Another Triple Crown Bouldering Series is in the books and a new generation of climbers is ushered in. As we welcome them we must ask ourselves, what example are we setting? 

Being 50% of Alabamian descent we feel a strong connection to HP40. There is just something about the scenery, the smells, and the sends at Horse Pens 40 that make it simply magical. 

Like fine wine HP40 seems to get better with time. Everyone's first time, that's a different story. The climbs are notoriously sandbagged with the opening of the HP40 guide book trolling climbers from out west, seeking to add climbs to their achievement list, with a warning "cut your dreads and wash out the patchouli". While enjoying a cold beer in between climbs you hear a spectrum of screams from grunts to total freak-outs when uptight gym-boys lose it falling off a v5 when they "just sent v9 last week". Triple Crown really seems to push these tryhards over the edge, and boy is it entertaining. 

While it is easy to slip into criticism of the younger generation of climbers that seem to be turning climbing into a traditional competitive sport, I think our energy is best spent encouraging. We try to never take ourselves too seriously because when we are taking ourselves to serious while climbing we tend to lose sight of the simple blessings right in front of us. And that is the blessing of being able to be outside, especially with our closest friends and loved ones. It is a blessing to have a hobby that gets our eyes off of a screen, the have a hobby that keeps us in shape, and to have a hobby where we can be part of a real community. 

Try to enjoy yourself this Slap Season.