Monthly Archives: December 2011
Team ABC Site Update – Profile for Coach Garrett Gregor
Garrett Gregor is a pretty awesome guy. He’s been climbing for over a decade and is in the middle of his second season coaching for Competition Team ABC. Click the photo above to learn more about Garrett.
More Team ABC Media – Deadpoint Magazine! + Coach Didier in Hueco + Happy Holidays!
Deadpoint Magazine
We are happy to report that Deadpoint Magazine has also picked up the news of Team ABC’s astounding trip to Hueco. Cick the photo above to see their story.
Speaking of the trip, that post (click “trip to Hueco”) has been updated because we somehow forgot to talk about the glorious assistance of Coach Didier. Oops, sorry Coach Didier! Check out that post again for the updates.
Robyn, Brooke, and Didier in Hueco 2011.
We here at Team ABC hope everyone has a Happy Holidays and that everyone gets to spend at least some time on the rocks while the temps are perfect.
Team ABC on 8a.nu, ClimbingNarc.com, 27Crags.com and UPDATE – Rock & Ice.com
You already know the news, but we are psyched to report that Team ABC’s trip to Hueco has recently shown up on a few websites including:
8a.nu
Climbing Narc
13-year-old Shawn Raboutou sends Chablanke (8A) and flashes Fern Roof (7C+) in Hueco Tanks, TX
10-year-old Brooke Raboutou sends first 8A, Une Pointe de Bleau dans un Hueco, in Hueco Tanks
Click the links above or the screen shots to see the sites.
Team ABC Site Update – Profile for Athlete Ariana O’Brien
Ariana O’Brien is the older sister of Liam O’Brien and is a very strong and accomplished young climber. Last year she qualified for semi-finals in both Sport and Speed at SCS Nationals (in the end she took 9th in speed and 12th in sport) and made finals at ABS Nationals–ending up in 7th overall. She has also climbed quite well for the past two years at the Teva Games, placing 3rd in 2010 and 2nd in 2011. Click the photo above to check out her profile and learn more about Ariana.
Team ABC in Hueco November 2011 – Update – we forgot Coach Didier!
Pad people! Team ABC heading out on North Mountain.
Fourteen athletes and two three coaches of Team ABC spent a long week around Thanksgiving pulling down in Hueco Tanks, Texas. With the whole Rock Ranch house to themselves, the kids had a blast hanging out and climbing on North and on tours to East and East Spur with Rock Ranch Guides Nikias Kiehnle, Mogli Rios, Jackie Hueftle, and athlete, coach, and longtime Hueco climber Brian Antheunisse. Here is a short wrap-up with some highlight sends from the trip:
Texas!
The trip started off well with quick sends of Un Pointe De Bleau Dans Hueco (V11) by Margo Hayes, Brooke Raboutou, Shawn Raboutou, and Megan Mascarenas (who flashed the problem).
Megan, who is 14 years old and just began entering and winning adult pro events like the Yank n’ Yard and The Spot Gun Show and The Spot Psychedelia, also sent Purple Flowers (V11), Fern Roof (V10) and Bush League (V10). She did her first V11 this summer at Mount Evans, Colorado, when she sent the compression line Mirror Mask (low start).
Megan Mascarenas got all twisted up in Hueco.
Shawn, who is now 13, sent his first V11 last year in Hueco and has done a couple since then. This trip to Hueco was his best bouldering trip yet, with a send of Chablanke (V11/V12), a quick send of Sunshine (V11), a flash of Fern Roof (V10), and a two day ascent of The Butterpumper (guidebook V12, now considered soft due to kneebar beta, though Shawn’s method was certainly unconventional and seemed quite difficult. To compare, Sunshine took him a handful of tries, but Butterpumper took two sessions before he sent, so for him it was certainly more difficult. Also, Shawn used some serious non-holds for his right hand low on the problem when he was unable to reach through to the high rt hand edge that without doing a few bump moves. He said that for him Chablanke and Butterpumper felt of similar difficulty).
Shawn trying Mojo.
For Brooke, age 10, Un Pointe De Bleau was her first V11. She also sent the V10 Dead Serious after reclimbing the top (Mr. Serious, V8, that she’d sent previously), quickly working the bottom out, and, after a short rest, sticking the campusy bottom moves and sending. Brooke had a little more trouble with Sunshine, and ended up falling near the end of the problem on her second day after a difficult first day of finding a way through the reachy bottom section.
Brooke sticking the crux on Dead Serious (V10) November 2011
Margo Hayes, 13, has also been to Hueco before, and this trip she managed to flash Fern Roof (V10) on top of her send of Un Point De Bleau (V11). She also put in some good efforts on Sunshine, but was unable to send before dark on the last day of the trip. (On a previous trip to Hueco she made an impressive flash of Mangum (V9) among other sends.)
Margo Hayes got a little cold in Hueco. November 2011
Fifteen-year-old Stefan Lavender did the V11 Flower Power, the V10 variation Purple Flowers, and Fern Roof, as well as several classic moderates like New Religion Sit (V8).
Stefan Lavender
Matt Lubar, 16, was on his first Team ABC trip to Hueco and he had a blast, sending Fern Roof as well as many of the classics like New Religion (V7), New Religion Sit, and Better Eat Your Wheaties (V8/9). He was also quite close to both his first V11, falling near the end of both Flower Power and Dark Age.
Matt Lubar trying Mojo (V10)
Austin Lankford, 14, had a great trip, with his first guidebook V12, Dirty Martini On The Rocks (the grade is in dispute due to new beta and the problem is widely considered to be somewhere between V9 and V11) as well as Fern Roof. Austin also got painfully close to sending Un Pointe De Bleau and Sunshine, falling from the final move of Sunshine after his first day’s effort on it. Just six months ago Austin did his first outdoors V8 at Joe’s Valley, so this trip certainly represented great progress for him.
Austin Lankford giving a good go on Sunshine.
Isabelle Goodacre, 13, did Beer Can Traverse (V9) and, like Austin, came quite close to sending Sunshine. She was also close to sending Fern Roof but was bouted by rain.
Isabelle Goodacre
Laurel Todd, also 15, climbed Fern Roof and Better Eat Your Wheaties. Her sister Ivy, 12, did Your Brain on Drugs (V9).
Ivy Todd and Kiana Ellis
Kiana Ellis, 12, came close to Your Brain on Drugs and hopes to send next trip.
Laurel Todd working it out on Better Eat Your Wheaties V8/9
Timmy Dolan, 11, did Wheaties (V8/9), and Malcolm Oliver, 13, did the difficult classic Lobster Claw (V5). Fourteen-year-old Jaime Cantarovici, on his first trip to Hueco, climbed many easier classics including some cool variations on the Kid’s Stuff wall.
Malcolm Oliver in a tight place.
Timmy Dolan
Jaime
Coach Garrett Gregor had an amazing trip, with sends of Crown of Aragon (V13), Shaken not Stirred (V12), Butterpumper (V11/12), Un Pointe De Bleau, Sunshine, Flower Power, and Bush League. Garrett has climbed many V12s and V13s and said that he felt Butterpumper was quite hard.
Garrett Gregor trying Slashface
Robyn Erbesfield-Raboutou was not far behind, with sends of Un Pointe De Bleau, Sunshine (one session), Fern Roof, Bush League, and the last problem she hadn’t done on the right side of the Serious wall, Serious Legends (V9).
Robyn Erbesfield-Raboutou having a great time in Hueco.
Update! - We regret that we previously forgot to mention that Coach Didier also came along on the trip. Besides providing much-needed entertainment and driving the big white van, he spent 4 days coaching on North Mountain helping kids up climbs with his combination of super spotting, sage advice, and a healthy sense of humor. The trip wouldn’t have been the same without him–thanks Coach Didier!
Didier Raboutou. Never too cool for school, though he certainly looks it.
The team then headed home to prepare for The Spot’s Highline Highball Comp in Boulder on December 3rd and the ABS Regional Championships at Miramont Lifestyle Fitness in Fort Collins on December 10th. For more check out these links:
Results/rundown from Highline Highball Comp on Team ABC Site
Results/rundown from Highline Highball on Team ABC Site #2
Results/rundown from Highline Highball Comp on The Spot Setting Blog
Info and results from ABS Regionals coming soon, so stay tuned!
Team ABC.
Jumping the gap. Hueco November 2011.
Team ABC Site Update – Profile for Athlete Liam O’Brien
Eight-year-old Liam O’Brien is the youngest member of the ABC Competition Team. Last year at the age of 7 he competed for his first season and made it to Nationals for both bouldering and sport climbing! Click the photo above to learn more about Liam and stay tuned for more profiles from Liam’s sister Ariana and the other members of Team ABC.
Team ABC Site Update – Profile for Athlete Stefan Lavender
Stefan Lavender in Ten Sleep
Stefan Lavender made headlines this summer when he went on a sending streak in Ten Sleep Canyon, Wyoming. Stefan quickly dispatched many hard routes including the 13d Sky Pilot (and a flash of the extension section making up the full route of Galactic Emperor, 5.14a), He Biggum (13d) and another 13d 2nd go, two 13c’s (one on his 2nd go), a 13a, and a 2nd go first ascent of the open project Shaker (13b). Stefan has also been performing well in competitions and in bouldering, and has climbed a few V10s and V11s in the past year. For more on Stefan click his photo above.
Team ABC Site Update – Profile for Athlete Matt Lubar
Matt Lubar
Matt Lubar is the oldest member of Team ABC. He started climbing around the age of 10 and has been on several area youth teams as he’s continuously improved in both competition results and outdoor sends. Most recently on the team’s Thanksgiving trip to Hueco he sent several classic problems including See Spot Run (V6), Daily D Dose (V7), New Religion (V7), New Religion Low (V8), Better Eat Your Wheaties (V8/9) (second go), and Fern Roof (V10). He also made his first Open Finals at a Spot Series bouldering competition when he qualified for Highline Highball Pro Finals in 6th place. Click the photo above or use the Competition Team drop down menu to check out Matt’s new profile page and learn more about him.
Team ABC Site Update – Profile for Athlete Megan Mascarenas
We are slowly getting profiles put together for our team members. Check out Megan Mascarenas‘ new athlete profile page!
Comp Results – Team ABC at The Spot Gym’s SBS 7 Highline and Highball Competition
Team ABC at The Spot – Results!
Team ABC came out for the 3rd of the 4 Spot Bouldering Series 7 Competitions and won every category they entered!
Here are the results for the kids who competed:
Female A
Laurel Todd – 1st
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Female B
Megan Mascarenas – 1st & 1st Overall
(most total comp points and won the Pro Final)
Isabelle Goodacre – 2nd & 4th in Pro Final
Margo Hayes – 3rd
Kiana Ellis – 5th
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Female C
Ivy Todd – 1st
Lillian Friefeld – 3rd
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Female D
Brooke Raboutou – 1st
Stella Noble – 2nd
Ariana O’Brien – 3rd
Mia Manson – 4th
Phoebe Dolan – 5th
Ashley Fisher – 7th
Campbell Sarinopoulos – 8th
Corrine Otterness – 9th
Lydia Dolan – 14th
Margaux D’Amato – 17th
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Male A
Matt Lubar – 1st & 6th in Pro Final
Stefan Lavender – 6th
Nick Lyon – 7th
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Male B
Austin Lankford – 1st
Pierce McCrerey – 2nd
Shawn Raboutou – 3rd
Malcolm Oliver – tied for 6th
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Male C
Timmy Dolan – 1st
Ethan Kruteck – 2nd
Ray McVicker – 4th
Max Manson – 5th
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Male D
Joe Goodacre – 1st
Liam O’Brien – 2nd
Mateo Gallegos – 3rd
Ryder Noble – 7th
Miguel Gallegos – 10th
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Team Ranking
ABC – 1st
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Full Results Here: Highball Highline 2011 Youth Results
