Climb This Climbing Competition

Saturday November 23 was the climbing competition at the Kenosha YMCA.  Advanced was starting and that was the category I was competiting in. I started on a the wall I knew was the easiest. It went pretty well so I was looking at the other routes to figure out what order I wanted to them in. I figured out I was going to do another easy one then get the harder ones and try the rest after that. I finished the second route rather slow but it was easy. I was taking my time to make sure I got a complete the route. I went to the second hardest route and tryed it and got stuck right at the first draw. For the day I kinda had a problem reading the route right and/or executing my plan of attack for each route. I then tryed other routes and one of them I could get through the starting move. The two other were alittle difficult in the beginning but was able to work fast then and work my way up the route. I only completed two routes but that's ok. I was trying to work through the routes and go about them different ways. After qualifiers I was in 4th place. For finals, I was 2nd to go and I made it the furthest on the route. The route was alittle difficult at the start. But it got alittle easier then got difficult again. I made it to the third draw rather easy. Then made a move up held it and my hand slipped right off the hold. I know I could have attempted to make another move. I was 4 holds further than everyone else. Due to this I made a point come back and was 100 points from taking 2nd place. I was happy with how I did because I know I tried. 

Sunday I went in to climb and try the routes. The one that I had trouble starting I was able to finish the the route starting after the starting move. I tried all of the routes included the finals. I was able to complete the final in 3 falls. I climbed pretty well considering I had a competition the day before and I was reading all the routes correctly. I even tried some of the route in begginer and intermediate. The routes were a lot of fun! All of the photos are loaded to Facebook and Flickr. All of the videos are loaded to YouTube and Facebook. Check them out!!

Queen Creek Canyon and Arizona Vacation

We left Wednesday night and got in around 8pm in Arizona. The next morning we got up around 5 and got ready to go climbing for the day. A guide was coming with and showing us the routes and the areas that were good for climbing sport. He set up a 5.9 to start us off and it was really easy.  After we did those he set up two 5.10. One was a 5.10 b the other was 5.10c. Both of the hard cruxs were at the start if the route which made it a little but more difficult. I flashed everything so far but was a little pumped because it was a lot of finger pockets. After I finished the 5.10's, I did the 5.11b which was much easier than the 5.10c I think. I flashed the 5.11 and then tried the 5.12c that was set up. The start was alittle strange but I figured it out just could get past the draw. I had a heel toe cam even with the draw because my hands were slipping. The two holds that I was holding on to were really crimps in an over hang which made them really hard to hold on to. I made it the furtherest on our group. Everyone was getting tired so we did two more 5.10's to finish the day off. I flashed everything for the day but the 5.12c which I got about half way on. So it was a good day overall. Friday we took it alittle bit easier because the rock was really rough from the day before. So we decided to go indoor skydiving. I had never done skydiving before so it was going to be a fun learning experience. We got there and we had to watch a video on the basic of skydiving and the signals the instructors were going to be using to help us. It was a short video and them a few minutes later we were starting with the first person in the group. There was six of us and two other people schedule for the same time. I was 6th in the line to go. I was alittle nervous cause I wasn't to sure how it was going to feel. Once I got figured it out it didn't take long for me to do it on my own. My second time around the instructors helped me get stabled and the rest of the time I did on my own. The last 30sec of my turn the instructor helped me go up and down and around in circles; it was pretty cool. After skydiving we went to lunch then to a climbing gym just to keep the bodies moving. I had a pretty good day climbing I onsighted two 5.10b and a 5.11a. I also finished a 5.12b. That was rather long for the height of the gym. After I finished lead climbing I bouldered for the rest if the day and worked on the system board. I did pretty good on the system board for being tired. I was able to complete three V3 and on V4. I was pretty happy with that considering I was tired. Saturday we went back to Queen Creek Canyon but we went to Atlantis. Getting there was alittle weird because it was down hill so we were almost sliding down the hill to get there. The area was really cool,the climbing area was like a bowl and there was climbing all around you. To start the day off I set up a 5.8 that was about 85feet. After that we set up a 5.10b and then two 5.8s. It was an easier day but it was fun. Everyone was tired and it was hot. We went back to the house and played Monolpoly the rest of the night. Sunday was the last day that we were on Arizona. We wet to the pool and I learned how to play pickle ball. I played 3 games of singles and won all three. After wards we packed and and played cards until it was time to go. Our flight left at 7 and we got in around 12:30 am Monday morning. I got to use my new BlueWater Rope. It was really smooth and was super light. I was really excited because I was waiting for this trip to use the rope and I love it. Right before we left Wednesday my new shoes and shirt came in from FiveTen. The shirt is very soft and the shoes fit perfect.

All of the photos and videos from this weekend are loaded to Facebook, YouTube, and Flickr. Check them out there are some really cool pictures. A big thanks to my sponsors, FiveTen, Bluewater Ropes, Rock Candy, Kask Helmets, Kaisers Pizza & Pub.