect.
But he blasted up the cave route on the back wall,
onsighted a V1, and did several 5.8s and most of a 5.10A.
I was extremely impressed by his grittiness and by
his technical flexibility: he was constantly experimenting
with hip rotation, foot placement, etc.
Adam Dingle showed up, and belayed me on a 10C while I showed
Ryan what "flailing" means.
I haven't done much of note recently. I could blame this on the knee surgery I had about 3 weeks ago, but in point of fact I recovered from that almost immediately.
4/23/2001
I climbed with Rob V. at BIW on Friday.
He did his first 10A - "En Fuego".
I'm trying to get him to think more about his feet.
I did two 11A's - a blue/white on the 3rd pillar
featuring some large convex holds,
and the purple on the 2nd pillar which has
a near-horizontal overhang area, not as hard as it looks.
My elbows flared up a little.
Earlier last week I climbed with a random partner, a guy from Baltimore who did a couple of routes with a blindfold on. He says it simulates outdoor situations where you have to grope for holds on a blank wall, or around corners. You need to arrange your feet and body position to let you reach far in both directions without losing balance. I may give this a try at some point.
I did Kinetic Energy (teal 10B) no problem. Good route for tall people.
Justin returned from a week in Austin and was amazed at the difficulty and muscle-y nature of the bouldering routes at Austin Rock Gym.
4/16/2001
A number of outings recently.
In Chicago on business, I looked up a local climbing gym,
"Indoor Summits" in Naperville.
Small and homey.
The overhang routes have clips near the bottom,
through which you thread the rope prior to starting,
so that if you fall off you won't swing over
and smash into the opposite wall.
Belaying is by anchored Grigris; harness not used.
Smooth walls make smearing impossible.
Other than that, I onsighted a "feel-good" 11B at BIW (blue, 3rd pillar) but mostly have been feeling a bit weak and sticking with 10B/C. Last night I climbed with Rob and he came very close to doing his first 10A. Lynne hasn't been climbing because of broken small toe. Justin is in Austin.
4/5/2001
Climbed at MC with Lynne.
Lynne showed off on red V0.
I had a rough time on overhang red 10C.
Flashed a blue 10B upstairs.
Attempted new 11A corner route - no way Jose.
Finished with red 10B on front of pillar.
Needed 3 tries at crux, then needed full power to make last few moves.
The 10B and C routes on this face tend to be
underrated and muscle-intensive.
4/3/2001
Climbed at MC with Lynne.
Did two 10Cs, including the new stem-n-mantle route in the corner.
Failed to do the leg-reach V2 of 3/28; more stretching needed?
4/2/2001
Climbed at IW with Justin.
He did the red 11A in back with some rests - his first.
I did a red 11B on the middle pillar,
whose crux move is a heel-hook past an overhang -
an incredibly fun move, and not hard.
Also did all the moves in the orange V2 arete route,
but not in sequence.
3/28/2001
Bouldered at Mission Cliffs after toe therapy.
Feeling weak, mostly stuck to V0s.
There was a V2 whose first move required a leg-reach of about 6 feet.
A bunch of studly guys were floundering on it.
I did the first move (with some mutterings of "F***in' tall guys")
and, with considerable effort, did the remaining balance/mantle moves.
3/27/2001
Climbed w/ Justin.
Revisited last night's 10Cs and did them without stopping.
Justin did black 10C - his first!
I also did the purple 10C across the arch, with 1 stop.
Attempted purple 11A on back wall a couple of times.
3/26/2001
Climbed at Berkeley Iron Works (BIW) with Rob Vaterlaus.
Tear Garden (10A), the new 10C stem/mantle,
the black 10C in the back, and the blue 10B Kinetic Energy.
Did them all w/ 1-2 rest stops.
Also tried a red 11B, couldn't do 1st crux.
Rob made a lot of progress, did 2 5.9s.
My big toes, 3 weeks after an operation for removal of bone spurs,
are sore but the pain is manageable.