Joe's Valley

I know that it has been a while since anyone has been to Joe's Valley, but you can always sit around and think about how good it is. I mean, you don't have any thing better going on. Plus, I'm getting psyched up for Hueco and climbing is on my mind.

I love Joe's Valley.

I have a lot of pictures from going with Erin back in October that I never did anything with. It was a fun trip and every time I go to Joe's I end up like the place more than ever. It's really an amazing place to visit.

This trip wasn't the best for me personally. I was coming of a series of inures and arrived in Orangeville having climbed very little over the last 6 months. The trip also coincided with the absolute worst my elbow tendinitis has ever felt. Still, we had been planning this for months so we made the trek across the mountains.

I had a few problems I wanted to get on, but first and foremost was Gentleman Jack. This problem was a project for a while with a reputation for being pretty hard. It seems like better beta has been figured out and the problem has become a bit less intimidating with the grade ending up around V11.

When we walked up and first saw the problem, I was blown away. I love the feeling of coming upon a new problem and being struck by how beautiful it is. It's really a fantastic problem, but caused a lot of pain and failure when I tried to get on it. I was able to make some progress but ultimately got shut down. Getting back on this when I'm healthy is a big goal for my next trip to Joe's.

Ater trying Gentleman Jack, I took a rest day to let my arm cool off. Getting my ass kicked made me want to tone it down a little bit. The next day I went out to try a stiff V7 called Golden Plates. This thing either requires some sort of genesis beta or is the most awkward problem ever. It's honestly terrible and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

Just after stick the crux move and letting out a sigh or relief, my foot slipped off and my right pinky had all of the skin ripped off off in a single motion. I've never seen that much blood come out of one of my fingers. (insert joke) Sigh. Never again.

I spent the next few days spotting Erin as she crushed her way through Joe's Valley. In a few short days she sent some tons of new problems and found some great projects to come back to.

She sent K town Slab (V3), which had seemed impossible last trip.

We went out and checked out the super cool Boux Problem, and amazing V3 on sloping pockets with a scary top out. Erin sent the problem pretty quickly after figuring out the bottom moves.

Erin also flashed an amazing V3 in New Joe's called Desperate. I remember doing this and thinking about how scary it was. As I watched Erin go up it, I thought about how scary it is.

Prior to the start of the trip, Erin didn't think she would be able to send the Angler. I however, did think she would be able to send the Anger.

Erin also managed to get through he bottom part of the Bowling Ball (v4) several times, but couldn't quite get her hands on the next crimp. Next time...

Erin also quickly sent the scary highball Washed Out (V2) on the Crack Boulder. Very cool climb.

A lot of the trip was spent working Skins Game (v3) which was her project from last trip. Despite coming so close to sticking the deadpoint, this one stayed on the project list.






Another problem she came really close on was Super Sloper. She fell at the top several times after coming up with beta that doesn't use (FTW?) any of the slopers. So devious...


Area 51 also has a very different feeling if you have it all to yourself.

I did manage to get lucky and pull off a few climbs. Most of them were new (to me) problems that were fantastic lines.

Playmaye of the Year (V9) - Very Fun

Dirty Hairy (V8) - Fun and a little Highball

Gurkah Knife (V9) - Amazingly steep climb on pinches. I'm really surprised a problem this good isn't better known. I love this style of climbing.

Foxy Whore (V9) - JJ got me psyched to try this problem on my first trip to Joe's. We never made it up there and it kind of fell by the wayside. I'm very glad I came back to it.

Water Paintings (V7) - Super Beta intensive and lowball. It's also amazingly steep, with awesome holds. Reminds me a lot of Killed by Numbers.

I can't wait to go back. March anyone?

Fact(s)

1) I am not a great climber, I enjoy it a ton though. (Thomas is pretty awesome)
2) This film stuff, not my bag of potato chips.  But I also find it fun to play with.
3)By coming to this site you realize a)Andrew/Thomas are redic, and you want to laugh at/with them.  b)JJ never has new media, and you have a deep dark hunger that you don't want to admit to anyone else. c) You just want to cry about how pretty Thomas is...

*(yes numbers to letters! Y,F,Y!)

Stick.

2 more hueco videos coming.

More media!

I have tried Babyface since I have been going to hueco, for about 3 years.  It seems at first I wasn't strong enough.  Then I never trained enough, and was out of shape every time I went to hueco.  No longer.  Video to come very soon.

Hueco has so many amazing climbs in all grades, anyone can have a blast there.  From your v0 climber to v15.  (V0 climbers should be somewhat terrified, the best V0's are the scariest ones...)

My training includes hopefully 3 days at the Denver Bouldering Club, and training with Dave Wahl.
Thanks to Dave I am very specific.  People, if you live in Denver/Boulder, and work a ton (like me) you should be training with Dave.  We cannot climb all of the time, and we as climbers need to push ourselves. Contact Dave, and hate/love your life forever more. Lastly I get outside as much as possible.  I want to be a v10 climber, so I am going to make that happen.

Peep this video, or else.


Untitled from Andrew Vojslavek on Vimeo.

Media? Nope, soon

Well I went outside in Eldo again today.  No more Hueco Tanks for this kid.  I am supposed to be going for a week plus back to the tanks with Cat, Thomas, Erin, and other fools.  Nevertheless, I have a new job, and need to figure out what is happening.


Colorado wise...  Thomas almost sent The Heist today, seriously inspirational.  Secondly, Colorado is way colder than Texas.  I saw Qigong v hardish? For the first time today. Seems kind of cool.  For me it looks like a new project.  Over hanging, crimpy, somewhat squeezy.  Very interested.

Cat and Bec both sent the Northwest Corner v5/6 on the Gill Block today, very cool to see.  Even though they are twins, they climb totally different.  Both Thomas and I are amused by this.


Thomas wanted a tick list of round one, and I normally don't give in too often, but here is what I did.  For the most part.

East Mountain
Friday
Warm up roof v4 (campus)
Repeat, 3 stars
Dragon Fly v5 Repeat, 4 stars, working the v9 sit. ( Top 3 climbs ever)
Green Horney Toad V5 Should of flashed, did crux, and dropped since I didn’t have a crash pad, on the highball finish. Did it the whole thing with a pad, 1st go!
Hobbit in a Blender v5 Dreaded foot slip on start foot on flash go. Sent first try without foot slip. Mega classic!
Hector in a Blender v7 FLASH! Could be soft, or about right? Idk, felt as hard as Punani?
The guillotine v2 Quasi highball v2 with a committing finish, quite possibly the best of the grade on East.

• I need to go back and finish Dragon Fly Low (v9). Not the best climb, but very, close.
• Notorious DIG v9, simple short, should send. Takes a lot of skin though…
East Mountain/ Spur Saturday
Moonshine Roof v4 Flash, coolest jug roof feature ever!
Moonshine Roof Right v5 Not as good as the 4, but very fun, elbow blow! OUCH!

To do: Better Eat your Wheaties, v8/9 pull harder on left, stand on foot!

North Mountain Sunday
Mexican Chicken v6 Dropped, need to top out, still valid but not as cool
Babyface v7 FINALLY! So good! Favorite climb ever?
Ghetto Simulator v3 Flash in tennis shoes, 30 feet plus, outstanding!

East Mountain – Monday
Sex After Death v8 Crimpy goodness, cool moves. (Prolly v7+)
Bad New Religion v8? Quite fun, felt these moves were more fun than New Religion (v6). Just not as obvious
Hi Pro Glow v6 Unbelievably cool, slopers, compression, double heel hooks. Semi tall, committing finish, satisfying.
El Burro v3(v4?) Repeat Fantastic, and super hard for the grade.

To do: The French Tickler v9

  

HHHHAA

Media!

Hueco Tanks 1 from Andrew Vojslavek on Vimeo.



Flash bang, one of two, maybe 3? We will see how long I can stretch this out.

OMG OMG

F,

My tips are sore, I banged my elbow, and my fiancee broke her butt!  Nevertheless we are having an awesome time in the tanks.  Cat has been injured for a while, and it is just nice to watch her climb again...  Until today she fell on the most busted pad in the world. Why doesn't everyone just use an Organic Pad?

New skin... the liquid courage I always needed, will help us climb for the next two days straight.  That is right!  FOUR DAYS ON!  Hueco is amazing, but it can bite

I don't want to blow any surprises yet, the media will be coming when I have a better internet connection.  We have had two great tours with Tom a fellow DBC member, and have had two great guides (jeremy, and dave).

So far on video, I have Cat on a great climb on the warm up roof on east mountain, very classic.  I have me flashing my hardest climb to date, quite pleased. (One goal off of the 2010 ticklist!)

For a while I thought I had a solid grip on grades... Frankly I just don't know what is what anymore, put me on anything v0-9 game on though for sure!  What I do know is the cave problem in castlewood from my first post is much harder than v5 or 6, for sure compared to standards of roof climbs in Hueco.  So SHUT UP THOMAS! (I love you, don't be mad baby!)(Or be mad...)

Until faster internet is available...

ARV

Lack of media, dab

Sorry folks for no media from the weekend.  I know Thomas and Rich got out...  I was to busy getting ENGAGED WITH CAT!  So excited.

Cat and I are going to Hueco this weekend, a full media campaign has been planned.

Forgive me?

XOXO

Psyched you should become

Sir Thomas Betterton, Duke of AWESOME...

My apologies, someday I will get a tripod, and film climbs that are not too terribly hard to film.  Nevertheless, enjoy.

So this past weekend we (Thomas, BK, Ben, and myself) headed out to Eldo again to have a day of fun...  This time we made to The Heist without a forty five minute detour around snow packed boulder fields... Awesome...


FYI - There is an ice bridge that withstood the hunk of man we call Kevin.  If you know Kevin or have seen previous blogposts, you know that ice bridge is super solid...  BETA:  Park after the Milton boulder, walk down towards the ranger station, and cross the creek after passing the Milton Block.


Thomas has been working the Heist, and I have messing around the Infinite for a few days.  Our game plan was for Thomas to crush the Heist, and for BK to hop on Pig Dog again, and for me to send the Infinite...  Honestly, it was balls cold.  When all was said and done, Thomas worked The Heist for about an hour and a half.  He is making some impressive links...  If you have not seen the Heist in person, shame on you.  It is MASSIVE about 35 feet of climbing.  The nice part of the climb is the Ghetto like rising slab behind the climb.  However, The Heist looks balls hard...  Thomas says the first few moves up to the "jug" is about kinda hard to hard.  Apparently the crux moves are hard, but not super hard.  Thanks Thomas for the info.



Untitled from Andrew Vojslavek on Vimeo.





It eventually started to snow, so we all decided to bail.  Our good friend Bob was at the DBC, and heated climbing sounded a hell of a lot better than suffering under the quasi chossy Infinite for an hour.  The DBC right is insane!  350 Brand new Pusher holds!  Even a Boss!  Brand new climbs are going up every day...  Get excited.

So a few things are happening soon,  Cat and I are going to Hueco next weekend for about 4 days!  So excited!  We are going with a lot of people in Feb right around my date of birth too... Pretty pumped, I have never felt so strong, and am really curious to see what I can do...

Eldo

Happy New Years!

This New Years Eve was a change of pace for me, I actually spent it with Cat.  Aside from not really "partying" Cat and I had a great night with friends and family.

I knew that 2010 has to be a good year by the way I started it... I met Thomas, and after turning around i25 we picked up Rich at the DBC.

Today I would be bouldering outside for half the day and reseting the DBC for the other half.

Here is some footage from the outdoor rock climbing.


eldo from Andrew Vojslavek on Vimeo.



I am so upset with the Infinite.  Honestly, it is not the coolest climb in the world, but it is on my winter tick list.  I think Rich & Thomas were telling me I was doing everything buy grabbing the jug off the jump move.  Rich made some progress on the Infinite, and had already crushed Pig Dog the day before.  Nice work Rich!


Thomas spent the day trying to kill Rich & I.  We went to check out the Heist only to bushwhack in snow covered boulder fields for an hour (?), and in the end realized it was maybe only five minutes away from the car... smooth Thomas, smooth...  Not being soured by unnecessary hiking Thomas made some great progress on the Heist.  The Heist is one of the most intimidating lines I have ever seen, it will be impressive to see Thomas send.

Before the glorious reset tonight at the DBC, Rich, Thomas and I had the pleasure of eating at Wing Stop.  Rich and I learned never to order the same amount of food as Thomas Betterton, since it leads to your destruction.

I have to work on Saturday, but will be climbing Monday... Pictures from the session will be posted, and hopefully more videos later too.

Cheers!