Rain & Shine 2023

The only constant thing in life is change. But the funny thing, as much as we like to attribute changes up to luck, we still have to throw ourselves in a direction first. Or as Jean Paul Satre elegantly puts it, "People are like dice. We throw ourselves in a direction of our choosing."

It's a strangely fitting quote that summarizes the summer thus far. In keeping with my promise of taking it easy, I threw myself into 3 directions.  

1. I started reading again (it's been a while)
2. Started listening to music I didn't think I would enjoy (and finding out that I do) 
3. No trying hard boulders (this rule might have been broken a few times)

I'm enjoying the feeling of being tossed around by the winds of change, or at least, some parts of it. I went to Vegas for a wedding (fun!) and spent time on the strip (cursed, air in the forest is so much fresher). But I won $24 (not cursed). Did some limestone bouldering (Cursed and not cursed. I climbed, but holds were seeping and I was on a time crunch). 

Reading has been going great. I've gotten some great recommendations from friends and it rekindled something I thought was gone. Thanks, education system.

I've discovered that good music just comes out of nowhere. Sometimes, you just got to stop looking and open your ears.

As for climbing, not bashing my head against limit projects is refreshing, but I'm getting the itch to tackle something harder. I did a few new "harder" climbs over the past 2-3 weeks but, but it hasn't been satisfying as they went down more quickly than expected, as they weren't climbs that I initially had my eyes on, but rather were just something in the area with relatively straight-forward powerful beta and low complexity regarding the method and nuances.

It's obvious in hindsight, but sometimes you just have to f what the group thinks and go to what you want. The past weekend at the draw with Joe Durling, I pulled on what is probably the best named boulder in the draw, Saltine Crackwhore, an old project of mine. I first pulled on last summer, before I sent The Receptionist, and never touched it after dry-firing from slick holds.  It's a greasy lowball that has powerful and interesting beta with a difficult first move. I wasn't able to do the first move last summer, but I could in a few goes this season, and the possibility of it going has made me feel much more alert than I have been this whole summer. It even bruised my finger, which is a good sign. All my favorite boulders have been ones that physically thrash me. I hope this trend of finding some burly and beta-intensive climbs continues. 

And anyways, pictures and videos. Keep an eye out for a new NAZ bouldering video coming to you soon ;) Credits to Joe Durling for some sports photos of Saltine Crackwhore

Saltine Crackwhore 

Clamp-Hockety Victory Swing

Futzing around on The Egyptian (Action Deluxe)