Seasons change. Cycles and Multitasking. Life. et-cetera

There’s so much going on around me, that multitasking becomes inevitable. Everything in life seems to come in waves. Seasons build, then come and go. Sometimes the seasons that define the sports we love overlap. The blossoms are falling and this year I’ve really noticed the seasons change. I can’t believe I’m able to ski in the morning then finish the day with a few pitches of sunny crack climbing. So what’s this about multitasking?

The waves and seasons that drive my life trickle down and build to eventually culminate in a wonderful cacophony of controlled chaos. I’m juggling my so-called “real life”, the one that is supposed to make me the big bucks. Someone mentioned something about a career, or something. But then the seasons change again. It starts snowing. Or the rivers start swelling. And maybe it’s time to go climbing. Or go skiing. Or whatever gets the jollies out. I woke up this morning to an instant message from a climbing buddy.

10:44 AM
Michael: i'm outtie pretty soon what are your plans
me: my plans? like for the summer?
working 3 part time jobs. On and off.
Michael: right on
me: you?
Michael: driving to yosemite for a month
looking for a job (still), at the same time
me: tricky business...
like..getting a...gasp! real job?
Michael: yeah. analyst positions
50 hr weeks
time to get seriously about shiz
me: don't be an anal analyst ? har har
Michael: i'll be a finalyst ;)
me: i sure hope so

His trip can only go two ways: either he never leaves the valley and begins his life into full fledged dirtbaggery, or he returns and begins his future life as an anal analyst. How are we to do everything and not get burnt out?

My advice to you: always have more than one part-time job. Never do anything full time. Multiple jobs and activities are best. This makes for flexible vacation times. No one likes weekend warriors. They’ve got no stamina, they gumby up the classic-moderate routes so no one else can climb. And just when you’re getting tired of one job, you can switch over to the other. There’s no way to focus on one thing. A full-time job is out of the question. Plus, doing anything for forty hours per week eventually steals your soul. You used to be cool, man.

Today my worlds collided. Climbing season started back up again. It’s hard to hold back when you see a good thing coming. So it seemed. You need to remember that even though your muscle memory is there, you can’t make the same moves you did months ago. Remember, it’s spring right? I’ve got this monster bruise on my shin that’s there in the first place because the weather is good and I’m climbing again. But suddenly I’m back on skis and there’s still powder in the high alpine. Ski boots are digging into fluid filled shins and the only reason I’m able to deal with this ridiculous situation is the sheer urge to push the season as far as it will go. If this is the worst thing that happens to me all week, I’ll consider myself lucky. (Like when the hardest decision of the day is light roast or dark.) If something were to blame for this, it would be the ominous entity that is multitasking; that’s what got me here in the first place. Then i get home and my inbox is full and its time to get back to “real life”

The moral of the story here is that too much of anything will kill the body and mind. It’s best to find a healthy balance. On the other hand, It’s unfortunate that you’ll never truly excel at anything unless you give it all you’ve got. Dabbling is not necessary either. The dabbler just doesn’t have the milage or experience to really be good at anything. Find your in between and stick with it.

Winter is almost over but the powder keep on coming

Rolling down the windows off a wind lip on 7th Heaven, Blackcomb from Robin Avery on Vimeo.

This is an example of how to stop yourself from landing on your head! ROLL DOWN THOSE WINDOWS...and as demonstrated, you'll land perfectly flat on your feet.

It's been about 13 weeks since I shattered my hand skiing. But don't worry! I'm back in action.
It's always possible to stay within your limits. But life experience reminds us that, it's often difficult to account for extraneous variables — there's always noise in the system.

I've found some truths in life (in no particular order):
• Entropy will always win (See kipple)
  
• You can't argue with the mountain. It will always win in some form.
  
• Rock is harder than bone, but our bodies are resilient
  
• Shit talking is sometimes the best humor.
  
• Everything comes in waves — when it rains it pours.

The only thing we can do is keep moving. Stay safe, stay in your limits, but don't get bummed when it pours.

Some great highline footage in RWP cable cam demo reel

Well, it's been a while since I've posted an update. There are several reasons for this. Foremost, being that about seven weeks ago I broke my 2nd and 3rd metacarpals of my left hand. This puts a damper in your adventure sports life. I've also just graduated from UBC this past semester which kept me busy with "real" responsibilities.

Here is a teaser clip from Reel Water Productions demo real.
At 1:08 is some of the footage that will be used for National Geographic Adventure television show WOW!

Cable Cam Demo Reel from Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

Thanks again to Reel Water Productions for working so hard to get these shots. Check out their new project The Season coming late January.

Architectural Misinterpretation

As promised, this is a follow up to a post on Buildering.net about climbing a new line up the music building.

Video by Warden Films 2009


The video looks spectacular in HD. Click here to view the video in high definition

It was a trip of Mormon proportions

It's 5am and I'm waiting on my porch for Blicker to pick me up. I'm running on one hour of sleep and still drunk. It's time to ride to the airport and make our way to Salt Lake City.

Boarder crossing always go smooth when the driver is a highschool teacher -- little do they know he's the dirtiest-shit-talking-highschool teacher ever to have lived. At least this time The Man didn't think I was in a motorcycle gang, no thanks to the other Robin Avery who probably is! I'm not sure I could have handled that in my zombie-drunken state.

You know someone's an experienced dirtbag when they bring their thermarest to the airport. That was me at 10am at Seatac airport. Snoozing the morning away.

We pick up the rental car in SLC and the shit talking between Stolz and Blicker begins. I will continue to hear this hilarious discourse for the next nine days. There are only two rules: mothers and girlfriends are off limits. Other than that, everything is fair game. By the end of the nine days I spent with these two crazies, every form of both witty and dirty repartee was soon exhausted.

Moab highlines, Indian Creek splitter cracks, cheap beer, missing skin, and burritos were had by all.

Fruit Bowl Highline: helmet cam footage (slackline) from Robin Avery on Vimeo.

Buildering: new line up the music building

Click here to see the HD video on facebook. You'll need a facebook account to access it.
Via: Buildering.net

(p) Hamish Baxter
See: http://www.buildering.net/guidebooks/ubc#route703

I recently sent a new variation of a classic route on campus, the Music building. In the past the chimney was the only practical way of climbing the building, as the crack in the back offered the only protection. However some large air ducting pipes were placed  on the outside of the building in the last few years, offering some new points of protection. Robin Avery and Eddie Rothschild tackled the right rib of the left chimney, i.e. "the arete".

HD video to come soon!

Kudos to the whole crew for a ballsy ascent. Thanks to Hamish Baxter for the photos. Check out his Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hbaxter/

(p) Hamish Baxter

(p) Hamish Baxter

Blue Line at Banff Radicals Reels night

There's a short clip of the Blue Line at 1:14 and 5:55

Bryan Smith recently made a short film featuring me highlining the chief. Check it out at the upcoming Radicals Reels Night at the Banff Centre.

The Blue Line

Canada, 2009, 6 minutes

Directed and produced by Bryan Smith

Two giant granite towers separated by 35 metres and a 360-metre ravine – this short film walks a fine line of adrenaline as Robin Avery attempts the crossing.

Finalist in: Best Film on Mountain Sports

Best Short Mountain Film

Click here for more information about the event.