Sorry I have not been updating! I have been working on a climbing technique video , amongst other things.

Here is a recent update I wrote:

Some people assume that the lifestyle of a climber is mostly about climbing. But there is a lot of “work” that gets done between trips and days out on the rock. Though my “work” is usually fun, this past month has been particularly active. After a trip to Italy, another one to California, the following weekend, I participated in the Cassar Jewelers ClimbFest 2008 event in Ogden, Utah. This event was organized by the prolific ice climber and rock climber, Jeff Lowe. It was fun to see so many old friends and go climbing with the locals, as well as my nephew on the boulders and cliffs above town.

In the evening, we gathered at the community art center where there was a collection of art and photography on display, and where several of us did slide and/or video presentations. The climbers that were invited were: John Bachar, Warren MacDonald, Pat Ament, Pete Takeda, Dick Dorworth, Jennifer Jordan, and Jeff Long.

Now, that I’m home for a bit, I can finally get caught up with the pile of requests on my desk. I usually receive a constant flow of solicitations via email to cooperate with various interviews or articles for publications such as Climbing, Rock and Ice, The Alpinist, Forbes, and Women’s Adventure magazine, and National Geographic Adventure magazine. Other requests include working on various documentary film projects, providing content and photos for a calendar project called, Strong Woman, donating material and video to the Yosemite Exhibit, signing petitions to Protest Darfur at the Olympics and the Chinese abuse of human rights in Tibet, and answering questions for a few different student English projects.

Last week I had the unique opportunity of translating a short presentation for the head of the Rwandan Red Cross (French to English) for a fund raising effort. So far this year, I’ve donated climbing instruction for two fund raisers: one for the Center for Resource Conservation and the other for an alternative High School called the Watershed that offers unique opportunities for outdoor education.

In addition to my own projects such as the climbing technique video, I am in the process of writing an essay for the, Stone Masters book, which is currently being written by John Long.

Working on this technique video is providing the ideal pretext for challenging myself on the rock in new ways. I usually don’t spend so much time bouldering but I’ve found that it is useful for showing complex movement on video and it’s an activity that’s compatible with the time constraints of being a parent. The other day I was very happy to finally make the jump move on a famous boulder problem called, Hollow’s Way. It took me about twelve tries to figure out the subtle tricks to stick this move and finish climbing to the top.

Yesterday I climbed the, Rainbow Wall, a classic, “old school” 5.13 that will be instrumental for the technique video. I look forward to many more fun excursions in the local climbing areas around Boulder. It’s nice to be able to stay close to home in order to minimize the consumption gasoline for a while.

Up-coming trips that I am in the process of organizing are: a trip to Italy and Austria this July to go climbing, visit friends, to get some video footage of climbing on some of the limestone stalactite formations in Arco, and to participate in a Petzl Roctrip event in Zillertal, Austria.