The past two weeks have been rather uneventful… So I’ll sum up the few exciting things that happend.
Thats about it… See ya.
I love this time of year… The weather doesn’t suck and there are less people out and about. Julie and I decided that we should go to bishop before she heads home before ThanksGiving. The drive up was more eventful than usual… We were about 200 Miles out and we saw a car that looked like Matus’s OutBack. After a while we passed the car and as it turned out it was Matus and he was on his way to Mt. Whitney to do the Mountaineers Route Solo. We talked for a bit, wished him luck and hit the road again. The drive was uneventful and eventually we ended up finding a campsite way back near the Bardini Boulders. (3 Miles back from the Peabodys.)
After nearly freezing to death… (The Temps dropped to the low Teens) I got up early and psyched. Only to find out that our stove had frozen and it was showing no signs of fixing anytime soon. To avoid the crowds we headed up twords Maze of Death and played around on several patina problems.
After a bit we finally made it up to Maze and I gave it some solid burns with new beta. (Doing a big lock off instead of the big reach) I got really close but no cigar. Next time for sure. (I feel way stronger on it this year compared to last year.)
As we were leaving I spotted some cooling problems… Which turned out to be The Beautiful And The Damned (V13) and This Side of Paradise (V9+) Those were some of the coolest looking problems I’ve ever seen. I hope to get on them later this year… with many more pads. We played around on several unnamed problems that would have been fun if it weren’t for the fact that they were in the sun and getting really greasy. On our way out Julie and I were shocked to see at least 20 cars parked at the Peabody’s. Its great and all but as we later found out they left trash EVERYWHERE! UGH!
Josh Staring up at The Beautiful And The Damned.
Once into town we mad the mandatory stop at Wilson’s and I ended up finding some nice new shoes that don’t hurt my feet. 
Then we moved down the street and stopped by the new running store. We were very impressed and plan on stopping by next time were up there. (and maybe get in some miles too)
It was soo cold that I was starting to protest camping… So we ended up staying at a hotel and stayed warm and cozy. That later turned out to be a wise decision. As we left to go climbing the next morning we saw many many climbers that bailed on camping and slept in their cars on random streets throughout town.
We got to the Peabody’s around 9ish and we shocked to find out that we were the only people there and continued to be for quite some time. Julie worked and finally sent Green Wall Essential 
and I worked on Ambrosia. I got pretty far up the wall before I ended up breaking a crimp… It was the last crimp just before the large hueco. I think it still goes but I’m not sure. It was getting hot and I took a stab at La Ballete, I tried it last year and almost flashed it… This time I didn’t botch the ending and sent second go.
Julie on Green Wall Essential Last Year.
This last weekend was a really good start to the bouldering season. I found new projects and learned a lot. Now I’m off to the Library to research court cases. Ugh.
First let me start off by saying that I have no relationship with anyone at La Sportiva. I purchased my shoes with my own money and I am not receiving any compensation of any kind by submitting this review.
Now with that being said… Lets move on to what you really came here for….
I have tried just about every shoe out there and I must say…. these shoes are some of the best I’ve ever worn.
I have been using them for about 9 months now and they have held up flawlessly. I have always been complaining about how my shoes are never comfortable, mainly due to the fact that I size my shoes as tight as I possibly can. I went down from a 44 street shoe to a 39.5 in the Miura VS. 4.5 sizes down sounds painfully tight and yet I don’t have the epic pain I have when I wear other brands as just as tight.
The Miura VS on their first day out.
I am also in love with La Sportiva’s P3 Platform which is something that they have incorporated into the Miura VS compared to the regular Miuras. It is amazing… for the fact that they have held they’re shape just as they did when they were new. (See photo.) I’ve heard many people complain about smearing in these shoes but I haven’t had any issues… In fact I prefer them over my regular Miuras on slabs. I may have less contact with the rock but I feel that I have more control over what I step on because I can feel the little dimples and such that I’m standing on.
Freshly Resoled. Yet they still have they’re downturned shape. The P3 Platform Works!
Foot Fatigue hasn’t been an issue either… When I use my regular Miuras and I step on something small my toes may be on the foot hold but to support my weight my forefoot must flex. Where as when I step on the same foot hold in the Miura VS holds the shoes down turned shape it keeps my forefoot flat when I start standing on the small stuff, which in turn gives me more leverage on the smallest of foot holds.
![IMG_0979[1]](http://lemonviolence.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/img_09791.jpg?w=497&h=372 "IMG_0979[1]")
Taking a burn on Wills a Fire in Joes Valley.
I’m one of those people that always has trouble with my heels fitting into shoes without massive pockets of dead space. I don’t have that problem any more… The Miura VS wraps your heel with rubber in a way that is super comfortable yet effective when it comes to heel hooks.
Heel Hooking Like Crazy on All this Time I thought I Was an Actor.
In all I think the Miura VS are a great all around shoe. I have found they preform beyond expectations in almost every circumstance. I however would supplement them with Solutions or Testarossas depending on the situation. If the situation calls for more sensitivity I wouldn’t hesitate to pull out the trusty Miura VS but If I needed more power I’d go with Testarossas or the Solutions.
Blogging thing. I’m trying… Really I am.
The past two weeks I’ve been going to Stoney Point. I have found that you can escape the crowds and the graffiti if your willing to walk a bit. I found some problems that I had tried in the past and was able to send them without even thinking. Psyched, I walked around just trying anything that looked fun… Somehow I found this really cool arete and was able to do almost all the moves except for the last one. Turned out I had found the Johnson Arete (V8ish) which happened to be one of the few hard problems that Stoney Point has to offer. Its a really cool problem with big compression moves to a ok stance where you lock off to a sloper. This last weekend I was able to figure out the last move… But as I stood up. My foot Popped. I tried it at least a dozen more times only to destroy my shoes which in turn made it nearly impossible climb at all.
I’m hoping that this weekend is as fun as the last. Probably not… But maybe. As of a few hours ago Bugsy decided he really liked my Miuras and decided they’d make a great chew toy. With the help of my Mom I was able to get some shoes to hold me over till my Miura VS get back from R&Resole. (Thank You Mom)
(I’ll add Photos when I get them from Little Miss.)
Saturday Sucked. Sunday was slowly getting better as the day went on. I had been hoping to head up to Bishop but that didn’t happen… So I was off to Black Mountain to find Cory and Climb some rocks. After some not so fun driving we got to the dirt road and somehow managed to drive the 5 or so miles back into the OK Corral and Boulder Basin. I had been to the OK Corral twice before and I was pretty psyched to get on some stuff that I hadn’t finished before. After warming up, Julie and I wandered around and eventually found Darkhorse. I was psyched… Only to realize I haven’t been bouldering in 6 months or so and I can’t crimp for shit since I started climbing at Hangar 18. But Julie somehow convinced me to pull on the start holds. I was sucking to say the least.
We started to realize that it was getting late and we still hadn’t seen Cory…. We drove around several not so nice dirt roads until somehow Cory showed up behind us. (Turns out he worked late and they didn’t leave till 12) Turns out they were headed up to the Rounded Boulders so Jon could take a stab at the SDS of Adamantium.
We made the not so epic hike up to the climbing and watched Jon make really good progress but he didn’t manage to send. Next time for sure, he was looking really strong and I think if he’d had a little bit more skin he would have sent.
Later… We moved on to Boulder Basin so I could try The Tulip and Transmaniacon. Feeling good… I walked over to Transmaniacon and gave it some awkward goes but I wasn’t able to send. Feeling pretty fucked I wandered towards The Tulip and some how I was able to do the crux but not the start. I was really surprised that I made it through that funky crossover thing and the match on that horrible sloping crimp, but when Jon, Cory and Joe showed up they had a lot of negatives, which in turn killed my motivation.
To finish off the day I suggested we all have a go at Big Greeny which is one of my all time favorite problems. Its this crazy 20ft slab that is one of the coolest problems in So Cal. Cory being the beast that he is managed his way up in about two or three tries. Jon however was having issues over coming his mental block and even turned down $100 to send. I was still sucking so I played around at the bottom until we were ready to leave.
In the end I was excited to go climbing but was really bothered by the fact that I’m not as strong as I used to be.
A Special Thanks to Julie for being our photographer. Thanks, Love.
These past few weeks have been really good training weeks, I’ve found a hangboard workout that actually works, and I’ve slowly been ticking off the hardest boulders I can find. I think its time that I start developing some of the back country bouldering that Mt. Baldy has to offer… Matt and I found this area about two years ago and I feel that I finally have the drive to develop it. Today I put up a new problem called “sticky toes”… Its about 12 hard moves on bad crimps on an overhanging face, SO COOL! Anyways…
I will post some of my new workouts and training regimens later, but until then…
P E A C E
Update:
Thanks to 8a I have a nice new hangboard workout that is much better than previous workouts.
I haven’t felt like writing about the last two weekends.
So….
Maybe I’ll get to it, Maybe I won’t…. who knows (I don’t).
This past weekend was pretty hectic, I don’t quite know how to describe it but I’ll do my best.
Saturday was dramatically different from the past few months. I was super excited to go to the REI Used Gear Sale but things weren’t going my way… I woke up late but somehow managed to get there around ten after and found myself searching my mind for things I wanted as well as pushing my way through the hoards of people just to look at the tables full of goodies. I managed to get to one of the camping tables and buried under a pile of used headlamps I found a used MSR stove that turned out to be a display model, I skipped over it thing that it was broken… Only to later realize that it was just well loved. Ugh. That was one of many mistakes that I made that day. In the end I walked out with a Sit Pad for Julie and a slightly used pair of pants for me… $65 worth of stuff for $12.
Sunday was interesting to say the least… Julie was too tired to go climbing with me so I was off to the Children’s Forest by myself. I decided to replace some old hardware and clean up a few of the less traveled routes. I was able to grab a few Stainless Steel Anchors from old projects that Joe and I had abandoned and decided to put them on some of the more traveled routes. While I was replacing and renovating I decided it was soo nice out that I had to climb at least a little bit. I tried to rope solo a few routes but that was scarier than actually soloing them, and after a few tries I sent sans rope. I managed to onsight solo a few routes which is a very unique feeling that I don’t get to experience very often. After I wore myself out I wound my way home and cleaned up a bit. A few hours later Julie called and invited me out to the beach. I don’t normally like to go but it was Sunday and I needed my Julie time. We arrived at the beach and I was not psyched when I saw clouds and was chilled to the bone by the cold wind… Julie somehow convinced me to get in the water despite my hydrophobia. I dawned my wetsuit and hesitantly started towards the water. After some forced steps, I started to enjoy myself and was trying to remember how to surf… In the end I was in the water for over an hour and managed to catch one wave and eat some really good food.
In all it was a good weekend and I’m looking forward to the next.
Bonus Photo:
Julie Belaying.
I don’t really feel like writing a new entry right now so I’ll summarize my birthday weekend.
Two weeks ago was my birthday weekend, it was great I got lots of things and I love them all. My mom got me a new headlamp and some of those fancy new Metolius Element Lockers. The headlamp is amazing and I’m really excited about using it… Julie got me some awesome patagonia undies and a really cool cookbook that has some great recipes and stories. Saturday I went climbing with Julie at Keller and Sunday was a Lazy Day. I know that was a very very short summery of my birthday weekend, but hey its something.
