This is my first post since joining the Five Ten Team, so here's a run down of what I've been up to this fall and winter. September I headed back up to Squamish for the start of the school year. September and October continued a stretch of amazing weather in the Pacific Northwest, which allowed for a ton of climbing in Squamish. I got on the amazing Eurasian Eyes, a 5.13 knife edge arete climb about a third of the way up the face of the 2000 foot tall chief.

At the end of September, I went to Horne Lake on Vancouver Island for the first time. Despite living somewhat close to it for the last year, I had never checked it out. Upon arrival, I was blown away by the quality of climbing there. The main crag features a massive limestone cave, with a 50 foot roof on one side and about an 80-90 foot roof on the left side. It is unique in the fact that it is probably the best, steepest limestone sport climbing for hundreds and hundreds of miles. The limestone has amazing features, with huge stalactites, pockets, and tufas. I did the excellent Globetrotters (13d) while there, and I have already planned to go back in May.

After September and October in Squamish, I headed to Souther Colorado for November and December for an exchange at Colorado Springs. I left Squamish at a perfect time, right when the rain was beginning to fall. In Colorado, apart from 2 days of snow, I saw no precipitation for the whole 2 months I was there. As someone used to the Pacific Northwest's unyielding rainy winters, this absolutely blew my mind. I was able to get out climbing a ton while there. In my first weekends there, I explored Newlin Creek, sending the high, absolutely beautiful Walk Softly (v9), the massive Jacques Cousteau (v11), and getting the likely 2nd ascent of the overhanging bulge of Like Thieves (v12, but maybe easier with my beta?). I also got a chance to check out Matthews Winter Park, Ute Pass, Shelf Road, and Thunder Ridge. At Thunder Ridge, I tried one of the coolest projects I've ever been on, a perfect 45 degree face with a number of perfect rail features cut into it. It's probably in the v14 range, and I would love to get back and try it.

Now that my time in Colorado is done, I returned to Seattle for a few days, and quickly left for my first trip to Asia! I am actually in Hong Kong right now, and Friday I leave for Thailand to go sport climbing and deep water soloing. I'm excited to continue the 6 month spree of sunny climbing that I've had before I return to Squamish in January. Thanks to all the people that I've climbed with in the past few months, especially those that have shown me around (Mike Foley, Max Krimmer, Julian Kraus Polk). In terms of future plans, theres a bunch of new boulders I really want to check out when I get back to Squamish. After I leave Squamish in May, I will probably try to make a trip to Smith Rock and Horne Lake again, then later in the summer the plan is to head to either South Africa or Spain. I'll be shooting a bunch more pictures and video on all these trips.