Official BALCH FEST Invite: Nov 16-17th

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Trad is Rad

Trad climber
San Luis Obispo California
Nov 17, 2013 - 10:26pm PT
thanks again to hosts! It was rad and Im looking forward to next year, if there one........?
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Nov 17, 2013 - 10:27pm PT
Valley Giants? Just stick your leg in....ha, ha, ha.
Macronut

Trad climber
Fresno, Ca
Nov 17, 2013 - 10:33pm PT
Thanks to everyone for making it a great event and the legendary time! It was wonderful meeting everyone and watching some spectacular climbing. Micro and I left with Christina on top of the flack, Vitaly topping out and some guy out of no where walking the top of the flake. We left the flake with Jim soloing the inner crack and think he must of made it to the top...holy crap! Can't wait for them to post up to hear the details. Once again hope everyone had as good of time as I and the climbing was good too.
micronut

Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 17, 2013 - 11:28pm PT
I just want to post a couple rad shots and comments before people start breaking out in savage poison oak rashes and cursing my name online. The FEST was full on Full On.

A brief Synopsis:

The Flake got slayed. And that thing is W I D E and BUR-HUR-HURLEY!!!! Not only did it get its second ascent....but its third fourth fifth and maybe more......Alexey, Christina, Jay, Vitaliy and Cultureshock all stood on top of that monster!

The Barbecue was beyond explanation.

And people are already talking about next year. The TR will be a Supertopo Top Ten of 2013 for sure and as long as nobody ends up in the hospital I'll have a bunch of new friends.

Stay tuned for the full Report. I mean it. Stay tuned. It will change your life.









i'm gumby dammit

Sport climber
da ow
Nov 17, 2013 - 11:33pm PT
Looking forward to it.
Leggs

Sport climber
Tucson, AZ
Nov 17, 2013 - 11:38pm PT
Ditto ^^^
Batrock

Trad climber
Burbank
Nov 17, 2013 - 11:54pm PT
Saawweeeeeet!!!!!! Wish I could have made it. Next year fer sure.
DaveyTree

Trad climber
Fresno
Nov 18, 2013 - 12:11am PT
Man I wish I could have joined. Work I couldn't get out of. Hope the oak takes very few casualties. Can't wait for the pics and TR.
micronut

Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 18, 2013 - 12:41am PT
ok.....I have to post a couple more.

Then I'm gonna go shower for the fourth time since I've been home tonight.




Paul Martzen

Trad climber
Fresno
Nov 18, 2013 - 12:58am PT
Slater

Trad climber
Central Coast
Nov 18, 2013 - 01:06am PT
Paul, that last shot is SICK!

Ha ha ha, you guys gotta post your poison oak shots in two days (which is about how long it takes...)

You guys know that soap and water don't work right?

It's an oil... it'll take Technu or something of that sorts to bond with the oil and strip it from your pores.

Otherwise it's the gift that keeps on giving!

Fun stuff.
Ying

climber
Los Angeles, CA
Nov 18, 2013 - 01:35am PT
Nice to meet you all. Thanks for hosting Scott!! Sorry I'm using your real name. I don't know who's who on Supertopo. :( Balch Fest rocked!!
micronut

Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 18, 2013 - 01:36am PT
Nice to meet you too Ying. I go by Scott here on the Taco as well. I got nothin to hide!

Good old soap is just fine supposedly Slater.
This intel is from a nice source, a toxicology network with the NLM. Toxnet.com


Many home remedies and even commercial products (e.g., Zanfel and Tecnu) claim to prevent urushiol rashes after the exposure.

A study of such a product, Tecnu, and ordinary soap, Goop and Dial soap, found 70%, 62%, and 56% protection relative to the possible maximum response, at costs per ounce of $1.25, $0.07, and $0.07. The study compared four 2.5 cm exposed squares on the inner aspect of the forearm, three of which were treated and one untreated.[12] Some clarifications:

-----Scrubbing with plain soap and cold water will remove the urushiol from skin if it is done within a few minutes of exposure, before it bonds.[13]

-----Ordinary laundering with laundry detergent will remove urushiol from most clothing,[14] but not from leather or suede.[citation needed] One home remedy includes laundering clothes with Fels-Naptha

-----The fluid from the resulting blisters does not spread poison oak to others.

Willoughby

Social climber
Truckee, CA
Nov 18, 2013 - 02:27am PT
Great photos - can't wait to see the rest of them!

PS - Zanfel is a modern miracle.
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
Nov 18, 2013 - 03:22am PT
I still can't believe you made it all the way out there and to the flake on the fly like that Ying! So glad you did!
Paul Martzen

Trad climber
Fresno
Nov 18, 2013 - 11:51am PT
You sure got some great photos, Micronut. Interesting that my photo above is taken about the same time as your last photo, just above it, with climbers in the same positions. Where did you go to get that view? Oh, you must have been on your way out to get the barbecue going?
Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber
San Francisco
Nov 18, 2013 - 01:20pm PT
First annual BALCH Fest 2013 was A LOT OF FUN! Thanks to everyone who worked on making a trail, contributed food, stories, and their presence. I liked it a lot to be honest. Ratio of hours driven to pitches climbed was lowest I had in a few years but amount of fun I had was through the roof. AND I am sore and beaten like a dog after that OW thing. My abs are sore, my ribs are bruised, my back is bruised, there is a nice skin tear on my right elbow, my legs are covered in bruises, and waiting for poison oak to kick in! Never climbed an OW that was so sustained for so long. This one and other three OWs/chimneys there look like a lot of fun. Jaybro, congrats with a FFA of it, it is a gem of a climb. Even though it deserves a lot of traffic, I am happy the approach and lack of beta keeps the crowd away. I was stoked to do a third ascend of the route with Christina (great lead of the crux pitch!). Even though I did the whole route clean, I have to come back to lead the first pitch to get the full value experience. First pitch is so long and sustained that by the time I got to the last 30 feet my left hand (which I used to pull on the edge) was fried. There was a good jug right under the belay station, and I couldn’t use it! It was pretty comical. There were several other people who tried the route on TR and got a good workout (I think list includes Hunter, Aaron, Alexey's wife and Yolav at least). And Alexey/Jaybro climbed the route prior to us. The pitch takes a long time so only about two parties a day can do the route. The length is like 4-5 PGSF OWs stacked on each other for the first pitch. It is wild. But again there are 3 other BIG OW/Chimney routes that deserve traffic.
I forgot my camera and did not take photos, but thanks to those who did. I will post a photo of my leg soon. Some SICK bruises! Thanks for great shots of Christina and I on the flake. And photo of me leading Dracula crack is awesome too. I’d love to go back and do some more exploring so we could have more info on other routes by BALCH fest 2014!
okie

Trad climber
Nov 18, 2013 - 04:38pm PT
Thanks to Micronut for putting his energy into organizing this. It was a really special happening that wouldn't have been a reality without his vision.
What went down on the flake speaks for itself. I was just glad to finally make it to this awesome piece of natural architecture even though time didn't permit a top rope thrashing.
I was inspired by the old and new generation coming together and the obvious talent that was assembled. A veteran star still led the way, even blazing a trail through the jungle for the next generation.
I don't know what Eleazarian put in that pilaf, but if the feds figure out the recipe it'll be made illegal cause it was seriously the new crack.
When young Jim (name correct?)told me at the fire that he had been up and down soloing on A Passionate Life because the gear would've gotten in the way and a harness would have just chafed him this information blew my mind. Sounds like this apparently fearless and visionary dude topped out the next day from the inside looking out...???
Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber
San Francisco
Nov 18, 2013 - 05:17pm PT
Third person on top was Luke. He mini traxed the route. Jim did some cool bouldering at the base of the other side and explored the wall further. I saw him scrambling to the top of some other flake further down when I walked to the far left side of our flake.
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
Nov 18, 2013 - 06:00pm PT
What Okie said on that Pilaf! Wish I had some now!

And Vitaly's gram's Napoleon!!
Messages 121 - 140 of total 160 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
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