Bon Iver - Skinny Love (lyrics)

Mike Tucker

There is no question that climbing is a dangerous sport. But the system does work. It has been tried and tested for many years. It's terrible to see someone going out to do something that they love, and get injured or killed from it.


Last Saturday, April 17th a good friend of mine, Mike Tucker, took a terrible fall while climbing in the Red River Gorge. Mike was helivaced out of the Gorge and was in ICU for 7 days. Mike passed away on Saturday, April 24.


I was with Mike when he fell, and was by his side until we put him into the ambulance. This experience shook me up enough to question allot of my ethics. Climbing has exploded in the past few years and the need to enforce safety and evacuation plans are at an all time high. I would like to schedule a sport climbing "refresher" course. People get to comfortable on a rope and we are all guilty for not taking it seriously.


I drove Mike's car from the accident to the place where he was camping. When I got into the car the cd he was listening to was Bon Iver. He had the song "Skinny Love" playing and this was the last song Mike listened to. I drove the thirty minutes playing this song over and over. I think everyone should hear it.



Keep your thoughts and prayers with Mike's family. Not only did we lose a great climber we lost a great friend. He will be dearly missed.

The First Year

This is the first year I haven't route climbed through the winter. In the past two years I bouldered, but was never bouldering. I always did it on the REALLY cold weekends, or times where I couldn't find anyone psyched enough to numb out on the bitter cold routes.

This is the first year to do any competing. It's been a change that I really like. I was very skeptical towards the comps until I went to Triple Crown. Some of my funniest times carrying a boulder pad around. I'm still in the mid range of Advanced and Open range, so maybe next year I hold a chance to place.

This is the first year to climb in a gym. First Avenue Rocks opened late this summer and has changed the climbing scene in Birmingham. People are getting to know each other, hanging out outside of the boulders and crags.

This is the first year to have a camper to travel in. The ability to have a good nights sleep and good food is easy to do. No more excuses for not climbing my projects.

This is the first but not the last. I can't wait for the many other firsts to come.





The Red River Gorge's steep lines full of perfect pockets is only 3 days away. I will get there the 18th and come home the 28th. A spring break trip like this is huge for me, I will be able to kick off the route climbing game and really get back into my fitness. I'm anxious to see what the power from hard bouldering has done once my endurance comes back. No better place to get fit besides the Red.


To get fit I have come up with a must do circuit. A circuit that I believe will be used for the next 2 years by pretty much everyone. It's the 2012 circuit. I am planning on doing 20 new 5.12's during my stay at the Red. It will not be my main focus as there are plenty of hard routes to be done in my grasp. But just so I don't get sucked into the project mode, I will have to get the mileage in on 20 new 12's. I don't know what my rules are yet, but I would like to on sight at least half of the circuit. Throw this in on every route climbing trip, and guarantee some good endurance when you leave. You can also use this as a weekend warrior for the month or even for the year. I think making goals is a huge part of any success.


Hope everyone has a good spring break!

Willcutt

It's not eazy being squeezy!

It's one of those times I sit and stare at the screen trying to remember what all happened. I lost track of time 3 days before the hprocks climbing/music festival started...

Hprocks, or as we all know it as Sloperfest, is not your normal climbing event. It's a laid back time hanging out with friends and hearing the different bands echoing through the boulder field. As soon as you fall off problem in comp mode and your cuss words start flying, you can't help but laugh at the guy who slept by the stage and woke up drinking. It's that kinda event.

The comp started at 10:00 A.M. with the format being all the problems you can do in your category. Open was v7 and up.

I had a good day comparable to last year, but a bad day comparable to what I should have done. But like I mentioned before. It's just not one of those comps. It really puts climbing events into perspective when you attend a sloperfest. Not to mention we had some bullet weather. Sunny and high 50's.

After the comp was called off at 5:00 P.M. the fun really started. First Ave Rocks was selling Good People high gravity beer for dirt cheap. The music still playing through out the park. Everyone came over to grab a BBQ sandwich and a beer. It seemed like no one was talking about the comp... at all. It was all positive, fun conversations among a group of friends and family.

We had thrown the idea around to raise cash for the Alabama Bouldering Fund by soliciting something. I had decided to use my bushy Jew fro as a donation. I got the macgyver Joe Ortega to pull out his handy knife and make the better than bought box for donations. We had 6 different hair cuts to choose from. They where each drawn up and posted next to the slot on the box. The money stayed separated inside the box, and the one with the most money in the end, was cut onstage that night.

At first, people were skeptical. I had a few quarters and many laughs. After the high gravs kicked in and the speeches got better, I ended up raising around $55.00 cash money.

And the embarrassment began, the hair cut that won by a land slide. Was just the front bangs staying.

I ended up taking third in Open.

The problems I fell off at the top is bigger than the my actual tick list.

Sadly this is all I did.

Short Long v7

Ghetto Super Star v8

Chattanooga Plow v7

Hugs And Kisses V8

Megatron v8

Slabalicous Low V8

Slush Puppy Low v7

Litz Pocket v7

Cuts like a Knife Low v7

Boomslang Low v7

Slider v9

kiss v7

Don't rock the boat v7

I am bald.

Can't wait till next year.

Willcutt

The Showdown

Moss Rock preserve is a little boulder field in Hoover, Alabama. Located about 25 minutes from my house it's an easy after work/school destination. I have been probably 10 times in the past year or so, since the weather has been so bad, HP40 is only 25 minutes past that, and I really don't have the feelings for bouldering as I do roping up.

Yesterday came the Shades Crest Show down (moss rock). An endurance style comp with all the problems that you can do in your category. My category was v7 and up. Since the recent guidebook has emerged for moss rock, the Adam H. down grades have taken place. Needless to say there wasn't allot of things to do above v7. All the problems v9 and up I hadn't done until these past 3 weeks. So the comp was scary, I had done most of the hard things, but only once. Repeating them all in a day would be a challenge.

After slowly warming up I did a few v7's and hopped right onto Reignition Sit. It's probably the best line at the boulder fields for the grade. The thing use to be called v11 for many years, it hadn't been done but a half dozen times until this year. Me and Casey Culp made quick work of the sit. I found some sneaky knee bar beta that makes the hard move, well... sporty.

I had only done this rig once, and that was 4 days prior. I was psyched to dispatch this thing first try and with in 30 min of the comp start. Then came the rest of the cave, God Father v10 and reignition reverse v9. Reignition reverse is a really cool movement (non classic) problem. I had never tried it and was psyched to put it out on the 3rd go. Then onto God Father, I had also done this line a few weeks prior, but I am intimidated by this problem for some reason, it's long and powerful and at the end it has a nasty iron cross that seems to spit me off right onto my back. Not a good one to waste time, energy, and most of all SKIN in this horizontal cave.

I fell three times off the last jug of God Father and decided to give up. Knowing Casey had already done these problems I was realizing beating him would almost be impossible. There just isn't that many hard problems to do.

Then we see Jimmy Webb and Brion Voges come into the cave and kill every problem. They both flashed God Father, Both killed Reignition sit with a few miss haps on the 25 move beta intensive problem. And then decided to cool down on a project going out the left of the cave. It's hard, and reachy. Super core intensive, and well... just hard. Jimmy put a few ticks on it and almost flashed it, with just a foot pop going to the jug. Second go, he pissed on it! So sick to watch. Very little effort. Voges came in and got the quick second ascent. I know it was no test piece, but still sick to see a project done at such a small boulder field. Feel like the thing is tapped out. Jimmy Decided to call it "Out Of Touch" v10 for the southern legend him self.

The project put jimmy and Voges way ahead of the game. 3000 points to be exact. We all new it was now a race for 3rd place. Since first and second was secured with the proj send. The race was on. I ran around using other peoples pads and hopping on what ever had the tag with a v7 or higher on it. Doing just about everything first go. Psyched.

As always, I was down by allot of points knowing my only chance was redemption on God Father. I had fallen off the jug 3 times that morning and only had 10 minutes until the comp was over. Casey new he had won. Me and Joe cranked up some music opened a beer and relaxed. We had both decided to give it one last go.

Joe killed it first, I got on as he was topping out and walked it as well. So proud to do it that late into the day and my last problem. That might had put me on the podium!

I ended up beating Casey with only 50 points taking third in open.

All in all it was killer to sample all the problems I do and forget about in a day. With the motivation to win some cool stuff. I ended up taking third place behind Jimmy and Voges.

My prize was a killer 9.5 sterling rope with a couple odds and ends. Most notable prize was a Adam Henry Magnet that will for ever be on the center of my pull up bar. As I do my pull ups I will be able to look into the eyes of the legend, and that will be all the motivation I need.

My Comp Ticklist

Tree Problem V7

Reignition Sit V10

Reignition Reverse V9

God Father V10

Beef It Direct V8/9

The Process V7

Teseract V7

Hoop Dreams V7

Serenity Now V7

Vitamin D Deficiency

The lack of sun shine has made my bones weak. Finally, we see a good week ahead. Going out to HP tomorrow afternoon, Boulder Fields Comp on Saturday, and the HP40 Rocks (sloper fest) the following Saturday. Lots of good things on its way.

Not to mention the Red is in 3 weeks or so. Hopefully be there for 2 weeks!!! Up my game big time. Enduro!

Psyched, get back at you after J Webb kills my home town crag comp on Saturday.

To play the lottery....

The next few months are going to be flying by. I base my months on the weekends (thats when I get to climb). So I have been looking at my next few weekends for climbing.

Today is the First Avenue Rocks climbing comp.

Tomorrow is 95% chance of rain.

Next weekend is my Birthday.

Friday night at Casey's lake house.

Saturday Tuscaloosa climbing comp.

Sunday..... The day after my 21'st birthday... I'm gonna need to rest.

o

I'm starting to feel that my days are numbered for hard bouldering ascents.

There is no time to project anything when you can only work it once every month or two.

Not to mention Sloper Fest (Hp40 Rocks) will be coming up march 5th. So soon!!

I need ample money, and a degree in nursing. . .

Or just win the Lottery!