Enzo Oddo and friends spent a month this spring on the steep, pumpy climbs in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge. A few of the harder climbs sure got Enzo fired up, which helped fuel his redpoint of Pure Imagination, 5.14d. They soaked up the local culture and had some teenage fun – Southern Style. *Routes: Pure Imagination (5.14d), Lucifer (5.14c), Southern Smoke (5.14c), The Golden Ticket (5.14c/d), Forty Two Karats (5.14c)

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Join Chris Sharma at the Clif Bar Headquarters theater on Friday, May 18th, for two special engagements. Chris will be presenting slides and footage from his climbing career, talking about what inspires one of the most gifted climbers of the last 20 years, answering audience questions, and just generally being himself. This is a special opportunity to join Chris in a small setting. All proceeds from the event will go towards the efforts to keep Castle Rock State Park Open.

In 1993, Chris went climbing outside for his first time at Castle Rock. Since then, he’s established the hardest boulder problems in the park, helped to put the high-quality tafoni sandstone formations on the map with films like Rampage, and moved on to become a climbing superstar who some consider the best of all time. Chris‘s start at Castle is inspiration to many Bay Area climbers, and his long time affiliation with the park has had far reaching impact. Today, Castle Rock attracts an international climbing audience, largely because of Sharma‘s influence. So when he heard that Castle Rock may soon be closed to climbing and the general public, Chris immediately jumped at the opportunity to help with the access efforts–pledging to travel all the way from his current home in Spain to make a few special presentations for the cause. We hope to see you there. This will be an evening to remember!

For the Clif Bar event tickets click the flyer above and more information about the event visit https://www.facebook.com/sharmafundraiser

For tickets to the Rio Theater in Santa Cruz event visit https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/245036

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Check out how the plastic we use affects Plankton and our food chain http://www.prana.com/blog/2010/11/22/tedx-the-great-pacific-garbage-patch-videos/

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“Body, we have an agreement,” I kept thinking. “I give you 3 months off from climbing each winter and then you pick back up like we haven’t missed a beat in the spring.”

It was clear that this “agreement” only existed in my mind. I was flailing miserably on my project from last fall. The moves were harder than I remembered, my core tension was non-existent, and I was beyond frustrated.

I’m pretty sure this happens to me every spring. I don’t train all winter and then I’m somehow shocked when I can’t perform on the rock the same as I did in the fall. Deep down I know that taking time off from climbing is good for my body and my mind, but my ego always pays the price when the weather gets nice again.

This weekend was the 5Points Film Festival in Carbondale, CO. I always enjoy seeing adventure films and hanging out with long lost friends (both in person and on the screen). Friday night I viewed the world premier of a film called The Old Breed, by Rufus Lusk and Freddie Wilkinson. It’s about three guys who climbed the second highest unclimbed peak in the world. I don’t know much about alpinism. Quite frankly I find it both terrifying and confusing. I just can’t figure out why anyone would want to be cold and suffer.

However a quote from that movie stuck with me has been rolling around in my head ever since. Steve Swenson, I believe, says that in his life he has his profession, his family, and climbing. At any given time he feels he can only perform well at two or those three things.

I feel like that so often. Especially this past weekend as I hung on my project belittling myself. I struggle everyday to find the balance between being a good Kindergarten teacher, being fully present in my relationships with others, raising a new puppy, tending to a new house, keeping my mind and body healthy, and performing at the top of my game in climbing.

I often feel like I have too many balls in the air and that something has to give. But what do I let drop? All of those things are important to me. All of those things are integral in my life and my happiness.

Each season has it’s own balance for me. The slices of my life shift and morph to make room for each other as need be. This winter so much of my energy was given to work and “life stuff” and that was ok. But, with spring will come the rebirth of climbing. The canyon is dry and calling my name. My climbing strength will return in time, but like all things that matter most, it won’t come easy.

I know that I can’t possible do everything well all of the time. But I’m slowly learning that there is a time for all things and I just need to have a little bit of patience with myself.

For me, balance doesn’t look the same from season to season. It’s constantly shifting and changing to accommodate all of the pieces of who I am.

~Jen Vennon, prAna Ambassador

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