Alex Puccios Latest Blog

Starting off my year with a fun trip!!

I have been in Hueco Tanks with my boyfriend Chris for the past 2 weeks. Before that, we were in Europe for 3 months and December 14th we got back to Boulder and then headed straight to Dallas, Texas for Christmas with the family! Had some really nice holidays and seeing the family was good. I haven't been home for Christmas in over 5 years. But after 2 weeks with the family we were itching to get away and go climbing somewhere warm and fun. So we made the 10 hour drive in a little Red Mini Cooper to Hueco Tanks!!! :)
Hueco has been beautiful! Hueco also seems to be invaded by Aussie's. They are all really cool people and seems to be pulling pretty hard on the rock!
Chris and I went out on Tour the first day to East Spur Mountain. Chris faced the boulder that put him out of climbing for nearly a year, Crown of Aragon, and sent it in style! I managed to get up a really cool problem called El Chupacabra Left, V10. I thought it was pretty good for my first day and since I also feel a bit out of shape. lol
The next few days I was sick and stuck in a hotel room! 4 days of nothing, I just about went crazy!!! After the four days of rest hit the rock again and tried a boulder called El Techo De Los Tres B, V11. Got really close the first day on it but quickly tired so decided to call it quits and come back the next day. The next day the boulder went down on my first attempt, I was pretty happy about it!!!! :)
Now Chris and I are just having some mellow days and hitting the rock again tomorrow. We have been drained and I feel a bit sick again. :(
We are in Hueco till the 16th or 17th and then have a 10 hour drive to Dallas, stay in Dallas for a day and then head to Boulder the next day which is a 12 hour drive. Then finally head to SLC for the OR show the following day which is a 8 hour drive. Going to be a rough 3 days!!! Well, hope everyone had a great Christmas and that their starting off their year right!!! :)

Cheers Everyone!

Sierra's Year in Review

Coming to the end of 2010
So I have never written a blog before about a whole year in review, but I decided that it was time to take a look back at the wonderful year of 2010.


The year started off with ABS Regionals in California, I had a crazy time as usual with everyone there, I’m so glad to be a part of the California group!


After California I stepped up and started training as hard as ever for ABS Nationals! Despite crazy weather delays and three cancelled flights, I ended up flying into Raleigh and driving to D.C. for the competition. And let me say that Virginia was freezing! But aside from that it was another great competition that I had a lot of fun with my friends at, and it qualified me for the World Cup!


After ABS Nationals, I did not compete in any major competitions until June when I was fortunate enough to compete at the World Cup. The World Cup was really an eye opening experience for me, I have never seen so many extremely talented climbers in one place.


At the World Cup every climber seemed like they had a chance of winning! I’m still amazed at how good of a climber everyone was, it was really an eye opener for me. The World Cup also gave me dozens of memories I will never forget, whether it was hanging out with the team or running around Vail on an adventure.


The World Cup signified my start of summer, and I spent the next few months relaxing and enjoying not being in school, while also training for my next competition at the trade show.


Unfortunately for me, the trade show signifies the end of my summer and the beginning of school. Still though, I think it is the best way possible to end summer! There is nothing like going back to school and being able to share the amazing stories of the trade show.


The show was crazy as usual, and despite not making it to finals, I had a great trip still! It seems as if each competition just further encourages me to push myself, regardless of how I place.


The trade show was my major competition this year. I competed at one local competition in Arizona for the bouldering season. I also competed at a competition on a Thursday night in Tucson, which extremely fun! I love being able to go to competitions in the middle of the week, it makes school more exciting for me!


Now I’m spending the remaining two weeks or so of my year relaxing, sleeping in, and being so glad that I’m done with school for two weeks!


2011 will be fun, I can’t wait to see all the opportunities the new year brings!

A cool video of Katie Lovelace

Courtesy of http://goclimbarock.wordpress.com/

Max Zolotukhin pulls ridiculous numbers

Orville's Pirates Cove Experience

With cool dark blue water, and golden sand, climbing is probably the last thing that would come to mind, until you get there. You walk down stairs into a cove with rocks all around, their height ranging from 20 to almost 70 feet tall. There is one main climbing area, the roof. Completely horizontal in parts, the hardest route coming out is a V7. The holds are the part I remember the most though, not the water, or the sand, or the fact I’m climbing on the beach, but the holds. On the routes, there isn’t a sloper route, or a crimper route, but more like a mixed route, going from crimp to jug, to pinch, to pocket to sloper.

Watching ships sail by, and chalking up my hands is truly a unique experience. There is no one I wouldn’t recommend this to. With a lot of a walls unchalked, there is definitely room for more routes, if only someone would establish them…

Orville Clarke III

Big Dyno on Spindler in the City of Rocks, ID

Alex Puccios Switzerland Blog

Switzerland!!!

I arrived in Europe about 3 weeks ago now and had a little rough start to the trip when I hurt my shoulder a little in the gym the day after I got off the plane. I thought it was going to be bad, but 2 weeks later I was ready to hit the rock, FINALLY!
I'm now in Switzerland. The first few days Chris and I went to Magic Wood. It was a little sad the forest was all wet, But he still showed me everything and I fell in love in with it. After looking around for a while we found 2 dry boulders, Never Ending Story part 2 (V11) And Massive Attack (v11/v12). NES part 2 was my very first boulder problem in Magic Wood… I was surprised that I got up in so quick. I fell on the first move a bit and the time I finally stuck the first move I sent! Then to the left I saw Massive Attack and got up that in a few tries. even though 95% of the forest was wet and mucky I was able to leave the forest feeling accomplished. What a great feeling to be here!
Next day...
I now sent Never Ending Story Part 1 (V12) ….. Yeah! So psyched. Only took a few goes! Now I'm super psyched to do the link since both parts have gone! Never Ending Story here I come!!!
But first off to Cresiano for a few days to let the forest dry out. then back to Magic Wood!

The next day I made did 2 more V11's, Octopussy and Free For All. They both went down really quick as well. Free For All in 3 tries and Octopussy took a few more. Again they were the only things we found dry in the forest. Cant wait for all of it to dry up!