DP Climbing

Coming up for air

So its been pretty quiet on here for a few months. I've been living in the Grampians writing the upcoming bouldering guidebook with Chris Webb Parsons. It's taken month's of hard work but the book has really come together now. We aim to have it on shelves by xmas this year so we are busting ass to tie up all the loose ends and get it over the finish line by November.

Thanks to everyone who helped us out with a place to stay and with the climbing of new lines, especially the Melbourne crew: The Kassays, Al Rob, Josh G, and Omar

Japanese weapon, Masa, rips through Eve Reve v12/13, Hollow Mtn Cave

I'm over in China for a few months working before heading back to the states in November for a schooling on the blocs of Joes Valley, UT, and Bishop. Can't wait. A website dedicated to the new guidebook, with photos, news and updates will be online within a month or two. Stay tuned for more.

Also http://www.dp-climbing.com/ is online with some of the better photos from the last few trips

GRAMPIANS

Tom on American Pie v11, Hollow Mtn Cave

Eric cranking down on Snooky Badlands v11, Taipan Wall

Doug on Gay Hip Flexor v7, Campground Boulders

Doug waits for the barndoor on Nevin Rule v7, Kindergarten

I've been down in the Grampians bouldering for 6 weeks or so. I'll probably stay down for that long again before heading north back home. I've been spending a fair bit of time exploring the Stapylton Area for new rock. I've come up with a few qualtiy lines including Raging Bull v9, a burly line of 12 pockets out a long prow/roof to a cruxy deadpoint rounding the nose. Two more super hard lines still remain waiting unsent (photos to come).

Having not been back to the gramps since 2003 (the pre bouldering years) i've had a smorgasbord of classics to do. I managed to get through my original ticklist of 15 classics in less than 10 days so i have made a new to-do list that extends way beyond my current abilities. Next week i'm off to the Tower area for the first time. It is one of the many areas where the bouldering potential hasn't come close to being tapped out. Can't wait.

I haven't got the camera out all that much lately because i have been climbing solo most of the time. Hopefully that will change as the temps start to drop.

The future is here (ACTUAL PHOTO)

Spotted in the carpark of an In-And-Out Burger store in Bakersfield, CA.

The origins of this bad boy are still unclear. Labelled "Slipstream" it appears to be the chopshop union of a late model Airstream and a Soviet era helicopter. Four seperate exractor fans on the roof, as well as that it is parked outside Bakersfield indicate it may be being used as a mobile meth lab.

Note the similarities to my earlier artistic impression.

The Airstream on crack

So on the way from Bishop to the bay our motley crew passed what could easily have been the pinnacle of motorhome living. I don't have access to photographic proof right now so i made an artists impression based on their current model. Believe it or not but the wave design on the side (although not present on the one we saw) was added with photoshop!!!! the future of the land yacht is here

Sierra Sleet

We made it to Bishop after a long haul drive from El Paso. The weather has closed out so we have taken shelter in a dicey hotel room with no locks on the windows and matresses that look like someone died on them. Hopefully the clouds will part and we can get back out on the rock. The bakery next door is causing dietary problems, luckily we ran into our friends from Innsbruck who are now cooking as cake for breakfast to add some variety to our diets.

Last Days of Hueco Tanks

3 weeks at Hueco has left us totally stripped of energy. We are nubbins of our former selves but this leg of the trip has been a successful one. Today Will nailed project #1 Dirty Martini V9, and over the last few weeks has been climbing strong ticking off some classic hard problems showing huge gains since his last visit to the park. He was seen boarding the send train last week and he doesn't look like stepping off it any time soon. Teegan has made quick ascents of Better Eat Your wheaties V8, Sex After Death v8, Daily Dick Dose V7 and a host of others and is currently eyeing off several harder projects. Chris has been having an adventure into the double digits since day 1. I managed to film his quick ascents of Esperanza v14, Slashface v13, Barefoot on Sacred Ground v12, Platonique v12, a flash of Diaphanous Sea v12, Skid Mark v11, Power of Landjager v11, and Loaded with Power v10, about half of what he has climbed in the park so far. It will be edited and combined with the footage from Bishop we will get over the next month.

The nuances and pitfalls of the video format, camera, lighting conditions, dust, chalk and most of all editing software and soundtrack sourcing have issued me a severe learning curve but I'm going to keep slugging away over the next few months and see if i can get on top of it.

When the scenery looks like it did on North Mountain today you really can't complain.

The climb pics are coming, just hold on

Diabolique

Congrats to my new best friend Phil who sent Diabolique v13 today, and still had time to pack in some quality friendship time. Such classic moments......

East/East Spur Heatwave

3rd day of climbing at Hueco and it was huge. A big crew of us got a guided tour out to East and East Spur and had a really good day. Chris started out by doing Slashface v13 on his 4th shot in hot conditions and looked like he could go back for seconds. The temps rose and we all went round to Sex After Death v8 and seiged it. Will and Teegan came within a bees dick of sending it but the greasey rock on this masterpiece will have to wait till our next guide tour. We later hit the brutal crimps of Better Eat Your Wheaties and New Religion. All up it was a great day with a great crew. Everything was captured in 1080HD video so stay tuned for some clips as soon as i can work the software.

Phil Schaal coming oh-so-close on Slashface v13

Chris Webb sending Slashface v13

Kevin Kucovich on Sex After Death v8

Niki Keeney coming real close

to linking Sex After Death v8

To view the trip through the blogs of my partners in crime check out their blogs:

www.dungeontraining.blogspot.com

www.chriswebbparsons.com

www.phillipschaal.blogspot.com

Arriving in Hueco

After sitting on a plane for 25hrs to get to San Francisco and another 24hrs sitting in a car to Texas with Will, Teegan and Chris, we arrived in El Paso yesterday. Today we climbed on North Mountain and all had a really good day.... apart from Wills skin which tore in the 1st hour and bled everywhere:

(photo: Teegan Parsons)

Happy Times. Stay Tuned for photos and videos over the next week.

Jib Crane Test

DP Climbing. Jib Crane Test from Pearson on Vimeo.

This is the first 5min test of my new home made Jib Crane using the Canon XH A1. Everything is gearing up for a 2 month US climbing trip with the crew starting this Saturday. Stay tuned for some new stills and video from Hueco, Bishop and wherever else we hit. It's gonna be a killer trip.