Brion Voges: A Southern Sandstone Sampler

Brion just returned from whirlwind sandstone sampling hitting up all the areas of the south. Although not a professional geologist Brion has catalogued each destination and has the facts ready at a moments notice.

 

Warning: Brion Voges does not have a degree in Geology, nor has he worked on correspondence courses at a jr. college in any lateral subject. However, Brion and a small crew of climbers had been spending their entire winter season sampling southern sandstone before the rain came and they have now returned home with the low down on the best rock and Brion nabbed himself a Big Gulp. Check out what our sandstone corresponder had to say…

 

DPM: You have recently been touring Sandstone Meccas in the US, do you have a problem with granite?

 

Brion: I love granite! My climbing style even lends itself more to granite than to sandstone… That being said, nothing compares to sandstone in terms of feel and texture. So yeah, I've been getting around to all the sandstone areas, Arkansas, Southern Illinois and, of course, the Southeast. It's been really fun, no pressure, just climbing and hanging out. This past weekend we were in Illinois and it was wet, we spent half the time cursing wet rock and the other half eating pizza at Quatro's and milkshakes at Steak and Shake.

As for Arkansas, the place is lousy! Amazing climbs and nearly unlimited potential, (sarcastic much) I have only spent 7 days there and that is not enough!

 

DPM: Do you have an area that stands out as the crown for sandstone?

 

Brion: The areas in the Southeast, Stone Fort (formerly Little Rock City), Horse Pens, Rocktown, and the rest, are boss when it comes to sandstone. There may not be many lines in the V13-V15 range, but the best problems I have ever climbed are all in the South. I've even spent time in Fontainebleau and, in my opinion, the climbing in the Southeast is better.

 

DPM: You and Jimmy seem to be after all the new problems. How do you guys find out about these new climbs so fast? Has the online world of blogs, Facebook, and beta bases been good or bad for climbing?

 

Brion: Well blogs and Facebook certainly help spread the word about new problems, beta, etc., but in such a small climbing community word travels fast. Maybe it's different in larger climbing communities, but everyone in Chattanooga already knows about a new line before any media hits the web. It's traveling climbers who benefit most from a "friend's" Facebook beta or video blog. Armed with beta, a boulder or route becomes a purely physical endeavor rather than an also mentally stimulating "problem." Whether or not these social media sites are detrimental to the sport depends on which you value more: the physical challenge or the adventurous spirit of it all. Personally, I believe the progression of climbing into the blogosphere and onto Facebook is a necessary step in both preserving and advancing the sport.

 

DPM: You got to work on a video for the Triple Crown for Six Feet Under how was the experience?  

 

Brion: It was August in Tennessee so it was hot. It was fun though. Andrew Kornylak came up from Atlanta and we filmed a couple problems: Six Feet Under and Instinct. I was psyched to be working with such an amazing photographer and also to be wearing the then brand new Team 5.10 shoes. Andrew shot the whole video in stop motion so we were shooting about 10 seconds at a time - lots of climbing. He did a great job with it though, and I'm happy I was involved.

 

DPM: What did you think of the Triple Crown this year? What was the highlight of the event? How were the competitors?

 

Brion: This year's Triple Crown was good. A bunch of strong guys showed up to compete; Jimmy Webb, Phil Schaal, Brad Weaver. They definitely kept me on my toes. The part I love about the whole thing is not the climbing though; it's hanging out with everyone afterwards. There's always a big crowd and it's great to see everyone.

 

DPM: What’s your insight about the growth of climbing as a sport and an industry...positive & negative what could we work on?

 

Brion: The progression of climbing in terms of difficulty depends on the advancement of climbing as an industry. It is insane to expect top performance from athletes who also work full-time. In terms of basketball that would be like asking Lebron James to get a job. The climbing industry needs to pick up the slack and, in order to do so; it needs to become both more accessible and more approachable. That is, climbing companies need to branch into the mainstream. Companies like 5.10 and Friksn seem to be on the right track. If you doubt, look at what DC Shoes has done with skateboarding and what companies like Billabong and Quicksilver have done with surfing. There is no reason the climbing industry can't imitate these already successful models and begin to give back to the athletes who do most for the sport.

 

DPM: What tunes are you bumping to get psyched?

 

Brion: Lately I've been into Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy and those guys but I'm not picky, any tune with a beat will get me psyched.

 

DPM: What type of motivation do you like...Comforting "Come on man you'll send" or “We’re pullin’ the pads if you try and back down"....

 

Brion: Sometimes I'll try really hard if someone just starts screaming at me, all pissed off sounding. Everyone needs to get a little mad sometimes.

 

DPM: Your site always seems to have rad pictures and videos. Climbing seems to naturally breed “photogs” with good eyes - do you like the process?

 

Brion: I love it, but I can't take credit for the video - that's all Jimmy. For me though, a good photo can salvage a terrible climbing day. I love photos and I get psyched to take them.

 

DPM: We just saw the video Big Gulp and the line looks awesome! Give us the break- down of the line, the crux, and your overall impression of the prob.

 

 

Brion: Well, first of all, props to (Andy) Salo and (Matt) Bosley for the vision. Big Gulp is roof climbing at its best. The crux revolves around a difficult first move, then some easier campus moves followed by two huge moves to gain the lip. It's quite a powerful problem.

 

DPM: Shout out to your sponsors who kick you down gear...

 

Brion: Big thanks to Five Ten for providing the only shoes I want to wear and Organic for saving my ass about a thousand times!

 

Check out the video of Brion on Big Gulp courtesy of Jimmy Webb HERE