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A Busy Outdoor Winter Season

January 24, 2014, 9:19 pm
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It doesn't seem like those words should all be in the same title. Busy is not the first word that usually comes to peoples' minds when they think about bouldering outdoors during Canada's lovely winter. Still, the weather has generally played nice for the season and that's resulted in a bunch of people getting out to boulder in the Okanagan over the last couple months.

Earlier in the winter Jay and Loic started making trips down to the Winter Pig Hotel in Penticton. This is the massively long roof/ cave that saw it's first development last year. They quickly got to work playing on a number of new lines, but very notable is the addition of the low start to an aleady difficult, unclimbed line cleaned last year. This thing is really long and every move is tough. Even with a solid effort, this baby isn't close to a send yet. Best estimates right now put it in the V12/13 range! After that, Jay got to work on a couple other cool lines, one including an awesome roof crack and the other has a great foot first sequence. Both of these will likely fall in the V9/10 range and Jay is pretty darn close to FA'ing them.

Here's a video of jay on the roof crack line.


The view from the Winter Pig

Jay starting the roof crack problem

Try hard face near the end

Ryan starting the roof crack

Jay on the foot first line

In addition to these lines, Ryan Williams and I managed to add a new V9ish super thin seam in the Pig Hole (the line that felt much harder last year). If you like thin, hard crimps, this is the line for you! With a tricky sequence and very technical movement, we found it quite fun. About a week later, I also managed to sneak back into the Winter Pig and bag the FA of a long, powerful connection between Jay's roof crack and the already established Greased Pig (V6) and this connection feels like V8/9 or so.

Adding to all that action, I know that Garrett, Doug, Jay, and Nikita have all been back into the Pig Hole since then. Needless to say, it's getting a ton of action (almost every weekend) and beauty new lines are still going up.

Aside from the Winter Pig, a good amount of people have also been hitting up Pebble Beach. With a number of new lines near the end of the beach adding to the long-established lines as well as the calm, scenic surroundings, lots of people love getting out to Pebble. I know the Heywood boys are still making trips out there and just this past weekend, Braden pulled the FA of a line scrubbed this past season which falls somewhere in the V6-8 range. We managed to get down to Pebble a little while back and I was almost able to get the topo finished for the new guidebook. It's funny how there are a lot more lines there than most people think... with a bunch more climable rock mixed in with the pooh pooh.

Cedar keeping it real at Pebble

Taking a break between drawing topos


Even more action is happening almost as far south as the boulders go in the Okanagan. Doug has been putting a load of work into retro-cleaning the Bighorn area just south of OK Falls. Yet another of Doug's previously established areas from years ago, the Bighorn rarely sees any action. However, with the huge boom of bouldering in the region right now, Doug- in true Doug fashion- has shared all the info for the area and gone back in and done some work so that it's in tip-top shape. There are some established classics here with what sound like some of the hardest lines around waiting for their FA's. I love how we can say that about almost any area in the Okanagan right now! A huge thanks to Doug for getting people psyched about the area.

Here are a couple videos from Doug and Curtis's day at the Bighorn yesterday.




The Bighorn with Vasseaux Lake in the background (thanks Doug for the pic)

Otherwise, I've been hearing about many peoples' forays into areas throughout the valley, and I'm super excited that we have a much larger, dedicated bouldering scene developing here. I keep saying this, but people haven't believed that it's super good here in the past, and then they get out bouldering in the Okanagan and realize that it's for real!

Finally, I also want to give a big shout-out to Stu Smith who just started Grandwall Skin Repair. Stu is a strong climber based in Squamish and he made a trip up last year to develop a whack of new lines at Boulder on the Bench. He just sent me up a bunch of his product (oh man it's gonna get a workout setting the comp this weekend) and I'm stoked to help represent this stuff. If you want more info let me know or check out Grandwall Skin Repair on Facebook.

Grandwall Skin Repair "From the gym to the big walls!"

As usual, if you have any questions, comments, or FA info, please email me at okbouldering@gmail.com
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The Fields- A VIMFF Finalist!

January 24, 2014, 9:31 pm
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I just wanted to put this out to say a huge congrats to Clayton Arnall! His film The Fields- A Bouldering Film is now a finalist at the 2014 Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival. This is the film that we were lucky to be part of and that premiered at the VIMFF event in Kelowna back in October.

I'm so excited for Clayton and for local boulderers and bouldering development to be showcased at such a terrific event. Did I mention that they are showing the film on opening night! with Sasha DiGiulian as the presenter that evening!!! WOW! A big night for Clayton and Okanagan Bouldering. Fingers crossed and good luck to Clayton and his "The Fields."

In case you somehow haven't seen the film, here it is.


The Fields - A Bouldering Film from Clayton Arnall on Vimeo.
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Pebble Beach Explosions!

March 18, 2014, 8:03 am
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I know it's been a while since I posted anything, but with the cold end to the winter, a busy work schedule and a relatively indoor restricted climbing regimen, it's been tough to get much info out... that is until now. With the much nicer weather as of late as well as all the action happening in OK bouldering, I figured I better get back at it! So, here's a bit of info to start the mass of posts coming out in the next few days.

First, I just want to make people aware that while on a recent trip down to Pebble Beach in West Kelowna, Jeff and Michelle were nearly splattered by rockfall from blasting above the beach. There was no warning of the blasting, and it was a bit concerning to say the least. I know that Ryan has been back down and had a little bit of a look since then. It seems that a road is being built above the far end of Pebble Beach.

Other groups have been out to Pebble since then and nobody has died as far as I know. A couple calls have gone in to the District of West Kelowna, but I haven't heard anything about a response yet. In the end, it seems like it's fine to climb at Pebble, it might be best just to be aware of what's happening down there. There's your public service announcement for the morning. Enjoy.
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Winter in the Winter Pig Hotel

March 18, 2014, 12:20 pm
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This year was yet another busy one in the Winter Pig Hotel. A good number of different climbers spent a fair bit of time developing more new lines in the massive cave, but none more than Jay. This year, again, Jay put a ton of time into developing new lines in the Pig Hole and while more new stuff is still popping out, a lot of what's left is really hard (V12+), variations of already established lines, or mega link-ups that will likely fall in the very hard double digit zone! In the end, there will probably be 40ish (maybe more lines) in the Winter Pig, and most of those were FA'ed by Doug, Ryan, and mostly Jay. I know recently Jay and Ryan put up a cool V8-ish compression line and Jay finished up the long roof crack project (about V9/10-ish). Both of these lines supplement the already terrific upper Winter Pig zone.

Recently, Jay also pulled out the FA of another line he'd been working in the Pig Hole. It starts near the lip of the cave and works up the roof through some very tensiony, powerful climbing. It's now called the Maelstrom (due to the weather it was sent in) and local filmmaker/ climber Dave Mai caught it on video. The video also shows Jay giving his 2 cents on the climbing in the Winter Pig Hotel. Here it is...



The climbing may start at a moderate grade, but no matter what grade you climb, if you haven't had a chance to check out this amazing feature, the Winter Pig is well worth a look!
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South Okanagan Invasion

March 18, 2014, 12:53 pm
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With the weather throughout the Okanagan finally smartening up to end the winter, the boulders and walls in the south Okanagan are getting some sweet, sweet lovin'. Generally speaking, the south Okanagan gets less snow and has climbable conditions earlier than the central and the north. A lot of the bouldering spots are also at lower elevations and tend to get a fair bit of sun. All that means that most of the boulderers in the valley travel down to the Penticton area this time of year to get their fix. My guess is that this year has been another record start to the year for the number of people out wrestling pebbles in the south.

I know that in just the last couple weeks as the weather has been better, people have been bouldering at The Bighorn, Badger Bluff, The Winter Pig Hotel, The Milltown Boulders, and recently we were part of a 14 person crew at Boulder on the Bench a day after another large crew was there. That's a lot of action for a region that saw very little love from anyone other than a handful of locals for many years in the past. I think it's great to see, and it's also led to some old lines getting a retro-scrub.

Some double Jason action on BOB

Jess getting after it

Allan looking like a true boulderer

In all this south Okanagan love, I know new lines have been cleaned and added at the Bighorn by Doug and a another group including Jordan et al. and Doug is currently cleaning a beautiful wall above BOB that will hold roughly 15 or so moderates. We had a look at the wall when we were down and I have to say that I'm quite jealous I don't live closer to help scrub it up!

I guess all this again just shows how great the bouldering is in the south Okanagan and I'm sure it will be part of the yearly rotation for all of us Okanagan boulderers!

Here are a few videos I stole off Doug's youtube channel showing some of the greatness at Boulder on the Bench. Thanks Doug!







And here's one showing the incredible "I'd Rather be Golfing" arête line at the Milltown boulders.



Moral of the story is that if you haven't bouldered in the south Okanagan before, make a plan of it. I'm sure you won't be disappointed!

If you need any info on any Okanagan bouldering areas, don't hesitate to email me (Andy) at okbouldering@gmail.com
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The Ruins...

March 18, 2014, 1:19 pm
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The Ruins. Maybe you haven't heard that name yet in Okanagan bouldering? That's probably because we just came up with it. Ha!

The Ruins is the name of the "new" basalt area recently developed in West Kelowna. Word on the street is that the area saw some bouldering as long ago as 12 years or so, but this spot didn't really stick as part of the annual circuit. Recently, Allan took a little stroll through the forest and "re-discovered" the boulders. He quickly shared the info and within less than a couple weeks, these boulders have been all scrubbed up and are ready to go.

Braden modeling under the largest boulder in The Ruins

Pretty cool looking rock

Cedar helping get The Ruins going

While the boulders are not high and inspiring, they are fun and very unique. They're a group of boulders that have shed off Mt. Boucherie above and now sit in a nice, Ponderosa Pine forest setting. The rock is composed of columnar baslalt, and because many of the boulders have fallen on their sides with the columns being horizontal (hence the name The Ruins), the climbing is very interesting.

It's not a huge area with about 25-30 lines in total, and most of the lines are no harder than V3 or so. However, it is fun and a great place for beginner climbers or people coming out of the gym who would like a bit of work topping out to come and have a good day.

Braden pulling on what's likely the hardest line in the area

A huge thanks goes out to Caleb, Aaron, Allan, Braden, and Bennett for putting the time into these boulders and getting them ready for everyone to enjoy. I'm currently working on the topo and descriptions for the area right now and hope to have it ready for everyone to tear apart when we get back from our trip.

If you want any info on the area, let me know at okbouldering@gmail.com
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Okanagan Bouldering Guidebook, eh?

March 18, 2014, 10:09 pm
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As many people already know, I'm currently working on putting together the full Okanagan bouldering guidebook. Having written the Boulderfields bouldering guide a couple years ago, I felt like I was up for the challenge of a high-quality guide that could show off the amazingness of the region's bouldering from OK Falls all the way up to Vernon.

Little did I know that this project would be so huge! I knew that it would be quite time-consuming and require a lot of research. However, with so many areas never really documented, a ton of different bouldering areas, a long-ish history of bouldering in some spots, and so many new lines popping up all over the valley, putting this book together is gonna take a good chunk of time. Still, in the end, I think the product will be excellent and really show off what we're lucky enough to boulder on day in and day out. Also, with the rate of development and increased popularity of bouldering in the region, I've started to wonder if this may becoming a first edition/ second edition type project. I never really thought the Okanagan would require that type of attention in a guide, but I guess only the future will tell...

So, I guess a huge favor I have to ask from the community is to please contact me regarding any info you have for first ascents, previous ascents, areas, etc that would be pertinent to the guidebook. Even if you think you may have scrubbed up and retro-climbed a previously completed problem, please let me know and I'll do my best to figure out all those details. The goal is to make sure all the necessary steps are taken to be as accurate as possible moving forward.

On that note, please email me at okbouldering@gmail.com with any info.
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Early Season in Cougar Canyon and No More Mr. Gneiss Guy

March 18, 2014, 10:47 pm
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Well, as a result of having a near-death trad fall there, and being a resident of Vernon, Cougar Canyon holds a special place in my heart. I feel a special connection to the area, and it just so happens that it possesses what I still think is one of the best concentrations of bouldering anywhere within about 400km or so!

Last year, I didn't spend much time in Cougar. The Fields were again exploding with new lines and the cooler temps in the summer were appealing. However, I did spend enough time in Cougar to have another good look around at what's left to be developed. One of the walls I revisited, was the tall, very overhung wall on the back of the Hercules cave. This wall was written off for many years by many climbers, but I figured, "hey I'll clean it up and see what happens." Sure enough, it looked like it would have enough holds to be climbed. So, I went to work cleaning the whole line and fixing up the less than ideal landing.

After a handful of solid sessions, I felt like I had the bottom of the climb pretty dialed. After neglecting the line throughout the summer, I returned at the end of the fall to try and quickly work out the top moves before attempting the send... Oops, I guess I made a slight underestimate of how hard the top would be. Sure enough, I couldn't latch the crux move and the season ended without a send.

That led to last weekend. Knowing that most of the canyon would be unclimbable, I managed to convince Loic to come in and see how "the project" (dubbed No More Mr. Gneiss Guy) was looking. I've been itching to get back at it, and having the chance to show another local crusher the canyon for the first time had me giddy.

Now, I know Loic was a bit hesitant to get in with my that day, but before we had even hit the bottom of the canyon, I felt like I had to pull him away from every SPORT wall we saw... That's how great the rock is in there. Needless to say, when we got to the boulders, we danced around from bloc to bloc like a couple school girls in a candy shop. The fact that everything was still wet was tough to bear. Still, when we reached the project wall, we were rewarded. It was completely dry!

We took turns pulling on the perfect crimps at the bottom of the wall, refining the beta and linking the moves quite solidly! Unfortunately we only brought in a couple pads and committing to the higher, crux moves just wasn't happening. In the end though, we got to crank on some amazing holds and movement. I dare to say that this line has some of the best, if not the best, movement I've ever climbed on... and I've been pretty lucky to climb on a lot of incredible boulder problems.

Here are a few shots of Loic and I pulling on No More Mr. Gneiss Guy





After Loic managed to put a respectable sized gash in his fingertip and I decided I wasn't willing to do the same before our big trip to Moe's Valley this week, we packed up and headed back out of the canyon. On the way, we took the time to check out most of the neglected walls at the top of the canyon. I've always wanted to have a look at them because they are a closer approach and look tasty. Sure enough, we spent a bunch of time "discovering" what looks like a bunch of new lines. A total of about 6 walls will probably hold upwards of 30+ new problems! With our creative juices flowing we named one wall the Red Wall, one the Green Wall, and another the Light Green Wall. I'm pretty sure we'll do better than that when we get scrubbing. Altogether, I'm pretty sure there are still about 40-50 more lines left to be climbed in Cougar!

Here's a video of Loic linking the bottom of No More Mr. Gneiss Guy while splitting his finger on the tiny left crimp! Oops, sorry it's sideways.



The Carnage!

So, I guess it was a pretty good day for the earliest day I've ever climbed in Cougar Canyon. I can't wait to get back at No More Mr. Gneiss Guy!
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ROCK THE BLOCS is Back

March 18, 2014, 10:52 pm
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Just a quick one here. There will be a ton more info to come on this, but I wanted to let everyone know nice and early that the ROCK THE BLOCS boulderfest at the Boulderfields is back in action again this year on June 21 and 22.

We're working on gathering all the prizes, getting the info together, organizing, and all that fun stuff. So as soon as we have things in line, much more info will be coming out to y'all.

Last year was a riot and a huge success and it's looking like this year is gonna be much bigger! So, please plan to be there and get out and enjoy some amazing bouldering for the fest!
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Lakeside Bouldering

April 7, 2014, 8:46 pm
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We're definitely pretty lucky to live here in the Okanagan. Amazing lakes, beautiful views/ scenery and weather, a nice pace of life, and all that other stuff people love about the region. One of the things that sweetens the deal for a bunch of us is the fact that we can add lakeside bouldering to the mix.

We're lucky enough to have a couple spots in the north and central Okanagn where we can pull down while enjoying the beauty and serenity of Okanagan lake at our fingertips. One a recent trip into Ellison Prov. Park for an afternoon session, it dawned on me that I don't think I've ever written about the bouldering there? In addition, Pebble Beach in Kelowna has been getting tons of action, so I figured I'd throw a little something together about both.

I've written a bunch about Pebble in the past, so let's just say that it's been a great lakeside bouldering spot for a lot of years. There are several great, old-school lines and the views and bouldering on the beach are tough to beat. While the area sees its fair share of vandalism and grafitti a times, the lines still climb well. In the last couple years, as with many of the other bouldering spots in the valley, Pebble has seen a resurgence of cleaning and development. Just last week, Jay added what's likely a new V9/10 to the picturesque Pebble Overhang. This line is an extension to a long established V7 that runs through the overhang. I got to pull on this one the other day with Braden and it's a lot of fun. You can look for this one in Clayton's next Okanagan bouldering flick.

 
Braden working the new Pebble Overhang V9/10


Not finished there, some of the local fellas have also been working another line just to the left of this Pebble Overhang newbie which promises to be slightly harder. Pretty crazy that more new, hard lines are still coming out of these places! Oh wait, doesn't it seem like I say that ALL THE TIME!

Alright, that leads me to Ellison Prov. Park in Vernon. For some reason, I don't think I've written much about it and that's horrible! Ellison is a special place for me. It's where Staci and I got married and it is a terrific place to just slow down and enjoy solid granite beside the lake. In the late spring to early fall, it's pretty incredible to be able to boulder at Ellison and jump in the clear waters of Okanagan lake after each send.

Ellison has a couple main bouldering spots, but the big show here is the Traverse Wall. This is a lakeside cliff full of sport routes with an amazingly featured low section that offers a great number of bouldering lines and variations including the classic Ellison Traverse. The traverse is about 60 feet or so long and gets progressively harder as you move along. The forearms will feel it at the end of this baby! While the traverse is definitely the sweetness of Ellison for a lot of people, there are a bunch of other lines that are tons of fun on the same wall, and with a bunch of great holds, you can make up lines all day. This is just one of those spots that's tough to beat for a slice of Okanagan bouldering.

Here are a few terrible quality videos of a few lines on the Ellison Traverse Wall...

The shortened-for-camera Ellison Traverse- V4 (all the business is at the end)



A Johnny Kristian classic V6



A line I'd somehow never tried until the other day (silly me).



Staci on the Ellison Traverse (V4)

Cedar letting the world know what he's all about
 
 
The always amazing Ellison view

 
As always, if you want any info about Okanagan bouldering, feel free to email me at okbouldering@gmail.com


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Record Day in Cougar Canyon

April 14, 2014, 8:09 pm
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This is kind of hilarious, but yesterday was a record setting day for the number of people bouldering in Cougar Canyon. What was this whopping total, you may ask? 14 people pulling down! That's it. I find it funny that an area with such amazing rock sees so few boulderers.

No matter what, yesterday was an incredible day bouldering in the sun on amazing rock with a ton of the bestest people around. A lot of uber-classics got some lovin and a good number of us revisted the world class The Mistress (V10) and Crouching Dragon, Hidden Tiger (V11) after working some newer projects.

If you've never had a chance to get on the rock in Cougar, there are very few locals who wouldn't recommend it for its super high quality.

Here are some awesome pics from the day from Clayton Arnall.

Garrett on The Mistress V10

Loic looking solid on the perfect arete of The Mistress

Jay near the top of The Mistress

A Few Pics of Jay on Crouching Dragon, Hidden Tiger (V11)


 
Beauty day in Cougar

More Pads Than I've Ever Seen Coming Out of the Canyon

On another note, I can't forget to mention that while Pebble Beach has been getting a ton of attention over the last few weeks, Jay has managed to add another V10 extension to the Pebble Overhang. This is again another beautiful line that climbs into the longstanding V7 that runs through the roof. So, that's 2 double digit lines added to the Pebble Overhang in the last 2 weeks! Nice!

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A Young Crusher Learns the Ropes... or Boulders

April 26, 2014, 9:28 pm
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I thought this was a cool story, so I thought I'd share it.

The Ruins has received a lot of action this year, especially during the early spring season a little while back. It's a nice spot with lower grades, low boulders and good landings. It's great for beginner climbers (and kids) and the friendly top-outs and the low heights and grades offer a terrific intro to outdoor bouldering.

This was very true a few weeks back when Ryan Heywood took Leif, a local, young crusher, out for a day at the Ruins. They climbed at the Ruins for the day which gave Leif the chance to really experience what outdoor bouldering is all about. Ryan says that Leif was killing it out there and was so interested in outdoor bouldering that Ryan took the time to work with him a bit, discussing ethics and other considerations.

 

Then, after a bit of climbing, Leif actually went to work spotting his own line, scrubbing it, and after a few goes, getting the FA of a line he calls "An Apple a Day" (V0/1). Ryan says it was pretty inspiring to watch an eight year-old go through the process of developing a problem, and doing so in a fashion that is consistent with local ethics. Apparently Leif told Ryan that the crew of developers in the area have had an influence on him, and personally, that's amazing to hear!


I think this is a pretty terrific story. To have a local developer taking the time to work with a youngster that will hopefully be crushing our current projects in a few years, and guiding/ teaching him about the process of development is great. Then to actually have an eight year-old kid focus long enough to find, scrub and FA a line is pretty amazing! I think the future of Okanagan bouldering is in good hands.

 
Anyways, I just wanted to throw a shout out to Ryan and Leif for putting in the time and passing this along.

Thanks to Leif's mom, Sue for the pics!
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Back to "The Sac"

April 26, 2014, 10:08 pm
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With the weather looking a bit "iffy" today in Cougar Canyon, we made a trip down to Skaha and Rusty's Sac for the first time since Staci was pregnant. Could it have been that long?

Sure enough, we rolled into Skaha to beautiful blue skies and sunshine and Jay was waiting in the parking lot for us. Jay spent the morning in the Winter Pig (where he just recently finished up his V10-ish foot first project last week), and Jess and Ryan were only a few minutes behind.

Many people have no idea that the world-class sport climbing mecca of Skaha also hosts some amazing bouldering. Rusty's Sac is just one of a few terrific bouldering spots at Skaha, and it likely surprisingly sees less than 30 or so visitor days per year? Pretty crazy for a near-horizontal roof/ cave that overlooks Skaha Lake and the Skaha Bluffs and that's riddled with awesome holds and boulder problems. Not to mention that Jay has recently cleaned new top-out exits so that every line in the formerly not topped out "Rusty's" now comes complete with that special top-out feeling.

 
Staci on the "Warm-up"


 
Jess powering through the "Warm-up"


We spent a good chunk of the day on the "warm-up" problem (V4) with the new top-out, Roofer Direct (V10), and Jay worked the Tower of Babel/ Roofer Direct Connection after adding a new V6-ish variation in the overhang. It's very easy to get a solid workout pretty quickly in "The Sac." The steepness beats on the core and arms, and the quality of the lines has you begging for more.

 
Jay pulling hard on the Tower of Babel/ Roofer Direct link-up project


 
Ryan on Roofer Direct (V10)

 
Not a bad view from Rusty's Sac, eh?
 
 
Best part of the day for Cedar- playing in a puddle! Aren't those pants blasphemous in Skaha?
 
If you haven't had a chance to get into Rusty's, give it a go. Oh yeah, but be warned- the easiest problems are about V4 or so.
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Ahhhhh, Cougar!

April 27, 2014, 10:01 pm
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Well, it was yet another "big" group bouldering in Cougar today. Beautiful sunshine (when they were calling for 60% chance of showers- gotta love the Okanagan), awesome problems, and an amazing setting. The flowers and trees are almost all blooming in the canyon right now and the Moss Hollow waterfall and disappearing stream are in full effect. It's no wonder so many people are more than happy to just hike around the bottom of Cougar. If only they knew how good the bouldering is.

Staci, Cedar and I got to spend the day with a great crew today. We started out at the ultra-classic ASA (Ass, Stump, Arete- V6) where Staci is making great progress. Ryan and Braden found their preferred beta through the crux on this one and found themselves on the top early into the day.

Staci on ASA

After that, Braden, Loic, and Ryan quickly fired off 2 more Cougar mega-classics in Mega Man (V5) and Veins (V6). Funny enough, none of them had spent really any time on those lines and today they got to enjoy the goodness these 2 beauties have to offer.

 
Braden on Veins



Lately, I've been spending a ton of time in Cougar. I've put a lot of time into a few high, hard lines this season and the commitment required for them has been time consuming for sure. Still, I had some great progress on the Keep Calm and Compress On project this week (oh, it's getting close- if only one hold would dry up!), and was also able to get a bunch of other stuff going in the Canyon. I've managed to clean a number of lines in the bottom of the canyon (including the sit start to the amazing The Mistress) and I'm just waiting for parts of these to stop seeping to get the FA party rolling... or at least I hope. On a very productive night last week, I managed to add a true sit start to ASA as well as nearly finish cleaning one of the large boulder walls at the top of the canyon, all after killing myself on "The project."

Ryan hitting the "juggy" sloper/ pocket on Veins

Today, for me, was a day of really dialing in the upper moves of Keep Calm and Compress On followed by eating about a pound of dirt while cleaning the last high, committing moves. Having a ladder in the canyon this season has sure helped make cleaning some of these lines a lot more efficient- thanks Braden for lugging it in there. Hopefully this week, Keep Calm's left side will dry up for some serious FA burns?

As we were leaving, Loic and Kay were still putting in the time to clean the upper part of the east face on the ASA boulder. There are a couple beauty lines up that face/ arête and I don't think they've been done before? Allen, maybe you know?

Anyway, with the warm temps on the way this week, my hope is that it's a big week of even more Cougar FA's. Enjoy the pebbles everyone!

As always, if you're looking for any info on Okanagan bouldering feel free to email me at okbouldering @gmail.com


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Climbing as a dad... what a different world!

May 12, 2014, 7:12 pm
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I've been thinking about this a fair bit lately and figured I share a bit of my experience climbing with a kid. Oh yeah, before I get going, I definitely have to acknowledge that while making the adjustments to climbing with kids is one thing for the fellas, it's generally a whole different (and much more difficult) thing for women. A huge shout out to all the ladies who are out there crushing with kids!

So, a couple years back, just after returning from another amazing Bishop trip, Staci and I found out we were soon going to have another partner in crime. After all the initial excitement and happiness, I have to admit, I started to think about how this would affect climbing... yes I have a problem. I'd seen many friends and strong climbers take a step back from climbing after having kids, and I was worried this would be the case for us. Sure enough, Staci and I got our priorities straight and vowed to ensure that we'd continued bouldering as much as possible with a little one, or at least we'd go down swinging.

9 months later, Cedar entered our lives. For the first bunch of weeks, we quickly proved that we had no friggin clue what we were doing and climbing fell be the wayside for a bit. After that, we slowly started to get a bit of a grip on the whole parenting thing and pretty soon we were trying to get back in the climbing groove. The spring proved difficult, but by the summer, we were bouldering at full steam. Still, full steam now looks a lot different than it ever did before.

Recently, a few people have said that they're amazed we're out climbing so much with a kid and we make it look easy. Staci and I kinda look at each other and laugh a bit inside when we hear this because holy shit it ain't as easy as it used to be...

There's no more leisurely running through the circuit at the gym. Not enough time to train and socialize like we used to. There's not as much time to aimlessly wander through the boulders or wait for the perfect conditions or time of day for the big send. There's not really anymore climbing on full rest, especially for Staci, because we've got the little energizer man that doesn't seem to require sleep to function. Usually climbing is a solo or family venture these days because plans are made last minute and the ungodly hours that allow for training, climbing, and setting scare away most human beings.
A post-send high five in Moe's Valley

Now, sometimes you drive all the way to Penticton, the Fields or the gym just to turn around and come home because it's too windy, cold, or maybe a new tooth is coming in and that ain't fun for anyone. Sometimes your session gets cut short because it's nap time, you somehow forgot the appropriate number of diapers for the day, or maybe you have to drive all the way back into town from Cougar Canyon because the magical "soother fairy" has somehow misplaced all the necessary soothers to ensure a good nap. Sometimes you drop off a climb because your kid is incessantly yelling your name because it's the coolest name in the world to him and you start to laugh and lose your concentration. Sometimes your work/ dad schedule doesn't line up with the weather and the much anticipated night out for the week is cancelled. Most of the time, you try to time naps perfectly with the travel time to the day's destination and hope for the best. And sometimes, you just need to be a parent and the best decision is not to go out climbing for the day.

You can never have enough desert dirt on your head
 
Clearly, bouldering with a baby was a bit of a shock to our previous free wheeling climbing lifestyle. Still, strangely enough, while bouldering with the little man has drastically changed our climbing lives, it has had a majorly positive impact on our approach to and success in the sport. With our sessions generally being much shorter than the olden days, we find that we typically "pull harder." The flash burn has a whole new meaning and putting in max effort is much more common to ensure a send before Cedar wakes up from a nap or needs to go for another one. Training/ gym time is much more focused than it used to be. Less time means you better work your ass off to achieve similar gains. Or maybe, all you have is a training session on the home wall because you don't have enough time to get to the gym or getting home at 11:30pm isn't too appealing? I find myself more focused, motivated, engaged and stronger than I've ever been before. We knew a youngster would change our lives, so we consciously made the choice to put climbing near the top of our priority list. That seems to be working pretty well... I think?

Cuddle time while projecting at Ellison

In the end, while my climbing life may be a lot different than back in the day, I'm pretty darn OK with it. Probably the most amazing part of this whole being a climber-dad thing is the fact that I get to hang out in some of the most amazing, inspiring places on a regular basis with my family. I'm amazingly lucky to have an incredible wife who gets it and is as into the whole thing as I am, and to have my little outdoor-loving buddy to share it all with. While life with a kid can seem unfocused and hectic, making time together in the boulders a priority has proven to be a rewarding, uplifting and centering experience.

To all the parents still getting out and crushing, good on you!
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A few big additions to Oknagan Bouldering... and a whole lot of other new stuff

May 12, 2014, 8:15 pm
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Here we go again. I feel like maybe I never shut up about all the new things happening in Okanagan bouldering, but as someone who gets to go out and FA lines almost daily, I'm super excited about this time in the bouldering history of the valley.
 
On that note, here are a few things to pass along...
 
In the north, Cougar Canyon and Ellison have both been getting a lot of action this spring. Cougar has especially been getting some lovin' as I'm regularly seeing more and more people bouldering in there. And why not? In addition to all the classics from days gone by, we've again been adding a bunch of new lines this season. Between Ryan, Braden, Staci, Loic, Kay and myself, we've added a number of great problems from V0 to V10 and we'll easily leave Cougar this season with many more to do.
 
A couple weeks back, I finally got a window of opportunity where 2 of my recent projects actually dried up for a full session. As a result, I pulled really hard and managed to send the previously neglected low start to The Mistress and Keep Calm and Compress On. Both lines are beautiful and likely fall in the V10 range. Crazy enough, that now means that there are 3 double digit lines right beside each other in Cougar. Would somebody please come in and try these?
 
Working the first move on Keep Clam and Compress On (V10)
 
Moving off the "mail slot" on Keep Calm
 
The outstanding heel-hook, cross move on Keep Calm
 
Braden has also scrubbed up what looks like a great new highball in the main Moss Hollow area, and that one will hopefully see its FA this week. Kay and Loic put up a couple beauty looking new easy lines on the ASA boulder and between Ryan, Braden, Staci and myself, a number of other cool problems have been opened up in Cougar. I also started cleaning one of the new walls at the top of the canyon and it's looking like these walls are gonna add some terrific new lines. Soon, the top of the canyon could easily offer enough lines for multiple sessions... if we can get them all cleaned up soon.
 
Braden and Ross cleaning the new highball
 
One of the new walls almost fully cleaned and ready to rock!
 
Aside from Cougar, the south has also been getting a lot of attention. People have been climbing in a bunch of the areas, particularly The Winter Pig Hotel, Rusty's Sac, and the Chillhaus. I previously posted about the new top-out action at Rusty's and that has led to people getting in there a bit more. I know that Jay just went in the other day and did a couple new variations into the finish of Roofer Direct that both likely come in around V10. That roof is so riddled with holds that the tough variations seem endless!
 
In addition, Jay has been busy in the Winter Pig this spring. A few weeks back, he managed to complete the FA of his foot-first project now dubbed Roach Motel. The beta on this one is intense and Jay figures this line falls in the V10 range. Also, just last week, Jay put to rest another Winter Pig project by doing the low start to FIF (V9). The low start adds a number of really tough moves to an already low-percentage move on FIF and Jay figures it's the hardest line he's done to date, putting it in about the high V11 range. I wish I had pics for both of these problems, sorry!
 
As if that wasn't enough, Jay added a couple new lines at the Chillhaus over the weekend, with one of them being a previous project that probably falls in the V9/10 range.
 
Then, to top it all off, the largest area in the central region opened with a bang for us yesterday! We got into the Fields on a sunny, warm beautiful day with a great crew. From the F1 Boulder, to the Pant Pisser, Dark Prince to the newly added Wrongfully Accused, it was a great day. Staci, Clayton, Tasha and Jess all hit classics on the Pant Pisser and F1 boulders while Jay and I climbed the perfect edges of Nelly's Thin Thins (V8/9) and finished the day by adding a terrific new line.
 
Staci on the big move of Full Chub Morning Weezer (V6)

Brighton pulling on the F1 with Clayton providing a solid spot

Tasha on the Unnamed V0 on the right side of the Pant Pisser boulder

Jess on Cruise Control (V5)

For a few years, we've passed the Suspended Block Project in the Surf Boulders without taking it seriously. We thought the fall might be really bad, or the moves would be really tough. Not to mention, most of our other projects over the last couple years convinced us to walk right past it time after time. At the end of last season, we finally had another look at the suspended block and got very excited. Days later, it started to snow in the Fields and we were forced to wait it out until this season.
So, yesterday, with a good number of pads and some gumption, Jay and I pulled on to the suspended block. After a couple of falls, and realizing we were totally fine and alive after falling, we both pulled hard and made our way to the top. Thus, Wrongfully Accused (V7) was born. This one wasn't nearly as hard and scary as we thought, but what an incredible climb.
 
The fact that we plucked this gem in a main area, in clear sight of the trail has me revved yet again for a big Boulderfields season.
 
Me on the big, committing move on Wrongfully Accused (V7)
 
Eyeing up the lovely crimp over the lip.
 
Have fun out there everyone, and as always feel free to contact me (Andy) at
okbouldering@gmail.com for any info or if you'd like to pass along info about FA's.



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The 2nd Annual Boulderfields Rock the Blocs Boulderfest!!!

May 17, 2014, 9:28 pm
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Okay, here we go. All the key beta for the 2nd annual Rock the Blocs Boulderfest. It's taken a bit to get this out, but that's because of all the terrific support that's lined up for the festival! It's looking much bigger this year, so come on out and see what it's all about!
 
Here are the basics...
 
When: Saturday, June 21st and Sunday, June 22nd
 
Where: The Boulderfields- Kelowna, BC
 
What: A festival including a bouldering competition/ area development projects aimed at getting the climbing community together for a whole lot of fun.
 
The Specifics...
 
Bouldering Competition- Saturday, June 21st with Sunday, June 22nd as a backup day in case of poor weather
 
Time: The rules meeting/ explanation of the competition will be held at 9:45am with the competition starting at 10am and finishing for the day at 5pm. Prizes will be awarded following the comp.
 
Categories:
Men- Beginner (V0-V2), Intermediate (V3-V6), Open (V7+)
Women- Beginner (V0-V1), Intermediate (V2-V4), Open (V5+)
To register, email me (Andy) at okbouldering@gmail.com
 
Explanation/ Scoring: Essentially, we hand pick over 100 of the best problems in the Boulderfields from V0-V11/12 and projects above for competitors to crank on for the day. The goal is to send your top 5 problems by the end of the comp.
 
Prizes: There are prizes for the winners in each category, plus a bunch of draw prizes up for grabs for all competitors/ volunteers involved in the festival. 
 
Extras- Post-event social on Saturday night (please bring whatever food and beverage you desire). However, this year, thanks to Tim, we also have a post-event pig roast to add to the social! I also wouldn't be surprised to see some impromptu crash-pad wrestling as the evening unfolds?
 
Logistics- Camping at the Fields is free as always. If competing, you'll need a Boulderfields bouldering guide to get around to the problems. Beg, borrow, steal, just get one, so you can find all the goodies. I'll have some for sale at the fest (and as always they are for sale at BTC and True Outdoors), and we'll have a few of us guiding people to the newer/ harder lines not listed in the guide. Please also don't forget to carpool up to the Fields as much as possible to minimize our impact and to ensure we have enough parking for everyone (look for the Rock the Blocs Carpoolers group on FB)! We'll have a limited number of loaner crash pads available for those without, still, if you don't have a pad, just get to the fest and we'll make sure you can get out climbing with someone!
 
Development Projects- We have a number of projects in mind for this year's festival, so if you're not too keen on competing on Saturday, please feel free to lend a hand with this year's projects.
 
Clinics- There are a number of very experienced local boulderers willing to offer clinics on Sunday (providing the comp proceeds on Saturday) on topics such as outdoor bouldering basics, boulder problem development and considerations, improving technique, an intro to the Fields, etc.
 
If you'd like any more info or are interested in clinics or helping with development projects, please email me (Andy) at okbouldering@gmail.com
 
Finally, here's a HUGE shout out to our sponsors for this year's fest. Without them, we wouldn't be working with much. They are providing a TON of support this year and a whole lot of prizes for y'all to get your greasy mits on.
 
Meshkat will be repping True Outdoors with us at the fest as will Stu from Grandwall Skin Repair, all the boys from Redpoint Climbing Holds, Bob and Penny from BTC, and Mike from FrE Clothing. Here are this year's sponsors at this point...
 

True Outdoors
 



Gripped Magazine
 
 
... and don't forget FrE Clothing back at it again with us this year
 
This year's event poster- Thanks to Ryan Heywood for putting it together!
 


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Boulderfields Season in Full Effect

June 14, 2014, 11:04 pm
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I know over the last while that people have been out bouldering all over the Okanagan. It's been a very busy spring in areas all over the valley. Still, it seems like as the weather is heating up, the action has almost fully shifted up to the Boulderfields. And why not? As we cruise around in there each year, I'm amazed at how incredible it is and how much rock is still untapped!

I'm not even going to pretend that I can keep up with the development happening in there already this season. My best guess is that there are already over 40-50 new lines this season and with many of these being full value and some being overlooked gems, located in the originally developed areas, this is looking like another wing dinger of a Fields season! I've been saying that for about 5 years now and there are no signs of it slowing down in there.

Cue the media dump...

Jess on the yet unnamed V6 on the Driven wall

Staci on the same line

Braden on the crux deadpoint of the same line

Me on the Driven Direct Project (likely in the V11+ range)


I can say that a good number of people have been in getting their hands dirty this season. Between Jay, Jess, Aaron, Braden, Ryan, Bennett, Caleb, Justin, Loic, Kay, Staci and myself (sorry if I forgot anyone), lines have gone up all over the Fields. A bunch of us have spent a good chunk of time searching new areas and Jay and Ryan found a new zone holding well over 100 lines while Braden re-discovered a zone holding at least 30-40. There are still a bunch of other areas just like these in the Fields waiting for someone to have a good look. We've also been re-visiting boulders and areas we've been climbing in for years. Jay and I love this process every year as we seem to get a bit stronger and find new gems in "old" spots. This year, in particular, we've found a ton of great, hard lines. My guess is that we have at least 15 double-digit or so lines in mind, with at least a few of these being in the V12+ to V14 range? Maybe someone can come and crush these to give the Okanagan the first lines at those grades?

Staci and Jess on the Diamond Boulder's V4/5


Jay on yet another cool, new V4 near the Scarface North area


Me on the FA of a new, still unnamed V4-ish line near the Surf Boulder
 

Staci on the FA of a new V0 near Dark Prince
 
In addition to all the familiar faces in the Fields this year, there have been tons of fresh, new faces as well (not to say that the familiar faces are rotten or unfresh- wait is that even a word)? Anyway, all the work to get the word out about the great bouldering in the Okanagan seems to be working as over the course of the last few weeks, we've met multiple groups from Squamish, Leavy, Vancouver, and Calgary in the Fields. And some of those groups were here even when the weather was nice in Squamish and Leavy! What?

Me working the moves on a great, thin project I was able to send later in the week (I Once Was Blind, But Now I See- V10-ish)


The FA of a cool overhang called Ice Talons- V3

Playing on the moves of the Ice Talons Low project which involves a heinously powerful first move and likely falls in the V13+ range?

So, as I said, all I can tell you right now is that a bunch of new lines are already up in the Fields and I'm hoping there are some big, new FA's to come! Come get a piece for yourself.

Oh yeah, please don't forget that the ROCK THE BLOCS BOULDERFEST is coming up on June 21/22 in the Boulderfields- only 1 week away. It's looking HUGE this year and we can't wait to see everyone there. Stay tuned for a bunch of info this week!
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ROCK THE BLOCS INFO!!!

June 17, 2014, 8:36 pm
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Only 4 more sleeps until ROCK THE BLOCS at the Boulderfields, and we're getting super excited! Fingers crossed that weather is as good as they say it will be. With a ton of people registered, lots of prizes to hand out, a pig roast, a key trail project, and about 135 hand picked beauty problems from V0 to VProject, this fest is gonna be a hum dinger!

Here's some super key beta for everyone coming up...

1) PLEASE CARPOOL. While we've done some work on the parking lot at the Fields, we're still going to have to squeeze vehicles together pretty tight to get everyone in there... and still likely have to use parking up top. The more carpooling action we can manage, the more room we'll have!

2) Bring some dollar, dollar bills y'all... oh wait, I mean loonies or cash. We've got a raffle for a new Metolius Session crash pad with all proceeds going to local development as well as the pig roast being by donation with proceeds also going to local development. Please support these causes as they both help us do all the work we've been doing over the last number of years. There will also be a couple/ few of our sponsors at the fest and they will have some goods for purchase.

3) Please feel free to camp and park wherever you can on Friday night, but we'll be asking people to move their camps out of the parking lot and rearrange parking on Saturday morning to make sure we can fit everyone in. As things clear out on Sat. night, we'll open up extra space for camping (assuming it clears out a bit that night). There is also a great open space for camping just after the burnt trestle on the left side of the KVR road, about a couple minutes before the Boulderfields road. This spot will easily hold a bunch of people if you'd like a bit more space. This is in addition to all the other free camping spots you can find along the Gillard FSR. Also, don't forget that the Fields is up in the hills south of Kelowna, so a trip back into town takes a bit of time. If you're sticking around for the night, you might want to make sure you have all your food/ water, etc before heading up.

4) Don't forget to somehow get your hands on a Boulderfields Bouldering guide. Most of the problems in the comp are in the book. I'll have about 10 or so copies for sale at the fest if you need one. True Outdoors anywhere in the valley and Beyond the Crux Climbing Gym also carry them.

5) The comp meeting starts at 9:45am with rules and a rundown on the day. Competitors will head out at 10am. Volunteers interested in helping with trails will head out just after this. The comp ends at 5pm with prizes as soon as all competitors get back. The pig roast opens up around 6pm.

6) Come to the True Outdoors tent to check in/ register/ give me (Andy) a hug when you arrive.

7) Sunday is a much more laid-back day of trail projects, climbing, and possible clinics (if you're interested in these please let me know).

8) If you're coming to the fest and haven't registered for the competition, please email me to register (with your category- beginner, intermediate, open).

For any other info, feel free to email me at okbouldering@gmail.com

Can't wait to see you there!
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ROCK THE BLOCS Recap

June 30, 2014, 8:35 pm
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 Before I get started, a big shout out to Caillum at Preserved Light Photography for all these images. Thanks buddy!
 

The big day has come and gone and we've managed to recover. All I can say is that Rock the Blocs 2014 was a MASSIVE success! It far surpassed last year's festival and left us itching for next year. The vibe and energy were electric and it was terrific to see so many new faces bouldering in the Okanagan!

A whole lot of peeps this year!

 
All in all, we had over 130 people attend Rock the Blocs on Saturday with about 100 of them being competitors. That pretty much doubled last year's attendance! Not only that, but there was a great mix of people out this year. We had multiple national team/ world cup competitors, last year's Tour de Bloc National Champion, Spenser and Vikki from The RV Project (all the way from California), as well as strong contingents from Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Squamish, Calgary, and of course, the Okanagan. The Okanagan has never seen such an influx of climbers specifically here to boulder. It was a treat!

 
Quentin on one of the several terrific Surf highballs

Saturday went very well with competitors heading out around 10am and returning around 5pm. It was amazing to see so many people enjoying lines from V0 to VReally Hard. The Nerf Roof even saw some serious action and proved that it is still VReally Hard! Seeing so many people bouldering and having fun in the Fields really makes us happy because it validates a lot of the work we've done over the years and we love sharing the amazingness of the Fields with a larger, yet still ethically/ environmentally conscious user group. Overall, it seemed like almost everyone was having a blast and some people even had a tough time leaving the Fields for the wrap-up/ prizes.

Nikita getting pogo on Axel Rose
 
Spenser crushing the overhang on Surf Arete
 
Ryan moving into the business on Surf Arete
 
Thanks to Loic, Greer and Co. a new drop in trail was also roughed in on Saturday. This new trail now starts just past the fence (on the way to the Bigglesworth Boulders) and will hopefully act as a more user-friendly alternative to the steep, at times slippery drop-in that leads to the Southeast Trail and F1/ Surf areas. With so many more people coming into the Fields now, we figured a bit easier access would be nice. A huge thanks to the fellas for putting the time in on this! Get on this trail if you get a chance and help pound it in.

One of the morning hot spots
 
Loic and Andrej on the seldom attempted No Guts, No Glory
 
 
When all was said and done, we finished up the day with a poop-load of prizes to hand out. Thanks to all our amazing sponsors, we had a ton of draw prizes, raffles, and of course, category winner prizes. On that note, the big crushers of the day in each category were...

Men
Open- Miles Adamson
Intermediate- Joel White
Beginner- Edgar Klein

Women
Open- Staci White
Intermediate- Jess Zotto
Beginner- Jaycee Janier

A huge congrats to the category winners and all competitors for getting after it!


Jess repping for the ladies on Dangleberries

Spenser pulling hard on Dangleau
 

Now, of special note is also the total amount raised from the raffle items and pig roast. In total, we managed to raise over $550 which all goes right back into bouldering development in the Okanagan. I want to say a big thanks to everyone who chipped in for the raffle and pig roast. This money will directly benefit the bouldering scene here.

I also want to say a MASSIVE thanks to Tim Duncan who provided us with the pig roast. I'm not sure if people realize this, but Tim donated absolutely everything for the pig roast so that we could raise money. This guy is a champ! The cost to Tim was more than what we were able to raise and he was just super psyched to be able to help us continue to develop the region. Then, within a day or so after the fest, Tim was ready with a bunch of wood to donate to us for projects. Tim is a perfect example of why I love the climbing community in the Okanagan. What a crew we have here! If you get a chance, give Tim a big hug and thank him for his help at the fest. You're the man, Tim!

Youngest competitor this year?

Calculating the scores

Prizes comin' in hot

Day 2 of Rock the Blocs looked similar to last year. We had grand plans of more trail projects and possible clinics, but on day 2, people just seem to want to climb... and I can't blame them. I figure there must have been at least 60 people still in the Fields on Sunday, and they were throwing down! That's almost as many people as last year's fest just on day 2!

I was able to get in on the action on Sunday, and what a day we had! It was a FA kinda day. By the time I finally got into the Fields, I managed to meet up with a bunch of yocals just in time to see Ryan Williams FA a beauty new line on the Venom wall just below Dominator. Not a bad start to the day, eh? Shortly after this, we made our way down to the wall formerly known as Aaron's Highball. Within a few minutes, Ryan and Andrej had sent the beautiful face on this boulder and Peek a Poo (V6) was born. This is an instant classic and well worth a look. Soon after, Manuela, Loic, and Spenser all found their way up this beauty.

Ryan on the new Venom wall line

While this was all happening, I made my way up to a boulder just north of the Venom wall. It had seen a few attempts a couple weeks prior and I thought I'd give the awesome face a rip. With a bit of tricky beta, I found my way to the top with Loic closely behind. The moves on this one are terrific and the rock is high quality. So, that was the birth of Masterbeta (V6/7), the third amazing FA of the day.

Shortly after this, Loic, Jay and Andrej all compressed their way up another new quality line just below the Ripply Boulder. This one starts with some great power/ compression climbing and has a highball finish over a couple tenuous mini-roofs, all while pulling on cool holds. That FA was number four for the day and was called Newer and Stupider (V7). After this, the rest of the crew continued crushing their way through the Fields while I headed home.

As I mentioned above, we were lucky enough to have The RV Project (Spenser and Vikki) here with us this year and they even did some filming of all this madness on Sunday. It was so amazing to have them visit what we think is some great bouldering here in the Okanagan, and in turn, they stoked the flame of the locals while they were here. If you get a chance, check them out at http://rvproj.com/#sthash.4ACen5Xg.dpbs and check out their blog about the Fields at http://rvproj.com/2014/06/25/kelowna-the-boulderfields/#sthash.fRQ635ib.dpbs. Also stay tuned for their video of day 2 at Rock the Blocs! They are doing awesome work! Thanks so much for joining us Spenser and Vikki!

Not a bad view on the way down from the Fields, eh?

In the end, I just want to say a big thanks to everyone who came out and made Rock the Blocs so much fun again this year. I'd also like to again thank our sponsors (True Outdoors, Beyond the Crux, Flashed, Grandwall Skin Repair, Gripped, Redpoint Holds, and FrE Clothing) for all their support. Finally, I'd like to thank Jay, Loic, Aaron, Bennett, Ryan, and anyone else I'm forgetting for all their help with the fest.

I can't wait to see everyone back at it next year! See you then.
 
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