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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Topic Author's Original Post - Feb 2, 2011 - 11:51pm PT
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WARNING: This post contains information and photos of people in a rock climbing gym. If this is offensive to you, I recommend you click on the following link to save yourself: http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/1379328/Death-of-the-Republicans-Wrong-Thread
My friend Mark recently returned from a bit of traveling. He was in India then Tennessee. We are happy to have him back in Boulder! Happily, he doesn’t have to go back to work until April so he’s got time to play. And play we did.
The recent ice age that took over Boulder (and the rest of the country) meant that our playing was going to come in the form of climbing at the plastic palace.
That morning, I got up and readied myself for our big adventure. While checking in on the night-time shenanigans of the taco, I got an email from our honorary Boulder taco John Roe. Though he lives in PA, he visits us for work and he was currently stuck in Boulder due to the awful weather. As he noted, there are worse fates. Ha! I invited him to the palace so it was going to be a party of three.
I stopped en route to stock up on supplies for the day: 20 oz latte and an almond croissant. I was well equipped.
I took a moment to take a couple of shots of the Flat Irons – they were crunchy. It was -7 at the time I took the photo.
Also, I noted a very cool rainbow that totally circled the sun. At the 3 and 9 o’clock positions, there was a very visible sun flare. This was what was really visible, not a photographic artifact. It was pretty cool. Who says pollution can’t be pretty. :/
I arrived at the BRC to find John Roe signing in and about ready to get busy. Mark was geared up and ready.
This would be only about the second time that John has climbed since his nasty fall and broken ankle on the Prow less than a year before. See: http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/1170430/Rescue-on-the-Prow-5-13-10-long.
It still hurts to think about his ordeal. Yet, here he was ready to test his new ankle (complete with six new screws and a pin) on the gnar at BRC.
John starts up his first route. He cruised it for the onsite.
Check out the rad angle of this…
Next Mark crushed his problem. It was the second time he’d climbing since September. It was not apparent given his strength and style though.
Then it was my turn. I chose the red route. Fun!
Here Mark is contemplating the eternal question: how to get a photo of an over-hanging route that actually looks over-hanging. Given our efforts here, you can see we never solved that dilemma.
More fun:
At one point, John decided to try out the crack. He has lost much of his ability to rotate his new bionic ankle so it was more challenging than pre-accident. I think Mark and I died a little each time he cranked hard on it as we both have had our share of titanium, stitches and busted up body parts. We could empathize.
We climbed for four hours since I had a meeting to get to. It would have been fun to just keep going. It was a great time hanging out the John the taco, and Mark the lurking taco.
John was finally able to fly home today although his flight was delayed because the cargo door on the jet froze open! I think by now he’s safe and warm at home in PA.
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Captain...or Skully
climber
leading the away team, but not in a red shirt!
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Right on, Crimpie. TFPUX2, even.
Gotta keep moving, even when it's crappy out. Looks like a pretty tall place, too. How high do they top out at?
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Thanks Crimpie. That was fun.
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 3, 2011 - 12:20am PT
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Skully - I think the BRC is 35 or 40' high. It has a lot of great angles and overhangs. Movement (one of the other two gyms in town) is taller...40 or 45'. It also has a nice overhanging wall though less variation in angles.
I sometimes take a roadtrip and go to Movement. :)
I'm really thankful to have the gym because I won't ever climb outside when it's friggin' -7 or even 40 degrees! :)
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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So... Gyms or "Republican somethingorotherthread" Hmmmm. Think I'll take Gyms. In fact I took to gyms from the very first days that gyms existed.
But I've got a problem with your TR.
It's totally fake! FAKE I tell you! We just got back from the gym ourselves, and, well, I'm not quite sure how to say this, but we weren't the only people there. In fact if I'd stepped back six inches in search of the right angle for a photo, I'd have bumped into about six people.
And not only that, I fell off the crux of the new pink route.
Feh
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pc
climber
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Mmmmmm Plastic! ;) Great TR!
My feet hurt when they get cold. I fully endorse gyms.
pc
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 3, 2011 - 12:51am PT
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Thanks Rad. I'm feeling strong again. It's quite fun to have no foot pain, etc.
Locker, my hands, finger and femurs (who knows why) get uber cold below fifty. I am not a cold weather critter. On the other hand, I can climb happily in the sun in 80 and 90 degree weather. And humidity smumidity! I like it hot!
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Didja see them muscles on Crimpie????
WOW!!!
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jopay
climber
so.il
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Nice Crimper,looks like you're back in Boulderesque shape
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steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
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Hey there say... that looks like some nice plastic pulling!!
Freezing around here too... only supposed to be 54 today. Ouch!
Drinking is a much better cold-weather occupation!!!
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 3, 2011 - 09:47am PT
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Heat wave in Boulder today. Already up to 4. That beats the high of yesterday. Leaving with my hair wet. It makes me laugh when it freezes into hair-cicles.
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philo
Trad climber
Somewhere halfway over the rainbow
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Haircicles, beardcicles and snotcicles...Oh My!
Fun report Crimps. Looks the start of a good come back. But I have to admit I was offended. Not by the plastic pumpin', oh no. Not by your most excellent opening disclaimer, either. No, no what offended my delicate sensitivities was all those annoying tape colors. As a red/green colorblind person I am usually traumatized in sport gyms by difficulties with color differentiation.
You might consider migrating this to the Trip Report page. Loved the Flat Iron shots.
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Slakkey
Big Wall climber
From Back to Big Wall Baby
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Having fun in the Plastic Palace Cool
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 3, 2011 - 07:08pm PT
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I feel for you Philo. While I am not color blind, the gym can really confuse me. Inevitably they put a purple tape, yellow holds route next to a yellow tape, purple hold route. I usually have to climb while stating the tape color. Yellow tape, yellow tape, I am on yellow tape. This difficulty is not a part of climbing outdoors!!
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Evel
Trad climber
Nedsterdam CO
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Is that Mark Cartright???
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 3, 2011 - 08:06pm PT
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Yes. That is Mark Cartwright. He is a lurker here and a really awesome person. :)
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JohnRoe
Trad climber
State College, PA
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Ghost:
It's totally fake! FAKE I tell you! We just got back from the gym ourselves, and, well, I'm not quite sure how to say this, but we weren't the only people there. In fact if I'd stepped back six inches in search of the right angle for a photo, I'd have bumped into about six people.
We were not QUITE the only people there - check out photo 11 (Hint: That is not Crimpie!)
But it was pretty empty. And huge! If I drive an hour from home, I can get to a gym a third as big.
Thanks Mark and Callie for letting me tag along. Good times...
JohnR
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nutjob
Trad climber
Berkeley, CA
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Awesome stuff! You should use picasa to rotate some of those pictures to bring out the proper amount of badassedness. And my vote for best opening line in a TR this year.
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