I haven’t updated in a while! I blame the North-West for that, it seems I have picked up some of the characteristics of the locals including being off the grid and not spending much time on climber blogs or news sites. The North-West climbing scene is a bit secluded; much like the South-East, it has it’s own culture with little influence from the national climbing scene.
I’ve been living in Leavenworth Washington for the better part of six weeks filming for Western Gold. The climbing here is fantastic and the people are even better. Leavenworth is a proper climbers’ town with an awesome community who call it their home. It didn’t take long to make friends here and I’ve been tempted to live here myself.
A few things I have noticed during my stay in Leavenworth:
- Everyone has proper technical climbing skills, it’s part of the nature of the climbing here. Much like Fontainebleau there are lots of slabs and vertical climbs that require more than strength for success.
- Grades aren’t much of a concern here.
- The locals always wear a chalkbag.
- A “slick foot” is a climb you can do in your tennies.
Leavenworth and the surrounding area has everything to offer from bouldering, sport & trad climbing, to skiiing, snowboarding, hiking, alpine climbing, mountain biking, and more. It’s an adventurous community, everyone is into at least one outdoor sport.
Enjoy a few stills from the movie!
Rob Lewis climbing 'Was'
Kyle O'Meara well off the deck on Cremation of Care
Rob's trademark smile on the river in Index
Kyle fighting on the second ascent of All of the Above
To give you some perspective on the above shot, Kyle is well above my spotting hands and the top of the boulder is another 10+ feet above the frame! It’s a BIG line!
I’ll be in Leavenworth for at least two more weeks and maybe longer?
Alex, you have a long way to go before you can call yourself “off the grid.”
Luckily I know someone who can teach me their low-tech ways.
Who am I kidding? I LOVE gadgets! You’ll never take my iphone!