By Francisco Tharp, on April 16th, 2010

Last week I got my first taste of  desert tower climbing and aid climbing. Let me tell you, they taste sandy and sour. Sandy because the rock – that material in which we put so much trust when we climb – was crumbling before my eyes. And sour, well, because standing in the top rung of my aiders on a rattly cam with 300 feet of exposure below me just put that funny adrenaline taste in my mouth.

But you know what they say – sour grapes lemonade does not make (they say that, don’t they?).

And sure enough, when the fear subsided, I took in the beauty of our bird’s eye view, I marveled at the smooth technical geekery aiding requires, and I felt pretty damn euphoric.

Rio Redux

April 12th, 2010 – By Justin Harkins

Well, I didn’t get the job on Rainier.  It’s disappointing, but that’s the chance you take when you try.  There are plenty of compelling reasons to go back to the river, and I’m already looking forward to being closer to home for a few months.  I’m sure there will be a time or two when I’ll wonder what it looks like on the Rainier summit at that moment, but there are worse places to daydream than a sun-drenched riverbank.  If any of you have whitewater wishes, contact the NOC and come see me this summer – good times guaranteed.

Out of The Harbor, Into The Blizzard

By Francisco Tharp, on April 7th, 2010

“A ship is safe in the harbor, but that’s not what ships are built for. And there is more in you than you know.” That’s what I told the group of nine aspiring backcountry snowboarders and skiers last week during their first dinner circle on the 8-day Outward Bound course that I instructed.

Fitness Assessment

Clocks are changing, sun is shining, snow is melting, and Francisco is cranking.  Spring has officially sprung.

Last week, one of the head guides from the NOC sent out the annual “who’s coming back this year?” e-mail.  A righteous landslide that buried road and river has pushed back the start of the season, but Ocoee guides will have been styling the Middle section for a few weekends by the time I leave Montana.  That means that the clock is ticking on my summer-plan deliberation.  I informed the managers there that I had to check out another option before I could commit, and Michelle and I summarily headed west toward Washington and the alpine big leagues of Mt. Rainier.

Pulling Down On The New CSU Sickness

Flourescent skittle holds, shallow faux crack systems, dozens of college freshmen in workout clothes, and shouts of  ”Just grab the big blue one and do a pull up!” Classic ingredients of gym climbing hilarity – and now CSU students and staff alike can enjoy the plastic send fest.

Boulder Canyon Cragging

By Francisco Tharp, on March 25, 2010

Once upon a spring on Colorado’s Front Range, it was warm and sunny, then snowy and cold, then warm and sunny again. And while it was warm and sunny, the climbing bug bit me. Hard. So I put on my T-shirt and shorts, packed a bag, and went climbing in Boulder Canyon for the first time. I had heard plenty about the historically rich climbing area west of The People’s Republic, and I must say it lived up to its reputation: fast, easy access; quality rock; a lifetime of short-but-sweet trad and sport routes alike; and big time weekend crowds.