Grunt Factor

“the more you go down, you’ve got an up situation”
This song encapsulates the essential truth of backcountry skiing: No Up-No Down, No Pain-No Gain. The effort and time involved in climbing makes the downhill that much more satisfying. This is actually true about any athletic endeavor or human pursuit. I wrote Grunt Factor after a brutal ski into Eiseman Hut, near Vail, Colorado during a total whiteout blizzard. The tracks of my friends breaking trail were obliterated before I reached them. Once at the hut, the skiing was amazing but required long detours to avoid dangerous slopes. It was fantastic and really, really hard going.

Barry Oreck – vocal, guitar

Anthony Hannigan – mandolin

Bob Harris – bass

Michael Ronstadt — cello

Kevin Garcia — percussion

Originally released on Barry Oreck (2016 CD)

  • Grunt Factor
    by Barry Oreck

    I’m the grunt factor (Ugh)
    I measure the pleasure against the pain
    I’m the grunt factor (Ugh)
    You bask in the sunshine, I slog through the rain.

     I live at the bottom and just near the top
    I’m with you when you’re going, I’m with you when you stop
    If you don’t want to know me you can just sit on the couch
    but I’ll be waiting sure enough and I’ll bring along the ouch

    (Chorus)

    Its always a balance, a negotiation
    The more you go down you’ve got an up situation
    Struggle and pleasure, Work and fun
    how would you know you’re livin’ when the day is done

    (Chorus)

     It don’t matter to me, how many days you trained, you still feel the pain
    I get in your brain, and every step you take, makes you long to break  

    600 feet down making perfect tele turns
    lets go 7 and feel the burn
    Walk to that ridge, the next one’s even better
    you could do it alone but I think we’ll do it together

    (Chorus)

    You can put me in your pack, I’m not preferential
    but to really get to know me you’ve got to get existential
    Heaven is down and hell is up
    you better love em both if you want to reach the top

    (Chorus)

    You’ll forget about me, just the fun remains and the bold campaigns
    But you never would gain without a dose of me that I guarantee

    Grunt factor, grunt factor, grunt factor, grunt factor

Download the Track at Bandcamp