Planet Granite’s BLOC PARTY is back and is better than ever!  This year we made a few changes - a Comp Series Final, NO pre-registration and MORE problems - so you can spend more time climbing, hanging out, eating and winning prizes.

All comps start at 5pm
PG San Francisco - Friday, September 10
PG Belmont - Friday, October 15
PG Sunnyvale - Friday, November 19 plus the all new SERIES FINAL!

FREE FOR MEMBERS, only $10 for non members

Our competitions are community-centered, meaning we want everyone to participate!  We adjusted our categories this year AND added more problems.   Remember, all comp participants are entered in a raffle for a chance to win some awesome prizes!  Want to earn a chance at more prizes? Our Dyno-for-Dollars dyno comp raises money for a good cause and gets you more chances to win prizes.

Womens Categories
Recreational: V0-V2
Advanced: V2-V4
Open: V5+

Mens Categories
Recreational: V0-V3
Advanced: V3-V6
Open: V6+

We’re setting more problems, will have lots of food & beer for competitors and even better: this year there is NO PRE-REGISTRATION!  Our limited edition, one of a kind Ts will be given out on a first served basis to competitors only, so arrive early!

As if that’s not enough, we will be holding SERIES FINALS that will be based on the cumulative scores of all three competitions.  Competitors scores will add up as they compete in each of our three Bloc Party Comps, earning the top scorers a chance to win BIG in our Series Finals hosted at the Planet Granite Sunnyvale Bloc Party. 

A special thanks to our competitors (and a sneak peak at potential prizes!):

Yosemite Climbing 5d Mark II from Colin Delehanty on Vimeo.

It’s 3am on April 26th. I don’t want to get out of my sleeping bag but I know I have to. “It’s going to be amazing! Who knows when you’ll be back to try this. Just go! It’s going to be starting soon and you need to be ready when it happens.” For some reason at 3am I convinced myself this was a good idea. I flipped on my headlamp, grabbed my things and started out toward swan slab. As I was walking over I started to realize that no one knew where I was going. I wasn’t going to run back to camp 4 to wake someone up. I didn’t have the time but I was worried what could happen or what people would think when they realized I was gone. “You’ll be back before they wake up”, I kept telling myself. When I got to swan slab I scrambled to the top through a climber’s access trail. In front of me was the entire Yosemite Valley. Other than the stars over head the only lights I could see came from the camp 4 bathroom. It was completely quiet and I felt weird being so alone up there. With a little confusion as to why I was there, I began to set up. 

I picked a spot close to the ledge. Then I propped up the tripod to a good, balanced position and mounted the camera. This was my first time doing time-lapse photography. It was also my first time doing anything with video in such a place as Yosemite Valley so I was a little nervous that all the effort would go to waste if I didn’t get things right. This wasn’t just one photograph I could expose differently a couple times in case it came out poorly. It would be thousands of photos so every photo had to be done one way and the right way. There were lots of things to think about and not all came in the right order. Before I started the camera I attached a necessary tool called a timer remote control, which would allow me to get all the photos needed without having to hit the shutter release every 5 seconds for the next couple hours. After setting it to take an infinite amount of photos for an interval of 5 seconds I flipped on the camera and looked through the view finder. This is where my problems begin.

I couldn’t see a thing through the viewfinder. Yeah the picture looks to be framed right but will they come out in focus? It was too dark to tell. Without much time or an internet connection to consult an online source I set the focus to infiniti and the aperature to an estimated f/5.  By now I could see a little light coming over the horizon. It would only be an hour before the light actually hit Half Dome. I needed to start soon so with those settings I started taking pictures. As the camera clicked away I started to think what was wrong. I checked the shutter count and realized it was only showing about 300 more photos left. I wouldn’t even get to the start of the sunrise with that many photos so I had to change something. Shooting the photos in a RAW format was taking up too much space on my memory card so I switched to jpeg. After about 5 minutes I realized the camera had stopped taking photos.  I realized the camera was set to auto-focus and was trying to refocus the image each shot. This time I wanted to start the camera without stopping so I thought to myself, “what is going to happen to the picture as time goes on? It’s going to get brighter soon so how is the exposure going to change with an increase in light?” My answer was to set the camera to a setting called AV to put the camera into aperature priority mode. This would allow the camera to maintain an aperature of f/5 while changing all other settings such as shutter speed and ISO. With the camera set to AV I didn’t have to worry about the picture becoming washed out as the sun became brighter.

Finally I had found the proper settings. Anxious to capture what was left of the sunrise I started things up again. I laid down and relaxed as best I could on the sloping granite keeping one eye open in case any winds were to interfere with the stability of my camera setup. I was only paranoid but after all that it was the last thing I wanted to let happen. 

About an hour later the sun showed over the mountains. Half Dome was lit up and soon the rest of the valley. As the sun rays creeped over me I felt like it was giving me life. My whole body warmed up quickly and I became a little less paranoid about my camera. Slowly the sun lit up the valley walls and I could see time happening in slow motion. I was so happy to be up there at that moment knowing that my plan was working. Since 3am I was unsure how successful I would be. It was an amazing moment. 

Throughout that whole weekend I had been following my friends around with my camera, trying to capture the Yosemite Valley experience from a climber’s point of view. As a photographer this first time-lapse experience taught me a new joy in my hobby that I will never forget. I learned so many things that morning. When the sunrise was over and I returned to camp I found most people still asleep. Everyone in camp was surprised because they all thought that I was still asleep. They told me they weren’t going to get up until I came out of my tent. It was fun to cut loose and just do it but next time I go out at 3am I’ll let someone know. 

Editing the footage was probably the best part of it all. Everything looked so amazing. I couldn’t believe how clear the footage was. After 8 strait hours of editing this is what I came up with. Many climbers have enjoyed this video and that is why I want to share it in this newsletter.

The Bay Area is a great place to learn the basics of climbing. There are over 20 spots to figure out the fundamentals of top roping, anchors and basic technique. But after a year or two most climbers assume they have done it all in the Bay Area and look to Yosemite, Tahoe and beyond. In one sense they are right: Bay Area climbing can’t compete with tall and perfect granite. However, what Bay Area climbing does have that Yosemite doesn’t is convenience and diversity. The climbing is near enough to do in a half day or afternoon trip and can often be combined with top-notch non-climbing activities that range from wine tasting to diving into perfect swimming holes. In addition, most climbers don’t realize there is lot more climbing in the Bay Area than they think – and there are more new climbs discovered every year.

I used to think I had done it all in the Bay Area. Then I got an education from Chris Summit. Chris is the author of four climbing books that cover the Bay Area and he is arguably the most motivated climber around. Not only has he established hundreds of climbs and boulder problems, he continues to climb new routes weekly with the same enthusiasm most climbers have only for their first few years in the sport. He recently shared with me the new routes that were still going up, every month, year round. Below is a sample list of some new climbs discovered in the last few years, followed by some favorite nearby non-climbing activities.

Mt St Helena

Jerry Dodrill and Eric Berghorn have been slowly but steadily finding new climbs on rocks all over Mt. St. Helena at areas like The Bear and The Satellites (on the hillside between the popular Bubble Rock and The Bear). Most of the climbs are 5.10’s and 11’s with a few 5.9’s. Most are sport climbs but there are a few top ropes here and there. In addition to many wineries nearby, a day of climbing can also be combined with hot springs and mineral baths in nearby Calistoga. Harbin Hot springs (near Middletown) is one of the better-known spots. If hot springs are not your thing, there are also hot air balloon rides. My mom did this for her birthday and I have to say that even as a BASE jumper, I still found the hot air balloon ride pretty exciting. Ballooning is best done with a big group of close friends or family and should be followed by an epic breakfast, a break, then some climbing.

Across from The Bear and Satellites at the adjacent Pacific Palisades (south of Mt. St Helena), Aaron Rough and friends have been busy developing single-pitch and even some multi-pitch sport routes on the old trad cliff Table Rock and its smaller but closer neighbor, Table Scraps. The rock is a bit soft but the routes are well protected and the climbing is quite popular. 

Salt Point State Park

Chris Summit and Valentine Cullen developed a few new sport, top rope and crack climbs at The Playground (difficulty ranges from 5.7-5.8) and on the Memorial Rock (5.8-5.9). Nearby are some amazing non- climbing activities…if you are qualified. Abalone diving abounds for those with skills and permits. The area is also known for its wild mushrooms. For those looking for less committing post-climbing activities, it’s a popular spot for fishing and general coastal chillin’.

Eel River

Chris and Val also developed some short but fun new top rope/highball climbs at the small Hideout on the Eel River near Dos Rios and some more new bouldering in the area as well. Chris and Charlie Barrett fixed the start of Green Slab on Swallow Rock (was a 2 bolt 5.6 now is a 3 bolt 5.8) to open up the couple other old classics on Swallow Rock again after a rock at the base washed downstream making the start of the sport climbs much higher and harder. The climbs at The Hideout range from 5.6 to 5.12 and on Swallow Rock from 5.8 to 5.12 and all will be in the new Bay Area Climbing guide coming out this fall along with a lot of good bouldering in the area as well. The spot is near the location for the annual Reggae on the River (on a different fork of the Eel River about 1hr away) and is known for great swimming in crystal clear warm water with sandy beaches. This is arguably the best warm water swimming near San Francisco.

Near Castle

Some Castle Rock locals have found and developed a small but cool new bouldering area just south of Castle Rock State Park in Sanborn-Skyline County Park. The problems range from VB to V8+ on the same sandstone as Castle Rock. In addition, there are a few new problems at the original Castle Rock areas along with a few other locals, including a new V10/11/12 on a small bulgey boulder found behind the mega classic Eco Terrorist. Chris Summit a few years ago cleaned and climbed a classic old Yabo project next to the parking lot at Castle Rock State Park calling it Groundation (V7). In addition to the climbing in the area, there are great trails for hiking and mountain biking. Nearby is California’s first state park, Big Basin, which hosts some good camping.

Mt Tam

Over that last five years, Kenny Ariza and Elliot Carlsen have established about 100 new boulder problems atfive new areas on Mt Tamalpais from VB to V7+. Some problems are right next to the road (you can actually park on top of a few) and others require a short hike. Best of all, the problems are almost always above the fog (San Francisco residents can now cheer). After you are done, you can drive to the top of East Peak for probably the best view in the Bay Area and then head down to the new Mill Valley Beerworks, which has the largest selection of beer we know of in the North Bay.

Thanks Chris for your insight into climbing in the Bay Area!  Chris founded SuperTopo.com in 1999 with a goal of creating the worlds best climbing guide books.  PG carries a full collection of SuperTopo guidebooks and be sure to check out his free topos too!

Starting July 15th, we will now be offering kickboxing from 5:45pm-6:25pm on Thursdays!
Now’s your chance to box your way to a leaner you each week! Please welcome Dina as she offers a rockin’ cardio workout every Thursday evening. She will expertly guide you thru kicks, punches, fancy footwork, and linked sequences to torch calories and have fun! Whether experienced or a novice, we guarantee you will burn fat, work up a sweat, and get an awesome workout for the evening. For a double whammy, try our abs and core class just afterwards and get in a kick butt full-body workout in less than 2 hours.

The Access Fund just sent out this Alert:

We need your help to save wilderness climbing at Christmas Tree Pass, a desert climbing area two hours south of Las Vegas, from a National Park Service proposal to remove all fixed anchors.

Last April the National Park Service issued a draft copy of a proposed wilderness management plan for the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, including the climbing found at Christmas Tree Pass. While this plan does much to preserve wilderness values and protect cultural resources in the Lake Mead area, planners also proposed that the climbing bolts be removed, stating that “…the bolts do not receive much use, are not NPS sanctioned, and are not consistent with the area’s wilderness character.”

Several of the 90 plus climbs, established as far back as 35 years ago, receive traffic regularly. Furthermore, the NPS has a well-established and longstanding history of balancing climbing and wilderness character at numerous parks across the country. This wholesale removal of climbing anchors is unprecedented, and at no time has the placement of these anchors at Christmas Tree Pass required prior authorization by the NPS.

Please take a moment and use our easy letter-writing tool to submit comments to Lake Mead NRA planners by July 2, showing them that there are management alternatives that allow climbing access at Christmas Tree Pass while also preserving wilderness values.

Planet Granite San Francisco was voted Best New Hybrid Workout for 2010 in SF Weekly!  Combining rock climbing for strong, lean mucles and yoga to stretch and lengthen, Planet Granite offers the best of both in one facility.  We’re very excited you voted for us!  For the full article, click here.

Stay tuned for more details but be sure to save the dates!  Our annual bouldering series is returning this fall! 

September 10, PG San Francisco
October 15, PG Belmont
November 19, PG Sunnyvale

The lights dimmed, the projector rolled, and Sharma crushed!!! Thanks to everyone who joined us Friday night for Planet Granite’s Movie Night at PG San Francisco. We hope everyone was inspired by King Lines and is psyched to push the limits! Make sure you join us Friday June 25th for our next climbing film at PG San Francisco!

Undecided on your Friday night plans?  PG San Francisco will be playing King Lines, starring Chris Sharma, on our “Big Screen” - don’t miss it! 

Show starts at 8pm sharp. 

Vote for us on Bay List as your favorite rock climbing gym in the Bay Area!  Voting closes this Friday - that’s just 4 more days to vote!  We only need a few percent more to take the lead!