I've been obsessing about climbing all winter long...well actually I've been obsessing since the winter of 2016 when I #sent a badass 5.8 in the Alaska Rock Gym for the first time. Since then I've been climbing about 4-5 times a week, I have a season of outdoor climbing under my belt and I've even gone on an epic climbing trip to Arizona with some good friends...so yeah I love climbing.
we call ourselves the "climby bois"
Earlier last week, I noticed that the air in Anchorage felt a bit warmer and I had the urge to go climbing but who the heck wants to go climbing outside with me when it's barely 32 degrees out? Well it turns out I have a few friends that haven't climbed outside much so they immediately said yes not knowing how terrible climbing outside in freezing temps can be lol.
Climbing outside, this past Wednesday, was pretty terrible. It was crazy windy on the Seward Highway so what was supposed to be a chilly evening of climbing quickly became a f**king freezing evening of flailing my arms around to stay warm on Goat's Head Soup (5.10b)...but I got to climb outside and it was awesome...well kind of.
Even after a really cold day, I had faith in the Seward Highway so I got out to climb the next day on "Sunshine Ridge" (5.7 trad), an easy 4 pitch SH classic, and it was a spectacular day out. No wind, high 30s, and it got so warm I had to take my puffy off! Crazzzzyy! That Thursday was the day I realized it was officially time for spring sends. The next day I sent "Divine Guidance aka Cookin' the Captain" (5.10c trad) and the day after that I soloed Sunshine Ridge! I ended up climbing outside 5 days in a row and I loved it and as you can see, I'm a little obsessed. I hope everyone else has been getting out and enjoying the beautiful weather and if you haven't been...get outside NOW!
Photographs by Wongi Kim