 CONTENTS #40 > July 2010
FEATURES IN THIS ISSUE: Thanks California - Damon Corso takes us through the Golden State's bountiful and beautiful boulders; Flatirons Renaissance - Andy Mann's photo essay shows off the resurgence of bolting and route development in the Flatirons above Boulder, Colorado; Faces of Climbing - Andrew Burr reminds us of the first thing we see and the last thing we forget; DEPARTMENTS: 411 - Earth Treks Roc Comp results; CORE review; Show Us Your Woody Winner; Drive - John Dickey and Caroline Treadway; Workshop - A peek at a pro photog's packing list
 COIN #41 - Brooks-Range Mountaineering Alpini Mountain Anorak
About 15 years ago, Matt Brooks wasn’t satisfied with the choices available for ski rescue equipment. Thinking they were too large and cumbersome (an absolute no-no in the backcountry), Brooks started to develop his own equipment for his job as a Certified Mountain Guide and officer of the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA).
10th Annual Flagstaff TRASH BASH
The 10th Annual Flagstaff TRASH BASH will be happening on Wednesday, September 8, 2010, and you know it will be raining booty. So mark your calendar, recruit/brainwash some friends, and head up to the summit to pick up trash, eat dinner, drink beverages, and walk away with the goods. The trash cleanup starts with the raffle sign-up around 5 p.m. (after work) at the Flagstaff Mountain Summit. To get there, go about three miles up Flagstaff Road, take a right on Flagstaff Summit Road, and drive to the Flagstaff Summit parking lot. Look for “The Stone Shelter” to the west of the lot.
Climbers Buy Index Lower Town Wall
9/2/10 - The Washington Climbers Coalition (WCC) announced today that it has succeeded in its campaign to buy the Index Lower Town Wall, a premier rock climbing area near Index, Snohomish County.
Greener Grass Publishing Announces Pre-Sale of New Guidebook
8/25/10 – Greener Grass Publishing, the young publishing company which recently released the wildly successful first guidebook to Horse Pens 40, is announcing the special pre-sale price for their newest guidebook Stone Fort Bouldering to be released at the beginning of October 2010.
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 The Urban Climber Abridged Climbing Almanac
Some time ago, we (and you, we imagine) started climbing. Despite its intrinsic simplicity and the feeling you get (oh the feelings — a rope in your fingers, snugging the laces or Velcro on a tight pair of shoes, clipping the chains, pressing out the mantle on a tough boulder, etc.), climbing as a culture is infinitely complex. The people, the social rules, and all that emotion. Whoever thought a bunch of unfeeling hunks of stone would cause so much emotion? C’est la vie. Así es la vida. Amen.
 Jimmy Webb
For those that think the best climbers live in Colorado or California, meet Jimmy Webb. At 22, this good ol’ Tennessee boy is crushing in Colorado country, leaving no boulder unclimbed. His most recent ascent of Jade (only its seventh) and suggestion for downgrading the problem has Webb making waves in the climbing community. Not to mention his guerrilla sending tour of the West’s best problems, including The Automator (V13) and Top Notch (V13), both of Rocky Mountain National Park.
 "First Ascent: The Series" Trailer
Video by Sender Films - The first ever ropeless climb of Yosemite’s sheer 2,000 foot wall of Half Dome. The longest BASE jump achieved, from the infamous Eiger Nordwand. A tragic expedition to the lost peaks of Western China. These are just a few of the amazing feats and personal journeys featured in the First Ascent Box Set.
 BD athletes Sonnie Trotter and Alex Honnold in Mexico: Part 4
Video by Black Diamond Equipment - This is the fourth and final video in a four-part series about Sonnie Trotter and Alex Honnold making the first one-day ascent of Logical Progression, a 28-pitch 5.13a route on El Gigante in Mexico's Basaseachi National Park. Trotter wrote the following about this final video: "This last clip is hilarious..."
 Workshop #41 - Start the Send Train
So it’s that time again. Another weekend warrior sesh on the ol’ project, eh? Projecting hard routes can start to feel like you never left work. Throwing yourself at the same moves over and over again can fatigue the mind and body, causing a serious lack of gusto and putting a damper on your weekend retreats. If you’re ready to mark that route off your list of things to do, check out some Beta from a few top climbers.
 Entourage #41 - August 2010
MELISSA STRONG: Though she moved to Estes Park, Colorado 14 years ago, Melissa Strong had never been on rock until 2001. “I felt as though I needed to make a few changes in my life,” the Massachusetts native says. COLETTE MCINERNEY: “I guess I just had no fear in the beginning,” says Colette McInerney, 28, of the start she got climbing in the Gunks and around New York during her freshman year of college. “I remember barely clawing my way up some V2 highball my first year of climbing when that was my max ability.”
 The Paper Stars
“I think the word these days is Americana, which is kind of vague, but that’s what I’ve been told we’re classified as,” says Tres Altman, frontman for Colorado-based band The Paper Stars. Around since 2000, the Stars have only released a seven-song EP, though a new album is due out this fall. The band has been a staple in the Boulder area, with their most recent big show opening for The Avett Brothers at the Boulder Theater, but Altman’s recent move back to his home state of North Carolina to be closer to family signals a shift for the band.
 SUYW #41 - August 2010
Steve, Jacob, and Harrison Lane (father, son, son, respectively) recently moved from beautiful Alaska to the flatlands of Florida, possibly the state with the least amount of outside climbing. Unfortunately, the local climbing gym was closed mostly during weekends, and the vibe didn’t quite match the family’s enthusiasm. Hence the project of turning a two-car garage into a rockin’ climbing gym.
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