BLOCHEAD: North

For the past week I have done nothing but train at the local gym. After an extended road trip I cringed at the thought of returning to plastic, but these few days of regimented training have reminded me what I like about gym climbing, and what I aim to receive from it. I have been bouldering almost entirely alone for the last few months, and while my gym sessions have still been mostly solo, I find comfort in occasionally working problems with others. I had forgotten that climbing could be social. Forgotten how someone just standing there can make a send. Perfect landing zones don't hurt either.

In two days I leave for northern California. I am not sure what to expect. I have never been climbing in that area, do not have a guide book, and only through vimeo and youtube research have I found some classics to get excited about. This uncertainty is a good thing though, and I am embracing it. Normally I buy the guidebook, read everything written on the area, and come up with a massive ticklist (astronomically ambitious). This is a routine spawned from taking too many solo climbing trips. Luckily I will not be alone this summer and that will make all the difference. I have never sent anything harder than V8 alone.

I feel ready for anything, and after this week of training I feel that I have broken through a long plateau. At least mentally. With that said, here are a few videos worth watching of the Tahoe bouldering scene.