Friday, November 25, 2011

ON 11/16/11 I set out to do more challenges in a day than the best record on this endeavor previously set by Nick Diaz, who completed 61 challenges in a day. In order to do this I would need to climb, boulder, swim, ride, run, lift and exercise a ton.

Starting at 6:26 am and finishing at 10:05 pm I ended up doing 68 challenges, along with Mike Rogers who joined me for all but two that he did separately than me. - Mike did two challenges I did not do and I did two he did not do.

Here's a list in no particular order of things we did during the day:

Climbed 40 routes, half being 5.10 or harder, one 5.12 twice
Bouldered 35 problems and 3 long traverses
Bench pressed my body weight
120 jumping jacks, 10 burpees, 100 crunches, 69 situps, ten push ups, four one arm pushups
Ran a 9 minute mile
did 21 pull-ups, one muscle up, 15 push-ups, 68 lunges, 60 squats, 11 one legged squats, 11 one legged butt to heel squats, 5 squats on a Bosu ball, 5 squats with body weight on shoulders, 200 jump ropes, 10 bar dips, and 12 back extensions.
1500 meters on a rowing ergometer, 100 calories burned on an eliptical machine, 100 floors climbed on a stairmaster.
Took a Yoga and Cardio Boxing class.
held two 25 lb plates smooth sides out with one hand, closed a Captains of Crush #1
Campused: 1-3-5, 1-4-6, two handed dyno one and two rung gaps
swam 11 lengths of a 18 meter pool.
two 10 minute steam sessions

I didn't feel "too sore" the day after, but was noticeably tired for a few days. What if every week of your life you did something stressful enough on your body that you felt sore from it? would you be incredible fit for just about anything?

Monday, November 21, 2011

On October 13th I climbed for the first time with Alex Honnold. (the young man featured on 60 minutes a month ago http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7383158n ) We climbed The Nose route in 4:37. On the way to the base Alex said: "you don't get out that much, you can lead me up the whole thing if you want." I lead the route to camp four and Alex led the second half.

One week later, October 20th, we climbed The Nose again and made it in 3:16:30. I led to the Boot Flake and Alex led to the top.

On November 1st we climbed The Nose in 2:37:30. Same deal, I led to The Boot and Alex led to the top. Interestingly we both led for about 1:18. This was just 45 seconds slower than the existing record and 25 seconds slower than my best time set in 2008 with Yuji Hirayama.(Sean and Dean have the best time right now)

We've been starting the route anywhere from 8am to 11 am in the morning, depending on our schedules and the temperatures. Temps are as low as 50 in the valley floor but always above 60 or 70 on the wall where we start the climb.

You can see an article on our attempt here: http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/11/02/2600120/yosemite-climbers-attempt-speed.html or see facebook posts here: http://www.facebook.com/hans.florine

The weather looks like it has decided it for us. - We'll have to let the record stand for another 7 to 11 months. The route is too wet and likely won't dry out until May or later.

I believe now I have the season updates now included in the following pages. http://speedclimb.com/yosemite/compare.htm and here: http://www.speedclimb.com/yosemite/Elcap.htm

Give credit where it is due! If you or someone you know has climbed NIAD, make sure they are on the list.

In case any of you want to train with me in person I'm often at www.Diablorockgym.com (I manage the place) Just last week I did 68 challenges in a single day. see link There is a ton of fitness things we can all do to stay sane during the "dark days of winter."

Hoping you all got in your Fall Climbing goals or better yet are still getting after them. (like me)

Speed be with you.

Hans

Monday, July 25, 2011

Well I did go up on the week of June 13th and I got up The Nose twice!

On Monday June 13th with Lisa Coleman in 15:30:16 Between Dolt and El Cap Tower we passed a Japanese team, Mr Kim and Mr Sianagee. Mr Sianagee had come to Yosemite in 1981 to climb The Nose. He had only made it half way through the stove legs and had to return to the ground. He was already four pitches past his high point of 30 years prior!

I rested two days and headed up The Nose on Thursday with Craig Demartino. Craig had lost his right leg below the knee some years back due to a climbing accident. I climbed Lurking Fear with Craig in 2007 in a day.(Craig led half the route) Craig and I passed no fewer than 8 parties and we're passed by a NIAD Team. We passed people from Korea, Japan, Wisconsin, California, and from Yosemite. Our time was 13:47:13. We took a little rest below the Great Roof so I could get a haircut from my friend Sarah Land. This may be a first! A three footed ascent AND a haircut In A Day!

As Craig and I arrived at the Wild stance below the final crack and bolt ladder, the last pitch, we ran into,... you guessed it, Mr Kim and Mr Sianagee! At 6:50 pm he was looking like he was going to spend that night on the summit. That must have been one heck of an emotional summit for him. I guess that was a first too, - not even Warren Harding took 30 years to get up the route.

Friday, June 10, 2011

Funny reading my last post on March 31st stating that Spring was almost here! I think Spring this year was June 1st to June 5th.

Gear tip: Buy some Link Cams from Omega Pacific! You've probably heard that they can plug in anywhere and heard that they get stuck easy. Maybe you've heard that they've broken. All true. and they break in particularly poor placements where nearly ANY OTHER CAM has been shown to break as well. yes, they are expensive, but the price is worth the performance they deliver. I've been caught saying that using them is cheating. Tip: do not bury the cam deep in a crack, alas do not bury ANY CAM deep in a crack. Most cams in most placements "walk" deeper into a crack, for ease of cleaning you want to place a cam as shallow in the crack as is safe for holding a fall.

I am headed to Yosemite next week with a plan to climb El Cap twice in four days. Although I've been managing Diablo Rock Gym* the past 6 months, I haven't been getting in much crack climbing. We all know that outside climbing has it's skills that take some practice getting back to speed:) I've been making a trip or two to GWPC and BIW to run a lap or two on their cracks. If you need an introduction or re-intro to outdoor climbing, join me: http://www.mtadventure.com/pages/rock/special.html

Although it will be less frequent this summer, remember I lead a train for climbing class on Tuesday evenings at 8pm at Diablo Rock Gym. Check their calendar for dates.

I hope you'll all make THE LIST this year or report in to me if your name is already missing. http://www.noseinaday.com/

For shorter tidbits: http://twitter.com/hansflorine and: http://www.facebook.com/hans.florine

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Spring is basically here! what should I do about my gear?


What sort of rack should you build for heading outside?

As point of reference I pull up what Yuji Hirayama and I used to climb The Nose In A Day, (NIAD) in 2002 and "flush out" a rack from there so that you can get up most any climb.

"For our 2002 ascent we carried one #3 camalot, one #2, two #1s, one.75, one .5, and doubles below that,(some of our smaller cams were Metolious tricams). 6 nuts, one cam hook, one etrier, 17 quick draws, 18 free biners, 6 long runners, a Gri gri, a couple lockers, Petzl jugs, and a set of JJs, (jugging loops)."

If you are only free climbing you can ignore the etriers, jugs, and JJs.

Here's the things I'd add to the above rack for anyone who just wants to have a reasonable rack to take on just about any trad climb.:

A set of tiny offset Nuts, and 6 more .5 to 1 inch regular nuts.
A #.5, #.75, #1, and #2 Link-Cam from Omega Pacific (These didn't exist in 2002)
Two Cordelets, theses are 5 to 7 mm cords in 18 to 22 ft in length, great for anchors on trees, gear, LARGE boulders, or bolts.
Offset Metolious tricams are really nice for pin scares or any flaring placement. Get the middle four of the six sizes they make.
Get a rappel device, I would most recommend a Petzl Reverso as it has Top Belay lock off capabilities that a regular stitch plate device does not have. -the Reverso only costs a small bit more than a standard stitch plate type device.
If you know you are going to be doing wide cracks then buy another #2 camalot, another #3 and two #4s. There are very few cracks that are continuously wide and require more than this, on the occasion that they do, I recommend asking to borrow from friends. (ask me if you need)

Lastly if you know a crack you are headed up is notorious for a certain size for a long distance than add to this rack accordingly or borrow. For the people who really like to have plenty of everything and then some get more in the .5 to 1.5 inch range than I've listed.

Happy climbing,

Hans

Saturday, March 26, 2011

BIG WALL Speed Competition! Awesome! Figures it is in an Eastern Block area. Wish I could go! http://paklenica.hr/Paklenica_en/Paklenica_BWSC_2011_EN.htm
I just committed to going to Boulder CO for the National Championships. I did my first 5.13 in 7 or 8 years. Time to ramp up.

Wednesday, March 09, 2011

I am now the manager at Diablo Rock Gym in Concord California. We are having a great time with a community of motivated people all psyched to get fit for various reasons. Stop in if you are in the neighborhood. http://diablorockgym.com/

We've got a challenge list going for 2011 that is really getting people fit and they are having fun doing it. That's the key isn't it! http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11478976/2011DIABLORockGymChallengeList.pdf

Monday, January 03, 2011

I am offering a day of climbing, (in 2011), to anyone who donates
$2,000, in my and their name, to any of the organizations listed
below. You must commit and actually make payment to the
organization by end of the day Friday January 14th 2011.

(no particular order)
http://www.accessfund.org/
http://www.aynrand.org/
http://www.bigcitymountaineers.org/
http://www.yobasecamp.com/fund.htm
http://www.naturebridge.org/yosemite
http://lasf.org/
http://www.yosemiteconservancy.org/

feel free to call or email me with questions regarding limitations of this offer. (Minimally you must be able to pay for my expenses to get to the climbing place where we share the day)