Name: Nina Haase

Age: 30

Home: Grudgingly, Jersey!

Sponsors: None but I should be. My prospective choices are Polly-o string cheese (low fat) and Urban Outfitters.

In it:12 years

The Local: Gunks

Memorable Ticks: Something Different (last try on the last day of a long trip) - New Pair of Glasses (lots of associated mental anguish)

Dream Trip: Now a reality - training the calves by light, savoring wine by dark with close friends...

The Five Year Goal: Introduce my future youngster to frolicking in the forest of Bas Cuvier (hopefully!) - Oh yeah, learn more about and practice Bikram yoga habitually.

The Insider

When I first met Nina in a New York City climbing gym I knew there was something special about her. There's a great feeling that comes along with being able to say that you knew someone was going to be your wife the very first time you laid eyes on each other. Honestly, I can do that. What I didn't know at the time was that Nina had a long and formidable relationship with climbing, especially bouldering. Unlike realizing that I'd have to propose to her (quickly) in order to make sure she didn't get away, I didn't realize that she was a crazy strong boulderer until mid-way through our first session together. Nina's knowledge and first hand experiences of the Gunks were evident as soon as we arrived in New Paltz. The looks, the whispers, the vague chattering about "Big Up" - for a moment I actually thought that people might be confusing me with someone who's actually an impressive climber. But, after making a few calls and confirming a few sends, my dream became a reality; not only was Nina going to be my wife, but she was also going to allow bouldering to play a huge role in our future.

That was three years ago, and as luck would have it, I can count on one hand the number of weeks we've gone without climbing since then. While I struggle from time to time with making it all work (the night sessions after long days at work, the pain in nearly every part of my body, etc.) Nina is somehow always psyched to get to the boulders or the gym and pull down. She's been climbing for nearly 13 years and still looks forward to vacations that revolve around bouldering and weekends that must include one or two sessions. I'm always impressed, whether in New Paltz or Hueco, to see things that Nina sent 10 years ago - and is still crushing with finesse. And then there are times when I'm feeling especially uncomfortable with my inability to climb as hard as I would like, and I accept some of Nina's beta - Nine out of ten times it works.

Just a few weeks ago we joined a great group of friends and took off for Fontainebleau. Nina and I looked at the trip as somewhat of a "last hurrah" kind of climbing trip. We figure that the next stage in our lives is around the corner, and a bouldering trip to France probably won't be in the cards for a while. The first day we arrived and made out for Elephant. As anyone who's visited Fontainebleau knows, within minutes of setting foot on the sandy ground it's obvious that you're in a very special place. Children, whether climbing or picnicking, are everywhere. For a moment, I pictured us bringing our own kids to this forest one day... I looked at Nina and could see that the same thought was crossing her mind. If we're lucky we'll get back to France in a few years with a little son or daughter...hopefully one who takes after their mom.
-Blake Haase