My body slide down 3 inches. I pushed it back up 3 inches. Then I slid again. I ate too many pies that summer and the infamous squeezing of the Harding Slot on Yosemite’s Astroman made it difficult to make upward progress. Yosemite guidebook author Chris Macnmara describes Astroman saying, “Astroman is one of the […]
On October 20 and 21th from 10 am until 4 pm, a group of local climbers will be organizing a raffle, free food and a chance to clean up the famous Indian Rock area. The climbing there is well known to Bay area boulderers. It’s been well documented as the place where Berkeley climbers developed […]
Recently, Touchstone route setter Jeff Hansen headed to Arkansas for the infamous 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell. He wrote a bit about his trip for the Touchstone blog. The last weekend of September, I traveled to the sandstone cliffs of Horseshoe Canyon Ranch in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas to participate in 24 Hours of […]
Last Sunday, the Children’s Hospital Adaptive Sports Program stopped by MetalMark Climbing. The climbing at the Fresno gym is an integral part of the program, which provides recreational and athletic experiences for those with disabilities. Based out of the Central Valley, the program takes disabled people of all ages and health impairments and encourages them […]
In late September, long time BIW member Deborah Georges completed the Ebbet’s Pass Century. The 100 mile bike ride takes some of the best roads in the Sierra Nevada. Georges wrote about her bike ride for the Touchstone blog. I spent an exhilarating day last Saturday taking on the challenge of the Ebbetts Pass Century! […]
In our monthly segment – 15 Minutes with the Doctor – Jason Bove of Sacramento Pipeworks sits down with a member to find out what makes them tick. Today, I was lucky enough to chat with long-time Member, Father, Grandfather, Husband, Climber, Outdoor Enthusiast, and recent Crossfit Participant…Mr. Victor Bonanno. Since 2002, and a couple […]
“Government shutdown. Yosemite National Park will be closed for recreating.” The loud speaker boomed up onto the granite walls. My partner and I rappelled into the middle of El Capitan’s Freerider at 6 am to work on free climbing the granite monolith. I managed to stick the crux boulder problem twice before the NPS loudspeaker […]
Often rock climbs come down to a single move- the crux of the climb. Being strong enough to get through the cruxes can be difficult. “if you cannot pull a single hard move, you have nothing to endure,” said Tony Yaniro, one of the founders of modern climbing training. Yaniro spoke of having power to […]
Want to help out at one of the best local climbing areas in the San Francisco area? On October 26 and 27th from 10 am until 4 pm, a group of local climbers will be organizing a raffle, free food and a chance to clean up the famous Indian Rock area. What is this Event? […]
This week marks the tenth annual Yosemite Facelift. For the past decade, the Yosemite Climbing Association has organized climbers to help with a park wide clean-up. Trash, old ropes, debris, and litter are all collected by volunteers, who receive a raffle ticket at the end of the day for helping out. A number of climbing […]
