Lecture in Neptunes Boulder, Stevie Haston.

Gozo overhang, look behind at those walls!

 This is just a reminder that Iam doing a lecture at Neptunes on thursday the 3rd!

 Mike Becks comp in Salt Lake.

 Visiting the States was good. It all reminds me how much climbing I'ave done here over the years, and the friendship, and generosity of so many climbers and friends. Thanks to you all.

 Crossing the Creek.

All the granit, all the sandstone, all the peace.
The texture of the rock! My hand has just healed after Vee Da Voo, wicked rock, wicked cracks, fun isn't the right word perhaps! Will have to come back, wasn't fit enough to do anything really. Just fit enough to enjoy it all.

The texture of rock is such an amazing thing, this is wood of course, but you will find bits of sandstone just like this.

As we read rock through our finger tips, what do we understand? A simple message, we are alive, we need to stretch our span to the top, and see some thing real, to feel more. At Flagstaff last night we had a picnic in a rumbling thunder storm, a little family enjoying the rocks. It was good. 

Colorado High Country, by Stevie low Haston.

 the Diamond facet.

As a PS to my last little blog, I thought I would show you what Boulder does have extra, it is neat as the Yanks might say! The Diamond rock face finishes at nearly 14,000 feet so is alpine without the snow. As a day out it is a full day, with a good tiring four hour approach, and a 2 and there quarters bone jarring decent. In-between are lots of pitches. If you can climb hard routes on the Diamond, you can climb hard routes in Chamonix. 

friction slab on perfect granit. photo Jonah Lefkoff.

 Today we took a softer option, and went above Lilly Lake, a sublime pastoral scene with a soupçon of smoke from forest fires to the west.  As a family we did some friction slabs, which were fun thanks to the cooler temps of altitude, and the roughness of the rock. 

Boys being boys.

Two young boys with two older boys (us) enjoying every thing that is right.

the Edge of time, a Charlie Fowler gift. photo Jonah Lefkoff

 The route of the cliff is the guidebook cover shot and is a must do. It's a Charlie Fowler route of great dignity, just like the man himself. Charlie and his wife went missing in China never to be seen again, a sorry day indeed!

Boulder versus SaltLake, by Stevie Divided Haston.

Prof Steve Downs at the Front in Salt Lake.

So I spent a bit of time in Salt Lake for the Outdoor show, and then slowly made my way to Boulder. Just like there's only two kinds of music in America (Country&Western), there's only two towns for me! There's Boulder, and there's Salt Lake!

The Front is increasing, along with more climbing gyms you can shake a stick at!

You're probably gonna say, 'there's tons of great towns in the US of A', and there are. But there's only two towns were you got great bouldering, sking, climbing, and  other essential stuff like a great climbing community, and friends.

 A proper rack.

How you can be rubbish in either town is impossible for me to understand, but then again in comparison to lots you will be. The bewildering talent in both towns is embarrassing! 

A fellow climber.

Between Salt Lake and Boulder lies the Desert, and of course Towers of Dreams. I probably won't do any this trip cos I am rubbish, and it's a bit hot. Towers, and Towers, stretching into the back of my head.

 Cindy with Davos.

I am staying with a friend called Kyle, and his family, and the other day we did the Third Flat Iron behind Boulder with his two boys, Jonah and Asher, Asher was doing it for his 10th birthday. It was simply brill, I felt proud to be part of the whole thing, a great route with good people.

 Boulder Rock Gym.

So the facilities in both towns is ridiculous, great climbing gyms, with a huge resevoir of fit young and old people. Some people have lived in both towns. Can't make your mind up? I never could. Powder is better in Utah, booze is cheaper in Colorado, if you like Puff it's legal in Colorado. Boulder's got the Diamond!

Boulder Rock gym.

How weak I am, in the gym you cannot hide, you can run on the treadmills, but you can't hide, half the man I was. I didn't even need friends, robot belaying system allowed me several routes! Managed a few weighted pull ups, which didn't impress, but my flexibility still gets a pat on the back from the Yoga folk! Is Flag staff bouldering better than Little Cotton Wood? That's my final question! No, one more bonus question, is there a better climbing shop than Neptunes in Boulder? With it's mini museum of rock memorabilia, and it's host of brilliant slide shows over the years, my answer is, it's a great venue one of the best! Hope I can talk about something on the 3rd!

Lecture in Boulder coming up soon, by Stevie Haston.

bring these to slide show.

So I am going to do a lecture in Neptunes in Boulder, be there or be square, please bring a designated driver!  It's gonna be on the 3rd of September, but I want to see some mates, so get permission from your old age homes, and mental institutes!  Today I just did the third Flatiron with two of my mate Kyles boys, it was a very rock climbing in the west kinda day. A tenth birthday present, not bad at all, low seventies, it was cool. 

deer and a bit of serenity at the Voo.
 America means a lot to me, spent years here now that I come to think about it, and given a few memorable lectures. Got the bums rush outta the Banf Festivel for causing a  slight storm in a tea cup, and caused a similar stir in Ouray.

 Nathan.

Was talking about Hot Henry Barber, the yank who came to Britain in the seventies, and changed our out look on climbing. Theres the Boulder crew and theres the SaltLake crew, there were two Magazeens that fuelled lots of climbing now there seems to be one mag and a pamphlet for new bees. But theres always climbing. And the States has played a big part in it from the Gunks to Yossa Mite as we brits like to call it.

Voo rash.

Don't catch this, it hurts when you eat  and spill Mexican food!

Veedavoo impressions, by Stevie impressed Haston.

So after some interesting times in Salt Lake found myself traversing the high desert towards Veedavoo. Wide open spaces, cloudscape galore, and a powerful erge to go back in time to a more primitive time overtook me. The desert turned into dry grassland with cows, and a sprinkling of Antelope, which were cute as hell. Veedavoo is a made up name, so I have taken liberties with it's spelling, Veedavoo means a lots of things to many people, but to me it means joy. It's a Zen garden of rocks and people, with a good vibe! Leave your ego behind, and enjoy the stiff grades, the barbarity of the cracks, and the pain.

A smallish rack! There were lots of huge pieces, some of the cracks are exclusively giant pieces! You get fit here as well as humiliated.

This is a photo with Jay Anderson, who is one of the daddies of Off width climbing, in my hand is a Valley Giant, a great bit of kit, not many to the pound!

 Bumped into old friends Crusher and Strappo, with their younger stronger and more enthusiastic friends, oh to be young and easy under the apple boughs. There was a 20 year old project called Strappos Strap on, which got some attention, and might finally get an ascent.

Left Torpedo, grade unknown, with a nice lad from SLC doing the deed.

I got stuck into the cracks, found them hard after not doing any for ages, and it's the same as it ever was, pain. I like them cracks, all sizes, and hopefully I will do a few in the next couple of weeks. Thanks to Nathan Smith and Liberty Mountain, look out for some of Nathans photos they are very good.  

Training facts, training nonsense. By Stevie Haston.

 You know I am interested in training and training facts, jee -one might even think I'am a training nerd!
So it's with supreme regret that I pick a so called fact which seems a tadge optimistic. Most training books only possible use, is to be put in a bag, and used for weight in weighted pull ups, or squats!

 In alpinism it's fairly important to be strong in going uphill fast, or reasonably fast, or turbo fast! So here we have a claim that Messner could do a vertical I km in 30 mins! And a very long time ago! To my knowledge many of the worlds best athletes in ski mountaineering, or hill running cannot achieve this time! Thats today! Not 35 years ago.  Interesting.

 As a crucial fact, or as a mark in Alpinism it seems silly, and weird that this mistake is in! Or was it a serious claim?  How did it get passed the serious proof readers? 

This book is interesting as it has various essays written by good alpinists, and let's say others of a lesser, or much lesser ability. Some of these essays are interesting despite the writers poor athletic abilities. It weighs 4 lbs, and is fairly expensive. I recommend it for doing calf raises.
 I know Messner, and few others climbers are beyond any kind of question, but I find this fact unpalatable, just as I found Rich Simson's claim of doing a mile in under 4 mins very hard to swallow.  I am now going to the Himalayas so please address your vitriol there.

Salt Lake fitness scene. by Stevie Haston.

Diet is very important! Training is super important, so how come I am living on beer, and just done a huge sandstone slot canyon in Zion?
Dunno! Fun?

The USA is staggering in certain places, and is a major source of wonderment to me. I have been surrounded by friendly people who have helped me immensely. So I thank them here, all the folk at Liberty Mountain, thank you.

 Sorry for the gratuitous so called funny photos, but I can't resist. Was in a Mexican restaurant, food arrived late, all mixed up, it was a Cheach and Chong film. Being in such a relaxed atmosphere is good for me, but I am in danger of getting too relaxed, so will start training, I promise. 

Had a good day at Maple with some nice folk, I did seven pitches in the end, which seemed hard after the 20 mile hike in Zion, and the 21 abseils. Maple was full of lots of fit people climbing well, it was inspiring. Thanks every body.

Salt Lake Show, by Stevie 'there' Haston.

the lost castle of my desires, can't wait to get back to you!

Am at the Salt Lake Show, been travelling working, now a bit sizzled on beer. Had a very Ok day with more than nice people who have reaffirmed a lot about the good in people. Heres a shout for Matt who helped me keep my cool when I couldn't get the internet to work in the Sheriton hotel, when obviously it works ok in Outer Mongolier -is that how you spell it?

 10 dollars$ for a  a great biner, and the money goes to the Access Fund, can't loose, buy one and feel good!

The Salt Lake show, what can I say, come and see me at Liberty Mountain Stand, they been kind enough to bring me over, they do good work, they are great people, and provide a good service. Lots of good gear every where etc.

 Will Mayo, maybe I climb with him in Veedavoooooo next week, good mixed climber, nice guy.

 Signing Ice axes with the Axe Man!

Maybe its time we had a flag for us climbers, and not the Jamican one.

 going out for beers, cheers! 

To Be happy, by Stevie sometimes happy Haston.

 Not Cecil the Lion.

The world is weird, the world is beautiful by turns. People are good, people are bad by turns. It's all a bit much most of the time, so I hide within my sport, I hide on a small island, and then I retreat into caves within the rock.  Some of my friends have purposely not bred, they have left no progeny, is this the answer? Well clearly not, you will only leave what's left to the trophy hunters, so be happy and multiply, be fruitful even. But please don't have children who throw empty beer cans into the ocean with the plastic six pack thingy.

 my own personal bat cave here I put my many moraled- coat on, and become a rock vigilante.

 So I am in a hotel with a day to kill, it's breakfast time, and I am listening to Italian rap, not on purpose of course, but you'r force fed it with the shitty cake. You can only say one thing in favour of Italian rap-it's easier to understand-they actually pronounce words- surprise!

 view opposite moronic company in afore mentioned italian hotel.

Be happy the song says, it's a fairly funny video, so I smile, and even take note, even though the 'singer' looks like he's a chemical experiment.  I attempt to be happy, I then attempt to be happy harder, it's not working. Then I push and pull really hard, I really try to be happy, and nothing happens! So I think 'foookit', I'll do unhappy pull ups.

 I set up some belay rings, and did finger hangs!!!! Not recommended, but possible efficacious.

 I did some yoga, and some pull ups, and arrived at that place 'east of Happy and west of sadness', you been there?

my portable pull up thing, it will get confiscated tomorrow by some one protecting me from evil at the airport!

More is not necessarily better, even with pull ups. How many trophies do we each need? How much food can we put around our selves before we realise we can feed some one else? The world is awful at the moment, and is probably at a moral tipping point, it's not the last rhino or Lion we need to worry about, it's our lack of concern for anything,  and anyone that doesn't gratify our greed. Tomorrow I fly to America, the Salt Lake Show, and friends, I will be happy, they are not all animal stuffing dentists, most of them climb, and they are mostly very kind.