HCR BETA

Hike, Climb, Relax: How To...

Home » bouldering

bouldering

Everything You Need To Know For Bouldering In Tucson Arizona

by

meet-cory-hansonDeveloper, route-setter, graffiti-remover…and if he doesn’t have the answer to your rock climbing question, he will know someone who does.  Ladies and Gentlemen, Cory Hanson guides you with everything you need to know for bouldering in Tucson Arizona.

Cory Hanson and Old Pueblo BoulderingGive the beta for someone coming to climb in Tucson for a week?

If you are looking to boulder just check out Old Pueblo Bouldering.  The online guidebook has thousands of problems and you can search for specific grades by elevation range, quality ratings, and danger ratings.

Tucson bouldering lends itself to projecting as opposed to long day sessions.  This is partly due to the taxing nature of the rock on your skin.  This is also partly due to the lack of large areas with many climbs at any given grade.

If you are looking to session the best place to look is to Wilderness of Rocks, the deeper the better.  Unfortunately, the hike and the ponderosa pine forest make it hard for those who aren’t familiar with the territory.  OPB is looking to make finding your way around out there easier in the future.

Rose Canyon Lake including the entrance boulders is all right for lower grade ranges.

Lizard rock and the Matterhorn boulders are adjacent to each other and can be used together to make a little circuit.

The key to enjoying the bouldering in Tucson is to enjoy trying hard on whatever you happen to be by until you gather an understanding of what is out there to work on and when it is appropriate to work on it.

If you are looking for rope I recommend Eric Fazio-Rhicard’s Squeezing the Lemmon 3rd edition.  It’ll get you where you need to be.

In either case, be sure to swing into one of the gyms and ask some locals what is in season in the grade range and style you are looking for.  We tend to be an approachable bunch!

Best time of year to climb in and around Tucson?

[Read more…] about Everything You Need To Know For Bouldering In Tucson Arizona

How To Be A Better Citizen At Horseshoe Canyon Ranch

by

How To Be A Better Citizen At Horseshe Canyon Ranch With Barry JohnsonIn this third part of my interview with the owner of Horseshoe Canyon Ranch, we talk about how to be a better citizen at Horseshoe Canyon Ranch.  I ask Barry:

“What can THE climbing community do to support you?”

Barry:

The 3 things that climbers and campers can do better for the ranch right now…

  1. Sign in and pay your fees
  2. Pick up your trash
  3. Be a good citizen – be a good human – be considerate of other people and realize that this is private poverty – and when we say it’s private property – it is private property; but we want people to come and enjoy it.

Sometimes when someone says “HEY, this is private property” – it means we want you to leave – that’s not what we are saying .  We want people to understand that this is our home, our back yard, our livelihood; and we want you to be considerate, respectful and obey the rules.

Barry says that he doesn’t want the underlying tone to be a lecture or a scolding.  And you all already know Barry and Amy – they might just be some of the most generous human beings that we have the pleasure of knowing.

Is there something that the veterans of coming to the ranch that we can do better when we come to the ranch to prepare ourselves mentally to help reduce the risk of injury?

Barry: Yes, primarily for those of you in the climbing community.  We get a lot of people who are touching rock for the first time.  They may have been in a gym pulling plastic for years – and that transition from the gym to the outdoors – the ranch is great for that because it has a lot of easy to moderate routes.  And, everything is bolted really safely.  It is a great place to take your first lead…

…the problem with that is – it is your first lead.

So people, in the climbing community, need to not be shy, and even if someone thinks you’re a jerk or a know-it-all; you need to say, for example, “You didn’t finish your knot.” or, “can I show you a better way to do that.”

Wristbands At Horseshoe Canyon Ranch

Barry: You need to watch out for your neighbor, and you need to watch out for the ranch.  If somebody is not wearing a wristband up there, chances are they have not signed off on their waiver.  Well – that is a threat to everyone’s access – isn’t it. [Read more…] about How To Be A Better Citizen At Horseshoe Canyon Ranch

How To Repair A Cracked ProHands Hand Exerciser

by

Repair A Cracked Prohands hand exerciser

How To Repair A Cracked ProHands Hand Exerciser

The best warm up tool I have is the Prohands hand exerciser by Grip Master.  Almost every boulderer I know has one of these or something similar to it.

This is the second Prohands Pro (heavy tension) that has cracked on me.  Both of mine have cracked in the same manner, so I decided to take to look to find out if it was repairable.

The Answer Is Yes

Yes, the Prohands hand exerciser was repairable; and it was worth the time to fix it.

As you watch the video, you will notice that I call it “busted and unrepairable” around the 5:15 mark.  However, while I was gathering up everything to clean up and throw it away, I made a DISCOVERY (at 5:35 of the video) that lead me to fixing it.  Here is the video; and the Step By Step is below.

Step By Step Repair A Cracked ProHands Hand Exerciser

[Read more…] about How To Repair A Cracked ProHands Hand Exerciser

ClimbSkin Review Pros and Cons [Pictures and Proof]

by

The ClimbSkin Review Pros and ConsI enjoy rock climbing, and more specifically, I enjoy bouldering.  Every sesh, I want to improve.  I want an edge.  I want my skin healthy and strong so that my skin is not limiting my improvements.

So when my friend, Richard Lonski told me that he completed a birthday challenge that included something like a hundred laps – and he did NOT destroy his hands – because he used Friction Labs ClimbSkin, that got my attention.

Just so you know my biases, I have an affiliate account with Frictions Labs.  They make excellent chalk – it is worth trying if you are serious about improving your climbing.  You might like it; you might not.  That’s okay.

Keah Kalantari is one of the Founders at Frictions Labs – he shipped me a container of ClimbSkin at no cost to me.  He didn’t request a review in return for the ClimbSkin.  I did this experiment with ClimbSkin of my own accord.

ClimbSkin Review Pros and Cons: Here is My Experience

Pros:

  • ClimbSkin really works.  An Example:  I spent 6 hours working on a horizontal roof problem with little skin damage and nearly no skin soreness afterwards.
  • You only use a little bit with each application.  It should last many months for the average climber who climbs 3 to 4 times per week.
  • Friction Labs offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee
  • Many, many testimonials of real, satisfied customers
  • Solid owner, solid team behind it
  • You don’t need to be a climber to benefit from ClimbSkin

Testimonial from a Nurse I know through THE Climbing Community

ClimbSkin Testimonial from a NurseCons:

  • Chemicals in the ingredients
  • On sale ClimbSkin costs $20 per ounce
  • Your skin might become too callused (You must add an emery board to your kit.)
  • The label states:  Topic[al] Use Only

ClimbSkin Review Pros and Cons: How I Set Up My Experiment
 [Read more…] about ClimbSkin Review Pros and Cons [Pictures and Proof]

8 Skin Care Tips For Rock Climbers And Boulderers

by

8 Skin Care Tips for Rock Climbers and BoulderersDo you love feeling on the tips of your fingers after a weekend of climbing.  Do you love feeling your callouses thickening up?  Have you thought about what is the best skin care for rock climbers and boulderers?  Many climbers know by now that the best skin care comes from your diet, a solid salve, and good self-care practices.

Here are 8 skin care tips for rock climbers and boulderers.

  1. Never Pull A Flapper or a Hangnail
  2. Never Wash Dishes or Soak in Epsom Salt Before You Climb
  3. Consider Increasing Your Consumption of Omega-3 Foods
  4. Consider Increasing Your Consumption of Coconut Oil
  5. Have A Brick, Cinder Block, Or Chunk of Rock as Part of Your Workout Gear
  6. Use an Emory Board or Sheet of Sandpaper to Keep Your Callouses Healthy
  7. Use Salve Specifically Created for Rock Climbers
  8. Stop Doing Dynos and Try That Move Statically

Never Pull A Flapper or a HangnailRock Climber Tools for Skin Care

Whether those were pieces of flappers or hangnails, the worst thing you can do is pull (or chew – blech!  Disgusting!) at those bits of flesh on your hands and fingers.

The best thing you can do for your small injuries – like flappers and hangnails – is to always carry a nail clipper or tiny scissors in your climbing pack.  Take a moment to carefully trim the dead or torn flesh away.  If you are done climbing for the day, care for your injuries as you normally would (wash, healing salve, bandage).  Or, just tape it up and keep climbing!

How many times have you pulled a bit of your flesh only to have it pull right further into undamaged tissue.  Oh, that sting!  And the first thing you think is, “I SHOULD NOT HAVE DONE THAT!” [Read more…] about 8 Skin Care Tips For Rock Climbers And Boulderers

Into The Mind Of Amanda Smith and Her First Ascent of Enchiridion V8/V9

by

Enchiridion V8 / V9 is the hardest established problem by a female in the state of Arkansas and has yet to be repeated.

So, what does it take to climb your hardest?  What does it take to climb a problem that has never been climbed before?

What do you think?  Is it perseverance?  Dedication?  Strength?  Long-term vision?  Luck?  Fortitude?  Grit?  What lessons can you take away from Amanda to apply to your project at the gym or the crag?

What lessons can you take away from Amanda that you can apply to something outside of climbing?

Let’s enter into the mind of Amanda Smith and find out how she made the first ascent of Enchiridion V8 / V9 in Pilot’s Knob, Arkansas.

When you start dreaming the moves of your project, it’s time to send – Amanda Smith

Enchiridion was a big project!

Chad Watkins (Amanda’s husband) showed me the line this past winter and it seemed impossible. I’ve been looking at it for two years but never thought it would go. He worked it a couple of years ago and had some complicated beta just to climb the first five feet of it. [Read more…] about Into The Mind Of Amanda Smith and Her First Ascent of Enchiridion V8/V9