RE: Thursday

This Thursday night's practice (4/30/09) will be at the gym at regular times instead of outside due to the anticipated weather.  

Remember the Cody Comp Saturday, be there at 11:30.  Climb hard and climb smart.

Boise Regionals

I have organized a block of rooms in Boise for Regionals Friday night May 15th and Saturday night the 16th at the Doubletree Hotel Boise-Riverside. The hotel is about a mile from the gym, near downtown Boise, outdoor pool, and pets are OK. We have a team rate of $69 per night.

The Regional Championship in Boise will begin early morning Saturday May 16th. It will likely run late into the afternoon.

Parents need to call and reserve their room at this number 1-800-222-8733 or 208-343-1871 say you are with Steepteam and you should get the discount. We may also have some Cody climbers and parents stay with us again.

additional hotel information is linked here.

The Weeks Ahead

I will be out of town for this weeks practices and competition.

Tuesday April 28th - practice with Tanner and Jim

Thursday April 30th - practice on the rims 5:30pm everyone

Saturday May 2nd - Competition at Core Mountain Sports in Cody, begins at noon. Be there at 11:30. I expect to hear our team was the most well behaved and most encouraging team at the competition.

Practices on May 5th, 7th, and 12th - these practices are mandatory for all climbers attending Regionals in Boise. If you miss these practices you will be lacking critical information to help you score well at Regionals.

A Thursday outdoor session update

In regards to Thursday's outdoor sessions at Gregory Hills, Jim Rott will be up on the rims throughout the afternoon with his college class. All team climbers are invited and encouraged (more climbing time!) to show up at 5pm and hike up the trail to meet him. If you arrive later just hike up to the rocks to meet the group. I will be there around 5:30.

Thursday Nights at Gregory Hills

Starting Thursday April 23rd Jim Rott will be hanging a couple topropes up on the Rims. Thursdays have been the traditional climbers meet-up for quite some time and this is a great chance to expand your outdoor climbing experience. We will be climbing with Jim on Thursdays for the next couple weeks but the opportunity is available all summer to climbers with their own harness and ability to belay. Sessions start at 5pm, if you show up later, hike up to meet the group.


EXPECTATIONS:
It will be dusty, dirty, buggy, windy, hot, and cold, dress accordingly and bring water. Outdoor climbing is different than indoor climbing! It can be harder, weirder, scarier, even painful. There are only a few easy routes on the rims, most routes are in the 5.9-5.11 range. Due to large team numbers and the fact that the outdoor climbing experience is much slower than in the gym, expect to climb only two or three routes. Parents are encouraged to attend and belay.

click the image for an enlarged map

Photos added

a few Billings Steepfest photos were added to the STEEPTEAM PHOTOS page, linked thru the menu on the right.

Regarding Bozeman.......

Spire Climbing Center has asked that everyone attending this weekends competition to re-file their climbing liability release waiver.  Sounds like this may be an annual thing now.  A PDF copy of the waiver,  located here, should be printed out, signed, and brought to the comp on Saturday.  If your parents are not present, and you do not have a signed waiver, you will not be able to climb.  See everyone Saturday at 9:30am and don't forget your harness!

Calendar Outlook

A. No practice this Thursday April 9th, but team members are encouraged to still come in and climb on their own.

B. Spire Comp on Saturday April 18th - $35 - Starts at 10, be at the gym by 9:30. FYI - It will be heavily attended and with a 4+ hour climbing time awards may not wrap up until 3pm or later. Everyone needs their own harness. If you do not have a harness be sure to rent one from Steepworld prior to the competition.

C. First outdoor practice is Thursday April 23rd at Gregory Hills. All team members meet at 6:30pm in the Rockwood Circle Cul-de-sac. Everyone needs their own harness. If you do not have a harness be sure to rent one from Steepworld prior to the practice. We loose valuble climbing time trading harnesses back and forth.

D. The outdoor practice on May 10th will be at 4pm, location to be determined.