coexist, bitches!

]]> http://pimpinandcrimpin.com/2009/12/27/the-holiday-spirit/feed/ 0 http://pimpinandcrimpin.com/2009/05/19/the-phil-schaal-interview/ http://pimpinandcrimpin.com/2009/05/19/the-phil-schaal-interview/#comments Tue, 19 May 2009 16:41:52 +0000 cnote http://pimpinandcrimpin.com/?p=1672

Phil Schaal in Hartford, CT.

Phil Schaal’s been killing it recently. In the past year alone, this Connecticut climber has ticked 15 V13s, including some rare repeats of hard East Coast lines—The Book of Bitter Aspects (V13) in Bradley, Conn., Agent Orange (V13) in the Gunks, and the Chelsea Smile (V13), Ty Landman’s new sit start to Divine Providence in Lincoln Woods.

But pissing on hard blocs hasn’t come easy for Phil, who’s gone from struggling to do a single pull-up (OK that was awhile ago) to world-class send status. His secret? Pure determination.

Phil ranks Roses and Bluejays in Great Barrington, Mass., among the best problems on the East Coast. “The rock is amazing, really fine-grain granite, kinda crimpy. It’s a pretty standout line. It’s seen a lot of ascents but as far as East Coast quality it’s probably top three. Chelsea Smile you get on and it’s like ‘Ow it hurts’.”

Phil’s boulder-crushing rampage is about to pick up speed as he heads for Colorado’s high alpine gems this summer.

Phil Schaal—Bradley

C-Note: You just climbed your first 5.14, Supernova, how’s it feel?

Phil: Yeah, my first four-bolt 5.14. It was long overdue. I tried Supernova a lot like three years ago and kept falling on the last move. This time I nailed it. It felt good finally to get that confirmed 5.14.

C-Note: Yeah, you made it look pretty easy.

Phil: I was pretty stoked. I would have been upset if it felt the same as three years ago.

Phil sends Supernova in Rumney, NH.

C-Note: How did you start climbing?

Phil: I started climbing when I was 15 in the gym. I couldn’t even do a pull-up. 5.9 was a challenge. I remember just barely getting to the top of this slightly steep wall, using all the holds and stemming on the other wall, and it was only like 18 feet tall.

C-Note: So, you’ve definitely improved since then…

Phil: Yeah. I’ve definitely improved since then. The first year and a half I just climbed so much. I got the point where I could do 20 pull-ups. After two solid years I could climb 5.12. Just out of pure tenacity—it didn’t come easy.

Phil in Bradley, CT.

C-Note: So what’s the secret to your recent comeback?

Phil: I wouldn’t say a comeback, but I broke through a huge barrier last summer. I think a lot of it was strategic. I definitely feel stronger, but it’s not like night and day strength. Definitely training, strategy and conservation.

C-Note: What do you mean, conservation?

Phil: I have all these little games I play with myself, little thoughts. I try to relate the skin on my finger tips to my body’s condition. When I wear my skin down til it’s really thin, I know my body’s messed up. So, I try not to let my skin get too damaged. I limit myself to a few tries and stop when I’m still feeling fairly fresh. I try to think about the next day. When I was younger I’d just go at it and get completely devastated, not taking any body conservation into account.

Phil assessing his tips in Lincoln Woods, RI.

C-Note: What’s your mental approach to climbing?

Phil: I’m definitely hard on myself. I don’t really know why. I look for little successes in climbing to make up for the fact that I didn’t have a great success that day. I make smaller goals, just being real realistic with myself. Like today, if I don’t feel so great, but I make a move further, it’s a good day. Looking for incremental success helps me avoid negative thoughts.

C-Note: How do you train?

Phil: My training’s always evolving. There’s not one thing I ever do regularly. Lately, I’ve been climbing 4-5 days in a row with easy days in between. If I’m strategic, I can climb at my limit, fourth and fifth day on. Sixth months ago, I wouldn’t even be able to think of that. I try to do one arms, but I don’t lift weights or anything. I like to campus.  I try to keep my fingers strong on a crimpy problems. And I keep my sessions short, like two hours.

Phil in Bradley, CT.

C-Note: So you don’t really have a routine?

Phil: I kinda feel like, If you get a routine and then something’s off, it can tweak your head. Things will always be changing. I want to climb at my limit under any condition.

C-Note: I hear you’re pretty superstitious, black cats and stuff. Got any climbing rituals?

Phil: Whenever I kick my chalk bag over and chalk spills out everywhere, I usually have a decent day. Like today, I walked up to Satan’s Choice, spilled my chalk all over the slab and I had a pretty good day. I have a lot of little weird things like that. I’m constantly knocking on my forehead to make sure bad things don’t happen to me.

Phil on Satan's Choice in Rumney, NH.

C-Note: What’s your climbing diet?

Phil: I don’t skimp out things. I eat a lot of candy, I’m addicted to sugar—gummy bears, anything gummy. My favorite candy is peanut m&ms, and my favorite Cliff Bar is Banana Nut Bread.

C-Note: How do you balance climbing and real-life responsibilities?

Phil: I’ve definitely sacrificed work and academic ambitions to climb as much as I can. My credit card statement will prove that, but I still feel like it’s worth it. I guess there’s a point I might be in the poorhouse collecting welfare just so I can go climbing.

Phil on Bradley, CT.

C-Note: What about climbing and love?

Phil: My girlfriend, Nikki Keeney, and I have been on the road a lot recently—she loves climbing. When we were in Hueco was working Sex After Death and climbed some other V7s. I like watching her improve and get motivated to climb. It’s fun ‘cuz we’re both into the same thing.

C-Note: So you two are on the bust-ass/road trip cycle?

Phil: Lately we’ve been working a lot but yeah, we kinda live that work- climb, work-climb lifestyle. Having Nikki in my life is a real positive, she’s my psychiatrist when I’m stressing. She’s always there to give me the reality check I need.

C-Note: What’s your home crag?

Phil: Bradley, definitely. It’s 20 min from where I grew up. I was 16 when I started going out there, so it’s been eleven years. I’ve probably spent like 6000 days climbing there, and counting. So many, so many days.

C-Note: East Coast vs West Coast climbing—what’s the difference?

Phil: Climbing in the North East generally isn’t as open as out West. It’s definitely not as accepted in C.T. anyways. People don’t really understand rock climbing that much. I don’t know if it’s just the Hartford area. Bradley, my local bouldering spot has been closed for the past 12 years. And yeah, I’m guilty of trespassing or whatever I’m doing, but I’ll be the first one to admit it. I mean, what the fuck am I supposed to do?

C-Note: Uh, trespass.

Phil: You have to take some risks in the North East. If there’s really nice climbing right off the road and we’re not hurting anyone, sometimes we just go for it. But I guess it’s like that everywhere. And the weather definitely quite unstable.

Phil and Dan Yagmin in Rumney, NH.

C-Note: Do you prefer rope-climbing or bouldering?

Phil: I guess you could say I’m a product of my surroundings. There’s tons of bouldering here in C.T. There’s also good trad climbing that’s kind of scary. I used to guide for EMS in the Gunks. I really like trad climbing and I love sport climbing but Rumney is so far away.

C-Note: Who has influenced your climbing the most?

Phil: Climbing with Ty Landman and Nick Sherman on Robyn and Theo’s wall last year definitely made me stronger. Climbing with a bunch of different talented climbers really helps, pulling motivation, watching how other people train. In Boulder, there are a lot of people really serious about training. Climbing with Ty over the past couple years has been really motivating, but I don’t wanna give him too much credit.

C-Note: Future plans?

Phil: Return visit to Boulder looks positive. I’d like to see if I could do Jade, the Diamond would be fun too. I’d like to at least visit Rifle, never been. I just wanna kinda get back to that Rocky Mountain High.

Phil and Dan Yagmin leaving Bradley, CT.

Phil, Hartford, CT.

If you’ve been debating upon your next bouldering destination, look no further than Morrison! With over 80 problems and 945 variations to those 80 problems, Morrison has something for everyone. Whether you’re a circus clown or V14 hard(wo)man, the climbing here is, well, eccentric. With areas such as the Black Hole and The Lobby, Morrison should NOT be overlooked.

When approaching this area it’s easy to get overwhelmed by Morrison’s aesthtic nature, friendly locals, and quality stone. Have no fear, let’s break it down.

As you ascend near the crag, the Lobby is your best bet for a good warmup. To blend in with the local scene make sure your feet stay ABOVE the chalk line and NEVER mantle out these problems. As the blood starts to flow and you are getting in “the moment” drag your pads up to the Black Hole. Notably, the BH is the main “hang” at Morrison. Glean as much beta from the yokals so your flash attempt on Helicopter and Cytogrinder will be duly noted as legitimate in the official book of Morrison Eliminate Bouldering. If you’re told to keep your right pinky finger off the 3rd crimp on a problem, DO IT, or be chastised forever by the Elders of Morrison.

Literally, you can spend decades whittling out variation after variation to problems in the Hole, and people have. Why go elsewhere when the climbing at Morrison is SO good? So, now you have sweaty fingertips and a jonesin to pack the pad and get gritty in Morrison, let’s talk logistics.

Camping: N/A

Season: Summer

Eats: The Fort

Wildlife: Rattlesnakes and Urban Denverites getting there adventure on!

So, come on Down! The Morrison season is upon us, don’t miss out!

Tick List:

1. Helicopter, V5

2. Breashears Crack, V1 – 10 (depending on which holds you use)

3. Air Jordan, V5

4. Holloway’s route, V7

These are just the tip of the iceberg. Oh, there is bouldering on the South side of the road, but the approach is WAY more involved and the climbing is not near as good.

That’s not the point though. The point is, these two persevered and made it to finals even though a bunch of young, butt-scratching, cave man-grunting, V-Dub plastic humpers were out for blood.

So pour one out for these homies tonight. These two are as hood as it gets.

Sean Dossett on another perfect granite boulder

So in conjunction with the article that our friends at Rock and Ice ran about our homestate (okie dab to DR and crew) I decided to give your little peepers something to drool over for a few hours. That and we are slowly going crazy over here because the snow just keeps dropping all over our precious little rocks making it impopssible to climb and since we don’t do that silly shit with axes and spiky shoes, this will have to do. Enjoy the gallery of Oklahoma goodness.

Photo: by lucas marshall--lucasmarshall.com

Sonnie Trotter. You know him. He’s that crazy guy from Canadia with a clever little tattoo on his arm. He was in some video climbing some crack. He’s sent some hard stuff, some scary stuff and some rad stuff. He’s been there and done that, and he’s actually still doing it. He finally peeled himself away from climbing rocks and doing yoga with his hot girlfriend to give P&C a few good answers to our questions. Enjoy.

Tell me what the best part about living in Squamish is.
Are you joking? Have you ever been to Squamish? Don’t tell me I really need to answer this question. Please Andrew, don’t fucking tell me you’re serious. Next…
If you had to choose between sport climbing and bouldering forever which would it be? And what about trad climbing vs. that winner?
I think I would choose bouldering over everything else, but, shit man, that is a hard question. The reason I say bouldering is because I am in love with (more than anything) the feeling of moving over stone, the freedom of climbing movement. I don’t particularly enjoy harnesses or ropes and other such crap, but the lines that I get to do using those tools are quite remarkable. It’s highly liberating when you do a 150-foot rock climb and you can’t see your belayer anymore and you have birds floating underneath you…liberating. But since you said choose “one” and then you said “forever” I think bouldering would win. Bouldering, highballing and free soloing.
What’s the best route under 5.9 or under you’ve ever climbed?
Wonderland 5.9, it’s the last pitch of the Smoke Bluff connection and I solo it every chance I get, probably every month of the year. It’s the best. From right to left, hand over hand on glassy feet but sinker jugs and locks and a good bit of exposure too. Coastal granite is the shit.
Why does JT call you Mr. Namaste? Does that shit really help at all?
JT has a lot of names for me. I can’t seem to keep up. He’s a pretty funny guy and it’s just his way of making himself feel better. I’ve been doing more yoga this year than ever and he seems to think yoga is for fags. I think he should just call me fag then instead of Mr.Namaste you know, cut to the chase like a real man. For example, I like to call him ‘Ol Baldy.
What’s one famous crag you’d be happy never climbing at ever again?
American Fork, Utah. A.K.A. Broken Glass. What an over-rated pile of scrap metal and glue.
What was the coolest thing about 24HHH this year?
Getting drunk with the Okie crew. Even though I had to save my juju for the comp, it was still a blast of a weekend, and drinking always makes me smile. I also enjoyed the climbing and hanging out with good people, lets not forget that part.
If you had the opportunity to trade a punch in the face with any professional athlete, climbing or otherwise, who would it be and why.
Do they have to be alive? I’d probably go with Wayne Gretzky, number 99 of the Edmonton Oilers / L.A. Kings / N.Y Rangers. I think if you’re going to trade punches for fun, I’d want it to be a celebrity member of my own country, not sure why. Also the fact that he’s a hockey playing legend even more so, cause if you’re going to lose some teeth over it, you don’t want to say that a rollerblader or a figure skater or a sport climber knocked them out, you’d rather tell people it was a Hockey Hall of Famer. And you know, they always said he was bit soft, so I’d want to know for sure.
Write three facts about yourself and one false one so we can guess which one you made up.
I got malaria while in India.
I was born, but not raised in South Africa.
I was arrested in Boulder, CO.
I dropped a best friend off the end of our rope.
Who have you been listening to lately?
Always the same man, Bob Marley, Led Zeppelin, Groundation, Johnny Cash and 2pac. Why what are you listening to man? Give me some of that shit.
What’s the best new training tool to use so we can get strong like you?
Try typing out annoying interview after annoying interview all day and see how strong your fingers get? If that doesn’t work, buy one of my hand built, custom hangboards and train like a motherfucker. But here’s the hook, seriously, use weight. For real, people, if you just hang with your own body weight you will plateau (unless you’re 350 pounds). The way to get strong is to resist force, do dead hangs with 30 pounds off your harness, I double dare you. Or get your gal to dangle from your dingles. Wink.

What’s your favorite cheese?
Sharp cheddar cheese (from Costco!!!)
Wow, simple.
…and cheap but sooo good.
What were you doing in South Africa so recently?
Climbing all the boulders, playing with baboons and hiding from snakes. actually reverse that order
How long were you there?
Seven weeks. Well, five weeks there loving life and two drowning in rain and sulking.
There could be worse places to be rained on I suppose.
No its the worst! It is without a doubt the best bouldering in the world so sitting there in the rain is like being in a candy store on a diet!
Bummer! So you’re a boulderer then. Don’t do the routes too much?
I started out route climbing once upon a time, did all the junior comps then discovered how much easier bouldering was, and my lazy side took over! Plus lead climbing outside terrifies me! I know that’s not cool to say or whatever, but it does. It’s weird because I like highballs and went bungee jumping, but something about not knowing how far you fall freaks me out.
So Longmont…Woods family’s basement…heading up to the park much?
Yeah I love the park. I’ve spent some time there for the last three summers
Any big sends out there recently?
I’m keeping the sends on the DL right now. When I do and document something that defies any skepticism I may tell people, but for right now I think people get too critical and competitive. It’s more fun to just climb for me and the people closest to me and not risk other people taking away from my happiness with any negativity...yeah! Is Daniel really a cool dude or is there something undeniably sweet and mushy gushy he’s done for you recently we can all bring up when we see him next?
Haha Daniel is amazing. Hmm…Yesterday on the hike up to Evans he picked all the different flowers on the hike and when we got to the Dali Wall he made me a bouquet. And he makes me breakfast in bed!
Breakfast in bed?! You must be a good girlfriend.
The best. He still hasn’t given me his super powers, though. I’m holding out for those.
Let me know when you get them and then teach me how. What else do you do aside from climb?
I surf, dance, take photos and try to live in denial about the fact I start school again in September! Oh, and I make sure Daniel doesn’t get lost or lose things.
School! What are you majoring in?
Probably international relations geared towards photojournalism, but in my mind I’m hoping I get do that by taking classes in underwater basket weaving or finger painting 101!
Have you been watching the Olympics?
Yeah we have been watching every night when get back from climbing.
What has been your favorite thing to watch so far?
Daniel and I like to watch the gymnastics. He just likes it when they fall though! the slow motion replay like when that guy slipped of the rings last night. I like to watch the girls gymnastics, they are so teeny tiny and so strong! I could never do that. Have you read that book little girls in pretty boxes? They start training at age 3 or 4. I need rest days and junk food!
Who is the most inspiring female climber you know?
Robyn Erbesfield by far. Also Andrea Szekely. Robyn is so mentally strong and she is still the most internationally successful female American climber,but from climbing with her when I was younger you see that although she is obviously really physically strong she has pushed herself even further through mental strength and confidence. And Andrea is s good friend of mine, she is so dedicated, and somehow manages to balance so many things and excel in them all.
What was the last good book you read?
The Kite Runner. Someone brought it to South Africa.
I’ve heard that’s a good one.
But it’s terrible, since I’ve been out of school this last year I have been reading so much trashy chick lit. This was the exception recently. Yeah, it’s amazing
Any last words?
Live in the moment and go to the Rocklands! Oh and I want to tell the best joke ever, though it is super old. Why was six afraid of seven?
…
Because 7 8 9!

Lots of these pictures are by Susanica Tam. You should really pay her a visit. She’s totally kick ass.