Dropknee.

I've moved!

2008-11-25T19:06:00.000-07:00

Mannphoto.com

See you out there! -Andy

May 7. Farewell.

2008-05-01T13:14:00.015-06:00

Hello people. I'm sorry for the lack of updates lately. It's been kinda crazy. At first this whole blog thing was a novel idea, but lately, I've been just a little too busy to update it. When I do post now it feels a little too much like "spray" ( I don't like to be that guy :-) and above all there have been a few posts that have had negative impacts on what I do. Oops! So, I'm choosing to ditch this particular site for a more professional website, which I will launch after the summer, where I can display my best images and offer updates of my travels. Thanks for tagging along with me the last couple years!

Starting June 1st I'll be keeping a Pro Blog on Climbing.com as well as writing a Roadkill Column for the mag on being a traveling climbing photographer.

What a wild ride it has been the last 6 months. I guess it is true that you can achieve what ever you want as long as your willing to grind it out, study your ass off, work hard, and be willing to sacrifice it all for the sake.

I'm here in Boulder finishing off a few projects and then I'll be up in Vail the first week of June shooting the Teva Mountain Games and The Bouldering World Cup. Pretty psyched. On June 10th I'm leaving the US for South Africa's Rocklands with a wonderful crew of athletes and will be back by August 1st to catch my hommie Keller Williams at the Fox Theater!

RMH is coming...

Cheers! -Andy Mann

I just cried a little bit.

2008-04-23T14:01:00.002-06:00

Boulderers take a moment to view this. You'll need a hankie.

Keep Dreaming

<4.11.08>

2008-04-11T14:12:00.010-06:00

Sorry for the lack of updates lately. The last couple weeks of traveling have been really, really good. Our trip is best explained here...

Lauren's Blog

That is right folks, blogger's blog relieves other blogger from blogging!

On the move...

2008-04-01T19:59:00.010-06:00

Heading down in the morning to Keith's for a couple more days of shooting. So psyched to hang with good family! We will for sure get our 5.11s on at the end of the day, if we can convince the climbers to set us up top ropes. Funny, but it's true. photo: me.

Off to Saint George

2008-03-20T15:31:00.001-06:00

I'm off this evening to Saint George, UT for the next 10 days to do some climbing and hopefully get some good shots . The weather is suppose to be in the 70s with that sweet sunshine. Spring has arrived! I am psyched.

UC Issue #22

2008-03-17T15:06:00.000-06:00

I am pleased (psyched, amazed, all the standard superlatives apply) to have provided the cover image for the newest issue of Urban Climber Magazine. The features in this issue are awesome, make sure to pick up a copy!

3.10.08 - The over-dramatized version of a normal day.

2008-03-10T19:23:00.073-06:00

Today started like any other day. If I'm psyched I'll...

A: Wake up around 9, eat a couple Jimmy Dean (we southerners know him simply as JD) sausage patties, brew some coffee, play some guitar, and role out to the back door to check the weather.

Or, I may...

B: Wake on up around 6, drink some green tea, do some yoga, role on out to the front door to check the weather. I won't really know which until I wake that morning, so I stopped trying to prepare myself.

"Whoa, nice one today," I say to myself on this day, and after choosing previous option A, I'm getting out for sure!

Paul calls and says he'd like to go try 'Midnight Express' again." So, I'm out...but out the back door. Paul Robinson is a tricky dude however, and I always have to remember that any climbing day with Paul is always an Epic. "Good day for one though," i think.

As we leave town and start to head up Boulder Canyon, Paul says, "I hope we make it." I've been known to be the adventures type, so without asking what he is talking about, I say, "Me too." The digital gas gauge in his GTI reads that there are 10.0 miles worth of petrol left in the ol' vdub. "But Paul," I wonder out load, "it is 10 miles to the boulders from here. "It's downhill from there back he says...we'll just coast it. What's important is that we get to the boulders!"

And I'll now leave you with a visual image of Paul right after he says just this...
_________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________
Good burns and good photos always equal a good time. But what happened you ask? Rock, wind, sky, and snow happened. Enjoying the woods, celebrating Monday, and tempting limits is what happened, and although Paul has dialed the upper sections of the climb, he didn't muster the problem entirely on this particular day, but he will soon.

But for now we must leave our projects, and figure out getting back to town...

_______________________________________________________________________________
The gas gauge soon says 0.00 mi. of fuel left in his car, but we are coasting in gear and blazing downhill. As the road flattens around the intersection of Broadway and Canyon, Paul says to me once again, "I sure hope we make it."

_____________________________________________________________________________
Ever heard the guy that says "Don't worry, it will always work out. It always does!" Yeah, so I'm that guy. And trust me, I will have usually "told you so." But this time I thought for sure I was going to have Epic on my plate. But not today folks, this day's blog ends like any good fable should...

with a shit eatin' grin on your face while trying to pump exactly 14.5 gallons into a 14.5 gallon tank!

__________________________________________________________________________________

One Day THIS Happened.

2008-03-07T23:46:00.004-07:00

ok, you got me.

2008-03-04T14:33:00.004-07:00

A Cook and a Camera - a video portrait by Chuck Fryberger.

Get Well TJ

2008-03-02T12:02:00.040-07:00

Yesterday a crew of us hiked far into the woods above Boulder, CO. A few had their eyes on bouldering out the giant west roof of a massive boulder. This is probably the single biggest roof on the Front Range. TJ Burchfield went first and he made it all the way to the lip, but as he was rolling over a hold broke, sending him flying. He fell an awkward 25 feet onto the well placed pads. The fall fractured his talus.

This is the risk we all take everyday and I am inspired by those who would rather enjoy that risk than fear it. You know, avoiding risks doesn't always reduce them. You can be walking to work or traversing in gym for that matter. Life is risky no matter how you slice it, and no less risky if you spice it. It seems when good people are in these situations, they can really understand that. Maybe its because all of a sudden arrived the big picture

So, it is no wonder to me, that all the positive good-energized people there had no problem doing their part to help TJ. Besides, it was a perfect evening to be deep in the woods. Most of us who had been in these situations before, most recently Cam Cross, enjoyed returning the favor... helping a friend.

We all laughed when we lost our trail in the dark. We all shared the load without worry. These are lessons only learned out there. Simple tragedies breath a little life into us every once in a while, help us get in touch with our mortality. If you fear your own mortality than you may need some.

Plus TJ knew how to speak the language...he promised all our favorite beers when we got out. "Hell TJ, now that you say that!..."

__________________________________________________________________________
Above: Just a moment before. Proud.

For a change of scenery...

2008-03-01T19:01:00.004-07:00

Scenic 1: The Storm Curve, New Mexico
Scenic 2: Rocket Mill's Creek, Virginia
Scenic 3: Walden Pond Reeds, Colorado

Winter Warmth

2008-03-01T17:55:00.008-07:00

Friends enjoying last week's changing temperatures.

Cameron Cross: The Orb Project,
Scott Neel: Shark's Arete,
Jen Goings: Flying Overhang,
TJ Burchfield: Rasta Drop,
Sheyna Button: The Sweet Arete,

<2.24.08>

2008-02-24T21:39:00.005-07:00

First ascents and left open projects from the Flatirons this weekend. The best problems are always yet to come...

"Resonated."

2008-02-20T20:43:00.015-07:00

Resonated - to have amplified vocal sound by the sympathetic vibration of air.
Paul Robinson shown here making the first ascent of his new Eldorado Canyon classic. Overlooked for years due to unobvious holds and its position over South Boulder Creek, Paul and I gave this arete a good look a few weeks back and decided to wait till the creek froze over to try it. Due to warm weather, we missed that window. But this afternoon, along with a psyched TJ Burchfield, we decided to spare a few pads to the water. After an hour or so of cleaning and about an hour of working the moves another new problem was established in Eldo. It is definitely of the highest of quality for the grade (V9) in Boulder.

Bring it on!

2008-02-14T09:54:00.005-07:00

Gettum son! Do work on Saturday P.Rob! Home town represend!

Perils.

2008-02-10T18:13:00.000-07:00

Heidi Wirtz points our way to the boulders in Eldorado Canyon. "I think the boulders are over here." and "No, wait, they are over there." Women of Trad Climbing are soooo bossy!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
When we finally did make it, we found this guy cleaning the snow off the top of his project with a stick. If you see this man in the woods...RUN!!!

Andre Difelice

2008-02-07T19:43:00.000-07:00

Andre Difelice from Fort Collins is psyched. He is a great young talent with an infectious positive attitude. After giving him a tour to the classic "Honeymilker" yesterday, i really felt inspired for the first time in a while to climb hard again. I remember years ago thinking every boulder problem at hand was the best boulder problem in the land. The thought of getting off work to go climb on it was enough to make me happy. I need more in my life than only that now, but Andre, he doesn't. What a feeling.

"Terremer."

2008-02-07T09:20:00.000-07:00

There seems to be a moment, when some of the best climbers in the world pull onto their project, that it is known; this is the burn. I have felt it many times and think for the natural simplicity of the situation at hand, it is a spiritual wonder.

You hold your breath for them. Sometimes, if you know it is the burn, you don't even look at them during the crux moves. The world and lives of everyone around now depend on it.

The silence is broken first by the sender, with either the slightest early smile of conquer, or by a recharging burst of decibels. Either way, you smile. You know you do, after all, the world isn't gonna end. Not today. And now, somehow part of you as a spotter, photographer, or spectator get to enjoy those last fews moves with him. And then, I think what feels best for everyone including Paul, is enjoying the 3 things that keep us humbled and distant through it all: A fresh breath, a big smile, and warm sunshine.

For all people, who are pushing their limits and chasing this feeling, you will always be an inspiration to the people around you. If what can happen in a dark little hidden corridor outside El Paso, Texas can reach people on the other side of the world, then what little thing can you do today to reach just one other person?

32 seconds.

2008-02-05T11:04:00.000-07:00

It seems so purified in my mind thinking about Kevin Jorgeson on his midnight stroll up the east face of the Grandpa Peabody Boulder. A short memorable moment against the biggest harvest moon i've ever seen rise and the quietness of the the valley floor. I set up my camera to capture this, knowing still, that it is impossible to actually capture time. Time is funny like that. When you try to reach for it, it is already passing you by. This may be my favorite thing about life. It is also my favorite thing about photography. I had Kevin hold his position on the route for 32 seconds to expose the night and Mount Tom. I watch as the shooting star burns out over the right side of the frame and it reminds me that this moment isn't actually frozen.

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The sound of the shutter closing wakes me up from my dream. 32 seconds of time holding on for me.

The shot was chosen for a 2 page spread in the "Basecamp" section of the newest issue of Climbing Magazine.

2.4.08

2008-02-04T13:27:00.000-07:00

Here are a few spin off shots from a 411.news page I did for Urban Climber Magazine this issue. It has been cold and wet here in Boulder and I am not a big fan of winter. But, so it goes...

Ann

2008-01-30T15:23:00.000-07:00

My new roommate, Ann, is the dopest! Listen. She cleans, cooks, climbs, and cares for my dog when I'm out shooting. That is all four "c's!" She is the best. She is not for sale.

1.21.08

2008-01-20T17:38:00.000-07:00

I am finishing my work here in San Francisco with the Yoga Journal Magazine. The conference went off without a hitch, and was very successful. You would cringe at the hours i worked this week. Still, I love what I do. However, this has been a rough time for many reasons, mostly personal. But, through misfortune, I have been introduced to Chakra Healing and am starting to feel as good as new again. The word comes from the Sanskrit "cakra" meaning "wheel, circle", and sometimes also referring to the "wheel of life". The chakras are thought to vitalise the physical body and to be associated with interactions of both a physical and mental nature. They are considered loci of life energy, or prana, which is thought to flow among them along pathways.

Energy is really an amazing thing. It is the sadness and anger as well as the happiness and joy. Once aligned to those feelings, you may become receptive to "light." (Or lack of it, as it may seem) The body, in this fashion, acts much like a real electrical circuit. The trick being not to ignore unfavorable thoughts/feelings, but to align them to balance. That is my dazed interpretation.

Off to Salt Lake...

"Germ Free Adolensence."

2008-01-13T20:43:00.000-07:00

The one and only sexy lumberjack and UC editor, Justin Roth, sends the Vermin Classic in Eldo.

"Two Minutes Underwater."

2008-01-10T19:49:00.000-07:00

Max Zolotukhin holding his breath on the 4th ascent.

1.07.08

2008-01-07T21:51:00.000-07:00

Well, my Hueco trip came to an abrupt close today after a serious ankle sprain left me completely immobile. Lame. I'm glad to have had good friends there to help me. Anyway, overall the trip was amazing. Yesterday Kevin Jorgeson established what may be the most serious highball at Hueco Tanks, "The Duel." V10/E10. The crux move, a hard low-percentage stab to a shallow pocket, comes at a daunting and very overhung 30 feet. A fall from almost any move on the problem would likely end very badly, and the 17 crash pads were hardly comfort. I feel lucky to document such a bold and beautiful line, despite being overwhelmingly concerened for a good friend.

Below: Kevin on another first ascent hidden in West Mountain. The roof, named "Sticks or Stones." climbs 20 moves on the belly of a giant suspended boulder over bad landings before topping out. At the reasonable grade of V8, it is a likely the best problem for the grade in the entire park.

1.3.08

2008-01-03T11:08:00.001-07:00

Hueco is going very well. As always, the weather is a nice change from that of Colorado. Chuck and I have teamed up to get some nice video and photos thus far, including Paul's send of Terremer, which was an quite an occasion to capture. I'm psyched on the shots thus far, and i hope everyone had a good new years.

12.30.07

2007-12-30T21:59:00.001-07:00

I made a quick stop in Colorado Springs on my way down to Hueco. My goal: Take out a prime target.

____________________________________________________________________________________
Honestly, so psyched to hang with Keith for a for a few days. He is the coolest and kindest of all hommies and has been such a big inspiration to me. I got to cream him a least a dozen times, point-blank, in the back of the neck, with big-ass solid snowballs. photo: Klad

Mighty

2007-12-28T11:02:00.000-07:00

See kids, and now this is what happens when you eat your wheaties! Congrats Paul on your flash of Nagual. Of course, you may have to flash it again for the magic picture box once I get down there. Thats cool right? Below Paul sends Midnight Freightning second try.

Chris Shulte

2007-12-27T01:02:00.000-07:00

<11.07.07> Chris pinching something awful again.

Back from Virginia

2007-12-26T12:54:00.000-07:00

I had an interesting stay in Virginia where I shot the local bouldering in Richmond and revisited my old stomping grounds. Ahhh, the ol' capital of the Confederacy. It is quite a change from the little bubble i live in called "Boulder." But, I'd be lying if I said my roots weren't still deeply planted in the South.

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I'm off to Hueco Tanks for an unknown amount of time in the next couple days, during which this particular blog-site may be replaced. I will update that at least as frequently.

12.16.07

2007-12-17T11:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I shot with Daniel Woods, Paul Robinson, David Lama, James Pearson, and Ty Landman in Boulder Canyon in the snot-nose-cold. These guys climb pretty hard. I enjoyed the opportunity to work with so many amazing athletes at once. Daniel sent v13 and v14 in a span of an hour or so. I was glad to be there with the camera despite the frostbitten trigger finger!

And so it goes.

2007-12-13T16:28:00.000-07:00

My last day of work in the kitchen is tomorrow. I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to (try) do what i love for a living. And so it goes, I'm off Wednesday to the East Coast for Christmas and a couple of photo shoots. When I get back, I head down to Hueco Tanks. From there, I fly to San Fransisco to work with Yoga Journal Magazine and then to Salt Lake City for the O.R. Winter Trade show. Groovy.

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<10.22.07> P-Rob in Eldo.

Don't vote for this guy please.

2007-12-11T14:04:00.000-07:00

He is a phoney. Thank you.
" />

Le départ de Jim en France.

2007-12-10T15:47:00.000-07:00

Jim Michaels giving a solid "photo belay" to Jim Holloway in Dixon Springs, Illinois. Combing through his old slides, i came across this one and i thought, now that looks like a fine day to be climbing.

Jim's story, along with many of my recent photos, are being featured across the pond next month in Escalade Magazine. Aller Jim!

"Elevated."

2007-12-06T18:48:00.000-07:00

<12.6.06> Paul Robinson doing a probable first ascent by finishing off a low start to an old Jim Holloway problem located on Dinosaur Mountain.

Skye.

2007-12-06T09:34:00.001-07:00

------------------------------------------------------------------------
<11.17.07> Adie Drolet. Carter Lake.

"Antelope."

2007-12-01T21:05:00.000-07:00

<11.14.07> Chris Shulte on a the 2nd ascent, followed by a Scott Neel repeat.
Discovered back when, this problem was probably a little too futuristic to be done at the time. Last year, i found a way to establish on the 9-foot-up sloper by a run jump start, though i could never link the rest. Paul Robinson also stuck the run jump, but took right immediately, by crimping a nasty crystal and slinging a foot out right. He named it "Leroy Jenkins". A few months later, Scott Neel stuck the sloper and followed by an all out dyno direct to a distant hold, and tackled the short slab crux. He named it "Antelope."
sincerely, Marco Esquandolas.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The undone sit-start move is seen below by the best effort of the day.

The Golden Rule.

2007-11-28T13:35:00.000-07:00

<11.24.07> Secrets of the Beehive Area, Bishop, CA. Kevin Jorgeson on the First Ascent of "The Golden Rule." X.
Kevin took me up to this boulder he had cleaned the day before, and off course, it was small. He placed a couple pieces on the way up, well because, you know, in case. The first piece goes in around 30 feet in a face crack up and right from the arete. (see first photo)
Yeah, I know. Afterwards, Kev belayed me on top-rope so i could work out the moves. I got pumped and had him "take" far before the first piece even goes in. Burrrrr!!!!!

Finishing up.

2007-11-26T18:57:00.000-07:00

Almost though dis'ere Bishop trip and i gotta say, I truly fell in love with this place. I spent the first week shooting on assignments, and the last few days bouldering and basking in sunshine. I'll be waking up tomorrow at the crack of ass (if this 4 shot americano doesn't keep me up all night) to try to finish off another project and then driving back to Vegas around noon to catch my flight back. Cheers!

photos: Wills Young showing who's the man of the house!
And paradise as seen from my little tent in the Sierras.

Off to Bishop

2007-11-19T16:45:00.000-07:00

...to have some fun, and to shoot some freakin' big scary blocs. I could not be more psyched. Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Boo.

2007-11-19T15:59:00.000-07:00

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<11.15.07> Chris Schulte. "Midnight Frightening." Eldo.

A Sandstone

2007-11-19T13:25:00.000-07:00

----------------------------------------------------------------------
<11.17.07> Alex Deflice. "Doughboy." Carter Lake.

"Suspension."

2007-11-18T21:12:00.000-07:00

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
<11.15.07>Paul Robinson working V14 at sunset.

Congrats Jamie

2007-11-15T10:55:00.000-07:00

Congrats on the 3rd ascent of "Trice", for the style you did it in, and the respect you have done it with. Kudos.

Walden Ponds.

2007-11-11T16:48:00.000-07:00

I went out Friday evening to shoot the sunset from out east of Boulder. Unfortunately it never went off, but I did capture a few interesting images.

Congrats.

2007-11-11T16:05:00.000-07:00

Congrats Paul on your first place finish this weekend at the Mammut Bouldering Championships in Boston. Maybe all the highballing helped your mental game, eh? No, not really? OK, that's cool.

"The Blue Whale."

2007-11-10T22:25:00.000-07:00

<11.10.07 Eldorado Canyon.>
Ben Scott and Justin Roth on another fun and typically technical (say those two words 10 times fast) backwoods Will Lemaire problem.

Bolt. Chain. Lock.

2007-11-08T17:07:00.000-07:00

South Mesa Creek Bridge.
I've recently been shooting a lot of smaller things through my lenses, in hopes of better seeing the bigger picture when I need to.

"Ruler of the North"

2007-11-06T17:03:00.000-07:00

Scott and I recently drove up to Fort Collins to document "The Ruler of the North" Foosball Tournament Series hosted by Cam Cross. And, to tell the story of "The Jedi" and his quest to regain the title.

4 words...YOU HAVE NO IDEA.

Misty Mountain Hop

2007-11-02T22:14:00.000-06:00

Justin Williams finds a dry moment on a misty Eldorado day to try a tricky little cross-over move. > Better described as a seriously devious f***ing heel hook.
A nice little challenging problem is all that is needed sometimes to have a fulfilling half day of rainy bouldering in the canyon.

"Yowzah!"

2007-10-24T21:05:00.000-06:00

Paul Robinson working on what may become the next really hard, classic, boulder problem in Colorado. I believe it may fetch a grade of V14,8B+ when completed...

October 20th 2007. Penitente Canyon.

2007-10-21T11:50:00.000-06:00

I spent this weekend in Penitente Canyon shooting a few photos and repeating some classics. We got in a half day of shooting before the snow and wind hit hard. Today I awoke with wind/sun/snow burn and a gnarly cold. But a few decent shots to show for it. I still hold my ground for Penitente's side canyons having Colorado's best bouldering.

Also, I must add that "Casa del la Sol" in Buena Vista may be the best Mexican Restaurant in Colorado. If you are ever passing through BV, take this recommendation!

"Focus."

2007-10-21T09:00:00.000-06:00

The River Block.

2007-10-17T21:41:00.001-06:00

I have been thinking about this shot in Eldo for a while now. I had a lot of fun getting it yesterday with TJ on a nice fall afternoon.

Afterwords, TJ came close to opening a sick new problem out the East roof of this bloc.

The future is bright.

2007-10-17T15:13:00.001-06:00

I have finally converted to a professional rig for my photography, and have been constantly out shooting since I purchased my a new Nikon. Photography is my true passion, and I will be it giving every ounce of my energy and devotion until I can get the hell out of the food and beverage business! I have spent the last 13 years behind a hot grill and the only thing i plan on burning any longer are images of this world onto memory cards. Wish me luck.

For fun, here is a photo from last evening of Paul Robinson on the First Ascent of "BlaJack" V9 Flatirons.

and then right before dark, I hustled down from the Flatirons and drove up to Flagstaff Mountain to catch Chip Phillips on a first ascent pictured below.

Not far from the tree...

2007-10-12T09:08:00.000-06:00

My father (James William Mann) is over in Scotland writing a book on the Heritage of the Mann's from which we are descended. His last letter to me brought great tidings. Since we left Scotland in the 1700's my "family" has been up to no good brewing beer. This explains a lot!

"Mann's Brown Ale
Mann's is the best brown ale,
Best brown ale, best brown ale,
Mann's is the best brown ale,
Let's have one now.
Say "Mann's brown, Mann's brown."
Say "Mann's brown, Mann's brown."
Mann's is the best brown ale,
Let's have one now."
(Actual commercial jingle that ran from 1965 - 1985)

"Manns Original Brown Ale, is the oldest continuously-brewed beer brand in the UK.

They envisaged the opportunity to move away from IPA and brown stout and create a new beer, claimed to be “the sweetest beer in London”. This brew was not an immediate success, but Manns Brown Ale responded to the public’s emerging taste for bottled beers and became so successful that competitors sprang up all over Britain.

During the 60’s and 70’s, Manns could be seen in the hands of the rich and the famous including The Beatles and George Best. It was Mr Creosote’s drink of choice in Monty Python's Meaning of Life. In the 90’s, Manns Brown Ale teamed up with cartoon character Andy Capp in an advertising campaign. (This is not the first time an Andy and a Mann's has teamed up in the name of beer)

Cheers!

http://www.mannsbeer.co.uk/
visit and you will actually find recipes for such classics as:
The Original MANNS Walnut Bread loaf
The Original MANNS Rich Fruit Pudding
and my personal favorite:

The Original MANNS gravy.

Yes Ma'am

2007-10-07T20:07:00.000-06:00

Victim of Circumstance. Melissa Lacasse finished her summer project "Bierdstadt" by an off chance that found her again at Mt. Evans only after her ride broke down on her way back through Denver from Squamish to Kentucky. Nice on Mel.

The Visual #31

2007-10-07T13:44:00.000-06:00

Myself airing it out on an amazing highball on Mount Princeton, CO. The stone here make Evans and Poudre granite leaving something more to be desired! Photos: Scott Neel.

Slacking.

2007-10-05T20:07:00.000-06:00

Just kind of been being whatever lately. Life is good I reckon. I'm spending most my free time planning and filming for "Rocky Mountain Highball,"
relaxing, and trying to walk a straight line.

Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa

2007-09-28T11:48:00.000-06:00

Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa is the queen of Kundalini. Kundalini is a rigorous yoga involving meditation, chanting, and breath exercises which harmonize the body's energy centers, or chakras, and tune the nervous and glandular systems. The style of yoga is that she has created is very much geared towards hard climbing. First off, Gurmukh is maybe the physically strongest most beautiful women i have ever met. She is also almost 70.

Kundalini yoga involves physical practices that transcend what seems physically impossible, by breaking down the physical experience mentally. For instance, she will have me hold out my arms straight and turn them counter clockwise...for 20 minutes. After 5 i am pumped, and ready to quit, thoughts of failure, fear and anger envelope my mind. After 10 minutes i know i am certainly at my physical max, and i finally hit the wall mentally. Gurmukh is there to guide me though the wall, she tells me to embrace the negative thoughts and instead of saying "I am pumped", which is a finite and definite statement, to think "i am having thoughts of being pumped." Which is the actual of the two. (For instance when we say "I am angry", you are saying "I am anger." If you say instead, "I am having thoughts of anger", you separate yourself from the anger and are in control of it suddenly) The pain builds and builds until I break through the wall at 15 minutes, the next 5 i cannot remember, at around 20 mintues she stops me.

I believe from this excercise and its relevance to climbing, it is possible for a body that could not normally handle 30 continuous feet of v7 moves, to do 5 continuous pitches of it, though i am not sure that the actual pysical enlightment could happen without extense training directly from someone such as Gurmukh.

Retreating

2007-09-25T10:18:00.000-06:00

3 times a year i travel around the country with Yoga Journal Magazine to their conference retreats. I have worked an exchange for my travel, lodging, food, and classes for working with their sponsors, presenters, and registrants. So here i am again, this time closer to home, just outside Estes Park. For 8 days I'll be relishing my sobriety, taking yoga classes from the best instructors in the world, eating vegan, and attending late night panel discussions on the previous. It is nice to have no distractions and be among such a positive and spirtiual community again.
I cannot say that my yoga practice in anything but beginning, so i often enjoy the mind and body lectures as much as the actual physical practice itself.

Truthfully i can't remember the last time i went just 1 week without lifting my spirits with alcohol and other things. I have no regrets about my lifestyles at home, but i do regret my lack of discipline in this matter. That said, i feel it is my true weakness and yoga helps teach me control through an absolute freedom and clarity that i have untapped within me everyday.

I always thought by hiking in and bouldering as much as possible that i was living a healthy lifestyle. i suppose to an average mid-westerner, i am. I am not. So I am enjoying the process again of learning where, at least for me, true balance is through re-connecting with the practice of yoga. I hope also to return this Sunday feeling inspired and rejuvenated towards bouldering.

Each morning so far there has been the sounds of bugling elks and fresh blankets of snow on the peaks of RMNP. From my little world i can see that the climbing season there is closing fast. Enjoy it while you can. Namaste.

150th post.

2007-09-18T22:00:00.000-06:00

seriously, how lame is that? My "vault" months look like yearly home run stats for a second baseman. Also, if you ever watch JJ climb from above him, it can be very scary.

Mike Banuelos

2007-09-18T21:33:00.000-06:00

...on perhaps the finest unknown v2 in the Flatirons. Terrain Boulders.

The Visual #30

2007-09-18T21:19:00.000-06:00

Kevin Jorgeson. A move through "Midnight Freighting." Eldorado Canyon.

More Verm...

2007-09-18T21:06:00.000-06:00

John Sherman, at a young 32, still cranking across Colorado.

Verm.

2007-09-09T20:18:00.000-06:00

Whataguy. I got to hang with John Sherman for the last couple days before he heads to Boone for the fall. Totally classic! Of course we drank a lot, we drove a lot (not too much at the same time), and bouldered from Independance Pass down to RMNP. But mostly we bullshitted. A lot.
last photo: Thimble.

Boulder P.Rob-lems.

2007-09-05T16:04:00.000-06:00

Heh, that is pretty cool your name fits into your lifestyle. I almost didn't catch that. Anyway, it was pretty cool for me watching one of the world's strongest climbers try Boulder's hardest boulder problem "Suspension of Disbelief" V14/8B+. The problem is powerful, extremely technical, long, scary, and ridiculously condition dependent. I hiked out with Paul many days last winter as he obsessively projected the problem. He was agonizingly close to redpointing it before he headed to Japan. While he was gone, the cold weather gave way to a humid Spring back in Eldorado Canyon. Paul would have to wait another year..

and but now fall is in the air. I can smell it.

"Mind Matters."

2007-09-04T19:36:00.000-06:00

After 3 days work in miserable conditions, Kevin Jorgeson repeated what is, for now, known as "Mind Matters" on Guanella Pass above Georgetown, Colorado. Rumored to have first been done a few years back by Johnny G. and Tim Kemple, "Mind Matters" has a stopper 5 move crux sequence... Off a bad double undercling 3 moves in, one must make a huge move to a very poor right hand crimp/pinch and lock it off into an undercling far above. From here, there can be no falling on your way to the top as the landing is far below and very rocky.

His ascent was filmed for possible inclusion in "Rocky Mountain Highball."

The Visual #38

2007-09-04T16:13:00.000-06:00

An unbeknownst Chip Phillips about to be crushed into oblivion at the hands of an unknown Eldo Area Rambler... then, in the final photo, somehow dodging the crushing blow!

Some called it "luck."

Some called it "enlightenment."

5 from The Rocklands.

2007-09-01T20:19:00.000-06:00

...all courtesy if an old 2 mega-pixel point and shoot...

1.Fred 2.Daniel 3.Lisa 4.Andy 5.Foster

Lost.

2007-08-27T19:14:00.000-06:00

One great thing about the blogging system is the ability to clear a computer of documents that waste its space. I found a couple old movies i took with my point and shoot camera that instead of just deleting, can be enjoyed, i suppose, by others. Here is Paul Robinson sending "Lost" in Eldorado Canyon last winter.

Ouch.

2007-08-26T21:18:00.000-06:00

JJ, feel better buddy. You may of re-injured your ankle this weekend,(sorry to hear 'bout that hommie), but it is better than being bit by a cobra in the face.

And...
You may, if you'd like, find solace in the fact that:
Although my grandmother can beat you up a flight of stairs, you still climb boulder problems harder than me, immediately after your injuries...both times.

Rest Days...

2007-08-26T20:01:00.000-06:00

can sometimes be better than the climbing days. Keith Ladzinski took this shot of Cedar Wright and I hunting for sea fossils along the Northern Coast of South Africa. You know, the best part about this blog for me is the occasional jogging of past memories, re-considering these moments, and then sharing them.

One Such Rest Day.

2007-08-26T19:59:00.000-06:00

Friday night 6:00pm: Keith and I make reservations for a Great White Shark Breaching and Diving Expedition out of a small fishing town near Cape Town, ZA for the following Sunday.

Friday night 1:00am: The Captain of our boat calls and says he is expecting high winds Sunday, but could instead take us out in 5 hours...from now! So we make a 4 hour mad dash (driving on the opposite side of the road, with one headlight, following some ghetto map Cedar prolly picked up) to Simontown from the Rocklands.

We catch 1 hour of sleep in a dock side Hostel and are awoken by the Captain telling us he is leaving with or without us...

1:Simontown
2:Stupid
3:Seal Island. Where 3000 seals are trapped on an off shore island in the Indian Ocean surrounded by hundreds of 20 foot long Great Whites. This is where we will stop first..
4:Next the shark dudes throw out a piece of carpet shaped like the silhouette of a baby seal and pull it back towards the boat. nice.
5:They jerk the "food" away from the pissed off sharks while they stand on the slippery deck of a small rocking boat. nice again..

Following this crazy shit, the Captain chums the waters and throws in a 1 person shark cage for anyone who wants a better view. Only some overweight Asian journalist goes in. He is out very quickly.

Adam Avery.

2007-08-26T19:26:00.000-06:00

Taking some burns on East Mountain. Adam is Owner and Brewmaster of Avery Brewing Company. He is burn-your-ass-off old school. If your lucky enough to take a trip with Adam, rest assured you will be fucked up come end of the day. Hmmmmm...Salvation Ale...9.2%!
1. "The Bonzi Knife." 2."Chicken of the Sea." 3."Anything but Dull." 4. "Tall Cool Red One."

UK Hockey Night.

2007-08-26T18:46:00.000-06:00

Alden Short in the crux of "UK Hockey Night." Camp Dick.

Camp Dick

2007-08-26T17:57:00.000-06:00

Mico Alejandro shredding another anti-classic.

Fred Nicole. Right Martini.

2007-08-24T13:50:00.000-06:00

I came across the old footage of Fred doing Right Martini in Hueco Tanks on youtube. It is inspiring to watch him climb with such percision. enjoy.

Visual #37

2007-08-20T15:53:00.000-06:00

Alex Johnson climbing through "Suicide Season" in RMNP. Highball.

Visual #36

2007-08-20T15:25:00.000-06:00

Chris Danielson almost sticking a near perfect boulder problem in RMNP.

a quick thought.

2007-08-16T09:41:00.000-06:00

A group of young professionals, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite- telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: 'If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.

Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live.

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee life has provided us. 'Life brews the coffee, not the cups.........

Enjoy your coffee!

Yowwza.

2007-08-14T13:46:00.001-06:00

These photos were sent to me by a friend, who at the moment, is torturing his cat with crutches, and taking photos of his ankle out of boredom. If you know Cameron Cross, (www.horsetoothhang.net) wish him luck on a speedy recovery. Cam had to crawl almost 6 hours, on his hands, back to his car after a bad fall Sunday that broke his Tibia. He considers himself lucky to have had help from some really great friends. "They were great support and carried as much gear as they could, in addition to helping me when it was possible. I think they deserve recognition as well. They were Jason and Holly Tarry, Steph Whall and Jeremy Bisher." Cam also reminded me that, "The crew is an important part of bouldering that often gets overlooked, but times like these remind us how much meaning each of these people bring to our lives."
Cameron is a featured athlete in Rocky Mountain Highball. You can see why.

The Visual #35

2007-08-12T20:30:00.000-06:00

Ryan Brazell. A move though Right El Jorge.

"Via the Hot One."

2007-08-06T20:31:00.000-06:00

"Why does the best hunk of rock in the state have to be in the worst possible location." - Colorado Bouldering Guidebook.
climber: Kevin Jorgeson.

Visual #34

2007-08-02T17:14:00.000-06:00

Daniel Woods moves through Skyscraper.

Mel.

2007-07-29T11:20:00.000-06:00

pronounced "La-cas", not "La-Cassie", so very close to finishing her projekt. Last minute. Last Day. Last Effort. Laaaaacasse!

Vedauwhat? Gillwho?

2007-07-27T13:31:00.000-06:00

Only hours after first meeting Chuck Fryberger, I remember watching him sprint downhill, jump left foot off a 2 foot boulder, in stride, re-launch his right foot off of the sheer face of another boulder, and launch way over my head to a distant hold, 15 feet up a blank boulder in Vedauwoo. He was wearing one Teva sandal and one climbing shoe. I didn't know what the hell to think of it. Is this Climbing? Track and Field? Basketball? Or something totally different? All I knew was that i was so fucking excited to be a spectator, and that i had never cheered so hard for anything.

Later that evening, over many beers at the now closed Backyard Climbing Gym, I got the "Gill" lecture from Chuck. It was about opening your mind to visions, ideas, and moves previously thought "taboo or undo-able", and how this is how John Gill had envisioned the future of the sport. It was the first time Chuck gave me the speech, but it certainly wasn't the last. I have seen Chuck do many things "undo-able" since.

The Visual #33

2007-07-26T16:47:00.000-06:00

Daniel Woods. A move through "Qigong." Eldorado Canyon.

Freak.

2007-07-25T21:02:00.000-06:00

Justin Williams. Freak Wall, Far Right Side. Boulder Canyon.

In Season.

2007-07-25T15:00:00.000-06:00

Ned Harris working an arete project on Guenella Pass.

Out of Season.

2007-07-25T14:24:00.000-06:00

Heel hook, squeeze, post, slap, and......breathe.
Chuck Fryberger. Suspension of Disbelief. Eldo.

Big Jimbo

2007-07-24T09:17:00.000-06:00

The newest issue of Climbing Magazine is out, and I was very surprised when I saw that an article John Gill and I wrote has made the cover as a fold out. I am honored to be in presence with such names. Welcome back to the for-front of bouldering Mr. Holloway, Congrats! (By the way, he has no idea the mag is out, or even that he is on the cover of it. Unless I bring a copy over to him, he will never even know.) Classic Holloway.

Out of Season?

2007-07-21T17:56:00.000-06:00

Melissa Lacasse. The crux move on the near perfect "Three Shots." Dinosaur Mountain. Mid Afternoon. Mid July.

The Visual #32

2007-07-16T15:30:00.001-06:00

Scott Neel moving though the heinous mantle crux that is "Ichi-ban." First Ascent. Red Cliff, CO.
Disclaimer: Not for Children > click the 2nd photo to inspect the holds that must be pressed out!

bottom photo: Pete Zoller cleaning his plate. 2nd ascent.

will chuff for food.

2007-07-16T14:26:00.000-06:00

Chip Phillips rocking new problems in Eldorado Canyon surely to the tune of a Widespread Panic jam, which undoubtedly streams through his melon during such events...

"...got no coat, I got no money..."

"...climbing shoes to last the day..."

"... havin' a good time, here today, watching the sunshine matinee."

R.M.H. - "Pure Briss."

2007-07-06T11:59:00.000-06:00

Cameron Cross on another first ascent @ Red Feather Lakes, CO. The problem's name was deriven from the giant scar that one notices on the top of the arete. When originally cleaning the problem, Cam pried lightly on a small flake at the lip, which in turn, slid off a 1000 pound peice of rock off the top of the boulder and went crashing twenty feet to the ground. "Briss" the the Jewish word for circumcision.

www.RockyMountainHighball.com

"It's a man's world."

2007-07-05T19:39:00.000-06:00

TJ @ Independence Pass,CO.

This photo of Sneel has not been altered...

2007-07-02T17:10:00.000-06:00

na-na-na-na-na in-spec-tor-gad-git na-na-na-na-na-na-naaaaaaaaaa

go gadgit go.

The Visual #32

2007-07-02T16:53:00.000-06:00

Stephanie Foster. A Move Through "Hot Pants." Independence Pass, CO.