Players only love you when they're playin

The season is legit over now.  i think.  at least i was able to take my camera out a couple times and get a little bit of mediocre footage and lower-classy photos.  I still have a lot of work to do before i get any photos uploaded, but here's a quick vid of some of the climbing out at Weiner Lake and Chickaloon.  Sorry the quality is shite, but i was running on an empty memory card and had to shoot standard def.. totes bogus. 


AK PT1 from Brian Clevenger on Vimeo.

In other news, i hurt my finger a little, but i'm pretty optimistic that it isn't so bad.  Gonna try to hit the gym tomorrow and see how it holds up. 
In other news, it takes 3 beers (and 3 glasses of water) over the course of 6 hours to give me a killer hangover the following day.
Also, i'm promoting in a week.  i'ma be rich..

The literal season finale

i got a new computer.  A laptop.  i will blog again.  With photos and videos and everything.  It will definitely take a little time to catch up with everything, though.  i have shit-tons of material and no time.  And i have to learn new editing programs.  i miss my old programs. 

So anyways, to start at the end, i went climbing on Black Friday.  In Alaska.  i climb with this dude named Hunter Bullard up here and he's pretty freakin strong (for a ginger).  He convinced me to tag along with him out to Ptarmigan to check it out and get some footage of this thing, Mr. Universe.  It's one of the hardest boulder problems in Alaska, and i'd never made the trip out to that area.  Turns out, it's quite the journey to get to this boulder..  We have limited amounts of daylight these days, so time is precious.  Unfortunately, travel time to this boulder is about 12 hours by foot, 5 hours by bike, or 1.7 hours by air.  But, that's bouldering in Alaska, ya know?  Its no big deal, just everyday life for us Alaskans..  Regardless, we made it out to the boulder with about an hour of daylight remaining.  Clearly not enough time for me to put this thing together.  But, I did all the moves and Hunter repeated it for film proof (it was mad dark; which makes for a great bike ride out btw).  Here's a sicky awesome video of some sicky gnar climbing:


Mr Universe from Brian Clevenger on Vimeo.

 

And here's a couple shitty pictures from my first trip out to Hatcher Pass.  Because that's all i've got right now:

Only getting younger

Not actually getting younger.  Actually feeling quite old these days.  My fingers always hurt.

Just got back from Nevada.  Turns out it didn't really snow while i was gone.  Temps are prime and climbs are dry!  Rather than do anything useful with my Sunday, i went climbing up at Hatcher Pass.  Daylight is becoming increasingly scarce here, so i only had one problem on my list.

Drive By is the most accessible climb out at Hatcher.  It sits about ten feet off the road (which is usually open).  The road was closed for some wimpy snowfall, so it took about 30 minutes to hike/jog out to the boulder.  Anyway, it's about the best piece of granite i've seen in AK.  It also has a good landing, so it's perfect for a solo sesh.  The stand start is supposed to go at v10 i guess.  Apparently i have no idea how to judge grades anymore.  The stand took a handful of goes to stick the crux and the rest wasn't so bad.  The sit adds just enough movement to make the crux quite difficult.  i need to try to take a day of work this week to go back out and finish the sit!

 Climbing is fun.

Nothing useful

i have an insane amount of catching up to do.  Not all that much climbing, but some cool experiences nonetheless.  And some climbing.  Things have been a lil weird since moving to alaska.  It's very far away from everything.  Everything.  It's difficult to find motivation in a place like that. The gym is ok at best, but the people are psyched.  That helps some.  Still, it isn't like it was back in NC.  And the season is short.  i'm in Nevada at the moment and ak will be trashed with snow by the time i get back.  Nevada is quite nice at the moment.  Hot for climbing, but a welcome change from the damp chill of anchorage.  i've been super busy with work, but today was a welcome reprieve.  i've been controlling f-15's all week, but they cancelled their sortie today.  So i got to climb.  It was quite dope, but i didn't have a crash pad.

That's ok though, the dinner of champions prepared me well for the coming day

i did a cool v7 called Bubble Butt and then went to try monkey bar direct.  

 One fall on that thing and my elbow smashed a rock pretty good. i decided to wait for someone else to come along and try it so i could bum some pads.    It didn't take long before 6 or 7 people showed up (with pads).  Feeling much more comfortable, I sent in 2 more goes.  Managed to flash a couple of variations in the boulder too.  Oh, and Alex Johnson and Kati Peters were there (Kati Peters is a total babe btw..).  And i've got a crazy long day ahead, and posting from a phone is crap.  i promise i'll catch up at come point.  Peace..

They've all come to look for america

After a rough start (f u post office and dmv) I'm off on the 1st leg of my journey.. the late start in the day didn't afford me the opportunity to make it to Colorado on day one.  Thus I missed the cool stuff in Vail.  World cup bouldering or somethin..  Either way by day two I braved the tornados (3 times (my goal in life is to see a tornado)) and made it to Boulder.  Despite lack of food along the way, The Spot made my#1 stop upon arrival.  This gym is so far superior to anything I've experienced.ever.still.  I haven't been there for quite some years now, but it was pretty dope.  They have ipads for people to fill out waivers..  I felt unworthy to be in the presence of such trendy dopeness.  I encountered such big wigs as Abbey Smith and proceeded to flail as she (and most other chicks)  cruised my projs..  that's ok though.  I had a blast.  I think I'd be a decent climber with a resource like The Spot.  My car is so packed to the brim,  kinda sucks. I can't find my toothbrush dammit.

The gates to Tornadoland

The Spot.. so sicky

Beer.. mmm

A true dark and stormy..  mmm

The long road

This post is from my phone because I'm a cheap ass and don't have internet..
So, I haven't posted for quite some time now.  A lot has happened over the past year and a half, but not much in the way of climbing.  I figured the rest of what I do with my life isn't that interesting, thus no blog posting.  If you are curious and didn't already know, I joined the air force and I've been in training this whole time.  I've been to Alabama, Panama city fl, and Oklahoma city.  Again, not much in the way of climbing.  It is barely an exaggeration to say that I literally didn't climb in 2013.  2014 ain't looking great so far either.. Even so, I am optimistic, for I have officially finished my training and I'm off to Alaska for new adventures!  I basically busted ass so that I could earn the Alaska slot; my career field doesn't offer the best selection of places to be stationed.  I'll be in anchorage for the next 3 years or so which is pretty dope.  There's a climbing gym that doesn't look like it'll make me want to slit my wrists, so that's cool. And I'm hoping there's a bunch of untapped potential for new climbs out there.  Not that I'm very strong these days, but I might get back in shape.  Either way, I'm psyched.  I'll be posting a good bit along the way hopefully, as I'm planning on hitting Boulder, Leavenworth, and Squamish.
Here's a couple of pictures of the lil bit of climbing I've experienced while in okc.

Wish I had discovered the Wichita mountain wildlife refuge sooner.  Project...

FA of a bloc I found and cleaned up.

Project...

Super lowball project...

Ryan on Balls Deep v4/5

Perfect arete projects...

Hard project...

And for some of the rest of my life:

I went to the zoo.

I went to the creepy ass museum of osteology

My okc apartment

Ugh, stuck in Florida..  gross.

Kayak fishing was dope.

Trout for dinner.

Sorry D Woods, I think I win dirtiest mustache award.



I have a bow.  I'm addicted completely.

So I bought another bow..

That's it for now. Phones dying.