Pumkin By the River

Our walk down by the river was the day after Halloween. We found a large pumkin and took a few photos of it. It would have been a heavy pumkin to carry that far.

"Home Field Advantage"

Montana locals schooling two of the visiting Oregon boys on "Home Field Advantage" just moments after the first ascent.



This climb and the photo has everything that I love about modern mixed routes. Bolts, natural pro, an obviously attentive belayer, and a sky pilot who is truly leashless!



How does that old saying go John? Something about, "One in the hand?"





The amazing action photo (and FA) is by the legendary Montana ice hardman, Pete Tapley. Make sure you dbl click the photo for full effect. And please respect Pete's copyright.







John pitching and Brian catching. Bird Boy John Frieh's training blog has a link here on C/T.





















And John again, just saying hello after another test of those angel wings :) Craig Gyselinck's photo

Kangaroo Temple ..

Weather wasn't great, but we managed to summit in a long day. No real issues during the day other than some rain showers passing through. We stopped for the first shower, but climbed right through the following. The approach was a little difficult to follow through the talus fields, but it didn't seem to slow us down that much. We did don crampons for the snow up to Kangaroo Pass, but they did not seem necessary. (All these minor 'issues' seem to add up.) Slightly off route on the first pitch caused an intermediate belay. Then smooth route finding on the rest of the climb. The step around move was not as intimidating as I thought it would be, but it is never comfortable climbing without solid hand holds. We introduced an extra rap to get to the summit rap anchors, and found the descent route description to be somewhat off. ("Two double 50m raps to the packs.") The rap from the summit is a single 60m and the second rap is a double 60m back to the notch. Overall, a fun climb on decent rock, despite the rain.

Summit shot (photo by Julie Labrecque)

For more pics, click here.

Jessica's pics here.

Balance - rest - mindfulness. And a competition.

Climbers I have just returned from a family holiday in Bali. Again. And I'm not entirely happy about it. Returning that is.However,while I was there I dropped in to Ubud Adventure, across the road from my sumptuous accommodation at De Ubud Villas. More on that later.There's no rock climbing to speak of in Bali, but the trekking is absolutely spectacular. So you'll need gear.



Win this T-Shirt from Ubud Adventure.

Just become a follower of jjobrienclimbing, leave a comment on this post, and check your letter box for your new T-Shirt.

First, you need a google account to become a follower.

Then scroll down the right side of this page to where it says "Follow" and join. Easy.

The rules:

The winning comment will make me laugh, impress me, or make me weak with pity. Or all three.

Your chances of winning are good.

I've only got 10 google followers and at least half of them don't want a T-Shirt. I'll give you a week, or so.



Ubud Adventure stockthe Indonesian Consina range of gear.

Packs, T-Shirts (like the one above), clothes, tents.













Madé and Sudantilook after the store.

They are so delightful.

If I had a shop I'd poach them.











Sudanti with the range of packs.Hundreds of them.Cheap.













Look for the big sign down the end of Hanoman st.where it swings in toward the Monkey Forest.

Ah, back to the Villa.

I think Willow sums up the mood of the holiday here, relaxing in the poolside balé.Sandra and Lotus at one of our fav restaurants, Casa Luna.







The extended fam. On the walk from Bentuyung to Ubud.







10 days. No climbing.Just cafes.Attending the Legong dancing at the palace, three times, I love it.Hanging with the family.











Q. Did you visit any agricultural areas during your visit?A. Um.....No?Q. Are you bringing in any more than $10,000.00 in cash?A. Are you kidding, have you seen how my family can shop?





We did a photo shoot for the Red Phoenix range of Jewellery and clothing while we were at the Villa.

Willow wearing "Black Jewels" necklace from the Red Phoenix range.

Lotus wears the "Batik Bella" shift and "Limoncello" necklace both from the Red Phoenix,Dolce Vita collection available from The TribuneLocation: Ku De Ta, Seminyak, Bali.

Climbers, I'll come clean. I didn't climb Agung this time, but here's a couple of shots from my last climb a year ago.

Mt. Agung - 10,300 ft or there abouts. It's steep, high, freezing cold, it smolders with sulphurand probably my very favourite place.

I've walked along this ridge a few times over the years. The path from Bentuyung, down to Ubud, through padi, deep dark gorges on either side.

I have often stopped and wondered how thevillage priestsdecide where to place the small shines that can be seen everywhere. Shrines to Dewi Sri, Goddess of the rice. I know the placement is important, but what is it about a particular place that makes it important?

Back at my forest home in Australia, one night, I dreamt that I could see the subtle energy that gives power to place. It was so effortless and obvious.

I felt fresh and strong. It reminds me to stay aware of subtlety as I hammer my way through the day.

An Oldie but Goody Brompton

Do older Bromptons qualify as "vintage" bikes? With production dating back to the late 1980s, many would consider them too young for that status. But to me, the vintage vs modern distinction is more about a bike's feel than birth year. Vintage bikes just have that that special something that sets them apart from modern ones - even if the looks are similar. In that vein, I would consider the gem of a bike I am riding in Northern Ireland vintage: A first generation Brompton built in 1993,loaned to me by local collector Chris Sharp.Back home I ride a Brompton as well, so in a way it was a seamless transition. All the more reason the differences are so noticeable.





And one major difference is fit. Early Bromptons were a bit less stretched out (shorter "unitube") than the ones in current production. The change was made in 2004, when an extra 20mm were added to the length. For me, this makes the older bike a better fit than my own. Riding it feels like someone has magically shrunk my bike ever so slightly, putting me in a more natural position.





Another difference is the ride quality: The older bike feels "softer." I wonder whether a change to the tubing was made at some point. The wheels or other components could also be responsible for the difference in feel.





Notice, for instance, the bar across the handlebars. These were added to the early Bromptons as stiffeners: The early production bars were too flexible, known to occasionally warp or break.





The fold of the older bike is the same, with the exception that the rear triangle does not lock in place when fully unfolded (the rear frame clip was introduced in 2007). This makes it more difficult to pick up and carry or even move the bike in an unfolded state; the rear starts folding under as soon as it lifts off the ground.





The components are a bit outdated - with bottle generator, not too strong halogen lights, an older drivetrain, and brakes not as grippy as modern ones. But everything functions smoothly and has held up well after two decades of frequent use.






The older drivetrain works excellently and is pretty interesting. The hub is a "Sturmey Archer 5 Star Gear System," controlled via dual shifters. The way this is explained to me, it is actually two hubs in one: a 2-speed, controlled by the left shifter, and a 3-speed, controlled by the right shifter. The resulting gearing is a 5-speed rather than 6, because one gear (neutral) is redundant.






While Brompton did not offer a lowered gearing option in 1993 as it does now, it was possible to achieve this aftermarket by replacing the chainring on the Stronglight crankset, which is what the bike's owner did here. The gear range works nicely on hilly terrain, including on the 10% pitch I encounter on the way home from town.





One surprise to me was that this bike came with a front block: I hadn't realised the first generation Bromptons already had them. The block looks identical to the one on my own bike, so it should be compatible with current production bags and baskets. But the bag on this bike is original.





I have never seen mentions or even pictures of the original front bags before, so I thought this might interest Brompton enthusiasts. Made of a thin lightweight canvas, the bag is about the size of a small rucksack. Zipper closure in the front, with two zip-up pockets in the rear. Blue, with red thread and zippers. Small red logo on the front. Not much structure to it, so there has been some sagging and stretching over the years. But aside from the stuck front zipper, the bag is perfectly intact and functional.





The rear rack is also pretty useful. The integrated bungee cords have remained firm after two decades of use, and hold parcels secure over bumpy roads. I don't have a rear rack on my own bike, but this older one looks the same as the new ones I've seen.





I am staying in a rural area here. When I need to go into town for errands, I get around on the Brompton. It's a 7 mile round trip, with an uphill stretch and a gentle descent in each direction. This bike has been the perfect little vehicle so far: swift, compact and comfortable, with plenty of carry capacity. The handling is pretty much identical to my own Brompton at home, as is the easy ability to throw stuff in the front bag. It's neat how littlethe basic design of the Brompton has changed over the years. Any tweaks along the way have mostly been been improvements, such as component upgrades and stronger hinges. But I must admit, I will miss the way this older Brompton fits me, as well as its "vintagey" ride quality.



Any owners of early Bromptons out there? Curious what you think of them compared to the newer versions.

A Day in Primary Colours

Red curtains. They are there for practical purposes - welding screens to protect the eyes from the intense glare of the arc. Brazing happens on one side of the shop, welding on the other. In the middle is this vinyl semi-transparent barrier. But the red backdrop spreads an aura around the room, bathing it in a mysterious, yet energising light. I see the light flicker dimly behind it, and somehow the universe seems to make sense.





Against the vast expanse of red, five adults open long cardboard boxes with the hushed anticipation of polite children on Christmas morning. Inside the boxes are steel tubes wrapped in newspaper. The unraveling is almost formally festive.






The blue work shirt. My grandfather worked in a machine shop and wore one well into his old age. In the '90s, the boys I went to high school with wore the same shirts because it was fashionable. They played in garage bands and dressed like mechanics, never having been near a wrench,which used to annoy me. Now some of them wear blue work shirts unironically, having indeed become mechanics or machinists. So it goes.






Blue buckets full of gloves, cotton and leather. I burned myself three times building my first frame. Once by picking up a piece of scrap metal after it had just been hole-sawed off. Another time by grabbing the frame too soon after it had been torch-dried post washing. And the third time by accidentally brushing the hop tip of a filler rod against my cheek. Who knows, sometimes the gloves help. Other times they are a hazard and can get stuck in a machine.








Yellow packaging, labels, warning signs, equipment decals. It is noticeable, even in a sea of other colours. See me, read me, peel me.





Yellow booklets, dusty yellow machines. I am too easily enticed to visit the other side of the curtain.




More pictures.

Speed on Skis

So a couple of our rangers ran into some guys going for a speed record on the summit last week, they were able to get a brief conversation and snap a photo of them before they took off downhill. According to their clocks they made it from Paradise to the summit and back to Paradise in 4 hours and 19 minutes...which if you aren't familiar with that route means they went really really fast! Check out their full story here. There have been a number of speed ascents over the years but as far as we know Nick and Eric were the first to do it with skis.



It's looking like we are at the start of a spell of nice weather. Lots of fresh snow on the mountain should make for some great climbing and skiing conditions, especially if you hit it early before the sun turns everything to mid-day glop. Visit our route conditions page for recent conditions reports and thanks to Dmitry Shapovalov for a great report of their recent climb of Success Cleaver.