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Ethan Pringle taking down the Oliana classic JoeBlau 8C+ during his recent stint in Spain. Film and edit by Walker Emerson. Enjoy!
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—For the first time since moving down to the Bay I’ve been able to get out and revisit the Yosemite Valley. Heading out for a day-trip with Mark Heal and Max Zolotukhin was an excellent way to reconnect with this stunning area and remind myself why I’m here in the first place.
The past few months have been crazy. Settling into a new job, a new living situation, and wrestling with all of the decisions that come with such a change has been eating all of my time and energy. There just aren’t enough days in the week. I’m just now beginning to find a balance with work, life, climbing, and everything in between. My training as a setter is wrapping up and I’ll be transitioning to setting full-time through April, meaning that as of May 1 my schedule will be more stable and amenable toward trips. This comes with the huge benefit of 3 day weekends, opening up my schedule to get out and do what I love.
These past months have been spurring a lot of changes, one of the biggest being my shift in focus from bouldering toward route climbing, with trad and big wall being my major goal. While I still love hitting the blocks, after 3 years of nonstop bouldering I’m finding it difficult to fully invest myself into problems, both in terms of trying to finish things quickly as well as projecting. In short, it’s been hard for me to try hard. This, more than anything, is a blaring sign that a change is in order and I’m looking forward to rekindling some of the climbing skill sets that have fallen by the wayside.
New Post is Live for the Planet Granite Blog
Since starting as a Setter earlier this year I’ve also begun writing for the Planet Granite blog. My first post, sharing the experience of Mark Heal and Josh Horsley as they travel to Hueco, goes hand in hand with this post following Brian Hedrick’s recent Hueco trip. In both I’m trying to capture the feel of the process rather than just reporting successes. The lifestyle is what drives us and it seems like this is an aspect of the sport that often gets lost in coverage. My other goal was to make this material accessible to a readership that may not live and breathe climbing in the same way that some of the more die-hard dirtbags would. To that end I wanted to go beyond listing problems and talk more about what goes on in Hueco and some of the challenges surrounding access. Let me know how I did, feedback is always encouraged and it takes criticism for me to grow and learn from this process. Consider this an invitation.
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Some photos from a recent trip out to Castle Rock to tie you over until I can get some thoughts out onto paper. A lot has happened in the past few months since my move to the Bay, it’ll take a minute to organize everything into a coherent post. Stay tuned!
Photos: Primo David Rivera
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2012 Photo Recap: Half Dome from afar. Yosemite, CA. Shot on an Olympus OM-2S, 50mm 1:1.8, Kodak Gold 400.
2012 Photo Recap: Some morning coffee to warm the hands. Squamish, BC.
2012 Photo Recap: Jeff Hansen and Krista Hoff on the approach to Mickey’s Beach, CA.
2012 Photo Recap: Michael Donovan launching for a hold on Purple is Not a Color. Lincoln Lake, CO.
2012 Photo Recap: Winter hits Central Oregon. Smith Rock State Park, OR.
2012 Photo Recap: Jeff Hansen on The Grand Wall, Squamish BC.
2012 Photo Recap: Mike Donovan showing us what it’s all about. Lincoln Lake, CO.
2012 Photo Recap: Matt Pincus on Beyond Life, Joe’s Valley, UT.
2012 Photo Recap: Bryan Boyko taking a stroll through White Sands National Monument, NM.
2012 Photo Recap: Eliot Carlsen catching his groove on the The Grand Wall. Squamish, BC.
// A New Chapter//
As 2012 ebbs to a close, 2013 has already brought along some exciting changes. Setting the stage for the next chapter of my story, I’m proud to announce I’ll be joining the Staff at Planet Granite San Francisco, one of the Bay Area’s premier indoor climbing facilities. I’m also thrilled to be joining the Adidas Outdoor team, which is home to some of the top athletes in the sport. On both fronts, it’s an honor to be working with such gifted and passionate people and I’m keen to learn as much as I can over the coming months.
A map of all the places I’ve visited this past year
My December has been spent back at the home base in Bend, OR tying up loose ends from my 2012 roadtrip, which has officially come to an end. Clocking over 10,000 miles and lasting a solid 9 months, it’s been mind-boggling to think about how quickly that time has flashed by. In the midst of grad school applications, winter excursions out to Smith Rock, intense Bikram yoga sessions, and plenty of time catching up with old friends this has been the perfect way to wrap-up the trip and prepare for whatever comes next.
I’m ready to set down roots in San Francisco and have the opportunity to explore a new environment. After so much time on the road, living in a thriving metropolis like SF is going to be a great adventure and I’m looking forward to becoming part of the local community. I’ve already had a chance to meet some of the Bay Area crew during my travels and I’m confident I’ll be pushed to up my game as there are some very strong, very motivated crushers out there.
To celebrate the new year, I’ll be posting some of my favorite photos from this past season that haven’t made it on the site yet. Thanks for following along and cheers to a happy new year!
Evan Ludmer taking it all in between pitches on The Ultimate Everything, Squamish BC
Raised on a healthy diet of welded tuff and basalt, Chris began climbing at age 9. He competed throughout his childhood and on through college. Now back on the West Coast, he's climbing everything he can get his hands on.
Current Location: San Francisco, CA
