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).