The Mountain Culture

Climbing Archives

Trip Report: Hueco Tanks

Posted by Chuck Fryberger on February 14th, 2008

Sending.Not too many words for this one on Hueco Tanks.

We went, we climbed, we had fun.

Photo courtesy of Andy Mann. The photo is me sticking the crux move of Barefoot on Sacred Ground, a V12 in Hueco.

Chuck Fryberger is a Cloudveil Ambassador and frequent contributor to The Mountain Culture.

The Screaming Meemies, another joy of ice climbing.

Posted by Scotty Wood on January 24th, 2008

I think it was last summer that I was telling a friend about the “Screaming Meemies” (A.K.A. the Screaming Barfies) and how bad they suck and how I thankfully haven’t gotten them in a few years. I totally jinxed myself. The Screaming Meemies happen when you over-grip your ice tools and all the blood rushes out of your hands as you climb. You’re hands feel like blocks by the time you get to the belay, you clip into the anchor, relax and then it starts. The blood rushes back into your hands and the short lived pain starts.

So in the past few weeks I’ve made the trek over to Cody, Wyoming a couple times with my buddy Brian Prax to get some of the great ice they’ve had this year. On our first climb, I had the pleasure of getting some of the Meemies and Brian had the pleasure of documenting it with his camera. So putting all ego aside, I put the sequence together and added commentary to this painful process know as the “Screaming Meemies”. So remember kid’s, DON’T OVER GRIP YOUR ICE TOOLS!
Oh the Joy
Photos courtesy of Brian Prax

Have you had them before?! Tell us about how you feel about ‘em!

Trip Report: Sultanate of Oman

Posted by Chuck Fryberger on January 21st, 2008

I’ve always been curious to know if new bouldering areas could be found by using Google Earth alone, and as it turns out, the answer is… sometimes.

I recently had the opportunity to travel to the Sultanate of Oman in search of some of the largest free-standing boulders I’ve ever seen. Read More »

Alpinist Film Festival: Four Nights, Two Days

Posted by Eddie Sender on January 16th, 2008

If films, celebs and beer don’t draw you to Walk Festival Hall, think of all the super hot volunteers. …

Surfers, backcountry skiers and climbers, says legendary surfer Chris Malloy, “we’re all just separated at birth.”

The 2008 Alpinist Film Festival (carbon neutral, courtesy of Patagonia) serves as a tribute to the passions that unite us all, regardless of our individual pursuits. Read More »

Ice Breaker Competition

Posted by Brian Prax on January 15th, 2008

Nate leads up gorgeous water ice.

The idea of participating in an ice climbing competition has always made me want to vomit. Tights, fruit boots, climbing the same man-made route with a fake dry-tooling woody to finish at the top, against the clock with pre-placed pro and draws, being videotaped with head-basher music in the background, a huge crowd: they all seem, collectively, to be the antithesis of ice climbing. Read More »

Mandolin Moment

Posted by Dan Long on November 8th, 2007

Ryan playing on top.

As Ryan and I drive towards Castle Valley, Ryan plucks a string or two on his mandolin then skillfully picks his way through the song my iPod deemed appropriate for the moment: the Last of the Mohicans movie theme. Read More »

A Great Day of Bouldering

Posted by Chuck Fryberger on November 5th, 2007

One of the best things that can happen to me when someone asks:
“Hey Chuck, how would you like a tour of this new area?”
My answer is always, of course, hell yes! Read More »