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PG Belmont: 9am Circuit Training, all other classes cancelled.
PG San Francisco: 12pm Power, all other classes cancelled
PG Sunnyvale: 12pm Noon Flow, all other classes cancelled.
Happy Fourth!
Join Gabe Metzger, DPT (and recent cover-guy) in an interactive lecture to discuss climbing related imbalances and address common signs and symptoms of neck, nerve and shoulder dysfunction. This 1 hour lecture will discuss muscular and postural imbalances seen in the climbing population and offer suggestions for corrective exercises.
Gabe Metzger is a former AMGA-trained climbing guide turned Doctor of Physical Therapy, with special focus on orthopedic manual therapy. He practices in Marin, CA, using evidence-based medicine when possible to treat neuromuscular and musculoskeletal impairments. Gabe enjoys rock-climbing, mountain biking, modifying his 4×4 AstroVan and has climbed throughout the USA and abroad.
Do you have a great design for a t-shirt? Would you be psyched to see your design on hundreds of people? Well, now is your chance!
Our 4th Annual Bloc Party is coming up this fall and we’d love to have YOUR design on our Ts. Contest is open to anyone, but please refer to Design Submission Criteria. Good Luck!
Design Contest Rules:
Submit Designs to Stephanie (stephanie@planetgranite.com)
Initial designs can be a rough sketch, or idea.
Final Designs must be submitted in vector format (.ai or .eps ok)
If chosen, final designs must be submitted no later than July 15th.
Max 2 colors (black and white is one color)
Must include the words:
- Bloc Party
- 2011
- Planet Granite Bouldering Series
Have fun!
Winner will receive a free t-shirt of course! 
Petzl Sama Harness: With Summer upon us(……..finally??), it is time for climbers to head for higher altitudes. Places like Lover’s Leap, Donner Lake and Big Chief are quickly thawing out (yay!!) and becoming the destination for many local climbers. With all that rope climbing to be done, we recommend the Sama Harness by Petzl (or if you are looking for a womens specific harness, check out the Petzl Luna!). Petzl’s patented Frame Construction Design optimizes comfort, and its perforated closed cell foam for the waist belt and leg loops allows breathability while not compromising structural integrity. The gear loops are also nice and big so you can pack a lot of gear on there! So if you’re plugging in gear at Lovers Leap or clipping bolts up in Donner, the Sama or women’s Luna by Petzl might be the harness for you!
Muira and Women’s Muira: This shoe is possibly the most versatile shoe in the La Sportiva arsenal. If you are a trad climber looking for a shoe that edges, smears and cams in a crack, fit this shoe a little large and you’ll be scaling the domes of Tuolumne in no time (that is, once the snow melts and the road opens!). If you are a sport climbing machine that won’t be jamming your feet in any cracks, then buy these shoes tight and go to work. They will stretch ½-1 size so keep that in mind when trying them on. These shoes are awesome on edges and pockets and the slight downturn means they will perform great on steep, vert, or slab terrain. AND they are comfy!! Finally, the speed lace system makes taking these shoes on and off a cinch. All around, this shoe rocks!
The Northern California Bouldering guide: This guide is a must have for any Bay Area climber. This guide gives an overview of climbing areas all over Northern California — from wine country to Tahoe and back to the Bay Area. It briefly describes each area, the rock type, the amount of climbs per grade and rates the quality of each climb. So, if you are up for a bouldering session before wine tasting in Napa (no Bouldering after wine tasting!) or simply wondering where to take your next , relatively local, day trip, this book will point you in the right direction.
This was posted on Petzl’s site this morning. If you have a GRIGRI 2 within the following serial number range, Petzl has requested you contact them directly: 1800 932-2978 or grigri2recall@petzl.com. This concerns all GRIGRI 2′s (D14 2O, D14 2G, D14 2B ) with the first five digits of the serial number between 10326 and 11136. Our recent shipment from Petzl contained some of these serial numbers! Please check your serial number if you recently purchased a GRIGRI 2 from us.
Below is their Recall Notice:
_________
Petzl has discovered that exerting excessive force on the fully extended handle of the GRIGRI 2 can cause internal damage, such that the GRIGRI 2 handle may become stuck in the open position.
When the handle is stuck in this position the assisted braking function is disabled. A damaged GRIGRI 2 in this configuration will function similarly to a manual belay device (e.g. tube style device).
When using a damaged GRIGRI 2 with the handle stuck in the position as shown in Figure 1, failure to control the braking side of the rope will increase the risk of an uncontrolled descent. A GRIGRI 2 with a damaged handle must be immediately retired from service.
It is important to note that failure to control the braking side of the rope is a misuse of the GRIGRI 2 under any circumstance (See GRIGRI 2 Technical Notice – pdf file, 2,5Mo).
As of June 20, 2011, seven damaged products have been returned to Petzl through our worldwide distribution network. Petzl has no knowledge of any accidents resulting from a damaged GRIGRI 2 handle.
Because the safety of our users is our primary concern, as a measure of precaution Petzl has decided to take the following actions:
Petzl will pay for all shipping costs to complete this replacement.
If you have a GRIGRI 2 (D14 2O, D14 2G, D14 2B) with the first five digits of the serial number between 10326 and 11136, stop use immediately and contact Petzl America to initiate an exchange.
Contact Petzl America in one of two ways:
- By phone: 1 (800) 932-2978 (toll free)
- By email: grigri2recall@petzl.com
The previous generation GRIGRI is not concerned by this recall.
“While the potential risk of damaging the GRIGRI 2’s handle is very small, our total commitment to the safety of our users has led us to make this decision. With the summer climbing season just beginning, Petzl understands that this recall comes at an inconvenient time and we are working hard to ensure that everyone receives their replacement GRIGRI 2 as quickly as possible. Everyone at Petzl is committed to resolving this issue. We thank you for your continued support.”
Romain Lécot
Petzl General Director
Erik Sloan and Tom Evans with his 800mm lens. Photo borrowed from the El Cap Report.
Tom Evans of The El Cap Report has written his final post today. As Climbing Narc so aptly put it, his reports have allowed those of us stuck at home to “vacariously live through the trials and tribulations that go along with climbing on The Captain.” Thanks Tom for your years of reporting and good luck with whatever your future brings!
The Final ElCap Report 6/14/11 (click the link for more photos!)
By Tom Evans
Yo… Beautiful day here once again. The Good News is that activity is heating up on all major routes. The Bad News is that this is the final report that I will be writing on this site. I was hoping to make it to the end of the month before retiring the Report, but I can’t make it… so this is the Final ElCap Report.
I started the Report, several years ago, to bring ElCap back into the world climbing spot light, after it had languished in the backwaters of climbing for many years. I got some help with posting pictures and soon the site took off, not only as a photo site but a site that told the stories of many climbers, well known and unknown. Soon the site drew climbers to the ElCap Bridge, to see for themselves what was going on and in the process we developed the sense of community that had been missing for some time. We had a new place to hang out and tell the stories of our adventures, all the while getting to watch our friends and fellow climbers striving to reach their dreams. I have tried to make the site better by posting as many images as practical each day, and at the same time tell, in a few simple words, what I was seeing as I photographed the teams on the wall.
I was surprised at the huge number of readers who visited the site and the positive response to what I posted. It was not a simple matter of taking a few shots and writing something up in a few minutes. It became an all consuming task, requiring 4 or 5 hours a day on a computer with the notoriously shitty internet connections here in the Valley. It was a physically demanding schedule that allowed no time for anything else. So now the time has come, as I approach my 67th birthday in a couple of days, to let it go and get out and do the other things I love to do in Yosemite.
I want to thank all of you who donated to the site, no matter what amount you sent. As you may have read, I was robbed of most of my photo equipment this winter and have slowly replaced some of the essential items, as I was not able to collect any insurance. My heart felt thanks goes out to all of you who have encouraged me over the years and offered your support.
The Final ElCap Report…written just for you…unique in all the world!
Click HERE for the rest of his article and parting shots (and to read some archives!)