Mark at the Bronco Bowls on the Outrage Wall

so i feel like sharing a really funny story to start off.

So last weekend my friend Simeon had his friend and mother stay over for the weekend and hangout. The first day they got there it was about 3 in the afternoon and we were all out at the Outrage Wall working projects, I was trying the open project again and the rest of the gang was on habernero and hurdy gurdy man, 2 really good 12 -´s nearby. Also there was a girl working  a 13a called job disgraced right next to my project.

So Sim heads home to greet the new guests and goes and gets his Spy Scope or telescope, and shows the friend and his mother what were upto on the outrage wall…at the time they bounce back and forth between myself and the girl trying the 13a. Later that  night we’re all back at the house cooking dinner when the mother starts up conversation about what she saw through the spy scope earlier, not knowing who she was watching on the wall.

So she begins talking about how amazing the girl on the 13a was and what a great climber she must be and how she seemed to be moving really fast, then, she mentions in a very sad tone ¨and how about that poor guy on the left, he wasn´t moving well at all, he really didn´t seem to be a good climber. Why was he just sitting there for sooo long?”… that was about the time I jumped into the conversation and said wasn´t it the outrage wall you guys were watching those climbers on, that was me on the left!

Mark on Crawling King Snake at Colo del Gato

We all laughed really hard about that one, it was  kinda funny to see how in the eyes of  someone who doesn´t climb, difficulty is hard to appreciate and it just comes down to how fast you move or how many moves you can do in row, (the fact that the route i am trying might be the hardest in the canyon is totally irrelevant).

It has been a big week down here and there is lots to update ya´ll on. To start with I have opened and closed some routes which was really nice. We made a trip up to the Mileski Wall and I got on the Super Jesus extension to Weeping Jesus (probably one of the best 13a´s in the Potrero). The extension has been an open project for about fifteen years.

Mark starts up Cryin Brian on the Outrage Wall

I got it on my second try in full sun… i pretty much kept a running pace so i didn´t get too sun burned and so my feet didn’t hurt too badly at the upper crux…it is a very long route even without the upper extension.  I have to say though that there was something a little frustrating with the extension. It had fantastic moves and made the route about 30ft longer, but it just seemed like that was where the original route should always have ended, just no one bthered cheking out the moves…or to bother cleaning like 3 dirty holds. It didn´t change the grade very much, just added another tricky crux to the route and made it a more solid 13a for the grade, maybe it´s 13b, if your doing it onsight and there is no chalk, it is not an obvious crux and kinda reachy.

moving into some crux action...

crux after crux this route is hard

I feel as if the lower anchors should be removed and the new anchors are where it should go and just keep its original name. I am really glad that it wasn´t a v11 boulder problem that changed the route significantly, because everyone that can get to the old anchors can definitely go the extra 2 bolts to the very top. Hopefully my send will start a new trend and everybody will go all the way.

This past weekend I also got out to the Outrage wall on a partly cloudy day and cleaned up another project that was lingering in the back of my mind, it was an extension to a 12b that had rumors of being unclimbable because of a broken hold,  The route is about 5om long and is a second pitch on the wall called the green mile, i sent it second go as well and think that it’s 13b, which is what it was graded originally before anything broke on it.

It felt good to climb some new routes this last week and actually send something, definitely helped the psyche, after trying the open project on the Outrage so much and getting the Mexi flu  i really cant tell if i am just getting weaker or if the project is just plain hard. Also, this weekend I tried a Tommy Caldwell 13d on the Outrage wall which had totally shut me down years ago due to its extremely bouldery crux and yesterday I was able to do every move in the crux, pretty solid….i think it is probably like a v10 in about 4 moves followed by a very technical 5.12 section for 30ft. It will go if i can get enough cold days on it this trip.

Having tried some different hard routes lately, I am re-motivated  for the big project i am working , it maybe 14a, i really don’t know, we´ll have to see how this week goes, it looks like were taking a trip south this weekend to Puete de Dios, which is a crag I have never been to before, I am excited for some more new routes and feel like I am finally getting fit. I also feel completely recovered from the Mexi stomach flu and sketchy salsa fiasco.

What keeps 210lbs climbing 5.14??? Here is a look at Marks reduced protien diet.

Also, a great part about last week is we finally got some photos taken so here are a couple shots from the routes i have been playing on down here.

talk to ya´ll soon

Mark

That poor guy on the left...don't worry we love you buddy!

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