October 23-25

This weekend started with some shabby weather, which only got better as the days progressed. Friday, Allen, Katie and I headed out and made our way to Roadside. Allen made his way up the soaking wet flake of "The Return of Chris Snyder"(5.11d) before deciding bailing was the best answer. We then headed back to the 5.10 wall, where I made two close burns on "Stay the Hand" (5.12a) one fall each time. On Saturday we (Allen, Tyler and I) headed to Muir Valley, leaving the girls to fend for themselves. We started our day by warming up at the "Bone yard" on "Captain Blondie Sinks the Ship" (5.11a/b), and then headed to the AMAZING "Midnight Surf" wall. There Allen worked "Tapeworm" (5.12d), I successfully teched my way through the boulder problem on "Iniquity" (5.12b) and got my redpoint. Tyler made quick work of "Cell Block Six) (5.12c) sending second go! Katie Scatena and I then went to the "Sanctuary" where we worked "Immaculate Deception" (5.12a) me falling one clip away from my onsight. Katie made good progress and her first 5.12 send is not far away!

Day two broke Sunny and Cold, we headed to "Drive By" where we began to climb. Katie Scatena made quick work of "Whipstocking" (5.11a) and "Yadda Yadda Yadda" (5.11b) which she quickly repointed hanging draws. Chase and Allen worked a hard 5.12d, while Katie Erickson and I palmed slopers and held pinches on "Check Your Grip" (5.12a) I managed to get it clean on my third go of the day. Chase and Tyler spent the day working "Beer Belly" (5.13a) while John worked towards the send on "Dirty Smelly Hippie" (5.13b), which I decided to get on at the end of the day. All in all it was a great weekend, with some amazing climbing!

Triple Crown Hounds Ears

Our first bouldering trip of the year was a weekend excursion to visit the first triple crown event of the year at the private Hound Ears Club in Boone, NC! Though the weather looked iffy the whole preceding week, all 250+ competitors lucked out with a beautiful 65 degree bluebird day for bouldering

Saturday broke bright, cold, and dewy, with free breakfast from five-ten and the loading of pads and groggy climbers onto trucks and into buses. The anticipation quickly rose to a pre-Christmas fervor as the hoards of climbers ascended the gravel mountain road to where Evolv, Five Ten, La Sportiva, and Scarpa were handing out demo models of their newest kicks. Finally, after some parting rules and wisdom, we were dismissed to shred our tips on the razor sharp crimps of Hounds Ears.

Tim and I got the day started with quick onsite/flashes of Woody's v3 (v5), and proceeded to the mushroom boulder for a cool traverse called Abracadaver (v4), and for Tim to come close to sticking the wicked swing of Mushroom Roof (v6). We then split up for a few hours to negotiate the crowded rocks solo. Teeterpoint (v6), and Capt Crunch (v4) were next for me. I was able to send the highball Capt Crunch, but Teeterpoint allowed me progress and no send, along with stealing several layers of skin.

As the day wound down and the few climbers with skin and hopes of victory rushed about attempted to fill their scorecards, cries of effort turned to curses of pain and bloody tips until the final horn sounded to bus back to the campground.

The party lasted well into the night for most, treated to an, er, entertaining? music experience before the awards ceremony, and the dispersing of much swag and raffle prizes.


Recommended Problems:

Abracadaver v4
The Pocket Problem v4
Captain Crunch v4
2,000 v4
The Mad Splatter v5
They Call Me Nobody v6
Crystallized v1
The Edge v0

Brian Voges, who placed 2nd in Men's Open, got the first ascent of an outstanding Hounds Ears project that links The Crusher (v10) into Flash or Trash (v5) and dubbed it Half Price Porno (v11/12).

Dreary Saturday

Last Saturday, after an adventurous start to my weekend which started with me being kicked awake by Miss Katie E at 3am, we met young Dru at 9am. He was itching to get out to the Darkside to climb, he and I headed out with his father and planned to meet the girls there later. It rained the entire way, fortunately Darkside is so steep that even the tops of climbs stay dry. Dru kicked off the day by climbing the "ramp of death" to get to the start of "Shanghai" (12d) he quickly worked out the moves going bolt, making it the hardest climb he's done all the moves on. After that I got a rope stick clipped to my project, "The Force", Then the ladies showed up. As I began to work the bottom moves of "The Force" again, Katie E. jumped on "Tuskan Raider" (12d) (pictured) and made great progress! I managed to stick the crux move on "The Force" on lead finally, making me hopeful that climbing in decent conditions and feeling 100%, I'll connect the bottom difficulty section in the least! Later in the day Sarah and Lindsay both gave good burns on "Mama Benson" (12a) Dru also gave Tuskan a burn, but then had to go home. To finish our day Katie got on Tuskan and got all the moves! I got on it too and figured out the crux moves, it's a super cool route, and has a sit down rest just after the crux! It was a super day full of climbing and various shenanigans!