matt segal

The last day I went climbing the ground actually creped up on me! It was crazy I decked…hit the ground with rope stretch… Luckily I walked away unhurt but it definitely shook me up. It was the first time I had ever hit the ground on a rope…

I was trying this E7 6c called Kaluza Clein, which is basically a slab. I tried it on TR a few times before I went for the lead and eventually did all the moves. It’s a style of climbing that I’m not used to, extremely technical smearing, with know real holds to pull down on. I began standing up on the first shitty smear of the crux and before I knew it I was standing on the ground, I had fallen straight to the ground and the rope tightened just as my feet hit the ground… Crazy…

Sorry for the lack of photos… they will be coming… the camera battery is dead and the charger is lost… Oooops!

Feels like a lot of time has passed since my last post… lots has happen, for starters Kevin sent Parthian Shot with no top-rope rehearsal… pretty sick! I threw in the towel on the ground up effort and gave it a burn on TR… glad I did being that I didn’t even stick the crux move on TR… it’s a really big move that I have to do different then everyone else. I full on throw for this sloping pocket and use a different foot that’s a little worse… but definitely think I can do it…

Kevin also dispatched the Promise in classic head point style… The route was established by James Pearson and was originally rated E10 7a. Kevin thought it felt more like E8 5.13c/d R, for his account check out his blog: kevinjoregeson.com I was pretty psyched, after watching Kevin on it, originally I ruled this climb out because it looked like there was this massive move on it…but on Kevin’s recommendation I tried it on TR and after a few goes I did all the moves… Sickey! Pretty psyched!

On another note our team has downsized, Cory Richards our friend/photographer has left us. It was sad to see him go but its all-good since I’m sure our paths will cross again soon enough…

So I’ve been trying pretty hard not to think about it and especially not to bitch about it… but my arm has been killing me… Don’t know what it is, maybe its tendonitis or something… I haven’t really taken much time off… Not sure but it’s definitely beginning to cripple me… Sucks! Don’t know what to do… feel like I need to rest for a few days, but its so hard when the weather is good… Only problem is I feel my climbing is suffering, my heads just not in it.

Climbing trips can be so hard… you want to climb as much as possible, since you feel your time is limited… You want to show up to an area and be able to push yourself as quick as possible, but this isn’t always possible.

So I’ve decided for the next few days I’m not going to try to keep up with my fellow Americans (Kevin and Alex who are absolutely crushing the grit) and just try to climb some easy routes… Put a hold on trying the Promise and Parthian (which will be really hard). But we’ll see how this works out…

The last two days have been sick! Tuesday the plan was to hit up the Roaches, an amazing grit crag, but upon our arrival a nasty hailstorm ruined our chances of climbing anything… So we waited out the storm at a café bellow the crag, where I had a classic English meal: baked potato with beans and cheese… So good, but not sure if I would call it sending food… Once the weather calmed we realized the cliff wasn’t going to dry so we took off to the Churnet Valley… It was a pleasant surprise of sandstone routes/boulders, a nice change from all the grit stone. So cool… very similar to a lot of the climbing in the South East of the US.

We all warmed up on some mellow E2/E3 high balls, then quickly dispatched Thumbelina E6 V7 (notice the British/American grading). Kevin and I both flashed, not hesitating on the gym like moves… Honnold sent second try in his trainers… Super proud, he forgot his climbing gear and with his “no big deal” attitude he tightened his lasses and went for it…

After Thumbelina we tried Cornelius, E7 V? After a few goes Kevin came close but did not commit, super cool line… Hopefully we’ll get the chance to go back for it.

Sam Whittaker on Thumblina

Yesterday we went back to Burbage, which is a grit crag that is stacked with routes! Kevin and I immediately got psyched on trying Parthian Shot E9 (maybe E8) with Ben Bransby. It was super cool to have him there because he inspired us to try the route ground up! We weren’t going in perfect style since we were climbing on it with pre-placed/clipped gear but definitely better style then head pointing…

So the break down is you do some 5.12 climbing to this massive flake, where the pre placed gear is, then quest up into the unknown… it’s such a rad feeling to keep getting higher and higher on the route not knowing what the next hold is going to feel like and knowing the fall is going to get bigger and bigger… Check out this vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YGePHW5wG8

Alex had a pretty sick day too, head pointing both Balance it is E7 and Symbas Pride E8! Sickey Dawg! Can’t wait to try those two..

Falling off of Parthion Shot. Photo by Cory Richards: crichardsphoto.com

Alex on Symbas Pride E8

Walking to Crag Photo by Cory Richards: crichardsphoto.com

Photo by Cory Richards: crichardsphoto.com

Jason and I chilling in the cold Photo by Cory Richards: crichardsphoto.com

From the other day at Bridestones Photo by Cory Richards: crichardsphoto.com

Photo by Cory Richards: crichardsphoto.com

Cory bruised from bouldering

As for other news, Ethan Pringle made the second ascent of the Iron Monkey 5.14, a route I established a few years ago in Eldorado Canyon… So sick! I haven’t spoken to him about the details yet but am sure he’ll write a new post about it soon, check it out: www.ethanpringle.com

Me on the first ascent of the Iron Monkey 5.14 Jonny Copp Photo: www.coppworks.com

And finally it turns out that Jason our grit stone guide and host, is apparently the manliest man in Britain, check out this link: http://www.salfordadvertiser.co.uk/news/s/1027339_lucy_pinder_calls_me_the_manliest_man_in_britain_

Another great two days on the grit for team America… Yesterday we went back to Ilkley and Kevin fired The New Statesman E8, so sick! He had worked it on TR the other day and after another few TR burns he felt solid enough to go for the lead… It was super inspiring… So sick… Alex and I got motivated and began the process of figuring out the moves on TR. By the end of the day we both stuck all the moves but neither of us felt solid enough to go for the lead, since its pretty spicy.

Today was a little different, worthless to be honest… but still super fun. I was super sore and didn’t climb for shit, should of taken a rest day but the weather was too good…

On another note, the battle of ethics have been spinning my head a little… Never know to go for it ground up or just to climb in the classic grit headpoint style… The climbing can be so insecure and being that I don’t feel that used to the rock I’m more inclined to TR things first but going ground up is always in the back of my mind… We’ll see it’s only been day 4 at the moment and I’m trying hard to not get sucked into ethics and just climb, have fun and get used to the rock.

It’s also been hard because already on a few routes I’ve struggled with height issues (basically I’m a midget and always have to find my own beta). I hate to use that as an excuse but sometimes its true. The holds can be REALLY far apart on the grit, and often there are no intermediate holds.

Though I never forget what Tony Yaniro once told me when I was a young lad “You never lack height, just power.” I’d like to still believe this but sometimes it’s hard, but then again maybe I do just lack power… Back to the drawing board… need to get stronger…

Looking forward to a nice British rest day…

A lot has happen since my last post… For starters I left Arco and traveled to Innsbruck where I spent a few days chillin with some old friends… Super classic, not much climbing but a lot of fun… After a full 16 hours of travel, I made it from Innsbrucklyn Austria to Manchester England… In between I picked up the team for the next few weeks: Alex Honnold, Kevin Jorgeson and Cory Richards (here are some extremely unattractive photos of Team America)

Alex (the monk)

Kevin (the mexican)

Cory (sick boy)

mAtt (the midget)

So, we arrived in Manchester and Jason Pickles (a friend of a friend) fully hooked us up… We’re all crashing at his house and he’s giving us the sick tour of England’s gritstone! So psyched…

Jason (the brit)

We’ve climbed the last two days on the grit and it’s definitely some of the coolest rock I’ve ever climbed… The first day we went to Alms Cliff and Ilkley, mostly bouldered but did a few easy solos to get used the rock… Day two we went to the classic cliff Stanage and once again mostly bouldered…

As usual Honnold represented for the team and Flashed this E6 highball (solo) arête… So sick! The climb looked super insecure and got harder the higher you get. Really want to go back for that one, unfortunately the weather crapped out shortly after Honnonld topped out… But I was also pretty psyched today when I unexpectedly flashed the classic problem Brad Pitt 7b+, super fun… It was crazy, one of those moments where you pull on the start holds and before you know it your grabbing the finishing hold… So cool! Can’t wait for more of that…

Alex looking like a fish out of water on Pebble Wall

Kevin on Silk

Jason on Bread Line

Ilkley

SORRY IT’S A SHORT ONE… BE BACK SOON…

My last post was really negative… I know! It’s easy for me to get worked up about climbing ethics and rant about all the negativities of an area. I’m not sorry about my opinion but I forgot to mention the truth, that Arco is pretty bitchin and besides the whole car epic my stay has been pretty nice. So here are some pics of the area and some of the locals that are super cool and have been extremely helpful.

The town of Arco

The castle above Arco

Fabio Leoni owns some of the local climbing shops and is super nice. Once he heard about my situation with a car he immediately got on the phone and began to figure out a way to help…

Sanam Pejuhesh and her rattly bike. Sanam has been my extremely accommodating hostess, putting up with all indecision and messiness…

Turri a local climber that I wish I could understand better… we have a communication barrier being that I don’t speak Italian and he not English… So we try to heckle each other while climbing but I think neither of us really understand

Arco

The view of town from Turri

Not in Arco but I couldn't resist... Two of my favorite women... My sister Amy and my niece Scout

I finally got into the groove climbing this weekend… didn’t send but came really close! Standard procedure for Matt Segal, but it was enough to get me really psyched. It’s been hard to get motivated for climbing since most of my energy has been put towards finding/buying a car. I was able to put those thoughts to rest this weekend, except defeat and settle for renting a car this trip…

It’s also been hard to get psyched because not having a car in Arco means that you only climb at the local crag, which is not that inspiring to me. Its extremely polished limestone over packed with routes and chipped holds… but I’m picky and I know it. Climbing for me is so much about being inspired by a line, having a line call out to me and beg to be climbed. I think its especially hard coming from Squamish, a place that has some of the most amazing lines EVER! Nothing seems as good and it’s making me feel like I’m becoming more and more of a trad climber every day. Getting old, fat and trad…

But it’s true, I always feel like my feet are slipping of the polished footholds and like I’m off route because all the routes are so close to each other. I sound like a winy 12-year-old girl… I know! Oh well… soon enough I’ll be scared out of my mind climbing above some shitty piece of gear on the grit stone, and then I will really be whining like a 12 year old…but at least I’ll be inspired!

Aaaahhhh… Who would of thought buying a car in Italy would be so hard, maybe I was just being super naive about thee whole situation. It’s impossible for me to purchase a car; you must be a resident of Italy to register it, such a bummer… I’ve spent the last week in half dealing, trying to buy this a car that I found and thought would be perfect but when I was basically ready to give the guy the money we realized it wouldn’t work…. Such a bummer…

Now I’m left with less then 10 days until I have to be in England to pick up Kevin and Alex and don’t have a car. Traveling can be so hard sometimes… I will probably just end up renting a car which will cost a little less then buying one so its not that big of a deal. But I was so psyched on buying a car to have when I come back to Europe for the spring/summer seasons. Oh well…

And on top it off, it’s raining! I guess when it rains it pours. But life can be worse… I am in Italy sipping a cappuccino… Hopefully the sun will shine soon and everything will work itself out sooner then later

Trying to look on the bright side of things...

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