"I got the mountains itching underneath my skin. It's been a LONG couple months away from any stone and New York didn't let me have it easy either. The winter festered and fathered my usual seasonal depression between the holidays and spring sun.

More-so, the hospital was an absolute pain in the a$$. Medical students are treated like dirt and unfortunately I got an ego the size of Mars. The two just don't mix. I get eternally frustrated when knocked down by nerdy residents over pointless points of care. At least I could look back on my Urban Climber Cover and relic in some good cold surgical movements I threw down earlier this year including first Ascent Mordecai (pictured) and repeats of Goldfish Trombone V14 as well as ample time spent out at Brooklyn Boulders, basically the most bada$$ training ground on this side of the country.

BUT alas, this past week brought a change in the weather as well as mood and after a good amount of time I saw the first pairs of long NYC legs from the kinder sex out and about. I'm pscyhed. Just two more weeks and I'll be back home amongst Amigos, Schats my car and real rock and mountains.

Damon Corso and I will shoot some for a Deadpoint article on the Sad boulders, and I have no doubt that enough angst and pent up anger and emotion will find me wayyy up onto some highball boulder. I got a few in mind. On a literary front, I put in a full feature to "Climbing," and you all better be psyched to see what 5.10's can do way in the backcountry on our FA's in the sequoia.

Trip number two to Hamilton Lake and the Sierra is being planned right now. So bear with me, just a few more days and we will all feel a little better with spring temps! with love and thoughts of legs and short skirts"

-Shawn Diamond

Click image to enlarge