The gnar needs rock

Mortar Rock
Day 5

Canadian JP from Montreal

The psyche has been on the rise for Mortar Rock. The weather, prime. The skin, in good shape. I have been steadily ticking off projects one by one. Working them till I figure it out and launch an all out attack. Full Stan's (starting on the Kraken and climbing Nat's Backwards aka Stan's Traverse) was the latest to fall. Granted, it's not aesthetic as most of the lines there (and there's very few at Mortar), it was a challenge. Mostly endurance. 25 moves in all. I remember doing 23 moves for regular Stan's starting on the jugs for the Ramp. Since then, I was shown a crucial toe hook at the bulge that changed the way I do regular Nat's Traverse AND Stan's Traverse.Instead of 23 moves, it now became 18 moves. Five movements less = less pump factor. Full Stan's add a further six additional moves in the beginning, bring the total number of moves to 24. It took me one day to get to be able to pull off the ground. I must have been in pain that day because every other day has been subsequently easier.


Last Thursday I came close to pulling the corner of Full Stan's (the mailbox hold) three times in a row. I would pump out. I couldn't figure out why until walking back to the train I realized, I can't recover! Not a boulder problem. Next time I would not stop and "shake out" (if you can call it that, I barely shook, just wasted time) and get pumped. And I did that today. After falling once out of the toe hook, and once dabbing on the tree (it used to be higher so be thankful it's low now kids), I turned the the final corner. Granted that it doesn't top out, it was satisfying.

Another thing that I never thought would happen would be getting stoked by a little kid.

Nick Bradley.

He pulls off Mike Papciak Pipeline in a couple tries, then proceeds to piss on Impossible Wall in a matter of 10 minutes. Inspiring? Yes. Impressive? Even more so. The guy is also super quiet, and one nice kid. In a day and age where most little kids from the gym aren't focused, it's nice to see he's getting outside and putting all that Zero Gravity training towards outdoors as well as doing well in comps.

Mike Papciak Pipeline V7

Thanks for reading!