The Half Circle G Blog

Awesome video with remote control helicopter shots

2011-01-07T09:28:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile, been really busy and really really lazy. This is just a cool video that I wanted to share. I would kill to have a quadcopter like in this video.

I'll be putting up a real blog post about what's been going on this last month later this weekend.

Bachar-Yerian short film

2010-11-30T16:58:00.000-08:00

Last summer Matt and I filmed my friends Andrew and Jan climbing the infamous Bachar-Yerian 5.11c R/X in Tuolumne Meadows, CA. This historic route was established by John Bachar and Dave Yerian back in the 1980's. The climb is famous for it's long run outs between bolts and 80 foot fall potential keeps most people away. Making this short film was a great experience and I'm hoping to enter it in a few film festivals next year. Wish us luck and let me know what you think of the video.

The Bachar Yerian 5.11c R/X from cole gibson on Vimeo.

The REAL Iron Man

2010-11-08T22:39:00.000-08:00

Helmet Cam Baby, Yeah!

2010-10-26T20:37:00.001-07:00

New Stoney Point trailer

2010-10-21T09:30:00.000-07:00

Please hit the "like" button after watching, assuming you like it of course. Heck, maybe even leave a comment?

Stoney Point: Portrait of an American Crag - trailer from cole gibson on Vimeo.

This is gonna be EPIC

2010-10-12T22:26:00.000-07:00

Be sure to crank the resolution up to at least 720p and for the love of all that is good make that shit full screen!

I will do this someday

2010-10-11T01:07:00.001-07:00

Last Walk Around Mirror Lake - Boom Bip (Boards of Canada Remix) from FroschYankee on Vimeo.

More Derren Brown hijinks

2010-10-07T21:33:00.000-07:00

Some of you might recall a post I put up awhile ago about my favorite mentalist, Derren Brown. In case you missed it check out this link. Here's a new video I saw today that shows yet again just how much we take things for granted.

Matt's Cathedral Peak helmet cam vid

2010-09-27T22:59:00.000-07:00

Back in August Steph and I took a trip to Tuolumne Meadows. Among other things, we climbed Cathedral Peak with Matt and Steve. Steph and I climbed as a team just above them. Matt filmed the entire climb with a high definition helmet cam and edited the footage into this epic video. I think this is really cool and hope he brings it along on future adventures. He also nailed it with the perfect music choice!

Catherdral Peak Ascent from Matthew Talesfore on Vimeo.

Stoney Point Invasion

2010-09-22T22:27:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it's no big secret that Matt and I have been working on a documentary/short film about Stoney Point for quite some time now. I'll admit, this project has taken WAAAAYYYY longer than I ever imagined it could. When I first came up with the idea to do this I clearly had no idea how much work and time was involved. I was very naive about how hard it is to do something like this with only two people working in their spare time and with absolutely no budget. Working on this project has been one of the greatest learning experiences of my life. With that said, I can't wait for it to be over and move on...

matt and i shooting mike flood soloing "the nose of stoney"

the crew chillin with royal robbins after his interview

Even though the film isn't finished yet, this month marks a big moment in the process. An article I wrote about Stoney Point has been published in this month's edition of Climbing magazine - October #289. This is my first published piece and I couldn't be more excited! Writing that article was, in a way, even more painful than making the movie. I pretty much suck at writing and keeping the article from sounding like it was written by a 5th grader was difficult. In fact, if it wasn't for the help of my friend Tommy it probably would have never happened. He pretty much served as my personal editor while I was writing and added so much to the article that I kind of feel bad that his name isn't on it too, well, not that bad. Seriously though, thanks Tommy!!

here's me doing my best to imitate chuck fryberger, lol!

The other Stoney news is that we have launched a website. Stephanie designed the entire thing by herself and completely blew me away were her talent and ability to make shit happen. I mean really, take a look at the website and realize that she doesn't have any experience with this sort of thing but was able to make it happen in a big way, in a very short amount of time. I love the site and hope you guys will as well.

The above video is a tilt shift montage I put together that will hopefully get some people excited about the film. Matt and I are currently working on a more conventional trailer and you can bet as soon as we are done I will post it here and on the Stoney Point website.

Now it's time to ask a favor. I need everyone reading this to go to the tilt shift trailer on Vimeo and hit the "like" button, as well as, leave a comment! I think you may need to make a free account there to do so, but it's very simple and, god damn it, I expect everyone of you to do so! This is how you get shit out there and I could really use your help. Thanks in advance and get used to this because I will be begging for "likes" again in the near future.

My 27th birthday party

2010-09-20T00:13:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago was my birthday, happens every year, and like usual I talked a bunch of my friends into heading up to my mom's house in Ojai for a weekend long celebration of all that is Cole. Needless to say, it was freakin awesome.

Friday afternoon Steve and Megan showed up early so we headed to a bridge near my house for a quick urban boulder sesh.

yup, those are just rocks glued to the wall

sweet top out

not much to say about this one

what a gangster

After partying pretty hard Friday night we woke up, ate some breakfast and headed to Wheeler Gorge to do some climbing. It was a perfect day.

Jill on her first time climbing made it to the top of a 5.9, nice work!

Mike and matt on a really cool route at Wheeler Gorge that I'd never been on, actually way steeper than it looks like here. We all speculated it was 10b...at home the guidebook called it 11a.

back at the house we did some slack-lining and got ready for a BBQ put on by my mom and Uncle J.

chillin on the deck

steph made some delicious b-day cupcakes

After we all loaded up on some fabulous burgers cooked by my uncle it was time to get down to business. Beer pong tournament! Long and utterly hilarious story short, Chris and I dominated all night long.

chris looking very serious

shitty gif i made, i should have made it go slower but im too lazy to go back and change

mike teeing off

Sunday we headed out to Lake Casitas to play disc golf. The course there is really cool and has been referred to as the Pebble Beach of disc golf, ok I referred it to that, but still, it's true. It was a really good game. Mike and Elijah kept it competitive all the way till the end and Matt kept it interesting by randomly throwing discs at everyones' heads. Elijah, Mike and I were pretty much tied all the way to the 16th, but then I started playing right handed and easily won.

matt was inebriated and throwing discs at everyone

5th tee box, see what i mean about Pebble Beach?

that was probably the worst day of Clyde's life, frisbees flying everywhere and he couldn't chase after them

All in all it was easily the best birthday of my life. Thank you so much for everyone coming out, it wouldn't have been the same without you. And for those of you who weren't there...what the fuck man, I thought we were friends?

my baby! thanks for making it such a great weekend, though every weekend is great because of you

uncle j, you are the best, always have been, always will. those burgers were awesome, everyone thought they were amazing and they provided just the base we needed for an all night beer pong tourney!

my momma! I love you so much, thanks for letting me crash your house every couple of months with a large group of friends! I don't think there's a better mom in the world

In case you were wondering, though I doubt you were, in fact, I'm impressed you're still reading this, all these photos were taken with my new camera, a Canon T2i. It was a birthday present from my mom and I absolutely love it. Obviously, some of these pics have been photoshopped.

Time for Labor Day!

2010-09-03T14:29:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone out there is getting ready for a kick ass Labor Day weekend. Steph and I are headed up to Pismo Beach, we got an amazing deal on a hotel room right on the sand, $84 a night and we booked it like yesterday! We're actually staying at a place I've been to a few times before back when I was a kid, it's called the Sea Gypsy and its gonna be great!

Our plans are to rent kayaks one day, ATV's the next and then hit the bars at night. I'll be sure to post up some pics when we get back. Which reminds me, I still haven't posted photos from my b-day weekend, sorry bout that. I'll be sure to put something up by the end of this weekend. Till then enjoy the following compilation vid from one of my favorite shows on television...seriously I LOVE this show!

Beer Pong 2011

2010-09-01T00:07:00.000-07:00

from my birthday party, more pics soon

Smart freakin chimp!

2010-08-31T22:29:00.000-07:00

i bet half of you wouldn't have thought of that. Birthday party trip report forthcoming...

Crazy Yo-Yo dude

2010-08-30T00:47:00.000-07:00

Dang!

Tuolumne photo trip report

2010-08-21T13:19:00.000-07:00

Last week Steph and I were in Tuolumne Meadows for 8 days. It was the trip of a lifetime. A huge group of our friends from Stoney Point was there and the climbing was amazing. Matt and I also filmed my buddy Andrew Rock onsighting the Bachar-Yerian, a world class route. I'm currently working on cutting that footage together into a sweet short film, which I'll obviously post here when done.

Right before I left for the trip I got a new camera, Canon T2i, it's awesome! This was my first real experience shooting pictures and video with a DSLR so I definitely have a lot of learning to do but I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of pictures Steph and I were taking.

fire and stars

snapped this just before the aliens took off

steph checking out half dome

we interviewed andrew and jan the day before the big climb

matt setting up the camera

steve, matt, steph and i climbed cathedral peak

steph nearing the summit

steph and i at the top of cathedral

steve and i at the top. i don't have any shots of matt because i went down just before he summited, he took some sick helmet camera footage from this climb that ill be sure to post up once he puts it together

we ate really good thanks to steph's awesome cooking and food planning

pancakes!

steve rolling up in the fj

me struggling up Orange Plasma 5.11, I fell all over this thing. steph did it first try on lead

just before a little hail storm rolled in

went down to mammoth for a night. unfortunately, i had to jump online and do some work for half the day

on top of Daff Dome after sending West Crack, Fairview Dome in the background

steph climbing on knobs underneath the Bachar-Yerian (the big black streak on the right)

andrew on jan towards the top of the B&Y, matt rented a super sick lens that allowed us to get shots like this from a mile away

momma chipmunk moving her baby out of our campsite, guess she didn't like us

steph bouldering at the Gunks

me sending a cool crack at the Gunks

just about every afternoon after climbing we'd go drink beers and hang out at Tenaya Lake

steph way out in the lake

pretty much the best trip ever thanks to this pretty lady, check out her blog for the real story

Catfish

2010-08-20T00:26:00.000-07:00

This is gonna be good! Apparently 100% legit. I'm choosing not to read about any early reviews or anything that might spoil it. So if you hear something don't tell me! Comes out mid September. Tuolumne trip photo trip report forthcoming.

You and your johnson!

2010-07-28T00:36:00.001-07:00

Underwater base jumping and rock climbing

2010-06-29T11:51:00.000-07:00

Be sure to watch the whole video because it gets really cool towards the end.

this entire video was shot while freediving, even the camera-woman didn't have oxygen

Can you say Fail Stamp?

2010-06-24T14:58:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't been posting much for the last few weeks. There is definitely an inverse relationship to the amount of work I get and the amount of new posts on my blog. With that in mind if you ever see me posting shit like everyday then you know I'm in serious trouble...

Castle Rock trip

2010-06-24T14:53:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went up to the bay area on a job. I was hired by a realtor to make a promotional video for a listing he has worth $2.5 million.

I drove up to Fremont on Thursday night and stayed at my good buddy Bert's house (we were roommates freshman year in college). As usual, Bert showed me a kick ass time and took me to he friend's place to play beer pong. Though I don't think I won a game all night long I had a blast. Big thanks to his buddy David for having us over and cooking some bomb ribs!

the t-shirt Bert's friend David just had to give me, now that's respect!!

The next day I got up early and headed to Los Gatos to film the house. When I got there I was immediately impressed by the house. It was such a nice house that it really made my job pretty easy. After the shoot I headed to Castle Rock State Park assuming I could just roll in and snag a campsite, which turned out to be really stupid of me because the only camping they have is a 3 mile hike in and all the other camp grounds around were full because it was graduation weekend. At least that's what the dickhead Ranger told me. Fuck! I ended up having to drive all the way back to Fremont and crashed at Bert's again.

On Saturday I spent a half day shooting b-roll of Los Gatos for the video and then headed back up to Castle Rock for some climbing. On the way I spotted a sweet private campground that the Rangers had neglected to tell me about and reserved a site for evening.

Now that I had somewhere to sleep for the night I was finally free to go bouldering. I think I got to the park around 3:00pm and had plenty of time for an afternoon sesh. The bouldering at Castle Rock is phenomenal. I think the sandstone there is probably the best I've ever come across- super fine grain and awesome slopers everywhere.

After sending a bunch of easy stuffI set to work on what would be my project for the trip Hueco Slap V5. I didn't get it that day but was sure it would go down on the next. After finishing up my session I headed to camp where I was treated with an amazing shower. I seriously can't recommend Saratoga Springs enough for camping. It's a little pricey ($25.00/night), but well worth it. After showering I hit up their arcade and spent the most of the night playing video games.

my campsite

the arcade at Saratoga Springs

they even have a pool!

I woke up the next morning, packed my shit up and headed back to Castle Rock for one last day. I started out on Yabo Roof V5, which shut me down. I probably could have sent if I wanted to devote my entire day to the problem but I decided to leave it for next time and climb some other problems. First on the list was Heuco Slap. It took me a few tries to remember the beta I figured out the day before and then I promptly sent. Sick problem! After that I pretty much climbed a bunch of moderates and got shut down on a few hard problems. Around 5:30pm it was time to jump in the van and cruise home. About 7 hours later I was at home watching TV.

yabo roof V5, crux at the top

magoo rock, lots of cool problems on this boulder

sloper city

hueco slap V5, you start low to the ground and end up slapping your way up the blunt arete, so cool

Overall, my impression of Castle Rock was, despite the annoying mosquitos, it is a 5 star location for bouldering and I can't wait to get back. Yabo Roof is going down next time!

Purple Stones

2010-06-07T12:36:00.000-07:00

About a year ago Bill Levinthal and Banny Root took me on my first trip to the Purple Stones. Banny discovered the area back in the 70's and along with Dave Katz established a circuit of sick boulder problems and heinous top ropes/free solos. Bill also added some classics including a gnarly 5.13 called Ultra Violet.

Apparently back in the day the river took a different course and almost all the boulders had soft, sandy landings. But at some point a storm came through and ruined all the fun by washing out many of the landings and the place fell out of popularity. I had read about the Purple Stones in the the So Cal bouldering guide by Craig Fry but, other than Bill and Banny, I had never heard anyone mention the area.

Last weekend I went back for the second time with Mike, Brett, and Steph. We had an absolute blast. Over at Steph's Blog she calls the place enchanted and she couldn't be more right on. To get there you park on the side of Topanga Canyon Blvd. just south of the town of Topanga. Then risk your life by walking back down the road until you come to a certain bridge with a tunnel underneath it that looks like this.

this pic shows mike exiting the tunnel on the way out, this is what the entrance looks like

be sure to watch your step as you walk down the tunnel

this is what the tunnel looks like on the other side

Stepping out of the tunnel is like discovering a secret world made just for climbers, it's amazing. The first place you'll pass is what I've heard referred to as the Headwaters. This is the perfect place to warm up before hitting the main area. We spent nearly an hour climbing here on Sunday doing problems on every side of the rock.

me warming up at the Headwaters

steph on an awesome cobble stone face which was really hard

brett on the same problem, towards the top, he almost sent but broke a hold at the very top and took quite a fall, he was fine but opted to save the line for next time

brett on a cool overhang problem

After the Headwaters we headed up stream to the main area. This is where the real goods lie.

steph on an immaculate cobble stone high ball

We brought a TR set up for a few of the taller lines, which is a good thing because none of us were about to solo anything on the Naked Edge boulder, which has some of the coolest climbs. We all sent the arete called the Naked Edge 5.11, which was really fun- perfect cut arete, just a little too short.

brett at the top of the Naked Edge

me on the Naked Edge

We also tried another top rope, not sure about the name, that shut us all down but was really fun - super thin. We looked at Ultra Violet and laughed. Brett and Mike tried Atlantis 5.12 but couldn't quite do it. It's amazing to think that guys like Levinthal soloed all these things out there by themselves...

On my first trip one of the main things that stuck out in my mind was the overhanging prow on the east side of the Naked Edge boulder that Banny and Bill said had never been climbed. I was stunned it hadn't been done, it's a PERFECT line. Flat landing, pristine rock quality and HARD. At the time it was surely one of the radest undone lines in Los Angeles. Well about a month later I heard that my buddy Dimitrius Fritz had nabbed the FA and named it the Purple Prow V9 aka Purple Stones Midnight Lighting. I have no clue if anyone has done it since him, about a year ago, but was psyched for Brett and Mike to give it a go. My fat ass flailed all over the thing which is why you won't see any pictures of me on it.

bad pic, sick line

brett on the cruxy match, I though he was gonna onsight this thing, he got to the very end on his first try, but in the end no one was able to top out

brett will for sure send next time

mike towards the beginning of the boulder, perfect rock

Since the place is nice and shaded and next to a creek I think Purple Stones should remain good for at least another month or so, especially on cooler days. Let me know if you want to go because I'm dying to get back.

hahahahahahha

2010-06-04T15:37:00.001-07:00

The future is now

2010-06-01T12:34:00.000-07:00

Wow, this looks like it was ripped straight from some sci-fi movie.

Yuji is the man!

2010-05-26T14:14:00.000-07:00

If you're unfamiliar with what a rad climber Yuji Hirayama is then I suggest you look him up and school yourself. This video is from a recent trip to Turkey and shows him slaying the country's hardest route.

If you have a fast internet connection and give a crap about image quality, be sure to click the HD button in the player to watch the high rez version on vimeo's website.

Alex Honnold at Tuolumne Meadows

2010-05-21T17:34:00.000-07:00

This video is from last year but hopefully it helps get you psyched for this summer in the meadows.

BD athlete Alex Honnold on Clash of the Titans (5.13a), Tuolumne Meadows, California from Black Diamond Equipment on Vimeo.

This is how we roll in India

2010-05-21T15:59:00.000-07:00

This is funny for a multitude of reasons but I primarily like the camera man's accent and reaction.

I bet this guy could climb like a mother fucker!

2010-05-20T12:51:00.000-07:00

4 Chord Song

2010-05-17T12:35:00.000-07:00

The amazing survival ability of the Ibex

2010-05-12T12:51:00.001-07:00

Damn people can run fast

2010-05-12T12:45:00.000-07:00

Patrick Edlinger

2010-05-12T12:39:00.000-07:00

Alright, I know I haven't been updating as often as usual. I apologize, I've actually been really busy. Anyway, below you'll find a link to a video about famous French climber, Patrick Edlinger. For some reason I can't embed the video into my blog so you'll have to actually click the link and watch it on youtube. The main thing to remember is that if you're a little impatient to skip half way through the video because that's when it gets really exciting - barefoot free soloing hundreds of feet off the deck in the Verdon Gorge. Jan told me yesterday that Edlinger was maybe the only other person who climbed as smooth as Bachar, I think you'll see he was right when you peep this video.

Opera Vertical Part 3 with Patrick Edlinger

If you like this video be sure to search out part 1 and 2 of Opera Vertical on youtube for more froggy action.

Last Joshua Tree trip of the season

2010-05-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

Well I know I haven't updated in awhile but that's just because I've been busy. Today, however, I am sick as a dog and this is about the most I can physically handle. A couple weekends ago Steph, Matt, Sam, Meg and I went out to Joshua Tree for what would most likely be the last trip of the season. The weather will still be fine out there for a few more weeks but we'll be too busy working on the movie to take any trips.

Once again Matt had his new Canon 5D on hand and we got some really great pictures from the trip.

night shot by matt

night shot by me

steph on Double Cross 5.7+

matt on Double Cross 5.7+

me on Dog Leg 5.8

sam on Pig Pen V4

me on Pig Pen V4 (I came SOOOOO close to sending, next time)

10 biggest jumps ever!

2010-04-14T16:33:00.000-07:00

Well, not much happening on my front this week. I've been editing Stoney Point with Matt non stop during the evenings and scouring the internet for a job by day. The movie is looking better everyday, wish I could say the same for my job search... Also been kicking around the idea of getting an MBA starting in 2011 but after looking at the GMAT I'm a little scared to even try (I checked out some sample math questions from the test and I couldn't even decipher the damn things). Has anyone who reads this blog (all 4 of you) taken the GMAT and, if so, how bad did it suck? Anyway, until next time here's a random youtube video for ya.

"Pixels" by Patrick Jean

2010-04-09T15:56:00.001-07:00

This is rad!

Mini Trip Report

2010-04-09T15:48:00.000-07:00

I've been slightly demotivated to write this up because Steph already did such a good job on her blog. So for a more in depth look and actual pictures of the trip, make sure to check out her blog. boulderkitty.blogspot.com

Anyway, last weekend we went up to the Sierras to do some climbing and skiiing. Her parents had an amazing cabin in Mammoth for the week and we were lucky enough to spend Firday and Saturday night there. It was really cool and I had a lot of fun hanging out with Steph's family. Her youngest brother Timmy is sixteen and possibly the funniest person I've met. A HUGE thanks goes out to Paul and Earla for having me up there and for some great tacos!

We actually went up Thursday night after work and stayed in a little hotel in Bishop. Then in the morning we went to Owens River Gorge and had an absolutely great day climbing. Steph led two 5.9 routes, one of which was a monster pitch at 13 bolts long. We also climbed a 5 star classic 10b called Sendero Luminoso, which was amazing! If you haven't done this route, it's an absolute must on your next trip to the gorge.

Saturday marked my return to snowboarding after a 7 year absence and I'm happy to report that I didn't eat shit once getting off the lifts. the runs however were a different matter. All in all though I think I did pretty well. I certainly had a blast.

On Sunday we climbed at the Happy boulders in Bishop and then came home. When we got home Steph pretty much passed out so I went over to Matt's for Easter dinner and egg dying with some friends. The following pics Matt shot that night using his sick new Canon 5D. I think they look way cool.

the eggs

if only i turned my head a little further i'd be totally out of the shot...sorry matt

the shark's eye

matt's sister jen and her totally cool easter egg original

check out my landscape

Evolve presents "Origin- Joshua Tree"

2010-04-07T15:01:00.000-07:00

This is a really cool video and tantamount to something I'd like to work on in the future. Just wanted to make sure none of my climbing friends missed it.

Andrew, looks like this could be a project for you! Third ascent sounds pretty nice...

Just a quick hello and video

2010-04-01T15:52:00.000-07:00

Tonight Steph and I are leaving for a weekend in Bishop/Mammoth and we couldn't be more excited. Friday we'll climb in Owens River Gorge then head to Mammoth night to stay at a cabin Steph's parents have rented for the week. Saturday will mark my return to skiing after an extremely long absence. I'm excited and anxious to see how I perform but even if I suck (highly likely) I know we'll have a blast. Then on Sunday on our way back to LA we'll go climbing in Bishop at either Owens or the Buttermilks. Anyway, hope your weekend is half as cool as mine is gonna be. Enjoy this video of a freaky little Asian girl scaring the shit out of people.

Helmet Cam on a Solo in Patagonia

2010-03-29T11:59:00.000-07:00

Is it just me or does this seem scary as shit?

VIDEO: BD athlete Colin Haley wears a helmet camera during a solo ascent of Aguja Mermoz in Patagonia from Black Diamond Equipment on Vimeo.

Crackaholic

2010-03-26T12:21:00.000-07:00

This looks pretty sweet. Top notch filming coupled with crazy Scandinavian crack climbing.

Crackoholic trailer (English text) from Jonas Paulsson on Vimeo.

Crane Test

2010-03-22T11:19:00.000-07:00

So last Friday I finally got my new camera crane/jib delivered. I spent Saturday and Sunday out at Stoney Point testing it out. It's basically the coolest thing ever and I couldn't be more excited. Check out this short video I put together using some of the footage I shot this weekend. It should give you an idea of just how kick ass the crane is and how my production value just shot through the roof. Let me know what you think.

Evolution?

2010-03-19T13:37:00.001-07:00

Marble Machine 3

2010-03-18T15:44:00.000-07:00

Some of you will find this completely boring, others wholly fascinating. Let me know which side you're on.

Keyboard Cat Reincarnated

2010-03-17T12:56:00.000-07:00

I know posting shit like this doesn't do much for my street cred, but I really can't help myself.

Academy Award Winning Movie Trailer

2010-03-15T15:45:00.001-07:00

This is pretty clever.

Chris Sharma Interview

2010-03-15T13:56:00.000-07:00

Just some climbing porn to help you get through the day.

Hilarious SNL skit

2010-03-14T01:25:00.000-08:00

Keenan Thompson is funny as hell in this clip.

Symphony of Science

2010-03-13T11:35:00.001-08:00

Old school Dave Graham in Bishop video

2010-03-12T12:35:00.000-08:00

I just saw this over at Climbingnarc.com and thought I'd share it. There is an awesome part where DG does a crazy campus routine on a hang board, definitely not to be missed.

Dave Graham is like the cooler, much stronger version of myself don't ya think?

Epic Beard Man Documentary - I Am A Motherfucker

2010-03-05T12:20:00.000-08:00

So last week before I went to Florida I left you all with a video of a 67-year-old man wearing an "I am a motherfucker" t-shirt kicking some dude's ass on the bus. Even you didn't like the video or whatever you should really check out the following documentary. The filmmakers who made this documentary did it in just 3 weeks. They shot the film on the new Canon 5D, which Matt is purchasing this weekend, and it looks great. Furthermore, Epic Beard Man is one unique character and his personality and story are the main reasons for watching. Make sure to up the resolution of the video to 720 HD to get the real quality (its a button on the bottom right of the youtube player). Let me know what you think with a comment.

Presidential Reunion

2010-03-04T21:17:00.000-08:00

This is hilarious!

thanks for the link matt

Coolest music video ever

2010-03-04T13:43:00.001-08:00

Hommade Flying Hovercraft

2010-03-04T13:24:00.000-08:00

imagine crashing that thing...

HOLY SHIT!! - Epic Beard Man Fight - NSFW!!

2010-02-22T18:34:00.000-08:00

This video is sweeping the internet right now, just remember, you saw it here first!

Huber brothers interview

2010-02-22T16:12:00.000-08:00

Get past the cheesy intro and you'll find a mildly interesting interview with the world famous "Huber Brothers." Alexander is the most accomplished free climber of the group, in fact, a few routes he graded 5.14d back in the early 90's are getting upgraded to 5.15a by today's top climbers. Needless to say, they've been at the cutting edge of climbing for the last 20 years. They were instrumental in the development of big wall free climbing, as they were some of the first hard core, Euro sport climbers to fall in love with American trad climbing in Yosemite.

"Huber Brother" interview (english version) from Blomu production on Vimeo.

Cat sends V20 arete

2010-02-22T15:58:00.000-08:00

that cat has some mad crimp skills

Look at that horse!

2010-02-22T15:54:00.001-08:00

Sonnie Trotter Campus Boarding

2010-02-20T11:31:00.001-08:00

A few nerdy youtube vids for the weekend

2010-02-19T10:53:00.000-08:00

proof that you can make anything out of legos

engineering humor

so that's how those work

Iker Pou second ascent of Sharma's Demencia Senil 5.15

2010-02-19T10:45:00.000-08:00

In the film Progression, Chirs Sharma absolutely cruises a route called Demencia Senil 5.15. The route looks awesome. In the following video Iker Pou makes the second ascent. Contrary to Sharma's cruising, Iker actually struggles a little bit making the 5.15 grade seem believable. For those who have never heard of Iker Pou, he's a total Euro badass with sends of Action Direct and first ascents of 5.14d big walls.

IKER POU - DEMENCIA SENIL (MONTAJE 2.1) from jordi canyigueral on Vimeo.

Alex Honnold Free Solo videos

2010-02-18T11:50:00.000-08:00

These clips are from a new TV series called First Ascent by Peter Mortimer. The show airs on National Geographic all over the world but not in America for some stupid reason. Anyway these short clips serve as more proof that Alex Honnold is unquestionably the boldest athlete on the globe Sorry Travis Pastrana, you're badass too but you just can't compete.

A good solid safety rope is essential

2010-02-18T00:50:00.001-08:00

i hope that rope wasn't climbing spec...

Honnold Nails Second Ascent of Ambrosia

2010-02-18T00:39:00.000-08:00

photo by wills young

Alex Honnold is a badass!

Check out Wills Young's blog for the full story: Bishop Bouldering Blog

A new standard for North America and possibly the world

2010-02-16T16:22:00.000-08:00

The Game, World's Hardest Boulder Problem? from Cedar Wright on Vimeo.

This 8 move problem has been tried by some of the strongest climbers in the world over the last decade or so. A few weeks ago Daniel Woods became the first to send, naming the problem The Game V16. This video, unfortunately, is just a teaser and doesn't show the whole thing go down, but hey it's better than nothing.

Valentines Day in Joshua Tree

2010-02-15T19:23:00.000-08:00

You know you have the greatest girlfriend ever when her idea of a romantic Valentines Day weekend involves crack climbing and bouldering in Joshua Tree. This last weekend that's exactly what Stephanie and I did. It really was the best trip out to Josh I've ever had. We drove out Friday night after Steph got off work and sat in horrendous traffic as we made our way towards the dessert. When we finally made it to the town of Joshua Tree we were absolutely famished. We had a great dinner and a couple of drinks at Applebees and then headed into the park.

the ultimate trio!

When we got to the park we were lucky enough that friends of ours had done the heavy lifting and secured a camp site in Hidden Valley. We almost never get to camp in Hidden Valley, which is the best spot, because by the time we get there, usually late on a Friday night, it's always filled up. Needless to say, we were psyched. We camped with Sam and Meg and their friends Gordon, Jesse and Brian. They were really cool people and we enjoyed making some new friends.

Saturday morning we woke up early, ate breakfast and broke off from the group to go trad climbing. First route up was an easy 5.8 called Fun Stuff, it was fun...and stuff. Next we did what I would call a real route, Bambi Meets Godzilla 5.8+. This climb was a true crack climb and proved quite a challenge for both Steph and I. On the lead, I had some trouble at the top where the crack goes slightly overhanging and has absolutely no feet. This was classic crack climbing, no little crimps on the face to help you cheat around the crux, I had to jam for all I was worth and get my feet in the crack. After topping out I thought to myself, "Shit Steph ain't gonna like that section." Well turns I was right, sort of. From my postion, belaying at the top, I couldn't see Stephanie at all as she neared and battled through the crux, but I could hear quite clearly the sounds and whimpers of her fighting for her life to get through hard part without falling. It was both hilarious and inspiring at the same time. First off, the crack wasn't the right size for her hands making it even harder and second she's new to crack climbing and still learning. Now, don't call me sexist but any guy who climbs know's that 95% of girls who get to a truly hard and scary part of a climb and liable to yell "Lower me!!!!!!!!!!" as soon as the going gets tough. Not Steph. She fought for about 10 minutes on a stretch of crack only about 15 feet long. When I saw her cute little face peer over the top as she finished the route I was so damn proud. She had persevered and completed in perfect style what she described as the hardest climb of her life. Nice work baby!!

After that we were both pretty worked and needed a rest and food. We ate some lunch and decided to take nice hike out to Barker Dam to see all the water that had collected over the last few rainstorms. The other time I'd been out there the damn held almost no water whatsoever, I mean like a tiny little pond. This time it was like a freakin lake! It was really cool to see and I'm glad we decided to go check it out.

obligatory couple shot

looking good baby

After Barker Damn Steph and I took a romantic hike out to the middle of the desert to see some spots we had never been before. Overall, it was an absolutely amazing day! That night I cooked a phenomenal Rib Eye on my mini grill while Steph barbecued some chicken. We spent the rest of the evening drinking around the fire with some really good friends and enjoyed some typically interesting conversations about the pros and cons of technology.

the fire

sam straight chillin

friends hanging out

meg warming up her tush

Sunday morning we woke up quite hungover, thanks largely to the Jim Beam supplied by Jessie - thanks! I needed to wake up with some Lil Wayne and dancing to get me going.

As a group we decided to spend the day bouldering rather than roping up. For better or worse we walked over to Stem Gem in a vain attempt to "warm up." Now, this is a problem I've done a handful of times in the past but on this day I just couldn't hang. I could barely even do the first move. Damn! There's nothing more frustrating than not being able to do something you could in the past when, presumably, you were weaker and not as skilled. After getting my ass handed to me and ripping holes in my palm, I walked away empty handed.

can you even imagine a more awkward start?

bloody ankle thanks to my crappy technique

Gordon giving it his best effort

With Stem Gem happily behind us, we drove out to Geology Tour Road to check out some bouldering I had never been to before. It was a really cool spot and we got a bunch of problems done.

sweet slab problem

what are you doing down there baby?

after a brave battle with a highball boulder problem, it was time for meg to enjoy the sun and catch up on some Cosmo, her loyal dog Tanner kept her company

here's me one move from the top of some sugar bagged V5, looks like I'm gonna send right? Wrong, I pussed out big time. The real men of the group, Sam and Gordon busted this thing out but, though I was the first to figure out the beta, I just couldn't pull it together at the top and ended up down climbing. Oh well, next time for sure. Nice send guys!

Like any good story, the climax of the trip came at the very end. The main reason we went out to Geology Tour Road was to check out the iconic boulder problem Slashface V3R. I'd never been to this boulder but knew it had a reputation for being extremely tall and quite hard at the beginning. Even so, I wasn't prepared for how big it looked as I stood under it. Slashface is the definition of a perfect boulder problem. One giant boulder with one line going right up the middle, perfectly flat landing, sweet moves and a top out with real consequences if you blow it. (seriously my hands are sweating all over my keyboard as I write this!) We all threw ourselves at the problem but were, at first, unable to unlock the lower, crimpy crux. Finally, I reached my way through the crux and began climbing towards the top. Right below the lip is a giant jug where you get to hang out and prepare for the mental crux - rolling over the lip. After what seemed like an eternity hanging from that jug, I figured out the last move and pulled my way to the top.

getting ready to pull the top, my freakish size makes this boulder look smaller than it is in this photo, wait till you see steph's photos...

very relieved to be standing on top instead laying at the base broken and disfigured...ok maybe that's a bit dramatic but I was psyched!

after my send, sam pulled through and sent the boulder as well

sam psyched after the send, nice glasses!

the support group

Not content to let the boys have all the fun, Steph was determined to keep the send train going. The way I did the crux was with a huge reach move that she could never do, she would have to get her feet super high and do a physically much harder move than I had to if she wanted the glory. After many attempts she stood up high and busted through the low crux. Now it was up to her to keep her head on straight, stay cool and top out that boulder.

steph checking out the line

almost there...

see what I mean? With Steph at the top the boulder looks HUGE, which it is!

super stoked!

steph amazed at what she had just done

Everyone there agreed that watching Steph top that bad boy out was extremely inspirational. I was very proud and excited for her. I'm pretty sure if you asked her, she would tell you that this is her favorite boulder problem of all time and the highlight of her climbing career so far. Nice job baby!

That's it for now. As always, be sure to check out Stephanie's blog for the real story...

Mid Week Josh Trip

2010-02-10T12:35:00.000-08:00

Neil took this shot and I stole it off his facebook page, wish it was my shot cuz i think it's a great photo

Last week I was supposed to be working, I know shocker right, but at the last minute my gig got cancelled. Steve is also unemployed right now so we did what any two dirt bags would do...bomb out to Josh! Usually when I go to Joshua Tree it's with a bunch of friends, which is totally how I like to roll but it can often hinder how much work you actually get done when you're there. Subject to the group dynamic it's always harder to break off and get the routes done that you want. And then when you do sometimes you're climbing in a party of 3, which sucks and slows you down even more. But this trip was different, with just us to worry about we were able to bang out a bunch of routes in just two days. It was fucking awesome.

We also met up with my friends Neil and Michele. They have a buddy with a house in Jtree and were kind enough to let us hang out there the first night. The house was really nice, way better than the van, and we got drunk and watched The Big Lebowski. The next morning we drove up the road into the park and got a camp site for the evening.

Day 1:

Sail Away 5.8 (Steve led, I'd done it before, fucking freezing in the shade)
Pinched Rib 5.10b (I led, found it piss easy)
Rollerball 5.10b (Both of us led, great route with a delicate barn door crux, sweet roof crack at the top)
Roller Coaster 5.11c (Steve busted the onsight! I led past a delicate crux at the bottom, all the way to the top, clipped the last bolt...then couldn't pull the mantle, damn!)
Double Cross 5.7+ (I onsighted, gotta be the toughest 5.7 ever, but still really cool crack)

That night we hung out in Neil and Michele's Sportsmobile, which is seriously the coolest van ever, I think the Previa parked right next to it might have developed a slight complex. After drinking some beers in their van Steve and I moved to the Prev and watched Slumdog Millionaire, what a great movie.

Day 2:

Double Cross 5.7+ (After following me on the route the day before, Steve had to go back and lead this bitch)
The Fin? 5.10 (not sure about the name, not in guidebook, both Steve and I onsighted)
North Overhang 5.9 (I've been wanting to get on this forever but have been too scared, not this trip! I onsighted that bad boy easily!)
Pig Pen V4 (fuck me!! After two days of bouldering I was just too gassed. One real attempt, got all the way through the crux and just fucked up, didn't have strength to try again, this weekend I guarantee I send first go when I'm fresh)

After that we drove back to Los Angeles listening to Ludacris's Theatre of the Mind album, highly recommended! The following pictures were all taken by Neil, thanks man and don't sue me for using em!!

the vans

breakfast of champions!

looking good...i guess

yum!

damn that Sportsmobile is awesome, but I love you too Previa!

The next pics were taken with my droid.

pig pen a.k.a bachar cracker of the desert

Neil hooked me up with these sweet new shoes, 2 pair in fact, I really like them and my toe feels better already

Derren Brown

2010-02-09T15:30:00.000-08:00

Mentalism and magic at its finest. Too bad this guy doesn't let people embed his videos, you'll actually have to click on the links and go to youtube to watch these, but believe me I'm sure you'll find it worth it.

NLP:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=befugtgikMg

Jedi Mind Tricks:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II_-QcW4Q4I

Russia Scam:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DR4y5iX4uRY&feature=related

Pickpocket:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j25qV5RO-nU

Cold Reading Explained:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btP_vy5cQq4

What a Pimp!:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_oUDev1rME&feature=related

There are obviously more vids on youtube but I'll leave that to you to find if you're interested. He also has a Pretty Cool Blog that might be worth following if you're into that sort of thing.

Trip report from last week's Jtree run coming soon...

Weekend in Ojai

2010-02-01T19:23:00.000-08:00

This weekend I went up to my mom's house in Ojai with a group of friends to hang out, play ping pong, go in the jacuzzi and visit the Lake Casitas disc golf course. Needless to say, we had a blast. I'm not really in the mood to type up a fat trip report but these pictures should give you an idea of all the fun we had.

with our powers combined we can create the perfect throw!

steph cracking up at one of my many hilarious jokes

on any given day the "pin" can be placed at any of the above positions

steph managing to look super cute while launching a disc

i'm psyched

that night loren, matt, my mom, uncle j, and i had an amazing bbq

loren made these tasty hors d' oeuvres

loren's tri tip on the left, matt's garlic stuffed flank steak on the right

cheers buddy

The following pics were taken sunday with my Droid using a really cool app called "Vignette" which has a ton of different effects you can use to spice up your pictures. I'm really impressed with both the Droid's ability to take photos and this app's ability to make them look cool.

tough shot, gotta go under the tree and the pin is like 200 yards away

matt and loren chilling after another perfect day at the lake casitas disc golf course

hero shot, this effect fakes light leaks common to toy film camera like a holga

high contrast pic of loren scoping out the awesome views

if matt and loren ever make an album we've already got the cover right here

Be sure to check out Steph's Blog for the real story.

iPad!

2010-02-01T01:24:00.000-08:00

Some funny videos for the weekend

2010-01-28T22:00:00.000-08:00

lol!!!!!!

he's killing her with his thetans or whatever those idiots call it

keeping with the ghetto theme

who would have thought Biff could be funny?

Hilarious fishing guy bloopers

2010-01-28T11:58:00.000-08:00

This cracks me up. The first video is a short version if you're just looking for a quick fix. The second video is a tad longer, but if you find the first one funny is certainly worth watching.

short version

long version, look out for the snake that falls on him out of the tree

5.12c bitches!!!

2010-01-25T21:18:00.000-08:00

Put on your rain coat or grab an umbrella cuz I'm about to spray like El Nino. This afternoon Steve and I sent a route at Tick Rock called "Perro De La Guerra" rated 5.12c. Seeing as neither Steve or I have ever even led a 12a, sending this route was a huge deal. This was the first route I've ever really "projected" and I'm excited to use this approach on other climbs that seem way out of my range.

Luckily today I was able to send the route on my first try, I say luckily because had I fallen I probably wouldn't have had the steam to try again. Steve on the other hand had an EPIC battle. Last time we tried the route he couldn't pull the crux moves on a top rope. At the time he had ignored my beta (I know crazy right I'm the fucking beta master) and things didn't look too promising. Today though, Steve wisely adopted my beta and quickly dispatched the moves on top rope. After completing the route on top rope it was time to go for the lead. His first try was absolutely classic. After making the crux look 5.6, Steve brain farted, got the rope stuck behind his leg and took a massive whipper. He had done the hard moves but messed up the top. Now, had that been me, I would have been done for the day, no way would I have the power to give it another serious attempt, but not Steve. Pissed off at himself, he took a 15 minute breather and tied back in. This time he hiked the crux making it look 5.3, blasted through the section that had stymied him on his first attempt and then...mentally imploded like a dying star on the last move, which is like the easiest move on the route. "FUUUUUUUUUUCCCCKKKKKK," he screamed as I lowered him back to the dirt.

Again, Steve took a short break and then tied back in - I could hardly believe it, but he was DETERMINED. This time he cruised the route, took extra special care at the top and sent his hardest route to date. It was awesome!

Though I don't have any photos from the day I did take a picture from the guidebook which gives a brief description of the route and has a topo pic for anyone who hasn't been there. This is easily one of the radest sport routes I've ever climbed and I highly recommend it to other weak climbers like me looking to push themselves.

click on the picture for a larger version

Big Weekend

2010-01-24T20:18:00.000-08:00

As far as weekends go they don't get much better than this past one. Strangely though it didn't involve any climbing. We probably could have gone out today but with everything likely still wet from 5 straight days of rain, we opted to check out a new (to us) disc golf course down in Long Beach. More on that later.

Friday night marked a very adult evening for us, not like XXX adult but like classy adult. My friends John and his wife Jen invited Steph and me over for a dinner party at their place. We were joined by Sam and Meg. It was a great evening. John and Jen made some of the best enchiladas I've ever had, no joke, Steph made a great salad and Meg brought over an amazing desert. I didn't take many pictures, too busy eating and laughing, but you'll just have to take my word for it that it was a very fun evening.

thanks for the great night Jen and John!

Saturday after 5 days of miserable rain, I don't how people live like that in Seattle, the sun finally came out. Not wanting to waste the day indoors and understanding it was probably still too wet to climb, Matt, Steph and I headed out to Pasadena for some disc golfing at the Oak Grove/Hahamonga Park. As always, we had a blast. The course was quite muddy, in fact some holes were unplayable, but for the most part it was a perfect day for "frolfing."

bad pic but a car fire meant big traffic as we headed up the 405

we have arrived

matt and steph hamming it up

steph checking out the fresh snow

matt chilling at the "tee" of the 13th hole I think

wow that basket is far away! if you mess this up you're never seeing your disc again

After playing 18 "holes" we headed home, but not before stopping at Hugo's Tacos for dinner, which was delicious. That night the "adult" theme of the weekend continued as the three of us joined John, Meg and Sam for an art exhibit in Santa Monica. John and Sam's friend, Dave, was one of many local artists displaying their work and we were delighted to show our support, check out some cool art and slam as many free drinks as possible!

dave's installation was a massive 1,000 lb block of plastic in front of a wave mural he painted. his goal was to bring awareness to the giant floating trash heap of plastic in the pacific ocean and to appeal to us all to move away from our disposable lifestyles.

Dave also had a book on display which he put together called "Nerdles" I think, which is about the tiny pieces of plastic that these things invariably break down to and get consumed by little fish, then big fish, then by us.

steph checking out the exhibit

not dave's work but pretty cool, made from styrofoam I believe

made entirely from black screws

made from push pins

oooo la la

As I mentioned earlier, today Elijah, Matt, Steph and I headed down to Long Beach to check out a disc golf course none of us had been to. It was awesome and had a completely different feel to it than the course in Pasadena. I think we all agreed we liked it slightly better and as a bonus it's closer to us and just a straight shot down the freeway. We'll definitely be going back.

Steph and Matt have really improved since our first nOOb outings and I'm beginning to refine my throw. My drives are awesome but my short game sucks. Elijah? Well, he just sucks...

powering up

elijah letting it fly on the 2nd hole

two discs in the air at the same time, steph's went in...matt's did not

elijah jumping the fence after a particularly bad throw

don't miss matt!

WARNING: the following section is more narcissistic than usual; but fuck it, it's my blog!

i know you can't really see where this goes but you can tell by our reactions that it was an amazing shot, if i don't say so myself...

FAIL

boo ya!

what a show off

All in all it was pretty good weekend. Be sure to check out Steph's Blog for the real story.

Last of the Mohicans...again

2010-01-24T18:59:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, I've sufficiently sprayed about my first ascent but I couldn't resist posting this animated GIF of my buddy Brian giving it a go on top rope. The previous pictures and video I posted were all really bad angles and didn't give this magnificent line any justice.

A couple weekends ago a big group of my friends came out to Stoney to try Last of the Mohicans. Since Matt's foot is still busted he was kind enough to snap the photos which I used to make this simple animation. The angle he found does a much better job of showing the steepness of the route/problem. On that day Brian didn't send the route but was able to get to the top with only 2 hangs, he'll definitely bust it next time.

Spider Fail

2010-01-23T14:05:00.001-08:00

Greatest shot ever!!

2010-01-23T13:54:00.000-08:00

This is another one that seems fake but believe me it isn't. This is a shot from Vijay Singh during practice before the Masters Tournament.

David Blaine at TED

2010-01-22T01:30:00.001-08:00

This video's 20 minutes long but definitely worth watching.

Cat Videos!

2010-01-20T19:38:00.000-08:00

Youtube wouldn't be the giant it is without hilarious videos like these. And I wouldn't be as lame as I am if I didn't post them...

ouch!

i think she almost started crying

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!

i NEED one of these!

this one's just for you steph

if you haven't seen this already and think its funny, you should check out his other cartoons

Random Don't Miss Videos

2010-01-20T19:25:00.000-08:00

world's most talented man..i'd agree

this seems fake at first cuz the guy is so weird but sadly (for him) it isn't

steel ball dropped in sand

wow! this must have taken a lot of time...

this is an oldie but in case you missed it I think its pretty funny

Squirrel Obstacle Course

2010-01-20T18:06:00.000-08:00

This is awesome!

First Person Tetris

2010-01-20T17:53:00.001-08:00

Tetris never made me so dizzy

http://www.firstpersontetris.com/

Mad Props!!

2010-01-19T13:35:00.000-08:00

One good thing about having your own blog is that you can publicly thank someone should they be deserving of such recognition. Well today I'd like to throw out a HUGE thank you to my bro Matt.

Last week while playing Call of Duty my freaking Xbox froze and displayed the dreaded "3 Red Lights of Death," which is code for "You're Fucked!" This happened to me about 2 years ago with my first unit. Fortunately, Microsoft had so many machines fail that they had to fix mine for free even though it was out of warranty at the time. So what they did was send me back a new machine, which predictably had now failed a mere 2 years later - talk about a quality product right. Now some might think that Microsoft would own up to another mistake and fix it for free again. Wrong! These bastards wanted to charge me $140 just to fix a system they KNOW is faulty. I spent about an hour yesterday yelling at someone, no doubt located in India, to no avail. If I ever wanted to frag another 12 year old online I'd either have to shell out the $140 or take matters into my own hands and try to fix it myself.

Here's where Matt comes in. You see he's a pretty smart dude and savvy with electronics like I wish I was. Using the power of the internet, a heavy dose of magic and a lot of brain power Matt dismantled my Xbox and had it running again a mere 30 minutes later. It was amazing!! I couldn't believe it but currently my system is running fine and I'm back to destroying young children's self esteem all across the country, I love it!!

popping the face plate off

unfortunately I was too excited to take any pictures with the unit fully disassembled, but trust me we took the whole thing apart

no red lights!!!!! my world has been saved

Now if that wasn't enough, Matt even fixed my van's busted window. Awhile back the part holding my window together vibrated off, never to be seen again. Since then I've had a super ghetto fix using climbing webbing, leaving my van very easy to break into and far from water proof. Now this is a problem that I probably would have never gotten fixed, because I'm lazy and stupid. Thankfully my Uncle J couldn't stand seeing the Previa in anything less than mint condition and went through the trouble to order me the parts I needed from Toyota. Uncle J, you too are the man!!!!! Throughout my entire life my Uncle J has always taken care of me and hooked it up FAT. Without a doubt he is the coolest Uncle anyone could ever hope for. Without him I wouldn't even have a computer to enter this blog post on.

Anyway, even with the parts in hand my dumb ass couldn't figure out how to install them. Here's where Matt comes in, again. Like my Uncle he too was sick of looking at my jerry rigged window holder and decided to take matters into his own hands. Using some creative ingenuity he was able to get around where I had been stuck and fix my damn window, barely took him 10 minutes. Thank God too because last night was a huge rainstorm which, without the newly fixed window, would not have boded well for the Previa.

Matt thanks so much!!!! You da shit!!!

Matt's reward, which I drank 3 of...hehehe

The search for first ascents continues

2010-01-18T20:01:00.000-08:00

After the success of our first ascent Last of the Mohicans, Steve and I have been scouring the hills of Chatsworth looking for more rad new rocks to climb. Everyone told us we were crazy and that all the rock around was utter choss. Boy were they right. After hiking for 45 minutes we found some cool looking rock, but upon closer inspection everything turned out far too crumbly to yield any good climbing. Damn!

By an act of sheer coincidence though, Steve found a really high quality disc golf disc just laying on the ground in the middle of no man's land. I mean seriously, I just got into disc golf like a week ago and we found an expensive putter in the middle of nowhere. I guess I'm just meant to become a great "Frolf" player.

Rocky Peak? Should be Choss Peak

all of that is choss :(

look awesome right? Choss

more choss

yup, choss

wow this would be rad, but it's complete choss

above Steve's head is a butress that might actually yield a nice top rope

the frisbee Steve found

FAIL

2010-01-18T19:43:00.000-08:00

Today when the storm broke for about an hour, I thought I could squeeze in a quick round of disc golf at the park near my house. This is what happened about 1.2 seconds after I jumped over a puddle...

Party at Eli's house

2010-01-18T19:36:00.000-08:00

Last weekend Matt and I went over to Eli's to go in his jacuzzi and hang out (not as gay as it sounds...) Little did we know that part of his complex has a billiards room. I love pool but hate having to pay for it, so the opportunity to kick my friends asses for free was awesome.

sooooooo cheesy

Lucky bastard

2010-01-14T01:43:00.001-08:00

Good to know Canada isn't suffering from a shortage of rednecks.

Don't mess with grandma!

2010-01-14T01:26:00.001-08:00

mom, I hope you're taking notes!

tasteless groin shot

2010-01-14T01:19:00.001-08:00

If you don't find this funny you're a better person than me.

Weirdest News Stories We Dugg in 2009 -- 100-91

2010-01-14T01:17:00.001-08:00

If you're bored this might be worth checking out.

http://www.asylum.com/2009/12/15/the-100-weirdest-news-stories-we-dugg-in-2009-100-91/

I love this

2010-01-14T01:15:00.000-08:00

The following quoted text won a 100 word fiction competition and I think it's great. To tell a story in 100 words is incredibly difficult and I think this entry definitley deserved to win. I've also provided a link to the rest of the entries if you're interested

"Finally: contact. Humanity’s ultimate question was answered.

A metallic sphere, roughly 3m in diameter, polished to a mirror. Nondescript otherwise except for an iridescent arrow indicating a recessed palm-sized red button.

The StarFreighter HMS Darwin approached the sphere and gently brought it aboard. The harbinger was “weighted”, photographed and measured while the various crews of the armada impatiently paced and speculated.

Eventually came the day where the only thing left to do was push the palm-sized red button.

…

It took the light from the explosion four years to reach Earth."

http://www.boingboing.net/2009/11/16/100-word-fiction-com.html#comment-639501

Vimeo hosts some really creative stuff

2010-01-14T01:10:00.000-08:00

Earlier in the blog we had the parkour dog, now we have paper parkour!

parkour motion reel from saggyarmpit on Vimeo.

The Supa Project

2010-01-14T01:08:00.000-08:00

When this thing goes it'll easily be V15, possible V16...

the supa project of boulder canyon from chad greedy on Vimeo.

the future of photo stitching

2010-01-14T01:01:00.000-08:00

Be sure to click on the "HD" icon on the screen to watch this video natively in full high def on the Vimeo website.

pretty soon most of the know world will be stitched together like this online for all of us to see

the Big Lebowski in iambic pentameter!!

2010-01-14T00:55:00.000-08:00

In case you some how missed this, the comedy classic The Big Lebowski has been re-written in the style of William Shakespeare. I bet this would be pretty awesome to see reenacted by some real Shakespearean actors!

http://www.runleiarun.com/lebowski/

Disc Golf

2010-01-14T00:51:00.000-08:00

So my friends Sam and Meg took Steph and I disc golfing last Sunday. It was awesome. I've always been a fan of the "Frisbee," and have spent more than a few hours of my life trying to teach friends how to throw one so that we could play catch. It seems that as far as frisbees, or discs, are concerned, you can either throw them or you can't. Anyway, I was so enamored with the "sport" that I promptly purchased 6 discs off a lady on Craigslist who was selling her ex-boyfriend's collection for a dollar each...sorry bro but I couldn't pass up the deal!!

For those of you who don't know about disc golf, here's a random video of people playing at the Lake Casitas course in Ojai to give you a basic idea of what it's all about. Next time I go home, possibly this weekend, I'll for sure be testing my new found skills at this course.

lake casitas disc golf course

Last of the Mohicans and a big hunk of cheese

2010-01-10T12:47:00.000-08:00

Last Friday after 5 days of grueling work cleaning the rock and figuring out all the moves, Steve and I finally sent our project. Even though the line is slightly chossy and just a simple little top rope on the side of road, the satisfaction we got from sending this bad boy was immense.

The fact that a line this obvious, laying just off the road at Stoney Point hadn't been climbed by someone over the last hundred years people have been climbing there is truly remarkable. Guy told me that back in the 90's he and a friend briefly worked it but were unable to send. Now I know I'm biased but this climb is seriously sick. All the moves are rad and there is absolutely no filler or fluff to it at all. We've tentatively graded it 5.12a but it is beta intensive, so don't get discouraged if you regularly onsight 5.12 and this thing shuts you down.

Anyone that knows me well knows that I wholeheartedly believe that rock climbing is the king of all sports, nothing can touch it - nothing. One aspect of climbing that is so special is developing new routes and putting up first ascents. This is my 6th first ascent but probably my most special and I look forward to many more.

Enjoy the following video I put together from Steve and my first ascents of this masterpiece. I hope you'll agree that with this video I've set a new standard in cheesy, egotistical, nOOb filled top rope videos. Hopefully this thing can dominate the shitty youtube climbing video scene for ages. Let me know what you think.

last of the mohican 5.12a

more random vids

2010-01-10T12:28:00.000-08:00

not only is this just plain cool but I believe this dude built this thing himself

lets hope Iran and Pakistan never get their hands on one of these

the nerd inside me thinks this is the coolest thing ever

if this doesn't crack you up check your pulse

Shallow water solo at Wheeler Gorge

2010-01-05T14:39:00.000-08:00

Last summer a group of my friends came up to Ojai for my birthday. One day we spent climbing at Pine Mt, the other at Wheeler. We found this amazing shallow water solo traverse thing that had the coolest moves yet was perfect for doing barefoot. Here's Sam busting it with style

Climbing vids

2010-01-05T03:20:00.000-08:00

if you haven't seen this already, you need to

this kid is the best climber in the world, and he's only 16!

these guys just seem like they're having too much fun

I've seen this problem in person and it's one of the prettiest in the world

Random Media

2010-01-05T03:09:00.000-08:00

crazy nuts!

bject>

this guy is rad

this guy is rad

be sure to stay tuned for the awesome ejector seat prank at the end

dayum!

an oldy but a goody

sooooooooo funny!