John Gass

Hueco video

2012-01-10T12:08:00.000-08:00

Here's a short clip from the trip down to Hueco...

- JG

Hueco 4

2012-01-08T09:24:00.000-08:00

Last photo update of the 2011-2012 Hueco trip...

Brion Voges working out the moves on Daniel Woods' House of Doom v13, unrepeated

This break has been amazing. I've got a lot of footage from the trip and will be releasing a few videos in the coming weeks.

Now it is time to return to the daily grind. Excited to get back to the kitchen and back out into the Colorado mountains....

- John G

Hueco 3

2012-01-05T09:44:00.000-08:00

A couple more pictures from the Hueco trip...


Waiting to get into Hueco Tanks.. the daily routine for climbers without reservations to North Mtn

Giovanni Traversi on Crown of Aragorn v13 (East Spur)

Brion Voges working on Yellow Diamonds v13 (East Mtn)

Brad Weaver sending Full Throttle v13 (East Mtn)

Hueco 2

2012-01-01T10:28:00.000-08:00

Quick photo update of the trip so far..

Enjoyin' time spent in the desert outside of El Paso, with good people and fun rock climbs.

A few more pictures over at Brion's page (http://brionvoges.tumblr.com)

Sunrise over West Mtn, Hueco Tanks

Sunset from the Hueco Rock Ranch

Nate Drolet, Hueco guide, climbing on Jigsaw Puzzle (East Spur)

Brion Voges and Sam Davis working out the moves on Crook by the Book - -

Brad Weaver climbing Coeur de Leon at the East Spur - -

Screen shot of Frogger at the East Spur

Keep the psyche !!

Hueco 1

2011-12-30T12:52:00.000-08:00

Finally escaped work for a few weeks.

The kitchen at The Corner Office Restaurant and Martini Bar in Denver, CO is my new home away from home. At least for around 40 hours a week. Serving global comfort food, I get the chance to work first hand with a lot of great food and chefs who have been in the industry for a long time..

Enough kitchen talk for now though.

On Tuesday I met up with Brion Voges and we began the 20+ hour drive from Chattanooga, TN to Hueco Tanks. Driving for a long period of time is something I have gotten used to over the last few years, and it's not so bad once you just get in the car and go..

View of Juarez, Mexico from I-10; driving through El Paso, TX

After driving through the night we pulled up to the gate at Hueco around 8am and found ourselves waiting in line for a couple of hours until we got access into the park and to North Mountain!! With only a few hours of sleep in the last 30, needless to say we were both tired. We decided to climb anyway. I'll save the details of our short session, by just saying that not much went down. That didn't matter though; psyche was and is high.

We will be here for another 10 days and both of us have new camera gear.. keep an eye out for plenty of pictures here and at Brion's page (brionvoges.tumblr.com)

Video coming out in the next month or so.

A few screen shots : : :

Alpine Update from CO

2011-09-07T10:09:00.000-07:00

Not sure if anyone else noticed, but the weather this past weekend was amazing in the alpine areas. I took advantage of the long weekend and got three days of great climbing in.

Upper Chaos (RMNP) > Area B (Evans) > Lincoln Lake (Evans)

Conditions were great all weekend and we took advantage. Had a great session at the Mirkwood cave in Upper Chaos, with a hang-on-for-dear-life last attempt that ended with a successful ascent of Mirkwood v10. Alex Kordick, Ivo Penchev and Mark Avery all put in good efforts with ascents of the stand also and followed with strong climbing on the sit. The sit, I Comb My Hair Like God v11, starts three moves lower than Mirkwood with toe hooks and slaps on bad holds ... very cool rock climb.

Sunday, I headed to Area B with Ivo Penchev to check out some climbs we hadn't seen before. With the weather close to perfect, we headed straight to an amazing CO test piece, Gorillas in the Mist v11. Unlike the infamous Dali boulder, Gorillas is almost perfectly smooth granite, with compression being the main way to unlock the movements. Ivo came stupid close to flashing the boulder, falling at the lip on the first effort. The boulder went unclimbed that day, no doubt we will head back there soon ...

Monday was third day on. 3rd day in the alpine!! I think I made it 6 days on at Lincoln once earlier this summer, safe to say not much was going down ... So Lincoln Lake seemed the obvious choice. A slow, relaxed start to the morning got us down to the boulders around 2pm and once again we headed in the direction of a few boulders I hadn't seen before.

We met up with Zack Sticcs and others from B-Town at an amazing boulder, Front Range on Fire v7/8 (FA : Greedy). After some warm-up attempts figuring out the beta, I climbed the boulder to the top. Another awesome boulder at Lincoln that I had known about for a while, but never seen. Connor Griffith added a lower start to the boulder; by starting on the right facing gaston and an undercling before pulling on and doing a move to the right start hold of the boulder. Nice one!

Connor Griffith climbing Front Range on Fire low v8

Ivo Penchev on the first move of F. R. O. F. v7/8

Next was a problem that had recently been established by Justin Jaeger and Ivo. Now dubbed Twisting the Knife, this one is in the upper talus field above Mote in God's Eye.

Twisting the Knife v8

Starting on two underclings, the problem shoots right immediately with your feet staying near the starting holds the entire problem. After the third move, the body position is more or less horizontal and the last move is a flying, swinging move to a huge jug! Another brilliant line in the boulder field. GO DO IT !!

Although it is awesome beyond belief that I get to go climbing at areas like Mt Evans and RMNP, I am welcoming the cooler weather with open arms. Can't wait to get back to life on the front range. With the changing of seasons, new motivation builds to go to areas I haven't been in months. Just a few on the list are Poudre Canyon, Newlin Creek, EndoValley, Boulder Canyon, etc.... the list continues. Each of these areas are home to countless classic boulder problems with many more to be developed. Looking forward to hiking around in the mountains this fall / winter.... hopefully to find some nice new boulders !!

Until then ...
KEEP THE SYKE

Recent FA's from Lincoln Lake, Colorado

2011-08-29T12:10:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks have been flying by. Lots of climbing, hiking, falling, shooting video, taking pictures and good times in the mountains with cool people. Can't go wrong.

Lincoln Lake has continued to be my destination of choice, with tons and TONS of possibility for new boulder problems. Ivo Penchev wondered into a cave a few weeks ago and found some AMAZING new lines. After brushing up holds, I was able to climb Life of Arete v8 (video of Patrick Fitts climbing the third ascent) and The Odyssey v9 for their first ascents. Ivo followed in suit with second ascents of each. Great new additions to the bouldering area!!

I was also able to climb a nice new slab line just up the talus from The Mothman Prophecies. It is now dubbed The EZ Slab v5. Located on the right side of a HUGE slab boulder, this one starts in between two chest-high boulders and climbs small holds for about 12 feet.. then exits right up an easy (walkable) slab dihedral. Go do it!!!

The incredible / unpredictable days spent in the mountains (most of the time above 10K feet) are slowly coming to an end. As usual the August weather has been tough to negotiate; checking and double checking weather forecasts, humidity percents, wind direction and speed. Rain is almost an every day occurrence. BUT it's all good.

So much goes into bouldering here and it is truly amazing to be a part of the experience that is CO during the summer!!

Here's some pictures to recap the last few weeks : : :

Ivo Penchev climbing The Mothman Prophecies v4

Patrick Fitts on the 2nd ascent of The EZ Slab v5

Ivo Penchev climbing the 2nd ascent of The Odyssey v9

Resetting the Denver Bouldering Club (DBC)

Amazing end to a rainy day at Lincoln Lake, CO

Until next time... keep the PSYCHE!!!

--- JG

Alpine Areas

2011-08-08T12:22:00.000-07:00

Had a goodie!! Went hard in the paint!! Tried hard...

Over the weekend, I got out to a few bouldering areas outside Denver. The plan was to hit Rocky Mountain National Park on Saturday, then (if not too wrecked from the long day) head to a few remote boulders at Mt. Evans the next day.

The day at RMNP was good. I drove to Golden to meet up with Ivo Penchev and Thomas Betterton (part owner of the DBC). The now very familiar drive through Boulder, Lyons and Estes Park went by quick as did the 45 minute hike into the Upper Chaos boulders. Got on Silven's boulder, The Seeping, which Thomas was able to hook up after an hour or so. Awesome roof boulder, but damn tough!!

Then it was off to try Riddles in the Park. After a while working out the moves, I was able to climb into the stand from the beginning. Definitely sparked some psyche! This one has two difficult opening moves which lead to around 10 more sustained movements on ok holds. ENDURO-FEST!!

Ivo Penchev on Riddles in the Park v12

After a quick stop at the infamous crimper-dyno problem, Friday the 13th, we decided to call it a day. A long hike, followed by a long drive and milkshakes at Mcdonald's made climbing the next day seem like some cruel joke.

............

Mt. Evans, CO (photo: Ivo Penchev)

On Sunday, after relaying some less than motivated messages to Ivo, I was forced to go climbing at Mt. Evans. Not really forced, let's just say energy was low starting out the day. I parked at Summit Lake on Mt. Evans and began the long hike down into the canyon, towards the Area D boulders.

I got there right around 3pm, just as the sun was starting to hit two out of the four main boulder problems in the area. After a quick warm-up on the much hyped but now broken Equitas (the left start hold of the sit is broken, the stand is still climbable at around v7) we headed over to THE highball in Colorado, The Nothing.

Ivo Penchev on The Nothing v8

Jeff Silcox entering the crux of The Nothing v8

Topping out at 30ft on The Nothing v8

The Nothing v8 is an amazing line. Perfect through and through. Jug start hold, difficult crux on perfect holds at 17ft, then an amazing diagonal break to the top with perfect bucket-sized hand holds.

One of my favorite styles of climbing is trying hard on that first effort. You only get to try a boulder for the first time ONCE so why not make it worth while. One try, all your effort, climbing into unknown and sometimes uncomfortable territory.

I watched Ivo, Jaeger and Jeff climb on it for a bit then decided it was time to give a solid first effort. I pulled on and every movement continued to click until I was at the top of the boulder.
PERFECT

Climbing over the water on Slander v11 (photo: Ivo Penchev)

We hung out at Slander v11 for the rest of the day.... another one of the best boulder problems in Colorado. Bad holds lead to a crux dyno off two quarter pad crimps. I surprised myself and was able to climb into the dyno from the start then somehow stick the dyno!! I fell on the next move, but it was amazing to do the dyno and see the realm of possibility opening!

Keep the pysche, until next time...

RMNP - 2011 Season - Day 1

2011-07-10T13:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a good one!

First day back in CHAOS CANYON (Rocky Mountain National Park) for the season. Snow finally melted out from a late snow in May so Ivo, Rob, CookDog and I headed straight to the Upper Chaos boulders to get down to business.

Clouds rolling in over Longs Peak, RMNP

As usual during the summer months, weather plays a role in every Chaos day. Despite on and off rain, we were all able to try hard and got a good day of climbing in.

After a good session at the El Jorge boulder where Rob and Cook hooked up both the Right and Lefter versions, we headed to the Pterodactyl boulder. Another amazing boulder in Chaos! After some figurin' I was able to climb the boulder from the "stand." I also was able to figure out the bottom moves and am looking forward to more attempts on that this season.

Ivo Penchev on Pterodactyl Stand V9

Ivo Penchev on A Thousand Shades of Green V9

Just got out of class and am looking forward to a much needed rest day.

Update from Mt. Evans

2011-06-15T12:05:00.000-07:00

Things have been rolling along here in CO. Finally got used to the constant hiking necessary to get to some of the amazing boulders in the mountains. Still pretty worn out and in much need of a few rest days.

Well, word got out that the snow melted at Lincoln Lake and the crowds are starting to arrive. Those first two weeks after Memorial Day weekend were super nice and low key, a lot like the climbing I am used to doing in the Southeast.

Its all good though. Here are a few pictures to keep the psych!!

Voges working out the moves on Big Worm

Vanilla Sky

If you are at the Evil Backwards boulder, turn around and check out this tall arete Ryan Silven and I cleaned. Ryan grabbed the first ascent and named it Thermopylae.

A new line that I cleaned up and climbed, now dubbed The Iron Mask.

Lincoln Lake

2011-06-06T12:54:00.000-07:00

AHHH, finally a much needed rest day.

I have spent the last four days obsessing over the Lincoln Lake sector of Mt. Evans. Waking up at 9am every morning and heading out to the boulders. Cleaning and climbing until 8pm then hiking out, feeling overwhelmed by the fact that I get to climb at an area like this.

Voges and Webb searching for new boulders

The initial few days of the season have been productive in the sense that many new boulders have been added already. Because the majority of climbers began going there after the snow melted last season, there are many boulders that are climbable in their current condition (lots of snow, making for mostly flat landings) that were not climbed last season. This is another detail unique to the area... Some boulders will be climbable only in the early season, some only in the late season!!

Endgame v7

First Day, First Minute - v6

War of the Insects - v9

Beggers and Doers - v6

Above picture : This small area is home to some of the recent development. A boulder that I cleaned and Tom Camillieri was able to climb sits on the left side. This one is named "Beggers and Doers" and sits at around v6. Jamie Emerson cleaned up a nice roof on the opposite side of the large boulder on the right. The right line is now called "War of the Insects" and registers in at v9.


Possible new problem, up the talus from Tangerine Man

Four months out of the year, the snow melts off and we climbers are allowed access to this unique place. In a world where we humans are considered "outsiders," bouldering brings on a new meaning altogether. Every trip down into the boulders is more like an adventure, not knowing exactly what you're getting yourself into.

It seems that after the harsh winter, many of the climbs need a bit of "re-cleaning." That being said, a large majority of the opened boulders are ready to go!! Only a few remain unclimbable due to snow, but I'm sure these will clear out in the next few weeks.

Along with a few others, I will be shooting video along the way and hopefully we can collaborate and release a nice Alpine summer bouldering short in the future. In the meantime, get out there and do a bit of searching!!!

At Home On The Road: Joe's Valley..... and other happenins

2011-05-30T09:23:00.000-07:00

FINALLY!!! Summer is here!!

For the next few months, the more motivated climbers in Colorado (and from all over the country) will be trudging up and down monster hills, snow and talus fields to get to some of the best boulders in the United States. Alpine season is a kind of treat in the sense that the majority of these boulders are only climbable for 3 to 4 months out of the year.

RMNP with Long's Peak in the background

Emerald Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park has been uncovered, climbed and then recovered in snow countless times. Climbers are staying true to the Park despite the bad May weather though. The re-emergence of Endo Valley has RMNPers just as motiovated as last year's Lincoln Lake aka Wolvo Land development. The opportunity to climb first ascents brings a renewed motivation and the simple fact that climbing on new boulders (especially in Colorado) is a treat. Check out Jamie Emerson's blog for info about Endo and (as always) a ton of interesting comments.

The Kind Boulder in early May 2011

This weekend marked the opening of the summit road at Mt. Evans. For many, this was a long time coming and over the weekend dozens of climbers descended on familiar territory. Lincoln Lake was a huge hit among the bouldering scene last summer and I can only hope that the same energy returns to the boulder field this season. For those that want to know the official elevation at the boulders is around 11, 500 ft.

This summer, like the last few, a bunch of buddies from the South East are heading out to test their skills on the granite boulders. We will be taking pictures and shooting lots of video along the way so stay tuned for a massive media dump!!

Enough spray about the CO scene.

Every Spring and Fall, climbers from all around the world gather in a small valley outside Orangeville, Utah. Joe's Valley has been known (for the last 20 or so years) to be home to some of the nicest sandstone boulders in the country. There is a sort of remote feeling that surrounds the area, making it a truly unique climbing experience.

Weather rolling into Joe's

I was able to make it out to Joe's a couple times over the last few months. Highlights of the trips include climbing Resident Evil (video here - thanks to Ivo Penchev), waking up to 3 inches of snow outside my tent and drinking a few beers at the local bar.

Check out a quick video I made highlighting the shorts weekend trips we made during the spring.

All for now...

Five Ten shoe demo @ DBC

2011-04-25T13:08:00.000-07:00

What: Five Ten climbing show demo

Where: Denver Boulder Club (directions)

When: 6pm - 9pm

Tomorrow night I am going to be running a shoe demo at the Denver Bouldering Club. Stop by and throw on a pair of shoes. Great way to make a final decision on those shoes you've been wanting!

Also, it is guest night at the DBC so discounted entry prices for all non-members.

Spring in Joe's Valley

2011-04-01T10:43:00.000-07:00

Although Spring is officially here, there are no signs of the changing seasons in Joe's Valley, Utah.

cleaning up the tent (Ivo Penchev photo)

Last weekend I met up with friends Sarah and Ivo on the side of I-70, outside Evergreen. We loaded up the car and left, driving through the Rocky Mountains and the Utah desert. We arrived at Joe's at 1am, quickly set up tents and got some rest. The weather was looking a bit questionable, but we decided to go with it. It had been an entire year since I had been bouldering in the valley and I was very optimistic going into the trip.

Over the next three days the snow got the best of us. I was able to climb a few problems including the classic Resident Evil. Here is a nice quick video Ivo threw together:

Joe's Valley Bouldering - Playmate of the Year V9, Resident Evil V10 & Trent's Mom V11 from Ivo Penchev on Vimeo.

All in all I came away climbing Nerve Extension(v9), The Resurrectionist(v8), Resident Evil(v10) and Pocket Rocket(v6). Nice to clean up some classics, but most of the effort on the trip went into trying Worm Turns and Trent's Mom. Both problems are difficult, but fall within the category of what I am capable of climbing. Hopefully I can get back and finish them off soon.


Worm Turns (Ivo Penchev photo)

Jitterbug Perfume (Ivo Penchev photo)

I shot some footage, just haven't been able to get around to editing yet. Keep an eye out for a short Joe's video soon.

weather moving in

Big Joe boulder

session at Worm Turns

Ivo getting it done; cleaning up Trent's Mom

Ivo starting off on the send of Trent's Mom

T Camillieri climbing Trent's Mom

All for now.

Video - 10 Days on the Front Range

2011-03-21T15:15:00.000-07:00

So here it is.

Another 10 day segment.

This time around the video showcases bouldering all over the Front Range.

Screenshots - 10 Days on the Front Range

2011-03-20T16:36:00.000-07:00

Things have been rolling along in Denver, CO. A few buddies from the Southeast are here hanging out, climbing and enjoying some time away from school. Out of the 10 days they have been here, we have been out at the rocks 8 of those days. PHEW! Definitely needing a few rest days.

While out at the rocks (besides sending quite a few boulder problems and having some good laughs) we have been hard at work shooting a video now dubbed "10 Days on the Front Range." The video will showcase many of the quality boulders within a few hours of Denver. Areas include Clear Creek Canyon, Boulder Canyon, Eldorado Canyon, Poudre Canyon and Matthew-Winters Park.

Here's a few shots to keep everyone syked for the video (planned release in the next week or so)

Brion Voges - lower crux of Darkwaters

Hard Boiled - Boulder Canyon

Brad Weaver on the crux dyno of Elegant Universe

Bambi - Matthew Winters Park

Spicy topout on Bambi / Fantasia

Circadian Rhythm - Poudre Canyon


Rarely climbed Suspension of Disbelief - Eldorado Canyon

That's it for now, keep an eye out for the video on my blog as well as on Brion's and Brad's in the middle of this week.

Video - 10 Days in Arkansas

2011-03-07T19:25:00.000-08:00

Here is a short video showcasing the 10 day trip I took to Arkansas. Got to say that the bouldering around the Jasper, AR area has got to be some of the best climbing I have done in the States. Already planning a return trip next fall.

Unfortunately on the last day of the trip, I fell off the last move of Fred's Roof and strained my achilles tendon pretty bad. First injury in a while so all I can do is learn from it. The injury occurred because I threw desperately to the last jug on Fred's and landed just left of the pads. From now on I will always line up my landing zone and make sure I feel 100% before committing to a difficult, desperate move.

So now I am back in Denver and there is much to be done. Training for the alpine season will begin in the next few weeks. Got a lot of projects in the mountains and also high hopes of developing some new ones I have had my eye on!

All for now,

Update from the ARK

2011-03-04T10:22:00.000-08:00

ARK so far...

Last Thursday, my buddy Tom C and I decided to roll out of Denver and head into the Ozark Mountains in northern Arkansas. The area around Horseshoe Canyon Ranch has gotten a good bit of publicity the last few years and it is about time I came down to see what all the fuss was about. Not disappointed at all - The bouldering here is amazing.

Been here for a week now and am finally taking a full rest day. The climbing is so good that I literally can not stop. I got started bouldering on sandstone around Chattanooga, TN and it is a lot like the bouldering here. The boulders in ARK tend to all be on the steep side and the climbing much more dynamic. Come here with some good contact strength!

With two more full days of climbing left, hopefully a few more lines will fall so I can return next season to try all the others.

Getting a lot of footage so keep an eye out for an ARK bouldering short in the future. Here’s a few shots I’ve taken during the trip.

Driving into HCR

Walking along the cliff line towards Ab Lounge

Mega classic - Glass Bowl


Staying motivated at Fred's Cave

Hidden gem back in the woods.... Daily Planet

Night session at HCR

Fantasia Video

2011-02-17T21:19:00.000-08:00

Here is a quick clip I put together of Jimmy Webb climbing Fantasia v14.

Bambi (v12) established by Thomas Betterton climbs the left side of the roof from a sit start. Both lines end with a crux semi-blind deadpoint to a small two finger pocket.

Of note.
Dave Graham was extremely close to sending the climb as well, repeatedly falling off the crux deadpoint to the pocket. Watch out for a 3rd ascent in the near future!

ABS Nationals / Fantasia

2011-02-16T08:54:00.000-08:00

The ABS Nationals came to Boulder over the weekend and myself, along with hundreds of others, gathered to watch some serious plastic groping.

Woods climbing M Qualifier #3 ^

For the guys, DWoods lost it in the semi-final round opening up the field for others to gain the top spot. Sean McColl was able to take it with an impressive flash of final #3 and took away the $3K first prize! Money in the BANK.

Zach Lerner on M Final #2 ^

Alex Johnson on M Final #3 ^

For the girls, long time friend Kasia Pietras repped Chatty, TN in the finals despite not climbing much recently. In the end Alex Puccio took the top place and the money.

Kasia Pietras climbing on W Final #3 ^

I was also able to get out and do some "real" bouldering over the weekend as well. Saturday, I headed up to the Matthew-Winters Park to check out an awesome Thomas Betterton line called Bambi (v12) and a new line that DWoods just opened climbing into it dubbed Fantasia (v14).

With a good amount of energy I was able to climb into the last move of Bambi from the beginning. SYKED! Hope to get out and finish this off soon. No doubt it would be the hardest thing I have ever done.

After a lot of effort from Dave and Jimmy on Fantasia, JWebb held on to grab the second ascent. I got some nice footage with my new camera and it will surface soon.

8a+ section of Fantasia ^

hard deadpoint to a 2-finger pocket at the end ^

MORE ON THE WAY.

La Poudre - Bouldering Pictures / Video

2011-02-05T17:39:00.000-08:00

Poudre Canyon (view from Twilight Boulder)

After a freezing cold week in Denver (highs in the single digits), I was somehow able to get out for a few days of climbing over the weekend. After climbing the stand start to Twilight the previous weekend, a good crew decided to head back up to Poudre to try and finish up the sit and the line going left called Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves.

When we (Ivo, Sarah, Tom, Mercedes, myself) arrived at the boulder, the topout was covered in snow. After a renegade mission to clean it up, we began the tough process of warming up in 30 degree weather. After a tough day Ivo and myself came away with sends of Twilight Sit and Tom was able to dispatch Gypsies...

Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves - v10

Was able to shoot a quick video of some sends.. CHECK IT

More on the way.

2011 - This and That.

2011-01-19T11:55:00.000-08:00

After a restful holiday, things are back to normal here in Denver. It always takes headin back home for a bit to realize how much living in CO fits me. The start of a new year brings around thoughts of progression, both in the mountains and in the city.
I have set a lot of goals for this year. At the top of the list are finishing up school and climbing as much as possible. Many of the goals are waiting, buried under feet and feet of snow. They will have to wait for this summer.

Until then regular sessions at the Denver Bouldering Club and weekend bouldering trips to Eldorado and Clear Creek Canyon will keep me busy.

The weather here in Denver is staying good so far this winter, with only a small bit of snow. With this comes the false sense that alpine bouldering hangs just around the corner. Well, I got syked and went through a lot of footage from the BIG 2010 season at Lincoln Lake. Mostly clips of climbing, with a few complete problems in between.

Renewed motivation to get strong for the summer!

More on the way...

Eldo Canyon Video

2011-01-14T10:29:00.000-08:00

Quick video update of some bouldering in Eldorado Canyon.

Eldo Canyon: Horan Face and Resonated from John Gass on Vimeo.

Ivo snapped some awesome pictures during the session.
Check them out @ lovechclimbing.com

Dark Waters

2010-12-14T11:21:00.000-08:00

Quick video from Ivo @ www.lovechclimbing.com

Dark Waters Stand V10 - Clear Creek Canyon, CO from Ivo Penchev on Vimeo.

Back to the SOUTHEAST on Friday for 2.5 weeks!

Winter in CO: Eldo Canyon / JWU

2010-12-08T20:41:00.000-08:00

Since getting back from a quick trip back to the Southeast, weather here in Denver and on the Front Range has been amazing. Colds temps with little snow (except for Poudre Canyon, so I hear.)

ELDO CANYON

Last weekend I headed up to Eldorado Canyon to climb on some boulders WAY back in the woods with buddy Sam Johnson. After a long hike into the Lost area we met up with some Front Range OGs and got to climbing.

Sam and Silven got extremely close to repeating an old Dave Graham line. Still needing early ascents, both provided very good efforts but were thwarted by the long deadpoint at the top of the climb. Props to Dave for the vision and motivation to get out there and open so many hard climbs.

JOHNSON AND WALES

If not at the boulders, I am usually at school here in Denver. Graduating this year with a degree in culinary arts! SYKED. Possibly further study into nutrition after...

Thought I would throw up a few pictures of what I do there on the daily.

All for now. Later.

Voges climbing The Whole Shebang

2010-11-29T21:01:00.000-08:00

Dayton -- The Whole Shebang from John Gass on Vimeo.

Help the SCC.

2010-11-08T10:29:00.001-08:00

Lend a hand... or a text

The Southeastern Climbers Coalition needs everyone's vote!

In 2010, Pepsi is giving millions of dollars to fund good ideas, big and small, that make the world a better place.

The SCC has entered for a grant amount of $250,000. Pepsi only awards two of the $250,000 grants per month. Only the top two ideas with the most votes are awarded the grant at this level.

VOTE EVERY DAY.
Spread the word. Ask your friends, neighbors, and co-workers to vote.

VOTE here or text 104071 to Pepsi (73774)

FIVE TEN DEMO @ DBC / Newlin Creek Update

2010-11-08T09:41:00.000-08:00

will be showing off their new line of high performance shoes at

DENVER BOULDERING CLUB

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9

starting @ 5.30PM

!!!!GET SYKED!!!!

Ronnie Jenkins, 5.10 rep, will be running a demo at the DBC on Tuesday, November 9th. The demo will include the new line of shoes coming out soon!! Swing by and try on a pair and climb at the DBC!! directions...

Been climbing a fair amount lately. Finishing up some classes at school which is taking its tole. Staying motivated. Been climbing with buddy Ivo lately. Got up to Boulder Canyon once last week and climbed on the Cage Free boulder for a while. Ivo snapped some awesome pictures.

picture by Ivo Penchev

Check out his site here ....

Got out to Newlin yesterday to finish up a boulder...

The Nickness.... from John Gass on Vimeo.

All for now. More on the way.

Boulder Canyon

2010-11-06T08:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was able to get out for a nice session in Boulder Canyon. The temps cooled down earlier this week and I had put in a good amount of effort linking the compression moves on Replacement Killers.

The day began at the Cage Free boulder, waiting for the proper temps and watching Ivo get crazy close to climbing Cage Free. Next time for sure. I tried the sit to this for a bit and was able to almost climb into the stand from the start! Could not hold the toe hook move, cutting the heel. Very syked for cooolder temps on this one.

An hour before dark we hiked up to the Hard Boiled / Replacement Killers boulder. Sent first go of the day. This is one of the more difficult boulders I have climbed in a while and it felt great to be at the top.

Short video of my effort to climb Replacement Killers...

Replacement Killers from John Gass on Vimeo.

BIG shout out to Five Ten for keeping the Anasazi Velcro around for so long! One of my first pairs of shoes 10 years ago. Although they might not be the most performance oriented shoe, the stiff soles and flawless heel were the only thing that kept me from falling off the top... without a doubt!

ON TO THE NEXT ONE >>>>

Newlin Video

2010-10-25T21:40:00.000-07:00

Newlin Creek Bouldering from John Gass on Vimeo.

Newlin Creek

2010-10-24T21:53:00.000-07:00

Got out to Newlin Creek today for the first time.

Really good bouldering area.

Set in a small canyon 30 miles south of Colorado Springs, this area is home to some of the best rock I have climbed on in Colorado (Gneiss!!)

Video on the way.

Megalodon

Bear Trap

The Nickness

Joe's Video II

2010-10-21T09:20:00.000-07:00

Another short clip from a long weekend trip to Joe's Valley.

Nerve Extension and Kelly's Arete from John Gass on Vimeo.

Joe's Valley Recap

2010-10-12T15:00:00.000-07:00

Back in Denver now.

The weekend in Utah was awesome.

Weekend @ JOES from John Gass on Vimeo.

Pt II
on the way...

Five Ten Demo

2010-10-07T14:59:00.001-07:00

About to walk out the door. Where am I going?

JOE'S VALLEY - SYKED !!!!!

I will be residing in the hills outside Orangeville, UT for the next few days. The goal is to climb as many sandstone boulders as possible.

Be on the lookout for a video recap!!

Also,

FIVE TEN DEMO

NOVEMBER 9

DENVER BOULDERING CLUB ( D B C )

BE THERE
- come check out Five Ten's new line of high performance shoes coming to stores soon!!
- try them before anyone else gets the chance to !!
----- more details on the way

THE LOST FILES ... VID 1

2010-10-05T20:23:00.000-07:00

Not long after I started climbing (1999..ughhh) I got a video camera. I shot video religiously for 7 YEARS before taking a break from climbing.

None of that footage has ever been seen.

Hound Ears & HP40 Mortal Combat comps before the Triple Crown existed.
Hueco (springs of '04 & '05)
Rocktown
Red River Gorge
Little River Canyon
Little Rock City
Boone, NC

I am going to begin the long task of editing through the good stuff. What I come up with will show up here.

Installment # 1:

Dunky Doobie v10 from John Gass on Vimeo.

Fall in CO.

2010-09-21T08:39:00.001-07:00

Back in Colorado.

Few pics from the drive across country.

After a busy, busy summer things have finally slowed down somewhat. Trip back to Chattanooga and ATL was nice, but only reminded me how much I enjoy the lifestyle I live here in Colorado.

The fall is an amazing time to be in the mountains. Such obvious changes in the surroundings beg to be noticed. The long grass at Lincoln Lake has started to change to a deep red, creating an almost otherworldly experience while hiking into or out of the boulders. The mobs of tourists in Estes Park are winding down meaning the SEASON is here NOW with around a month remaining to boulder in the alpine areas!

Unfortunately, the road to Lincoln Lake will close at the beginning of October. This new alpine area got CRAZY attention this summer (probably because of the wolverines). It will be interesting to see how much traffic the area gets in the following years.

Couple of possible weekend trips coming up!!

P.S..... DBC is having a setting night this Friday (Sept 24th). Come check out the gym and throw up some problems to test out those skiiiiiiiiiilllllls!!

More on the way...

At Home on the Road.

2010-08-26T12:45:00.000-07:00

I tried going bouldering a few days ago. It was hot, but there was a relatively cool breeze blowing through the trees at Little Rock City (Stone Fort).

The Toothfairy 7b from John Gass on Vimeo.

Been in the Southeast for a few weeks now and the days are counting down till I make the long drive back out to Colorado. Can not wait!! I am going to catch the last few weeks of Alpine bouldering before school starts.

More on the way...

Inside Out or Outside In

2010-08-12T18:21:00.001-07:00

Just got done with the long haul from Denver to Atlanta, 1300 miles in 2 days.

Area D.

2010-07-30T20:17:00.000-07:00

Today I woke up early and headed up to Mt. Evans with Voges. The plan was to walk down to Area D and try a few problems before any bad weather set in. We got a little over an hour of climbing in.

(trying Slander v11)

(trying Equitas v9)

Deep Puddle

2010-07-29T17:09:00.000-07:00

Here is a quick video of me climbing a classic in Lower Chaos:

Deep Puddle Dynamics, RMNP from John Gass on Vimeo.

RMNP & Mt. Evans

2010-07-29T12:21:00.000-07:00

The past few days have been spent walking around the mountains. Tuesday I headed up to RMNP with Brion despite the possibility of bad weather. After a quick warm-up I was able to finish off an old project, Deep Puddle Dynamics. The rest of the day was spent climbing on wet holds on the Bush Pilot boulder.

Yesterday we headed to Mt. Evans to climb at Lincoln Lake. I was able to repeat an established boulder called Chalk on Rock. Cool climb. Sharp holds. Voges went to battle on The Great War for Civilisation.

On the way out we decided to check out Laying in Wait, an awesome slab climb. Brion was able to make quick work.

Two from Mt. Evans from John Gass on Vimeo.

Summer heat!

2010-07-16T16:07:00.000-07:00

another rest day. from John Gass on Vimeo.

Things have been a bit slow around here lately. Getting out to the boulders as often as possible, but for now the heat has kept me inside. Was able to do a few climbs at Lincoln the other day.

Hidden Gem (7b+) and The Fin Thing (7c).

That's all for now.

new boulders...

2010-06-28T23:36:00.000-07:00

Today the crew headed up to THE new area called Lincoln Lake. After walking straight down from the road to the Lake (descending steep terrain for around 900ft -- ending up at 13,000 feet above sea level) we set our stuff down in front of an insane looking roof called Unshackled.

Unshackled the boulder problem from John Gass on Vimeo.

The boulder problem was recently found by Dave Graham and climbed by Kevin Jorgeson. The boulder is a pure edge line that ends in a hard move to the lip. 4 out of 5 stars for me. The boulder has seen several repeats already and a sit start has been added clocking in at v11.

New boulders seem to be popping up left and right this summer. I would not be surprised to see many more go up this season.

MORE ON THE WAY.

RMNP Video Update

2010-06-27T14:59:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been getting up to the RMNP quite a bit. Climbing has been good despite not topping out a new boulder in almost a month. Most of all I am syked on shooting footage with my new(ish) HD video camera.
CHECK IT!

BVoges in RMNP from John Gass on Vimeo.

Another day...in the PARK. from John Gass on Vimeo.

Chaos Update

2010-06-02T19:33:00.001-07:00

Spent the last few days trudging through snow in Lower, Middle, and Upper Chaos Canyon. Despite there being up to 20 feet of snow at places, many of the boulders are climbable now. Other boulders could be ready to climb with only a bit of shoveling.

Chaos Update from John Gass on Vimeo.

Hope this brings some SYKE heading into the park season!!

Emerald Lake early tomorrow to finish up Whispers and Kind Traverse. Then up to Green 45 to start trying Wildcat.

With the amount of effort put into climbing the last few weeks I have decided to create a more detailed list for the summer. Check it.

Whispers of Wisdom
The Kind Traverse
Tommy's Other Arete
Deep Puddle Dynamics
Sunspot
Wildcat
Gobot
Marble Direct
Eternia
Riddles in the Dark
Seurat
Super Gui
Clear Blue Skies
Gorillas in the Mist
Hume Problem

Stay Tuned. More on the way.

ALPINE BLOCS

2010-05-30T06:29:00.000-07:00

Things have been rolling along here in Denver. My first year of culinary school is over and another summer of rock climbing begins! The last few weeks have been spent mostly at Emerald Lake in RMNP. Place is sick!!!!

Here is a quick video I threw up of buddy Nate Drolet and myself climbing the stand start to Storm Shadow.

storm shadow 7c+ from John Gass on Vimeo.

About to walk out the door to head to MT. EVANS!!! Then next week we will start doing battle in the infamous CHAOS CANYON.

Stay tuned.

Rain.

2010-04-21T16:45:00.000-07:00

Bad weather is setting in on Denver for the week / weekend. Hopefully there will be some dry rock somewhere on the Front Range.

Things have been rolling along in Denver lately. Lots of schoolwork and lots of training. A good amount of my climbing time has been spent in Eldorado Canyon. Weather is warming up and this seems to be the place to go for a nice day in the mountains.

A few weekends ago I was able to go up there and climb a problem called 606(v10). First climbed by Will Lemaire, this problem is hard crimping at its finest. The crux move revolves around moving off a small right hand edge (maybe 1/8 of a pad) to another quarter pad gaston then standing up on a bad foot to a few balance moves. Another classic in the Canyon.

This one did not take too much time and made me feel good about my finger strength as summer and the PARK SEASON are right around the corner. Next on the agenda is a new arete on the Resonated bloc (courtesy of Chris Schulte) and possibly a few taller climbs!!

Until then more time in the gym and finishing up school. Hopefully I can get out this weekend and get some new videos up.

p.s. I was also able to head up and try Gabor's new line Botslayer at Flagstaff Mtn. This climb is definitely a very worthy addition to the area. I was a bit hesitant on the small right hand edge that surrounds the crux, hopefully I will get back up there and finish this new line off.

Joe's recap

2010-03-28T17:13:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a long weekend at Joe's Valley. This place is SICK!! Will be spending a lot more time there in the next few years. Last time I was there I was able to do a few climbs...

joes valley 1 from John Gass on Vimeo

...but this trip was much more productive. I had by far my strongest day of climbing in my 10 years in the game. Of course just being in the Valley is nice enough, but doing some difficult problems makes the trip seem more worth while. Here is the short ticked list.

Wed - Scary Monsters
Thurs- Feels Like Grit, Worst Case Scenario, G2-07
Fri- Killed by Numbers (flash)
Sat- Smokin' Joe, Water Painting, Scrawny and Brawny, Fingerhut, The Wind Below (flash), Moby Dick

There was a bunch of cool people in the Valley making for a good time. I focused more on climbing this trip rather than filming, but here is a short clip of the weekend...

Joe's Valley moderates from John Gass on Vimeo.

lately...

2010-03-22T17:33:00.001-07:00

Weekend was cool... went to the Spot in Boulder on Saturday. Place is really sick, but it AINT got nothing on the DBC!! Fact: No trip to Boulder is complete without a 14" Half Fast sub...

New Turkey: Grilled Shaved Turkey, Roasted Red Peppers, Sauteed Onions, Tomatoes, Lettuce, Spicy Chipotle Mayo

Then headed up to Arthur's Rock on Sunday...

Childbirth... from John Gass on Vimeo.

This weekend I am planning on rolling WEST to JOES!! There is a good group of Colorado climbers heading that way so why not join the group. Heading out Thursday after class (6pm) then getting back into Denver on Monday night. I have a lot to do at Joe's so I figured I would make my list for the long weekend...

Scary Monsters-v6
Nerve Damage-v7
The Wind Below-v8
They Call Him Jordan-v8
Worst Case Scenario-v9
Smokin' Joe-v9
Groundation-v9
Jitterbug Perfume-v10
Prince of Thieves-v11
Gentleman Jack-v11

Not too bad. Maybe some lesser known problems also...

Weekend Update

2010-03-14T16:20:00.000-07:00

Weather was warm yesterday at Eldo Canyon. Warmed up flashing a cool boulder in the creek, Eastern Priest v4.

Eastern Priest, v4

After that the group headed to The Heist v12 where Thomas Betterton got insanely close to sending. I have now been up to the slot four times and I have done all the moves on this climb. Next season I WILL climb this problem. Here's some pictures...

Thomas B. getting close

Then Qwigon v10. This problem is ok. Small holds out a cool bulge. Unfortunately we got to the boulder in the evening and the rock had been sitting in the sun all day. No dice. Next time!! Majority of the day was spent sharing laughs with friends at the boulders.

On another note I have turned most of my attention and effort to the Park season. I want to climb hard this summer so training is in full effect for the next few months. A few Chattown fellas might roll in around May and as always the summer will consist of a lot of driving and walking. Hopefully some sending in between.

Busy school week ahead. Might head up to RMNP to check out snow level this weekend. I heard rumors that Whispers of Wisdom is climbable!!

Later.

Back in the 303.

2010-03-11T23:22:00.000-08:00

Just got back to Denver from a 10-day break from school. Had the chance to stay around the midwest and hit up Joe's or Hueco even possibly head west to California, but in the end decided to head back to the Southeast. It was a good trip.

Hungout with the parents in ATL for the weekend and ate some good food at SoHo in Vinings

... then bolted North on i-75 to Chattanooga. It is always nice to go back home and drive over Missionary Ridge and see Lookout Mountain. Good times. And not to mention all of the rock climbing to be done!!

I had been back to the south over Christmas and done away with quite a few of my old projects...

southeast 1 from John Gass on Vimeo.

...and as I headed up to Little Rock City after driving into town I still did not know exactly what I wanted to put effort into. Somehow the day ended with an ascent of Biggie Shorty in the Back Nine Area. Phew!! That one was a long time coming. I figured out good beta for the match on the crimps and after a few fumbles on the first move SENT. My climbing has progressed lately and I am syked to see what happens in the next few months!

The rest of the trip was nice. Spent most of the time in Suck Creek. One of the small satellite areas around Chattanooga. Here is a small clip I put together of my efforts in the creek (I believe the first two climbs to be first ascents... tell me if I am wrong)

Chattanooga 1 from John Gass on Vimeo.

That's all for now. Poudre Canyon this weekend!!! SYKED!!

Just Bloggin'

2010-03-11T22:56:00.000-08:00

I like to eat Nutter Butters... maybe too much. Which makes improving my climbing difficult at times.

I decided to start throwing some of my thoughts up on this blog. Most will be about climbing, some about cooking, and others mindless rambling.

- John