STUCK ON CRUSHER

this just in: renee loves rock climbing AND eating shit!

Lee Means

Hey Guys,

If you would like to help Lee with the medical expenses, you can donate here, a good deed will not go unnoticed!

http://www.giveforward.org/fundraisers/show/18036

Lee Means BUSINESS and he needs our help!!

One of our friends and a climbing comrade is in trouble. Lee Means is in the hospital and is fighting for his life. Literally.(little does he know WE have ALL decided already that he ain't going nowhere and IS HERE TO STAY!)

Ben Henson is much better with his words than I am, so please feel free to read in proper english here---> LeeMeans

Thanks to the wonderful medical program in our beloved country, B.O.A.T. (bend over and take it) Lee doesn't have health insurance and is very deeply in medical debt. There is no price for life and to help our friend out,Ben started a paypall account to raise some $ for our solder. As you know, any bit helps.

One of my customers at ninthstreetsepresso who chose to be unidentified, was so touched by Lee's story that he donated $20 to "Get Well Lee Fund". He said that if he could he would give thousands. We all would.

Climbing community is the best community EVER, please help our friend, be a friend

all love to everyone!

check Bens blog for more information: LeeMeansIsOurHero

Junk in my trunk

i've got junk

Last summer, I thought to myself that bouldering and sport climbing were the best things ever and i would never do trad. I figured the rack is pricey, the climbs are terrifying, and why would i do that if i can have fun in other ways. A few month ago, i promised my friend that i will learn how to trad climb, hoping that he would bail on teaching me and i will be off the hook.

Now, I did both things i didn't think i would do;i have a rack and I'm learning how to lead,and working on growing "a pair".

I've changed my mind about trad climbing completely, i get scared, i get psyched, i get fucking terrified, but at the end it's amazing and I'm super psyched to learn and to go placed i would not otherwise go.

The feeling of "oh my god, I'm going to die" followed by "why am I freaking out?" followed by "this shit won't fit", followed by "how can I shove it in there so it wont come out" .....etc and then finally topping out and bringing your partner up the route you were convinced was your last is super awesome.

For me,right now, trad climbing is a constant reminder not to get cocky, to learn how to stay cool while understanding the dangers and the fun, being patient and being open to learning.

My rack is sweet too. If you behave I might show it to you, and maybe you can even touch it.

Flexin' on Fancy!

Canada!

Ontario,Canada good time

Living in NY doesn't leave you with a lot of options for good summer climbing. To be honest all climbing is good, it's just slimy, hot and frustrating when you slide off rock climbs because of 100% humidity and 104 degree heat. Not super psyched, but Canada in the summer, Bruce peninsula in particular, is the place to be. It has a sweet variety of sport routes, you can find some trad routes, beach bouldering, sweet temps and crystal clear fresh water swimming....not so shabby...and all within minutes from each other.
Me and my own crusher lady Sandy Gaylo took off work for a week and crossed the Canadian border with little problem to go play on rocks that won't be slimy with greasy nastys. Lion's Head was the main destination and we did some rock climbs there the same day we arrived. Lion's Head is amazing!

The hike to the craig is super fun, and the cliff itself is enormous. It is not baby friendly since you are already on top of a giant cliff. So do not bring a baby with you, unless you want to get rid of it. To access climbs you have to find trees to rappel off, and there are no chains or top anchors, so a guide book would be real handy because you will have to climb your way out, or bushwhack for a very very long time...very very long time.

Lion's Head

After checking out Lion's Head we went to see what White Bluff was all about. Sandy and I didn't know the correct approach to the cliff, so we ended up bushwhacking and following a cliff that we thought would bring us to the right spot. Plenty of choss, spiderwebs and poison ivy all the way to the craig. Little did we know is that the correct approach would lead us into a beautiful white stone beach overlooking the bay and Lion's Head in the far, along with about a 10 minute walk instead of a 30 minute bushwhack.
The wall is pretty underdeveloped but does offers a good amount of sweet fun bolted lines. So much potential for 'psyched' and never ending 'sendfests'. Sandy is such a beast, she managed to rip off a huge chunk of a climb, probably upgrading it from 5.12d to god knows what. Good job Sandy, you did good. Sandy sent the new broken climb and a bunch others without breaking anymore..I had a hard on.

Sandy bouldering on the beach

I have an unreasonable fear of falling when I lead. In my mind i know I'm totally safe but i can't help but freak and overgreap everything and peel off shit all the god damn time.
I did get on a bunch of routes and was super psyched to actually send a 5.11a called Hellraiser. If i were Nikki, I'd call it something like Terminator or Fender Bender or maybe Friendly Fire, why not...
Georgian Bay is the place to be when the heat wave hits and makes it sticky. It has all the climbing you want, all the swimming, and a ton of awesome things to check out during your downtime/rest days.
To be honest, I did not want to come back to NYC with all its heat, work, and other things that are not called climbing, road or camping. Sandy also makes for a pretty good road trip companion and a very patient belayer when I freak out on the wall moving to a jug screaming TAKE!

I think we should make a party and gather an army to come back to Canada and go crush some riggs in Halfway Dump, which is also located on Bruce Peninsula, You done crushing, treat yourself to a jump into a crystal clear water of Georgian Bay and chill. Also think about how much fun it will be trying to cross back to U.S. with a crew of, lets say, 8 people?! we might not make it...

Cliffs at Halfway Dump

I have no complaints. Life is good.

Crush.