North Shore Granite

In the last week the weather has been good enough to climb outdoors. The cold temps have made the friction excellent and once warmed up the climbs have been grippy. I've surprised myself with some sends that were staples for our area. Some of these I've tried many times to no avail. (Photo by Bjorn) But this week something clicked. I was able to gush enough to finish some tough lines and gain some confidence for Bishop.

It started out with a crack line at 128 boulder which is quite nice. In the past I could not even fathom the first move but now in a few goes I sent. Perfect conditions.. So, I was happy with that. Anything new is great. Especilly in a area where I've already did most problems at my ability.

Today, my buddy Sully and I went to Aggasiz to try the front face problem. (Sandbagged V3) Made the crux reach first try and then realized I could send. Few tries more and I stood atop one of the sweetest boulders in the North Shore. This was a milestone in my climbing because I never thought I would unlock that climb. It alluded me for many years... (The white streak in photo above). Sick!! Finally took care of business. Scary top out that I'm glad I didn't blow.. Yikes!!! Another week and I'll be off to Cali. Hopefully I can train some more inside to get ready.
Until next time, Peace!

India Select

Banana

Send

Chillin at Shanthi #17

Riverside rice

Waiting for the boat.


Warning: IPhone pictures.. Terrible if you click them!
Mysore Marigolds

Cactus and rock

Hampi bazaar

Shanthi guesthouse

Monkey Temple

Priest in Hampi

Crow fly

Patnem beach, Goa

Between Palolem and Patnem beach

Palolem, Goa, India

Train stop

The Western Ghats via train.

A Rickshaw driver in Mumbai.

Home Is Where The Heart Is

It has been a few days now since I've returned from India and it is nice to have arrived safe, with no delays. All in all, my trip was awesome and I would return again next year to explore. India was a true adventure.. Just what I wanted. It far surpassed my expectations, it was comfortable and affordable. Although the poverty and pollution were extreme, and the ability to keep clean was tough, the accommodations were rather nice and better than I expected. The food was great, the spices were plenty, and the rice, breads and veggies were abundant. I could really go for a Dosa right now... In the end I recommend India to any thrill seeker, spiritual person, or backpacker that wants to experience a new culture. December is supposed to be good... See you there.

Back home its felt nice to relax, eat good food, and take long showers in clean water.. Its nice to see good friends and family and tell them my stories. I am so very thankful to be from this country. We are fortunate to have such clean living... Returning home to watch the Olympic winter games and the sixth season of Lost has been very nice. USA! USA! USA! Although its great to be back on the North Shore for now, my soul yearns to travel and climb outside. I haven't climbed in almost two weeks and the gym is not looking appealing. (I got to pay now.) I feel strong and lost some Lbs. on my journey to the Middle East. The temps around here right now have allowed climbing and the friction I'm sure is perfect. But, I got to go.... to Bishop California that is.

For those of you that don't know, Bishop is one of the meccas for Climbing in the US, if not the world.It is home of the Buttermilks. The granite is of the highest grade and the lines are outstanding. Sign me up! I plan to fly out to Reno Nevada and from there take a transit bus to the town of Bishop to cut down on the cost of a rental car. Camping is allowed in the Buttermilks, and is free. Once I'm there I'm straight. I visited last April for a week and it was awesome, but much too short. This year I plan at least two weeks. One week to warm up and one week to shred. I'm very excited. The temps will be perfect and the rock grippy. I wish I could convince someone to go but everyone is caught up in some commitment or another, so I'll be rolling solo. Let me know if your down for a climbing trip.. short notice. Possible departure March 3rd, 2010. Until then... Peace.

Business in Bangalore

So I decided to post one more time before I return home... And there is a good reason for that. We arrived by train yesterday in the Modern city of Bangalore. It is kind of like a little US city in that there is Pizza hut, Mickey D's, Levi, Nike, Gap, etc. Shopping is a big time thing here. Many Indians come from all over to buy jeans and designer shit that is a year behind what New York city shops are selling but it is quite funny. These young people (20's) look like they could be transplanted into LA and no one would know the difference. Its all about style I guess... I don't fit in, unshaved wearing recycled Hemp shorts and a EMS hat. But I never was a fashion guru. Anyhow, I like this city for its easy access to everything.

Pat and I decided to go to a inscense factory in a small neighborhood called Chickpet. Here we met the owners of a very successful inscense maker, Meena perfumery. They have the bomb inscense and Pat wanted to buy some before we left went back to the states. Our Rickshaw driver had to stop and ask diresctions mutiple time in order to find the tiny alley that the main office was on. We arrived and began learning about how the inscense was made and how the labor was done by a room of women who could spin up the sticks like clockwork. 10,000 sticks a day each.. per woman.. In the end we bought bulk of there popular varieties and talked about shipping wholesale amounts to the states for sale. We soon will become the sole distributors in the US for their products. And it makes Nag Champa look like Childsplay. Hopefully, it will be a step into a new business venture for Top Draw enterprises this year.

On a side note, I have bought so many things here and in Mysore to bring back I need a large duffel bag just to bring it all home... Silk, tapastries, inscense, carvings, and other hippieware. Hahahaha. I feel like I'm back in my glory days of like 8th grade where all of these things would have fascinated me even more... Although it is the price that is staggering. India is a place where you get a real BANG for the buck. Thats for sure!!! So, two more nights here in the city, a hellish day of travel, and I'll be back in Beverly baring gifts. Hit me up. Thanks for reading. My next trip will begin soon so stay tuned in.... Peace Out!

Mysore Markets

Yesterday we arrived after 12 hours of trains, buses and rickshaws to the beautiful city of Mysore. It was nice to see the city after being in rural areas for most of the trip. Mysore is known as the largest inscence producers in the world. Also, the home to many yoga schools and workshops. The city bustles with energy. Markets, fruit stands and shops line the street outside our hotel, which is quite nice for the price. About 10 bucks a night... split... Today we went shopping for different things to bring home to the states. Pat and I bought a bunch of nice textiles and he bought thousands of sticks of inscence of many different types. "The Mysore inscence mission" as he calls it.

The markets are unbelievable. There is so many things to see such as fruits, vegatables, flowers, spices, inscence, kitchenware, clothes and the list goes on. We will be shopping the next few days buying all types of souvenirs and keepsakes for our friends and family. The prices that you can get here would put "Hot Tops" out of business for sure. Remember that place? I only have 4 more nights before I return home and I am heading back to Mumbai. From there fly to Paris and then to Boston. See everyone pretty soon. Peace

Realizations

In the last days we have been relaxing at our cottage burning tons of incense and eating great food. The heat mid day is up in the 90's and seeking the shade is a must. Just starting to regain some energy, for the sun sucked me dry, despite all the bottle water. We met up with a Tom O'Hare from Beverly and ate some lunch with him before his train to Bengalore. He will be travelling India for the next months. After lunch we went up to Sunset plateau and walked around amongst some boulders and waited for the orange sun to drop to the horizon.

Tonight is our last night in Hampi. After ten days we are ready to move on. Although, I will be back here next season for sure. I am beginning to realize how special Hampi is. It is a very unreal place to come to. It takes you back in time. Whether the goat hurder, the holy Sahdu, or the guesthouse owner, all of the people hear are friendly and have respect for the fellow man. The local shop owners live a really relaxed life despite there struggles and they move at their own speed. They caiter to all of your needs and are very hard working. My stay here was something I will never forget.

I also realize as far as the climbing goes, one would need to spend a month in Hampi just to scratch the surface. There is so much untapped climbing and it is of huge proportions. I plan to round up some of my stronger friends and insist they come to get a taste of a true rock paradise. Next year the time will come and I will be back to Shanthi guesthouse for round two. I hope some of you are ready cause it will be a trip that will blow your mind. Truly a magical setting, with great quality granite stones that test your tips like no other. A cross between Hueco Tanks and Joshua Tree. A mecca for bouldering in the eastern world.

Tomorrow night we will travel by train to Bengalore and then further south to the yoga capital city of Mysore. Here we plan to shop in huge markets to by some gifts and see a few sites and maybe do a few yoga sessions while we are at it. With only one week left in my trip I have to be thankful for all I have done. I am excited to travel to Mysore and it is possible we will make some day trips out from there. Until next time.... Peace

Life Island

I haven't posted in a few days because I've been away from the mainstream of Hampi's guesthouses on a island in the middle of the river. Pat's friend Horst is the caretaker of this property and has a large organic farm onsite. Many varieties of fruiting trees, from mangos and papaya, to banana and oranges. As well as anything else you could think to grow.. It is quite amazing. Also, Climbing has not been allowed here because it is part of a nature preserve and located on private land. Horst met us at the shore with two natives who had a small round boat called a coracle. This is how they crossed the river when it was high.. today it was high. We loaded in the boat and paddle across a flat section of river. Once on the island, I thought I was dreaming.. Huge boulders with sick lines and untouched holds, swimming holes, waterfalls, etc. A true paradise for me and any other bouldering or nature enthusiast. Oh yeah, Horst didn't mind if I climbed, but I decided not to use chalk becasuse I didn't want to leave any trace.

Imagine being on a island with untouched boulders when one of your greatest passions was climbing them. Too good to be true... We got the tour of the farm and we're shown our living quarters, a place in which Pat's friend, who had passed, built years before. It was a boulder cave with tile floors and yoga platforms and two lofts that were bulit up on top of a storage room. This place was unreal. Horst had scheduled meals throughout the day of native food that was quite delicious. That night I was very content. It was nice to be away from the other tourists and get a look at rural life.

Pat had planned a two day retreat on the island in which he would sleep in a spot here stayed at 7 years before. He planned to fast for those day and "boil in his own juice", as Horst would say.. Pat readied his cave and was planning to leave that afternoon. I was still planning to stay at Wim cave for one more night and then maybe check out another cave on the hillside. That night I ate with Horst and another retreat guest, Siyib, and went back to my cave after dessert. I started a fire and sat by it enjoying the light it created. I began to get a urge to leave the island the next day because I was getting a funny feeling deep inside. I did not know what it was but I knew I couldn't stick it out for another day..

I had a tough sleep that night and was surprised when I woke to Pat back at the cave that morning. " We got to get off the island", Pat said. I said, Yeah? He had the same feeling as me. A funny hunch that something was not right. A weird vibe. That morning we told Horst our plans and we left behind the island to return to our home in Hampi at Shanthi guesthouse. Now we are resting and hoping we will not become sick before our travels to Bengalore on the 10th. I still have three days to climb although I am weak and sunburned. I have to take it easy... which is so hard for me. But, I think the island took some of my power with it. Sometimes things are too good to be true..... Namaste.

Hampi Rock Hunt

Today was an epic day once again.. I awoke at 7am to return to the plateau to look for some more high quality climbs. I found some of the purest lines right away and begin to try to decipher my topo maps and then pick a place to warm up. After a few warmups, I got a classic face v3 that was very crimpy with powerful footwork. Sent in few tries.. Really cool probem, short and sharp... a reaccuring theme. Don't get me wrong there are highballs, but I really don't want to get smashed at this place. Next I walked around scoping the plateau and finding some new areas that looked sick. By 11am I had done only a few problems and the sun was unbearable. Retreat!

Next, I met Pat back at the place and we walked the riverbank way downshore amongst thousands of boulders. We were trying to find the crossing to Horst's island because we planned to visit him in the morning. I brought my shoes just in case.. I wanted some first ascents. After looking at many boulders I saw some huge highball lnes but nothing worth stopping. The boulders were outrageous. Shaped by the river, the boulders were smoothed and really crazy looking.I put up a really sick V1 up and called it "Tungabhadra spill". (photo) In the evening, I went up and checked out some cool boulders at the peak of the plateau. Classics everywhere. Finally, I found a real deal concentration of good boulders.. the rest was spread out but excellent. I sent some great lines and was still able to catch the sunset. Rest day tomorrow and then back to finsh some business. I love this place. Peace

OM

Today I woke up early and rented a boulder pad and a Motorbike and headed back to Baba Cafe. I only had about three hours to climb before the sun takes over Hampi and the rocks get greasy. The day before I got a map of the classic areas to climb hand drawn by a Irish man who lived in Hampi for decades. I was able to warm up with some yoga and a few easier climbs.. I set my eyes on a great v3/4 problem called Kurt Albert. Within a few goes, I was standing at the top of this iconic boulder. Applauding me from below was a Shiva Baba. He patted me on the back when I returned to the ground. He then said, "do that one"... a V8 problem called "Space baba". The baba gave me some of his wisdom about Hampi's climbing as I looked at other problems to try. It felt really nice to climb after all this travel to get here.. Now, I never want to leave!

After trying a few more problems, I headed back to the guesthouse to meet up with Pat. Had some food and chai and Horst stopped in to say hello. We will be going out to the island in a couple of days to meet him for a retreat. After that, we headed in to the bazaar to look around at some things to bring home as gifts. While in town we went to get more masala dosas. They are just that good. Also, I tried these spongy rice cakes called Idli. Very good!! The dipping sauce was a coconut chutney and sambar which is a veggie curry of sorts. After lunch, we headed back to Shanti to get my pad and then go to an area called the "rock plateau". Temps were good but again I only had a few hours before dark. Warmed up at the Egg boulders on a few really quality lines that impressed me though were not difficult. Then went to the OM boulders which had some crimp lines on it that looked good. I got on "Classic", a v4 face climb with a line that called my name. The holds were really sharp and I had to gush to send it. Within four tries, done. Happy about the day despite only climbing for four hours or more. Got a sense of what to expect. Sharp and slopey, with a lot of mantles. More updates tomorrow... Peace.

Hampi - Sunshine Daydream

This morning Pat and I arrived in Hampi India after the most ridiculous bus ride ever. Enough said.. As we arrived we hired a rickshaw to take us into the bazaar. A bustling area with lots of shops carrying jewelry, textiles, and delicious Indian food. Amongst it all looming above is a beautiful set of ancient temples and ruins. Words cannot describe the detail of its stone carvings. We quickly took a boat across the river to the quieter end of town. Many guesthouses and restaurants line the dirt road, in which could satisfy any budget. After some looking around we found a nice cottage overlooking the rocks and the river with a hammock in front. So sick!

After we settled in we took a hike to scope some of the boulders in the vicinity with a Canadian named Colin, and we stumble across the famous Baba Cafe boulders which are featured in the Big up film "Pilgramage" starring Chris Sharma. Most of the problems are really hard but there is some warmups as well. Tomorrow I will return to try a couple and move on to some other areas nearby. We continued our walk up to the Rishyamuka plateau which has some good bouldering circuits as well.

There we took a turn to Sahdu Baba Caesar's Ashram up in this nook between the rocks. The structures were very well built. It was a Shiva worship spot. We blessed the chillum and Caesar preceded to tell us an old history lesson about the foundation of Hampi and its dieties. Pretty crazy start to the trip. Also at Caesar's we saw a sun-bathing snake that looked pretty mean. I'm still reseaching the type. Will let you know tomorrow. After being enlightened by Baba Caesar we headed back to the cottage to seek shade from the blistering afternoon heat. We then headed back to the bazaar to get food and scope the scene. We got marsala dosas which are very tasty bread rapped around potatoes and spices with onions as well. Delicious!

To end the day we headed up to Hanuman temple for the sunset. The birthplace of the monkey god. We got there just in the nick of time due to our speedy rickshaw driver. Good work kid!! There were monkeys all around the temple climbing double digit boulder problems with ease.. I guess it comes with the territory. Anyway, the sunset was over fast and we sped back to Shanti cottages in a flash. I was very satisfied with the day. We couldn't believe how epic this greeting was from this amazing place. I haven't even climbed for real yet... More to come soon about the climbing including pictures. Stay tuned..