Dreams really do come true!

Posted on December 10, 2012 by NDTitanLady

I got a couple shots in the new issue of California Climbing Magazine – Issue No. 3! SO EXCITED. California Climber is a fairly new independent magazine dedicated to Rock Climbing in California. I like that it focuses on all aesthetic boulder/sport/trad climbs easy or hard.

I’ve been to Malibu Creek State Park to sport climb quite a few times. Here are a few of my past DPM posts about this crag:

The first shot is in the opening page of the magazine. I am leading up Urban Struggle (12b)

The second shot is in the meat of the article about Malibu Creek. This climb is a nice pumpy jug-haul warmup called Johnny Can’t Lead (11a). Both of these pictured climbs are located past a 5.3 & 5.5 approach traverse over pathogenic water that leads into the Ghetto Wall Area.

It’s always been a dream of mine to be in a magazine doing something I love. If it’s not about a published article on laboratory research, climbing definitely is just as satisfying. I come from an Asian family that demands successes. I fell in love with climbing as soon as I mantled my first V1. After the first climbing gym visit, I signed up for membership three days later. Climbing became a change in lifestyle. Any free time quickly converted to climb-time.

Mom & Pop immediately noticed my new-found passion in climbing. They noticed, but didn’t accept it. If my activities did not involve school, volunteering, studying, or making money… my parents didn’t approve. I appreciate everything my family has done for me financially and morally in regards to education. But I still wanted them to accept climbing as a part of my life. So I pushed myself to get stronger and to seek out sponsorship. Initially, sponsorship was a “proof-of-success” to present my parents. Two years later, I still am the happiest person I could ever be thanks to the climbing as a sport and the people in it.

Balancing life & climbing is fairly simple. I know my priorities. Next spring I am graduating on time with a B.S. in Neurosceince. I started climbing the same time freshman year began at UCR in 2009. Climbing has always been a stress reliever whenever school became taxing. I will take a year off before applying to medical schools. During that year I plan to take a class for the MCATs while working at a research laboratory at UCLA. Balancing life and climbing is easy for me, probably because I’m not in a relationship… & I am perfectly fine with that. For now.

#1 Priority: The ULTIMATE GOAL –> Dr. Duran.

Wow, ok. I wrote more than planned for this blog post. It’s all a distraction to keep me away form studying. Anyways, I always have to thank Anthony Lapomardo for taking epic climbing shots spread throughout the climbing industry. Even though he drags me to other far off places, it’s always worth it to get on gorgeous climbs. Anthony shot those images of me in the magazine!

Hope everyone’s Holiday Season is going well. I am currently enduring through FINALS week at my university. Not much happiness going on at my end, but I’m trucking through it. Right after my last final from 3-6pm this Friday, I am heading straight to Bishop! I might get a couple hours of sleep before I have to hike up to the Druids for some crack-of-dawn climbing. Mental exhaustion will feel less nocicepctive if I add physical exhaustion to the mix, right? Oh, Pontereticulospinal Tract don’t fail me now. Should be a great time. If anyone is heading out to the Eastern Sierras next weekend, see you there! I’ll be there until the 17th of this month.

Stay Psyched & Climb ON!

–> Natalie Duran

When climbing hard stuff…

Posted on July 17, 2012 by NDTitanLady

… must. think. like. Spiderman.

I’ve been addicted to Palm Springs Ariel Tramway granite. Three times in one week?! White chalky powder and elevation, smells like a great healthy addiction to me.

BUT… Addiction has it’s side effects. I get extremely lazy, very easily.

A legit hammock setup, kinda. It was held up by two micronuts between two boulders. To ease my thoughts, I thought it would be best to use a crashpad as a backup pro. I spent 5 hours in that hammock, eating, chatting, and sleeping. That day, I fell in love with hammocks.

What? I like being off the ground as much as possible. Climbing & hammocks count.

If i’m not climbing, eating or sleeping the day away in hammocks… i’ll take a ridiculous amount of foliage pictures.

I did have a great day hanging out with new people I met from San Diego! Great times! Boulderes are the weirdest breed of climbers. Keep a safe distance, thing can get ridiculous and loud.

This year’s summer has been AMAZING so far! Meeting great people, having amazing friends, escape able weather… more epic shenanigans to come! I am enjoying life thoroughly, and I am so grateful how everything is going so far.

Stay Psyched & Climb ON!

–> Natalie Duran

Summer Tramway Pass is HERE!

Posted on April 14, 2012 by NDTitanLady

Southern California is amazing in so many ways. I believe we have a really great, friendly, diverse, and supportive climbing community. I also love that we are able to climb year round. In the winter Joshua Tree is the hot spot to be, when its cold. Majority of the areas around SoCal is climbable in the spring time, since we only get a few days of rain… the rest are bright sunny warm days. During the summer it does get instantly hot in the Inland/OC/LA areas. Fortunately, to escape the heat we have several areas to climb up in elevation where its much cooler. Such as Holcomb Valley (sport), Idyllwild (trad/sport), also Palm Springs Ariel Tramway. (http://www.pstramway.com/).

The rock up in Tramway is solid speckled granite. Summer passes now cost $70 and is active from May 1st to August 31st (2012). I always say Tramway bouldering is “spoiled climbing”. You basically drive up to the base of the tram station, enjoy a scenic five minute ride up the tram, get off and its climb time! Nonetheless, I really do believe that the $70 in the long run saves you money from driving up the 8516ft elevation gain every time. The summer pass saves you money if you intend to visit tram often in a 4 month window. One tram pass for a single day costs $24.95 (adult). Also, when you get a summer pass you get an epic looking card, ha.

Another reason why I love bouldering at tramway… below is a picture of the temperature in Palm Springs, when I parked my car getting ready to boulder. After riding in the tram, the temperature at the top station was a gorgeous 74F. A -38F degree difference in under 10min?! Yes please.

Once you step off the tram, and pass through the souvenir shop you enter San Jacinto State Park… before anyone enters the park to boulder you have to fill out a Wilderness Permit (if bouldering you have to specify that to the ranger). They are constantly keeping track of the bouldering impact year by year. It is very important to imply the “leave no trace” policy. Bouldering in Tramway is a privilege so please have the utmost respect to the land, rangers, and tramway employees. No shenanigans.

Last year was my first season at Tramway… in just one season Ive met so many great people bouldering up there. Defiantly met people I will have friendships that will last a lifetime. These people love climbing outdoors, and keep me psyched to stay strong. Below is the SoCal climbing community, we all ran into each other bouldering one fine Saturday! The base tramway station parking lot is a long stretch & steeply angled road… another plus with tramway is the trolly that is operating most hours of the day. The nice trolly ride birngs you from the station entrance to the parking lot you parked your car at. Seriously helpful after a long day of bouldering with light hiking.
Enough about how awesome the tramway station is… and more about the epic climbing. The rock up in Tram is spectacular granite. Boulders range from extremely featured, short overhangs, slabs, caves, high steep problems, and a handful of killer highballs.