don't make excuses

Just send.

July 1, 2006: Sander Pick on No More Greener Grass, Mount Evans Wilderness Area, CO. I've heard this referred to as one of Colorado's toughest and best V12s. If not for the one really sharp crimp, it might universally be considered the best. I believe Sander told me he had previously hiked into Evans "about 10 days" in order to put this one together. In fact, he told me NMGG was pretty much the only problem he had climbed at Evans other than The Dali as his "warm-up." Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating on this day and a torrential downpour put a damper on everyone's spirits and slowed the climbing to a crawl. Sander just bided his time rolling smokes while the 3 of us fooled around on a damp Dali.

Nobody else hiked into Evans that day and for 3 to 4 hours, it was downright dismal. The rain did eventually stop and - as the minutes turned into hours - the humidity began to drop. Although the topout remained soaking wet, this was a minor detail in the grand scheme of things. Sander did The Dali to warm-up (maybe twice), brushed the holds under the lip and was ready, just hoping to have to contend with the wet topout when he got there. After 2 tries, it was obvious he was ready to send. I got the camera out in piss-poor lighting conditions, then proceeded to shoot one of the raddest most clutch sends I've ever witnessed. Watching him try to rock over at the lip on wet holds was painful, but he somehow got 'er done under the worst of conditions. He never once cursed the rain or bitched about the conditions. He was there to send, accepted the day's conditions for what they were and made the magic happen in spite of them. Mad props.