WAGG Day 26 - Goes 73-75

9/24/17 AM Weight 186.8 AMRHR 57

Really only 2.5 goes, did all the moves on the first one, bailed halfway up on the second one, and two-hung on the third. All on TR.

WAGG Day 24 - Goes 69-70

Two more goes today. The first one was feeling really good, but my mind got in front of my body, and I was looking for holds that I was two moves away from getting to. The second go was much better, I climbed through the "crux" and ran out of gas a move-or-two later. Then I got right back on and climbed it to the top - it was a quick one-hang on TR, not my best go ever, but a damn good one. Can't wait to get back.

WAGG Day 23 - Goes 66-68

October 14th, 2016

A quick evening session, 3 goes total. Did all of the moves on each of the goes. Feeling the fitness return...slowly. It's hard to communicate just how good this line is. I mean, it's solidly 3 letter grades harder than anything I've ever climbed, even on a top rope, but it keeps me coming back for more. Sometimes I wonder if I'm wasting time on the thing, and should be building a bigger pyramid. Then I get on it, and the climbing is so good that I can't help but come back for another ass-kicking. Do yourself a favor, no matter what grade you're climbing and get on this thing - it's nothing short of amazing.

WAGG Day 22 - Goes 63-65

October 9th, 2016

It's been 5 months since my last go on Whiskey, and it felt go to take three goes on the thing. Also, a summer of poor conditions (maybe better stated as low-motivation) brought me to the table a little weaker than the last time. Still, I took three goes, and did all of the moves at least twice. This thing is hard, but amazing. I need to climb/train more, and I feel like I'm over a little period of burnout.

Tuesday Trifle

So I went up to the Monolith Bouldering Area at DL to start to sort some things out on MP because it was an unsorted mess. I ended up splitting what used to be titled Monolith Rocks into two areas East and West. While I was up there I ended up finding a bunch of problems that weren't on the site already - although I'm sure at least some of them have been done in the past.

So I added the following to the site:
Awkward Mushroom (V1)
Deep Doodoo Left (V0)
Deep Doodoo Right (V0)
Just Another Sick Old New Rig Left (V1)
Just Another Sick Old New Rig Right (V1)

The Just Another Sick Old New Rig problems might be new, might not, ultimately who cares? They're short fun and meaningless. I did shoot some video of them though:

Enjoy them if you get there!

WAGG Day 21 - Goes 59-62

May 7, 2016

It's been almost six months since I last gave Whiskey a try. A lot of things have kept me from it in that time, but it was good to be back. I have been training a lot for an upcoming mountaineering trip and NOT focussing on rock climbing strength. So, I was pleasantly surprised on my first go when I fell only a move below my best go to-date. Subsequent goes were less impressive, and my lack of training shined through. My big takeaways from the day are:

1. Whiskey a Go-Go is still amazing
2. I haven't lost as much strength as I thought, but I have lost some endurance
3. I am psyched to spend the summer and fall solely focussed on hard rock climbing and even bouldering (yes I said it).

The Socratic Method

Back in early April, I stumbled upon this:

It's tucked away in the hinterlands of Sauk County, and the access situation is complicated, so I'm not into posting it here for all the world to see. However, if you're reading, get in contact with me and I'll share its location and how to get good access. I called it The Socratic Method (WI2) - there's a hint to its location in the name if you care.

A Pitch or a Problem per Day - Psyched!

From my Mountain Project Profile

Sure it's loosely defined, but I'm pretty psyched that I'm over 365 for the year. Since I only tick "sends" the actual number is much higher. Leading Congrats with Matthew was the lucky number 365 for the year, and there are still 9 days left!

WAGG Day 20 - Goes 55-58

Well, this week was certainly better than last week. Aside from having a big day on the route (4 goes) I figured out some micro-beta that will help me further down the line.

On the first go, I was feeling pretty strong, but as I was reaching to the crux the rope obstructed the first side pull - the TR is starting to hold me back I think.

On later gos, I learned how important a finger's width is on the soapdish. Sometimes the move off the Gaston feels solid, and sometimes it feels questionable. The key is to move the hand one finger to the right(?) from what feels natural.

Such a good route!

WAGG Day 19 - Goes 52-54

In preparation for writing this entry, I took a look at the last two WAGG reports. I've been stagnating lately. This stagnation is the result of obvious reasons (excuses) which makes it somewhat tolerable and justified, but still frustrating and disheartening. Most of October I was either sick, or busy, or both. This meant only one night of action on Whiskey early in the month, and not much training to make up for the lack of physical presence. I spent the first day of November at Necedah, and took three goes on Whiskey. I think all of those goes were either two or three hang efforts on TR - not exactly progress, but hopefully the kick in the ass that I needed to spur me to better effort. I'll be back next Sunday and hopefully will see some improvement.

WAGG Day 18 - Goes 50-51

10/02/15

Negative progress. I met Seth up at Necedah after work last Friday. I took a pair of goes on Whiskey, but neither was very impressive. I was lazy the entire week before and can't say I deserved much more than I got. Anyway, I'll be psyched to get back up there and give it another go (or three) soon.

WAGG Day 17 - Goes 47-49

9/20/15

Jay and I went right back to Necedah after Friday's attempts. We had a huge crew there, and we got a lot of climbing done, although most of mine was done on Whiskey. I took a total of three goes this time, and they were very encouraging. The first was a TR go that took me to my highest point yet from the ground, falling only 2-3 moves from the top - I was psyched. A while later I decided to give it a shot on lead, and went bolt-to-bolt after the first 2-3 bolts. The third and final go of the day was another TR go, and I made it within a move or two of the top, bettering my earlier go. It was heartbreakingly close, but it would have to wait. I tweaked my left pinky a bit on this last go, and I plan on taking a break from Whiskey for a couple weeks - hopefully I don't lose too much.

WAGG Day 16 - Goes 45-46

9/18/15

Jay is back in town for a bit and we snuck up to Necedah for the evening. I took a couple TR goes on Whiskey. The first one of the night I climbed through the crux to a new high point from the ground. My core felt solid in the crux, so the shift in training regimen is paying off. I used the rest of that go and almost all of the next to try some new beta between bolts four and five. The beta I've been using is a little scary on lead because my feet were getting all jacked in the rope above bolt four. The potential new beta is promising, but it needs to have the kinks worked out.

WAGG Day 15 - Goes 42-44

09/13/15

It has been more than three months since the last time I was on Whiskey. I spent the summerr away because humidity sucks for hard rock climbing, and I was doing so much cardio getting ready for the Tetons. It was good to get back on the route last Sunday, I took three real goes on the thing, all on TR. I managed to one hang it on TR again, so at least I haven't lost anything since June.

The route felt good, but my core gave out in the crux, my arms and fingers felt solid, so its core focus on the training plan from here out.

Throwin' it Back to "Living the Dream" Last Summer

Last summer my good friend Phil and I went on a climbing trip to the Bighorn Mountains in Wyoming. You can revisit that post if you'd like, or you can just enjoy some of the photos set to music in the video below.

Wyoming 2015

A Quick Note from the Tetons

I've been in the Jackson area for a little over 24 hours now. I landed in SLC Friday night about 10pm Mountain. Jon picked me up at the airport, and we drove for a few hours before crashing at Allred Flat Campground in the Bridger-Teton National Forest. The next morning (yesterday) we finished the drive in the morning, and checked in the American Alpine Club Grand Teton Climbers' Ranch (GTCR).

The weather was questionable at best, Jon wanted a nap after a long week of working the Outdoor Retailer Show - I wanted to breathe some thin air and get myself a little acclimated. So Jon napped while I carried a light pack to the Lower Saddle and back. When I got back, we had dinner and spent some time hanging out in the GTCR Library with the other climbers staying there. Sitting around the fire, swapping stories, looking at photos from a Liberty Ridge trip. Sitting in that room, surrounded by stocking-footed (no shoes allowed in the library) climbers and artifacts from well-over a century's worth of climbing I felt I was surrounded by close friends, despite only knowing one other person in the room. One of climbing's greatest strengths, and pulls for me is the community of people it brings together.

This morning Jon and I were both slow to rise from our bunks, but the fog was slow to lift from the valley too - so it didn't matter. Mostly it's been a slow day of resting, eating, and getting our kit put together for the next two days. We plan on starting up Teewinot tonight around 2am en route to do the Grand Traverse over the next two days. We had hoped to get a warm-up route in beforehand, but the weather looks questionable later in the week - so we'll use the two days of good forecast to go for it.

Cross One Off the List!

I love Thoroughfare, and I have loved it since the first time I climbed it on a top-rope close to a decade ago. At that time, if anyone would have asked if I would ever lead it, or any 5.11 trad route for that matter, I would have told them they were crazy! Even my considerably bolder early-twenties self would have thought leading 5.11 on gear was unlikely - I just did not have the mindset, commitment, or process that I do now. Latching the jug you see me holding in the picture below, is the result of over a year-and-a-half of hard work, dedication and commitment to a process. Two years ago this was an impossibility, and last night it became a reality - it won't land me in any of the mags next month and #Thoroughfare won't be trending on Twitter anytime soon, but I accomplished a goal I was not even aware that I had until recently and considered impossible up until a few months ago. There is no secret to doing this, and I really believe anyone can do it...set a goal, create a plan, and work the plan. It will take sacrifices along the way, but that moment, where you blow so far through any prior expectations you could have conceived of for yourself, is worth every bit of sacrifice along the way - the smile on my face speaks for itself.

James Schroeder, hitting the jug at the end of the difficulties on Thoroughfare (5.11a) at Devil's Lake - Jay Knower Photo

WAGG Day 14 - Goes 40-41

06/10/15

It's been three weeks since the last time I was up at Necedah, and truth be told, I had pretty much written Whiskey off until the fall when conditions came back around. But when Charles texted me last Saturday to see if I'd meet him up there last night, I couldn't miss the opportunity. A couple days later Nate texted to see if I wanted to meet up and I told him to join Charles and me.

Soloing

I was just looking over my last few posts, and there were a couple in a row there that might be taken as glorifying soloing, and maybe they do, but ultimately they should not. Soloing is a dangerous activity, with all, or virtually all, of the marbles on the line, mistakes can, and do, kill soloists. A quick perusal of the statistics section of the American Alpine Club's annual Accidents in North American Mountaineering (ANAM), will show you that the number one contributory cause to climbing accidents is "Climbing unroped" - climbing without a rope is dangerous.

The point is this; no one should climb without a rope, but people do, and sometimes they fall and die, or become vegetables, or quadriplegics - that is the reality of soloing. If you're even considering whether or not it's a good idea, I can tell you that it isn't. While it's not a good idea, people still continue to do it for any number of reasons, and on a wide variety of terrain - hopefully those people have carefully weighed the risk vs. reward and made their decisions based on years of experience.

If you're a new climber and soloing seems enticing, realize that you probably don't have the experience to make that judgement, or get yourself out of trouble if it arrives. If you're under 25, then you don't have a fully-developed capability for parsing risk vs. reward. In other words, if you're young and new to climbing you have absolutely no business soloing.

Okay, that's my two cents for the day...carry on.