Enjoying Roctober

So a lot of people ask me how I am getting ready for this trip to Nepal.  People expect to hear all sorts of "crazy" things like, "Oh I sleep outside naked with a sprinkler on me."  Or I run up mountains with gargantuan loads on my back.  Quite the contrary actually.  After a busy spring and summer of guiding, I have taken the last month as a time to enjoy the comforts of home.  I still have done a handful of big cardio days.  Like running up and over twin lakes pass from the base of big cottonwood (19 miles running w/ 5,000 vertical gain and 12 miles on a bike).  Or soloing 4,000 feet of 5th class terrain in an afternoon.  But the main focus has been on short powerful and (for me) quite difficult rock climbs.  A mix between days outside on real rock and specific indoor gym workouts have helped me to break through my plateau.  I find myself painfully close to climbing routes I have always thought of as way out of reach like the local full body vertigo fest, Trench Warfare (which my feet got stuck in today).

Working on Trench Warfare 5.12d/13a Photo:  Chad Williams

I have also spent some time down in the desert in Indian Creek, home to a huge quantity of high quality sandstone cracks.  I was working on the iconic sufferfest "Belly full of bad berries".  This 70 foot climb goes up the underside of an arch and features 35 feet of inverting (feet over head). Step one put your hands inside the crack, step two flip upside down, step three cram your legs inside until your feet stick, step four progress off hand stacks to slide your feet up the crack a few inches, step six repeat until you get too dizzy and fall.

Belly full of bad berries 5.13a Photo: Emily Ferris

Then there are also less masochistic climbs keeping my attention like limestone pocketed  caves at the Chadbourne crag, or American fork.  Although it has been a challenge to talk the (cough, spoiled, cough cough) salt lake city folk to go up to the chadbourne, it is a 30 minute approach uphill.  Anything over a ten minute walk to the cliff is considered an arduous approach in the Wasatch.  Fortunately two comrades Emily and Bobby can be talked into most forays.

Sweet limestone pockets at the chadbourne crag photo:  Bobby Cosker

So you might think well great Alan, but how is that getting you ready to go wander around in ice and snow at 6500+ meters?  The thing about me is I have always had a bad case of the grass is always greener.  Nothing gets me more excited to do something than doing the opposite.  I always climb best when I am really really PSYCHED to be there.  So climbing these short difficult routes not only keeps me at a high level of fitness, but after a month of working on these silly feats of strength some amount of frustration begins as a new plateau sets in.  I start to think more and more about how awesome it will be to climb more moderate routes that are miles long.  This past month has been my attempt at refilling my psych tank for traveling through alpine terrain.  Im feeling about 3/4 full right now, I'm sure spending the next week in Massachusetts to visit my family, and have a rockin' time at my dad's wedding will put me at a full tank.

In other News Helly Hansen has finalized their agreements with us to help out by providing a generous amount of product.  Thanks to Tino on our end heading up contact and Brady on H.H.'s end for making it happen as we say.  They will be a source for blog updates as our trip is occurring.  I will post the link to H.H. blogs at some point this week as another spot you can follow along.

Thanks,
Alan