Indian Rock, Berkeley

Indian Rock in Berkeley is a great place to boulder.  There are lots of routs, and there is a huge range from around V1's to V10's.  There are also some nearby rocks that are great for bouldering as well.

5.10 Arrowhead

This is the Arrowhead by 5.10.  It is probably the best shoe they make.  And, it is the editor's choice for the Urban Climbing Gear Guide.  This shoe has a downturned toe, and a pretty high arch, making it very snug.  It is a great bouldering shoe . . . that is, if you have the $164.95 to buy it.

The Attache 3D

The Attache 3D is an ultra-light, ultra-strong, pear shaped belay carabiner by Petzl.  Petzl basically took their old Attache carabiner, and stripped off everything unnecessary.  But other than that, this is just another belay carabiner.  REI is selling the Attache 3D for $19.95, so I don't know that this is worth the price, especially because REI is also selling the old Attache for $13.95.  I think that the old Attache is perfectly fine, and much cheaper than the 3D.  I would just go for the old one.

The Grigri 2

The Grigri 1 was one of the best belay devices ever created.  it was easy to use, and its assisted braking was a great advancement in the world of belay devices.  The Grigri 2 is even better.  It's been out for a while now, but I figured I would still post about it.  My coach has one, and I am about to get one.  It is much smaller and easier to handle.  Because it is smaller, it is also 20% lighter than the old Grigri.  And as an added bonus, the handle that lets the climber down is much more steady and more controllable.  It is definitely worth the $94 it costs.

Oh, and I almost forgot, the Grigri 2 allows you to use down to a 8.9mm rope, which is a much smaller mm than the old Grigri could take.

My gym

I go to a rock climbing gym every Tuesday and Thursday on a team called the East Betas.  We climb at the Great Western Power Company in Downtown Oakland.  It's a really great gym, so I think you should check it out.
Great Western Power Company

What it's all about

I am a rock climber.  I love rock climbing, and that's why I've decided to start a blog about climbing.  This blog will feature everything from gear to favorite climbing spots.  This blog is meant only for the purpose of climbing and just having a good time.