A Day With the Jack and the Rainy Queen

Its raining in LA today, but Chris and I are working on a semi-secret project (more on this in the hopefully near future) and we figured today would be a good day to get some photos:

burn baby burn. a car fire on Topanga across from Stoney 9AM

Chris feels things out while Jack keeps watch

Working out the moves on one of many Crankie Queenie variations

 This is Chris working out another start to the graffiti-ridden Queenie, a cluster of problems that with slightly different conditions would be far more classic. An unfortunate thing about urban bouldering is areas being robbed of many classics.

           

 

It was my first day back at Stoney since I fell and it felt nice being out there, rain and all. Thinking over possible sequences on Crankie Queenie with Chris reminded me of what I love about climbing.

On Stoney and rain:
Like any sandstone/conglomerate type stone, the rock at Stoney is highly vulnerable to rain and as such should be avoided for at least 3-4 days after a good soaking. This is the disclaimer but as a mad climbing addict I know that asking this is nigh impossible. While I wholeheartedly sympathize with those that simply cannot wait to get back on the rock it is frustrating watching classic problems rapidly erode. The wet season thus far has been particularly brutal on Stoney, with classic problems like Crowd Pleaser v2 losing key holds, and it is irritating because it can be easily avoided. Stoney offers many options for rainy-day climbing so you can avoid the gym and the destruction of classic problems. Tuna is the obvious choice, but the backside of jamrock stays dry too and for those willing to explore many other options exist. So help Stoney stay strong and keep off the plastic this winter!

Real Mountains and Bigger Adventures

ah nostalgia, sigh. heading up the chute and filling up on the Whitney mountaineers route June 2010. the conditions were unreal for this time of year, a fun introduction to crampons. . . i love these pictures Ben took with his Holga. the 'Holg' really adds a timeless quality to just about any shot, making the adventure appear super rugged and epic; kind of like how it sounds when we tell people about it after a few beers. . .
Looking at these also really makes me miss the Sierra. I love what LA has to offer in the way of easy-access adventure but even hyper-productive days of sport climbing and bouldering really don't compare with doing anything in the real mountains.
I seem to be at my most productive in the mountains and vertiCALI was born out of time spent there. Beginning with a JMT thru-hike in 2009 my gaze has gotten longer and I often catch myself staring out northeast, imagining the peaks lying beyond the SoCal haze. Sentimental, I know, but the call of the mountains is why we engage in silly vertical games like sport and bouldering, which despite being super-contrived, hold the promise of leading to the next, bigger adventure. 

Fractured Arms and Following Footsteps

Aside  from the fact that the idea for this blog has been brewing in my  mind for a nearly a year now the real impetus behind getting this fucker fired up is all the horrible down time i now have as a result of fracturing my arm Feb. 11 while cranking on Powerglide, a stiff v6 at the the glorious Stoney Point. My left hand exploded off the crux hold, a terrible little crimp, and the next thing I knew I was gasping for air with my ass buried in the pad.

Powerglide is just one of many glorious problems at Stoney, a highly underrated bouldering spot with challenges from vb-10. Look beyond the gang graffiti, broken glass, and killer bees and you'll find a wealth of great problems in every style on generally awesome rock. Another of Stoney's appealing characteristics is its rich climbing history. Folks have been bouldering Stoney for about as long as there has been bouldering in this country, and some of those folks include luminaries like Kamps, Chouinard, Long, and Bachar to name a few. Any given Stoney circuit includes pulling on the same holds that these giants of our tiny world once fondled, and damn if it don't make ya feel special! So all of you LA gym rats give the plastic a break and try Stoney for a change, you might just find yourself becoming a rock climber. . .

First Post!

Hello all my non-readers, and welcome to the vertiCALI blog, premiere purveyors of dirtbag climbing culture in that finest of the fifty, California! Based in LA but highly mobile, the vertiCALI squad seeks to entertain the loneliest of you checking in from the climbing corners of this great state; from J-Tree to the Valley, Bishop to the High Sierra, the movement is growing. . .