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Monday, February 14, 2011

The last of Tonsai

This is the classic route Humanality a 5.10d.

This is the hardest pitch.

We set up a long line, and this is how Terry dismounted.


Preston keeping things casual.
Until this happened.

We set up the water line for sunset.

The long boats would cruise by all day.

It took a couple days but Terry was able to full man it.

Naturally Simon made it look easy.

Surfing the line.


Preston snapping a couple pictures of his own.

There is something odd with this picture, try and spot it.

If you didn't see it before, Simon's naked.

Terry looking very solid.

Simon, still naked.

Walking on the sun.

This is Lion King, it was highlighted in Rock and Ice a couple months ago.

As you can see the beach is the place to be.

When in doubt double clip. Another reminder that the bolts here are not to be trusted.

Most people do a climb and then leave their draws up for the next couple groups to keep the lines down. Simon was in the process of switching theirs for ours.

The feared dred-mullet. These were everywhere and are horrible.

I couldn't resist one more.

Maybe two.

Or three...

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

A couple more pictures

My hardest lead to date, 5.11b. Best Route in Minnesota.

Once I saw this line my heart melted a little.

So, we finally put up a high line over the ocean.

It was all thanks to this guy, Simon.

He makes walking the line look easy.

Preston found it a little harder than he though.

So did Terry.

Between people falling off, Simon decided to do some chest bounces.

He also did some of this.

Preston worked for it, but it always ended with him going into the drink.

A little scenery for you.

Jacy was a quick learner, and stud on her second try. This was how her first try ended.

Terry was the most graceful faller.

This was the only time Simon came off the line, and it was on purpose.

While trying to do achest bounce, Simon would usually flip around the line.

This was Jacy's second try.

This was a couple steps later.

Preston, "bull in a china shop", Alden taking flight.

The judges gave Terry a 8.9 for this dive.

Simon preparing for a bounce start.

And with a couple bounces Simon made it, naturally.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Loki and the art of the true joker

There is nothing like a trip half way around the world to shed a little light back into the world you just came from. Don't worry, I'm not about to digress back into an introspective rant. I could though...

Instead I will try and answer the questions proposed by you, the reader. Lets start with the five senses shall we?

Smells: Being that it is the most nostalgic sense I have to admit that the nights here remind me of the time I have spent in the mid-west. Because it has been unseasonably damp over the last few days everything smells humid. Mix that in with dirt, the occasional piles of trash (Some of these are smoldering attempts to burn away what is flammable), the rich spices used in Thai cooking, raw sewage suntan lotion, cigarettes, and when your by the beach, the smell of the sea food section in City Market. Of course there are a couple other smells mixed in there but these are to subtle to truly describe.

Taste: As always the food is a bled of complex spices, steamed rice, vegetables cooked to the perfect consistency. The best dish by far is a coconut green curry with chicken and pineapple. Naturally the dish is best accompanied with steamed rice and a Chang (Thai beer).While 60-70% of the meals I have eaten here have been traditional Thai dishes, I have taken a risk and ordered the Thai version of several foods that I love to eat at home. By far the best American, or what I associate with being American, food has been the BBQ chicken. Let me say I have had some excellent grilled chicken but the Thai twist would give it a good run for its money. The other meals have always fallen short. Spaghetti consists of traditional Italian noodles with ketchup. The tuna sandwiches have left me feeling a little ill. Omelets are tolerable but pale in comparison to the monstrous things I made while back in college. As a side note I'm not complaining. If I wanted American food I never would have left the states.

Sounds:Unlike Phuket, Tonsai keeps a natural sound track rolling all the time. Right now I hear several crickets and other insects calling out. I hear the steady bass line of a rasta song. On the rare occasion you will hear the sounds of a motor bike putt putting by. In the morning you hear people drifting through conversations not really concerned about who is over hearing them. The diversity of language here is amazing. Yesterday our waiter spouted out how to say "hello" in at least a dozen languages. If you lived here for very long it would only be a matter of time before your foreign language abilities would sky rocket.

Sights: If you have never been to a rain forest then watching the palm leaves sway in the evening breeze is a sight worth experiencing. Everything away from the white sandy beaches are a hue of green or brown. We have seen birds of paradise, a monitor lizard that would consider a chiuaua nothing but a snack, and a black snake that was either a python or the deadly cobra. At night you look down the dirt path that acts as the local highway an will see the bright lights of a bar beckoning to those passing by. Because it is a beach resort there is a lot of flesh. Men go shirtless most of the day and night. Women follow suit but only while basking in the sun on the beach.

Feel: Because we are climbing I have intimate knowledge with the texture of the local rocks. In one climb there was the slick(almost like soap stone), the jagged razor like, and the in between. The last makes for the best climbing. Scattered through out many of the climbs are deep pockets. Some are large enough to fit your entire arm into, while others are nothing more than a half-pad mono. Beyond the climbing aspect, sand finds it's way into everything. One night I went to bed in a clean bed and in the morning I woke up on a sand bar. Needless to say taking a shower after every adventure is not only advisable but necessary to keep your bungalow in some semblance of cleanliness. On top of the natural textures and physical sensations of Tonsai I could talk about the metaphorical "feel". That however is still developing, and I feel that if I tried to describe it now I would only be jumping the gun. I think it would be best to let that develope into something that will hold more weight.

For now I hope that helps with the questions and curiosity you are feeling where ever you are. Look for more pictures soon.

Monday, January 24, 2011

The pictures as promissed

 Terry killing it on the line.
 Preston spinning the staff.
 Terry repelling off an 11d.
This guy Christian, I didn't have my camera out when he did a back flip.
Some crazy foreigners free soloing and jumping.

Preston peeling off the rock.

He was probably 35' up...

The way up to the high jumps.

Preston coming down again.
Jacy working a tricky overhanging jungle gym.