Monday, July 27, 2009

Greenlaw NB - Top Gun

Despite the forecast yesterday, we headed down to Greenlaw in beautiful St. Andrews NB. Greenlaw is a scrappy sport crag with routes up to about 50ft high. There are some quality lines down there but mostly easier and a bit dirty, all part of the charm. The place is hard to beat for concentration around here though.

My interest was in an unclimbed project. Adam Morgan added the bolts to one of the steeper sections of the wall, but had left it unclimbed thus far and gave me the go ahead to get on it. I was disappointed to show up and of all the routes it was running with water. I had resigned myself to climb other things for the day, but just before we left I decided to go up and try and check out the moves. I lead it anyway, partly climbing a tree to avoid the wetness, and ticked up the key holds and tried to sop up some of the water. Once I tried the moves I realized that although it was soaked the key holds were incut just enough; I thought it might go as is.

I dried it best I could and tried the moves to be sure as one of the clips was nearly impossible to make. I decided to give it one go before leaving and sent it on the first redpoint try. It is a good route, quite unique climbing, but the top is really dirty and needs cleaning which I will try to do next time I am down. I think Adam had called it TOP GUN. Thanks to Adam for the effort it is a nice addition to the crag. I think it is a bit easier then Grand Theft Project (12b) next to it but based on others thoughts I think maybe they are a bit sandbagged? Who knows?

Sunday, July 19, 2009


Ug, the volumes are ready for transport to NB, it was an all day and night affair but they are mostly done, just some QA to go. Now we just need to find a home for them. Takers?

It has been a pleasure working in Dover the last few days, God I love the place. The view inspires me everytime I poke my head out of the shop!


At least today we actually got in some climbing. We did a bunch of great problems in Polly's Cove and LOC. There is one tht stood out and captured us, the Foundation Project. It is a really nice line on a 10 degree wall. Check it out below.


I was able to do a standing variation, V7, quite quickly it is a great problem by itself, but the real business is a diagonal sit-start, which is obviously the choice line. We worked it a while and made progress but no link, not even close, it is burly hard. In the end all we could do was the stand and Zig did add a new variant to the project around V8. But we have to go back and send the real deal.

Tomorrow morning 5:30am me, Ellen and Riley are heading back to NB.

Halifax Raining

I am in Halifax for the weekend to climb with Zig and finish off a run of Bolo Volumes Zig has almost completed. The plan is for me to drive a batch up through Quebec and Ontario at the end of the month to sell as I go. I hope we have enough of them done....and some gyms are interested!

The plan was to mix some climbing between rounds of work but once again the weather has gone to hell. So we spent the whole day working and chillin in the rain at Norms shop, the launching point for all Dover Island trips, taunting really. Even in the rain the place captures you. It almost feels like a privilege to listen to the rain hit the tin roof tucker away on the dry porch, sanding away waiting for the rock to dry and the work to be done. Photos cannot do the place justice. This is a pic of BOLO production prototype shop in Dover Island, NS.

Some of the new goods.

Tomorrow Zig has got me physced to try the foundation project between work if the weather Gods decide we deserve it.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

A legend is gone

I have never been one to have a hero. People are fallible and the most gifted is equally flawed in some other way, but certain people shape your views and life in their own way, even if only by myth. You cannot place to much faith in a legend, but it has it own way of inspiring your ideals which you spend your life chasing.

If you shoot for the stars and come up short, hopefully you will land on the moon. John Bachars exploits have captured me since I began climbing and set about the style and ethics I have aspired to from my start. He upheld what I believed and believe in. Even if I can never achieve it, he set my bar. Thanks for daring to do what you did, thanks for being a legend.

Bachar 1957-2009


Photo Supertopo.com Karl Baba

Monday, July 6, 2009

Paper Article

Here is an article the telegraph journal did July 4/09.

Article 1

Article 2

Friday, July 3, 2009

Bail

Does it mean you are losing your drive and getting old if you pass up a weekend trip to stay home and pack for a move? Does it matter that it has been and continues to rain non-stop. So am I crazy or has the common sense gene just began to kick in?