What I did on my summer vacation

My sister Pam, Ceci and Gaby on a walk around Starvation lake

I went to high school in a small town near Spokane, Washington and my parents spent their last decades living in and around the same area, so even though I moved to Salt Lake City to work and study at University of Utah for a seven year stretch before I left to Argentina in 1994, I still think of Spokane as a home to go back to. It's where I went to visit my folks when they were still alive and my sister continues to live in the forested hills up to the north. I hadn't been back since Mom died in 2011 and I hadn't seen my sister since she came to visit during my surgery in Ghent, in 2012, so I knew it was time to make a trip back to my origins.

Gaby, Ceci and I were able to take almost an entire month off, to make our summer vacation trip back to the USA.

During the first eight days of the trip we stayed a few nights in Spokane and for the rest of that time we stayed at my sister's house near Starvation Lake, in northeastern Washington.

Starvation Lake in northeast Washington

There was no climbing during this period, but we did go on some walks in the snow.

Gaby, Pam and Ceci on a hike around the lake

Then we flew down to Las Vegas to spend the next eight days at Red Rocks.

Is it any wonder this place is called Red Rocks?

We camped out

Our campsite at Red Rocks

and met up with some old, long-lost friends.

Mike, Joe, Ceci and Gaby together for some climbing and good times at Red Rocks

Of course we climbed

Climbing a 5.10 in the Black Corridor

Ceci top-ropes a steep 5.8

Starting up a 5.9

Higher up the same route

Gaby top-roping the 5.9

The end of a beautiful day

Joe styling a 5.9

Relaxed on a 5.10a

After eight days in Red Rocks we drove down to Prescott where my niece lives. There we met up with my sister, my great niece and my great nephew (both children of my sister's son). We spent six days in Prescott, where I managed to get out and climb two days with Gaby in the Granite Dells

Hiking in to climb at the Granite Dells

Gaby slab climbing in the Granite Dells

Gaby higher up on the same slab

Hiking between climbing sectors in the Granite Dells

Butt shot of Gaby climbing on a nice slab in the Granite Dells

I also managed to escape by myself and check out some boulders at Groom Creek one afternoon. All and all, over the whole summer vacation, I was able to climb 34 routes (32 onsights and two redpoints), of which 13 routes were 5.10a or harder. I also backed off a couple of other routes that wigged me out too much. In addition, I also climbed about six boulders (no crash pads, so I felt limited) at Groom Creek.

After our time at Prescott, we headed back to my sister's house to spend some time together as a family before finally making the long trip back to Argentina. 

Tim, Gaby, Ceci, Pam's husband Curt and my sister Pam out to dinner in Colville, Washington

Wrapping up the first year

A mellow day of climbing with family and friends last December in the Matrix

After having my hip resurfaced on February 4th, and then waiting about four months post-op to get back on the boulders, I'm happy to say that 2014 turned out to be one of my funnest years ever bouldering on La Barrosa. All and all I sent about 110 different problems, including a number of things I haven't been able to climb in a decade or more. One example is Techo Clásico, an entry-level V4, that I first climbed 18 years ago (soon after we moved to Balcarce) and haven't been able to do for a long time. Gaby managed to film me in December, on my second send for the year:

Climbing Techo Clásico in December

In terms of the bouldering areas on La Barrosa, the breakdown of my sends (and some of the more accessible projects on my "to do" list) goes like this:

The Middle Earth (an extensive bouldering area near the top of the north end of the sierra located beside a feature on the skyline locally known as El Mordisco). In this area I managed to send 21 problems, the highlight being a stout V3 traverse that I haven't been able in maybe 10 years or more. There are still gobs of accesible problems that I haven't done here, including five V3s and a couple of V4s. Below is a video where I'm climbing a V2 in the Middle Earth about 4 months post-op, on one of my first bouldering excursions after surgery.

A V2 boulder problem in the Middle Earth 

four months after surgery

The Usual Boulders (an area of small roofs and faces just below the cross on top of the north end of the sierra). In this area I also did 21 boulder problems. The highlight was a 17 problem day on the fourth of January that included two V3s which I hadn't done in a long time and the third recent send of a scary V2 arete. Oustanding projects include Not For My Body (V3) and Scrunch Girl (V4). Here is a video of me and Gaby doing Not For My Body some years ago (before the real hip problems set in).

Climbing Not For My Body back in the day

Techos de Mierda (a small roofy area just below the Usual Boulders). Six problems sent including a very stout V3 from my distant past and a cool new V2 which mainly involved figuring out the tricky sit start (it turns out there is a nice and not too hard solution). There are still three V4s, a V3 and a couple of V2s waiting for me to do.

El Huevo (a nice blocky area on the lower north end of the sierra situated about a third of the way up to the top). 20 problems climbed including a stout V3/V4 roof and a stretchy V2/V3 face traverse on a smaller block below the main area. Projects include El Huevo (V4) which I did in two parts and El Techo de La Morsa (V3).


Aracnofobia (a roofy area on the wooded west slope of La Barrosa). I did 11 problems in this area. The highlights include my first solo send (and second overall send) of a long V3 roof traverse (if someone is spotting they can move the pads along so there was a psychological factor for me on the solo send) and the completion, in two parts, of a long, hard V4 traverse (one of the hardest V4s on La Barrosa). Below is a video of me doing (for the first time) the second half of the V4 traverse. In order to get the send, I still need to link about 10 initial moves to the stuff I am climbing in the video. Linking this V4 traverse and getting the sit start to a short V3 problem are my immediate outstanding projects.

The second half of a V4 traverse near Aracnofobia

Boulder in the Bosque (up the hill from Aracnofobia). 10 problems completed. This is where Techo Clásico is. Another highlight was a V2 roof problem that has a hip intensive sit start (something else I haven't done in years). Projects include a couple of V3/V4 problems on a small boulder across from the Boulder in the Bosque and then stepping up my game to do a V5 roof problem that crosses Techo Clásico.

La Cabezona (about 150 meters up and north of the Boulder in the Bosque). 11 problems sent. A highlight was figuring out how to do a stout V3 traverse/face problem, which I still need to send in one go. Projects include the direct highball finish to a roof problem (V4) and a new face problem (V4?).

Gaby alongside the big boulder in the Costa Mosquito

The Mosquito Coast (a small area of boulders on the southwest base of the sierra). 7 boulders climbed. The highlight was climbing all seven problems in a day. Projects include a scary V4/V5 face (needs some cleaning on top) and a couple of V3/V4 traverses. 

Gaby and Ceci hiking into the Matrix

Besides all the bouldering, I did a little bit of roped climbing, sending maybe 50 or so routes, up to 11c in difficulty (I worked an 11d one day and managed the route with one hang, but no cigar). I suppose my weakest point was I climbed almost exclusively on La Barrosa. I made two trips to La Vigilancia (twelve routes climbed, up to 10d in difficulty)  one trip to Alpa Corral in Córdoba (five routes climbed up to 10a and a few boulders in a nearby town) and I climbed a few boulders in Sierra de Los Padres at the annual festival before I pulled a muscle in my lower back. Besides that I climbed 34 routes on La Barrosa (up to 11c in difficulty). Not bad for the first eleven months after resurfacing surgery, especially considering it came from an old fat guy who's already had revision sugery on his other hip.

The weather couldn't be better

Back in the bosque 

For the past couple of weeks the weather has been fantastic and I've been hiking and climbing almost everyday. Going back three weeks ago, on Sunday I went to the annual boulder festival in Sierra de los Padres, a really cool event that has been taking place for 15 years. Typically, what the organizers do is find an untapped area of boulders in Sierra de los Padres and prepare about 35 new problems for the festival. I've participated in maybe ten of these festivals and my aim has always been to try and do as many of the problems as I possible can. Since I've managed to get in pretty good climbing shape, I was hoping to tear it up at the festival, but life is not without irony. The day of the festival was cold and from the start I was fighting to send the short, stout boulder problems before I got a chance to really warm up. After doing three problems, I bent down to cuff up my pants and suddenly tweaked the muscles in my lower back (probably something to do with the psoas, I imagine). My back stiffened up quickly and I decided I'd better go home right away, before the pain in my lower back made it difficult to hike out. In spite of this problem, in just a couple of days my back was much better and by Wednesday I was outside for a solitary bouldering session.

The following Saturday I went back to the routes in the bosque of La Barrosa with local kid, Fede, and Gaby (who's not climbing at the moment). Fede wanted to have a go at a 5.11 he had tried on the day that I had managed to redpoint it, for the first time in years. .

Fede went back to send this 5.11 in the bosque 

Meanwhile, I thought it´s about time that I should try one of my old 5.11+ routes (Argentine/French 7a). It's been years (eight? or more?) since I've even tried anything so hard, so I was kind of nervous.

I'm thinking it looks kind of steep and hard, but at least it's short and I've done it before

The crux of the route is climbing past that small roof to grab the point up at the top

In the next photo I'm just below the small roof in the photo above. There are two draws on the bolt protecitng the crux because the gate of the draw underneath levers against the rock.

The chalk bag reveals the true angle of the climb

A big move to reach a good hold and clip the last bolt before the anchors

Get the clip

Now grab that hold and get the hell out of there!

After some work, I manage to climb the route with one rest. I was a bit shakey on the exit moves, but I was close to the send and with a little luck I think I can get it next time.

A week latter, I got out two days in a row to climb in the Matrix, on the south side of La Barrosa. This was my first time in the Matrix since my resurfacing surgery.

Climbing in the Matrix

The weather was absolutely perfect: sunny and cool with low humidity and the Matrix, frequently wet (at least some of the routes), was completely dry. I guess I sort of tore it up in the Matrix, sending 13 different climbs (including a new 10d/11a put up by a climber from Buenos Aires and an old 5.11 of mine which I haven't done in years) and then I finished the weekend working out the moves on a hard, new 5.11 roof problem. Martín and Analia showed up to climb with us on both days (after about a month absence) and we aso ran into "la Renga", a climber from Buenos Aires, who was accompanied by a small group of clients from his gym "Realization".

Getting ready to clip the first bolt on a 5.11 in the Matrix

Starting into the crux 

I managed to send this on my second try

Martín worked the route on top rope

My daughter Cecilia came along with some friends and had fun, but she isn't climbing at all, right now. It seems she's entered into adolescence and climbing with Dad just ain't cool anymore.

Ceci and friends goofing around in the Matrix

We also did two new climbs, put up recently by a climber from Buenos Aires. Both routes have three bolts to the anchors. The left hand route (facing the wall) is maybe 10b and requires continuous pulling on steep terrain. The other route is maybe 10+ or 11a with a tricky and powerful crux. 

Sending a new 10d/11a in the Matrix

This is the crux 

Nine months post-op

In the sector of boulders Aracnofobia, on La Barrosa 

October was a pretty good month. The weather mostly cooperated and I only had to train a few times in my home gym. The rest of the time I was able to get outside, sometimes three times a week (besides the weekends, I make time to climb on Wednesdays, typically bouldering alone for lack of partners). Except for one day when I went to a boulder fest at Sierra de los Padres (we'll hear about that latter), I climbed exclusively on La Barrosa.

A short 10c face route on La Barrosa

Here is a sequence of photos where I'm sending the second half of a V4 traverse problem in the sector of Aracnofobia. Maybe you remember from an earlier blog post how this problem, because of it's aggressive left heel hooks and compressed exist, almost put me in the hospital before my first surgery. Last month I managed to do the thing in two complete parts. However, I still haven't sent the whole problem without a rest, yet.

Getting into the start of the second half of the V4 traverse 

Reaching this hold is one of the bigger moves

That's my revised hip doing those aggressive left heel hooks

Look at what comes next

These are the same last moves as Aracnofobia

Revised hip compression

Getting that right foot up and onto the hold is another big deal for me. 

All and all, in the five months since I began bouldering after surgery,  I've sent around 85 different boulders, from V0 to V4, including a half a dozen problems that I used to do maybe eight years ago, but haven't been able to do since, because of hip problems. 

Another highlight was sending the following short, but stout 5.11. This is a route that I put up and (naturally) used to be able to do on a regular basis. However, once again, it's been about eight years since I've been able to climb it. 

Sending a short but tricky and physically demanding 5.11

The old fat guy getting the clip before entering the crux

Butt shot after the crux

That's all folks

Eight years after losing my abilities to hip problems, I'm back. 

In the nine months since my hip surgery, I've sent about 36 different routes; some onsights and some redpoints, even a little bit of trad climbing. Five of the routes were 5.11s, including a new 5.11 route in the sector of the Autodromo on La Barrosa (no photos) and the following route, which I had also redpointed last year.

Fede trying to redpoint a stout little 5.11 in the sector of the Bosque on Las Barrosa  

Fede on the crux moves. It took him two days of work to send this thing.