Source Holds for Everyone

It was several years ago now when an idea was born to make holds and use them in my own gym. In 2006 the first shapes were molded and poured as Source Holds. Shortly after Source Holds were born, a small space in the Wagner Building of Laramie, Wyoming was converted into a training gym. The Source Gym became home to Source Holds and we've never looked back. Many people have contributed to the dream and kept it alive over the years. I can't thank them enough for teaching me the foundations of hold shaping and production, the help in building our gym, and the encouragement to bring Source Holds into the world, another step farther than before. In August of the past year, a Wyoming connection to the great hold producing center of Salt Lake City (think Pusher/Revolution) asked if I would expand my shapes to be part of their line up and growing company. I accepted, and even with some faltering and school related complexities the molds made it westward down I-80 to Salt Lake City.

It is with great pleasure and excitement that I can announce Source Holds are now available from Habit Climbing. What was born out of necessity, to have good and simple shapes for a long winter inside, is now available for all of you to add to your woodies and gyms! Check out the current lineup at Habit Climbing!

The shapes available now are the originals from my first sets. The classic and best selling Source Crimps, the Baggots, Sundance, and Bear Blocks are all there, and all inspired by Wyoming. They are here, because people have requested them. They are here because of you. So, thanks all and enjoy. More shapes will be coming every few months. We already have many shaped, just waiting to be molded, and soon to be a factor in your growing motivation.

So, it is obviously time to show some images from the early days, the days of inspiration and folly. The days when we built the gym, housed our new holds, and climbed on our own shapes. The days when we learned what works as a hold and what does not. Those days produced a golden era in Wyoming climbing and bouldering. One that continues on with each influx of climbers, all pulling on Source Holds.

The very first full set of Source Holds ever poured!

The 50 being constructed and before it could even be completed Mr. Helke and Liz were adding holds. Joe built the footer of the wall and the foundation of endless days on that 50. So many dreams have come to be reality with Source Crimps on that 50 and so many climbers have grown strong!

One of the first laps ever taken on the Source 50. From the beginning our own holds held their own with shapes from other places. Source holds inspire every wall set we do and every training routine at the Source.

The gym inspired holds and holds inspired the gym. Motivation from each has fed each. I am always shaping new holds after long training sessions or days outside fed by training sessions. Source Holds have been considered as a form follows function hold. They aren't made to be showy, rather to be simple and effective in getting you stronger. I originally made them to give Wyoming boulderers the upper hand in strength and power. They have worked so well requests have come from all over to share the grips. After all, when you get stronger I must get stronger too. We can motivate each other and progress this great sport.

Source Shapes ready to be molded and poured, and climbed on like crazy.

Neverland Season Again

And so it begins, another season in the vastness of Neverland. Yesterday was my first visit to Neverland for the new season of bouldering. What was a mild winter that would have allowed for year round bouldering, was replaced with insane amount of school work. So, I climbed inside, then sat at a desk, then climbed inside. Excitement for the day was high and the conditions looked amazing. Julian and I rolled away from Coal Creek Coffee at 8:30 or so and headed to hills. We initially talked in a frenzy about a project in the gym that we had both been working on. A traverse of epic and legend. I was apparently not the only one stuck on plastic for too long this past year. When we turned onto the dirt our conversation flew to the other side of the spectrum, quickly going to real rock. Julian has a project in the Grove Sector of Neverland, so we went there. Knowing I am not yet ready for my old projects, I was happy to climb on anything. The Grove is a perfect place for anything, as it has almost endless boulders.
After a quick warmup and the obligatory wander through new boulders to start the day, we went straight to Julian's project. As he re-cleaned it and rehearsed the sequence I finally, after two years, crow-barred the "x-block" out of the roof next to Julian's line. The x-block had always wiggled, but in years past would not completely detach. It is however a 300lb beast, and was far too intimidating to climb on. It now rests in soil defeated while a huge new roof is open for business. I briefly spent a few goes on the roof, wisely leaving it for another day or another climber. It should be V10/11 or so, and of supreme quality. The focus was Julian's roof, so we put the energy there.

Julian contemplating his project. The x-block still in the roof to the right (x of chalk on it)

In a monumental effort Julian put in three very strong attempts. He fell off the top out, worn and tired from his huge roof problem. He was defeated, then excited that he had made such progress on the beast. No doubt he will finish it on the next trip, he was so very close. It was really good to see him turn failure into a strong motivation for the rest of the day and for future Neverland trips. I cleaned and climbed a nice V4 around the bend from Julian's line adding a good warmup for future trips to his project (Rabbit Hole V4)

Rabbit Hole V4

We walked to a new wall, found during our morning roaming and warming up. It is very reminiscent of Hueco in a perched amphitheater between boulders. The climbing was interesting and tricky. Compression on a clean  and flat wall. The holds are like Chablanke in Hueco, but the problem came in around V6/7. I named it How Now Brown Cow, and Julian quickly repeated it even agreeing on the stupid name. It tore at my winter skin, baby soft and pink, but the day was still young. Julian had not seen any of the new area (in the Grove) from last season, so we went there.

How Now Brown Cow V6/7. Starts in the hole down right. Julian is 6'4"ish, so always makes things look small

Julian set his motivation on Down Town Stickworm Town V6/7, but we had to walk first. We made a huge loop through boulders and crags. I felt tired by the end of it. Mostly mental from realizing how many things we have not yet climbed in just one area, in one sector, in one side of Neverland. Way too much!
Julian repeated Down Town Stickworm Town with a solid effort. I was cold by then and felt like we should just go back to the vehicle. Some sun and calm suggested otherwise, so I jumping-jacked back into semi-warmth. While Julian had been working the previous problem, I notice the project prow next to us had been tried incorrectly the past season. I had tried it from a strange start into a contrived line. The obvious and proud line was a direct prow attack. I cleaned the few holds that exist on the prow and went to work. The line could be a 4.5star! It is like bear hugging the bow of a Viking long ship, reaching as far as you can around each side for barnacles so far apart you're not sure they can be reached by any man. It overhangs steeply. Holds are widely spaced, small and perfect. The rock is outstanding! I almost cried it was so good, or because it worked me over so thoroughly. It is a wild beast that holds my gaze!

Down Town Stickworm Town V6/7 is behind the two aspen. The prow is obvious

It is a young season for sure, but one that will surely be memorable. Just have to finish this school work.

Spring Break: Some Utah Bouldering

With a pile of school work at hand and unstable weather in the long term, I opted for a Moab trip to warm the bones and find some good boulders. It had been a two year break since my last trip there, but had been in the back of my mind as a good place to return to for good boulders. In fact it is an area with immense potential for new boulders.

It has amazed me for years that the Moab area has not become a bouldering destination despite having possibly the most exposed sandstone in the country. Sure, the rock is not as featured as some other areas, but is that not part of the recipe for those amazing lines? A few holds on a superb rock is all that is needed to produce the good stuff. A boulder field of those unique lines makes for a great bouldering area. Some very good boulders are out there and some incredible lines! Likely comparable to some Red Rocks boulders that have put Nevada on the map.
Moab is surrounded by too many good boulder fields to count. Someone has obviously had the same idea, as this was the first trip in the Moab area where I've seen chalk on boulders away from the few small zones that have been known for a long time (Big Bend, Kane Creek, Indian Creek, etc...). I'm not saying I've discovered the boulders out there, but on several trips to several obvious boulder fields next to main roads I cleaned and climbed lines alone for several years. Now there is some chalk, not of mine that is out there! It's about time.
On this particular trip, my wife Marla and Amiee Dog came along. Mr. Vansickle arranged to meet us, despite his bum knee and looming surgery. He gimped, but was a good addition to the trip, his last for a couple months. The plan was to visit some known area, but my primary goal was to find a mother load of good rock. If not a mother load, an amazing problem or two. We spent the first evening in the canyon of the Colorado just up from Big Bend. We did a few new problems and looked at some of my old projects. It was a good reminder of the rock quality to come.

The second day, we drove through Moab and onto a long and poor dirt road (one I won't name just yet). The road is a designated Jeep trail and rated "More Difficult", one rating below the maximum, so was a long and bumpy ride. We camped in a pristine canyon surrounded by boulders and buttresses of beautiful cracks.

Walking a side canyon, we found a large area of good rock, wasting most of the day running from boulder to boulder. An evening of bouldering ensued but was low energy, maybe because of the sun and dry sand. The rock was great!

The side canyon of immense possibility

Maybe the best slab in Utah!

Perfect rock! Absolutely amazing rock!

We left the next day because of the threat of rain and the impossibility of driving the trail if wet. We headed over to Kane Creek after driving around Moab in indecision of where to go next. A few nice boulders are along the road there and the camping is free. We added two new lines and tried a few put up by others, all on great rock.

Boulders along Kane Creek Road

Bryan cleaning his amazing new line at Kane Creek.

Day three, because of strong wind, we returned to the canyon along the Colorado and went to boulders above Big Bend Boulders and above the group site across the road from Big Bend Campground. We walked up the hill and found chalk that was not there on previous trips. We walked a bit higher and found untouched boulders to try. Untouched, because we had to clean the lines of loose rock and fix landings on the steep hill side. Bryan picked a compression prow that was very hard, and that was the end of our trip. We were tired and had the long drive home. We were satisfied though, with the rock quality and absolute volume of possible problems.

The hard, but beautiful compression line above Big Bend

I came away from the trip excited to return to Moab and excited to see what happens there in the next few seasons. Obviously people are finally chalking new problems out there at a faster rate, and it's about time. It is an area of huge potential and big lines. It is an area that can hold the masses of boulderers in our growing sport. And it is an area that has great weather when weather doesn't hold elsewhere. I plan to return as much as possible and contribute to the expanse of boulders there.