I have my friend Kathrin to thank for introducing me to rock climbing. Even though she lived in Germany, from 1995-1997, she would write me virtually every other day about her adventures on rock — enough that I’d try it myself in 1998. From then on, I was hooked.
 on The Boulderado crag in the Boulder Canyon. "Climbing past the crux of Qs (5.9+) on The Boulderado crag in the Boulder Canyon.")
Anita and Derek had returned to Fort Collins after living in Hawaii for half a year, so what better way to celebrate than to return to the activity in which we first met: rock climbing. With the weather turning warm over the three-day weekend, we piled into Derek’s car and headed over to Boulder Canyon to do a few outdoor climbs. Continue reading »
 and Love It or Hate It (5.11b). It probably was not a good idea. "Here in the Chamber area of the Palace, I attempted to lead The Rack (5.10d) and Love It or Hate It (5.11b). It probably was not a good idea.")
After not climbing outdoors with Tori for 2.5 years, here we were climbing in aire libre for the second time in two months. It was even at the same area in the Poudre Canyon just north of the snow-melted waters of the Poudre River: the Palace. Continue reading »
“If you go climbing outside tomorrow with Derek,” Tori wrote, “can I join you guys?”
Even though Tori has lived full-time in Colorado for over a year now and we’ve dinked around on plastic more times than she’d care to admit inside the local gym, we hadn’t climbed outdoors together in our adopted Rocky Mountain state until now. In fact, the last time we climbed together in aire libre was in March 2007 when we were in Boquete, Panama. That was 2.5 years ago. How odd. Continue reading »
“On the east side of the Horsetooth Reservoir, there are lots of world-class bouldering,” I remember telling a friend, citing this as the stomping grounds of bouldering legends John Gill and Jim Holloway. “But unfortunately, there are almost no rock climbing routes.”
Turns out I was wrong. In fact, there were enough toproping opportunities next to the reservoir to satisfy our inner Spidermen for an entire afternoon. This was a happy “discovery” since Horsetooth is much closer to where I live in Fort Collins than any other outdoor rock climbing location I know of in Northern Colorado. In fact, after attending the Fort Collins Running Club’s annual picnic in Cottonwood Park, I was able to ride my motorcycle to the first place we climbed at — Rotary Park — in a mere five minutes. Continue reading »
Most people spend Friday night in the following ways: having a nice dinner, downing a beer at a bar or club, driving to the movie theatre or staying home and watching television. Or so I imagine. It’s just that my friends and I have never been accused of being “normal,” which probably explains why on the last workday of the week we can usually be found hanging 40 feet above the ground with white chalk on our hands and, sometimes, other body parts. Continue reading »
 on Happy Hour Crag. "Getting ready to lead Dementia (5.10a) on Happy Hour Crag.")
I had just returned home from a fun Friday night of indoor climbing when I received a last-minute invite from my friend Derek. It was to do some outdoor climbing in Boulder Canyon, CO. As I had only managed to get outside and climb on one other occasion earlier this year, I happily joined in despite the rather short notice. Continue reading »
