Arizona Bouldering Remix

After watching this video, on ClimbingNarc.com last week I got inspired to get out for one more day of bouldering and filming and put together the Arizona Bouldering Remix.
I believe it is healthy for a person to have a song playing in their head that makes them feel like a badass at least 70 or 80 percent of the time. Any less than that and it's time to change the soundtrack, brother.
I hope this video puts a badass tune in your head.

Trying Hard

Three dudes, three pads, one dog and a streambed full of boulders.

Phase 1

Is now complete.

Construction of phases 2-4 will commence when I stop giggling about how fun this wall is to climb on.

P.S. - www.boulderingtucson.com has been redesigned a little bit. Check it out and give some feedback!

AZ Limestone

A quick purge of some photos taken a few weeks back at The Dry, a scruffy band of limestone southeast of town.

Team Brazil vs. Team Canada on Way To Dry, steep 5.11

Spinal Twist, mega-classic 5.12

Some lanky dude making Rocket Man look real ugly.

Slideshow and New Gym Preview

Any locals reading along might want to check out this very cool event coming up in a few weeks:

"You are all invited to a slide show and party in Tucson on April 15th at 6 pm: The Golden Age of Arizona Rock Climbing.

Slide Show presented by Arizona climbing pioneer Peter Noebels with Steve Grossman, John Steiger, and Paul Davidson. Bluegrass music by 'Drops in the River'; food - think BBQ; raffle - prizes from Xoom Juice, Access Fund and Summit Hut; and other fun - feats of strength. Meet and heckle some old school legends. Join Tucson's eclectic climbing community for an historic and super fun event.

Slide show and Party is located at 244 S. Tucson Blvd. in the under-construction StrongHold Climbing and Fitness. Be first to see the space that will house Tucson's finest bouldering facility BEFORE the climbing walls go up. We will be officially opening the doors to the public some time in 2011.

Admission is $8 in advance or $10 at the door. Purchase advance tickets online at www.strongholdclimbingandfitness.com or in person at CrossFit Works (204 S. Tucson Blvd.). Also, check it out on Facebook if that's your thing."

I'm pretty excited about this event and what it is bringing to Tucson. I'm always eager to learn more about climbing history, especially from local legends like the ones who will be presenting the slideshow. Each of those guys left a big mark on SoAZ rock climbing, and should have some pretty fascinating tales to share. Of course, if Grossman goes into too much detail about some of the bold runouts he is known for, some of us boulderers and sport climbers might start dry heaving.

I think Tucson needs more community events like this, so let's hope for a huge turnout to encourage more of this type of thing. Plus, live music always makes for a great party.

Last, but certainly not least, this will give us a chance to check out the space that is the future home of Stronghold Climbing and Fitness, a new bouldering facility that will be open this year. A centrally located gym dedicated to bouldering and training, this will be a great indoor option for those of us looking to improve and keep pushing ourselves to climb better, stronger and smarter. The walls are not up yet, but hopefully we'll have some more details soon!

Also, Banff Mountain Film Tour will be in town this Friday at the Fox Theater! Get tickets at Summit Hut or summithut.com. I've been trying to check this out annually for many years now, and they always put on a great show. It's guaranteed to have you planning half-baked adventures of your own - just make sure you invite me along for giving you the heads up.