Branson's Arete

After watching the MVM short of Branson's Arete, I knew I wanted to check out this cool looking line.  It turned out to be perfectly my style of tricky heal hooks and awesome compression moves and I was able to quickly send.  There are a few photos below. Stay tuned for many more updates to come from our trip in the next few days.

Heading North

After satisfying our desire to stuff our fingers into stuff, it was time to pull on some blocs again so Tim and I departed for the SLC area to do a bit of climbing and some relaxation at Tim's house for the holiday.  We headed up to Little Cottonwood two days.  I climbed a lot of amazing, classic problems but nothing of too much note.

Tim on Barfly (V8). Ghetto rock but cool moves.

Finger Cracks

After Triassic we headed to Joe's.  Off all injuries, I sprained my pinkie spotting, which turned out to be a more significant hindrance to climbing than I would have expected.  Grabbing everything with three fingers sucks.  I tried some climbs at Joe's but nothing went well and I decided to rest as the next stop was three days in Indian Creek.  The theme of the trip was finger cracks, I did not place a piece bigger than a BD #1 the whole time.  I completed Left Crack (5.12) and flashed Johnny Cat (5.11+) but mostly just got on cool new stuff that I want to go back and try more.  However, Tim, who flashed Left Crack, and Rich, who flashed Middle Crack (5.12-), were the champions of the trip.

Me of Left Crack

Just past the crux, trying not to blow it on Left Crack.

Rich cruising the locker fingers on Middle Crack

Rich completing his flash of Middle Crack

Triassic

Its been a bit since an update but I actually have good reason.  Long story short, Tim and I convinced our geochemistry professor to give us time off between two school breaks, allowing us to connect them into one epic 12 day break.  We packed our stuff up and headed west to Utah, climbing paradise for pebble pinching kids and old school crack addicts alike.  First stop was Triassic. Pictured below is Nathan and Sam on some fun moderate that we got on at the end of the day.  

Trad in Elevenmile

Snuck off to Elevenmile today to hop on a few cracks that I spotted on a previous trip.  Tim and I each got on two cracks.  The first being a stealer offwidth to perfect hand crack and the second being an amazing left trending dihedral.  We set up a top rope on the second and neither one of us sent, but the climb moves amazing well on thin crimp liebacks.  With a little cleaning up and maybe the placement of a bolt to protect the 5.12 feeling face climbing where your gear is 20 feet below you, the climb could be a great lead.

The Green Lantern

Went and tried the Green Lantern up at Ute Pass yesterday.  Only established problem I have not done there and after two years, I still have not stuck the crux move.  Hopefully as it continues to get colder, I will be able to get it all put it together.  Here are some pictures of me trying it.

Late in the Day Failed Attempt to Scale Some Rocks

Yesterday, Tim and I busted out of class just after 4:00 PM.  We hurried over to the Garden of the Gods to give the half sport climb, half finger crack line, Kor's Korner, a few goes.  Neither one of us remembered the gear very well and it turned out Tim left most of the stuff he would have wanted at the base of the climb.  After epicing with placing the few cams we had that were small enough to get into the pin scars, it was almost dark and I did not get a chance to get on it.  I plan on returning on Sunday and putting some good effort into this quality line.

Quinine

Byron and I went up and had a short session up in Elevenmile today.  Shown here is me on the FA of Quinine (V3-ish) and Byron quickly getting the second ascent with some kneebar trickery.  It starts right hand crimp, left undercling pinch and moves right up the arete on slopers and sidepulls.  I also put up a line that exited out left with a odd mantle that felt about as hard but not as cool.

Back from the Creek

Wunsch's Dihedral

On Friday, Nathan and I woke up early and headed to Cathedral Spires, which holds one of the best multipitch climbs in Colorado.  It is called Wunsch's Dihedral, and heads up the beautiful dihedral on the left side of Cynical Pinnacle with four great pitches. We wanted to do a variation of the first pitch by taking this amazing finger crack left of the normal pitch but after whipping twice on my gear and wasting some time figuring beta out we decided to bail to the standard 10a pitch.  Next, Nathan had a bad-ass lead on the third pitch and despite running out of hand size gear, ran it out to the anchors.  I took the third and after aiding through the very awkward hand sized roof crack / chimney / layback (yes it is all of those in 10 feet), slowly moved up the amazing finger sized dihedral.  After using all the hand sized gear in the first part of the pitch, I also had to run the end out to the anchors.  The last pitch is a mid 5.12 slab, which we both aided through the crux moves off.  Overall an awesome climb in an amazing area, but I would love to come back and do it all free.

A picture stolen off of Mountain Project of the splitter hand crack that is the second pitch.

Herbaceous Orangoutang

This is a problem at Ute Pass that I have not really put any effort into since I did it for the first time in the spring of 2007.  Decided it was time to add this to the circuit, so Max and I put some effort into it.  Neither one of us did it but we both were able to catch the sharp crimp that is the crux move.  Behold...

One of the best slabs ever

Elevenmile

Went to Elevenmile today.  I forgot to throw a rope in the car so we changed our plans and headed to Chill Style.  Still feels impossible.  Nathan found new beta on Chill Style Left, making it more V8 but tore a huge flapper after almost sticking the jug.  Good bouldering conditions have finally arrived in Southern Colorado.

Recent rock scaling

        Things have been a bit slow recently in terms of climbing for me.  I got down south this week to do a little climbing with Dane.  I was going to get on the crack, which turns out to be called Conception (5.12, FA John Sherman), but upon arrival got psyched on bouldering.  Dane and I wandered around for a while, saw two new boulders I had never seen and a nice wall that could yield a hard 3o to 40 foot sport climb.  We also checked out some of the talus boulders that I had previously passed over for more accessible problems and ended up putting some chalk on what will be a cool new compression roof.  I did all the moves but was not able to do the hardest move on link and will hopefully return when the weather clears up.

        Yesterday, Nathan and I went up to Ute Pass.  It had been a while since I had really had a good session at Ute.  Nathan and I warmed up on some nice V4's in the Crack in the Woods and then spent some time on Skinned in the Woods.  I was able to do this one first go, which felt nice considering it is probably the hardest problem I have topped out for at least two months.  Nathan made some really nice progress on it and I will suspect he will return to crush it upon cooler temps.  We then walked over to Ships Prow, where I repeated Undercling Traverse  and Cool Cuts Direct.  As things continued to warm up and we both started to ooze a bit, the decision was made to call the day early and return to the Springs.

Nathan scaling some rock at Crack in the Woods

Some nice fall leaves at the pass

Nathan working Skinned in the Woods

Bouldering what!!!!

This afternoon, Max, Nathan and I went up to Elevenmile to do a little rock scaling.  Nathan and I planned on some quick goes on a couple Spray Wall routes and then heading up canyon to try Spy vs Spy, a cool sounding roof crack.  However, we quickly decided to stay at the Spray Wall and session a bit more.  Max and I both did Kerosene Milkshake and Nathan came very close.  I attempted Only Entertainment, only to take at every bolt while figuring out the moves.  The moves on Only Entertainment felt pretty hard, maybe I should be doing a bit more bouldering to keep in shape since repeating Kerosene Milkshake also took some try hard. Nathan worked Spray and Rapture, with an especially good link on the upper section of Rapture.

Max working Anger Management

Max on Kerosene Milkshake

"Shikiding... tag my fist in the camera!"

Block Break

       I was talking to Jaeger on the phone the other day and realized that he had no idea about the Colorado College block break.  So before talking about the climbing, I will explain why Colorado College is the best school for climbers.  CC had what is called the "Block Plan" where you take one class at a time for 3 and a half weeks, and often have class for up to 6 hours a day.  But after working hard for a block, you get a five day weekend.  There are 8 blocks a year and after each there is at least a five day break. 

       So this block break, Nathan, Tim, Dane, Sam and I loaded up my car and headed west.  We spent Wednesday at Rifle, which I now know I will have to return to.  Then continued on to Indian Creek for two days of gear plugging.  After just those two days, I do not think I will be bouldering to much anytime soon.  Plans have already changed from Joe's to the Creek for the next block break.  I climbed a lot of classic 5.10s and sent my first 5.11 and 5.12 on gear.  

      Next, we headed to Castle Valley and climbed the stellar Honeymoon Chimney (5.11+) on the Priest.  After hearing from multiple parties that had bailed for various reasons pertaining to the poor protection and gear on this climb, Nathan, Tim and I were a little psyched out.  Nathan and Tim put up the first pitch (130 feet of offwidth to squeeze chimney with two bolts and some chalkstones). Then Tim had a great lead on the 2nd pitch (steaming with a piton and a few good cam placements) and I lead the amazing full body stem (think being horizontal with both hands on one freestanding tower and both feet on another looking down 200 feet of open chimney below you) to hard face climbing that is the 3rd pitch.  The 4th turned out to be victory hand jams and fingers to the top of the tower.  We finished the trip up by camping at Colorado National Monument and going to the local Bull Rodeo in Fruita.

Nathan on the beautiful Coyne Crack 5.11+, just one of dozens of amazing climbs at the Supercrack Buttress.

Coyne Crack again

Nathan on Finger in a Light Socket 5.11+

Me on Coyne Crack

Sunset at the Creek

Off to Rifle, Indian Creek, and Castle Valley for five days.  PSYCHED!!!! Updates to come.  This blog might have to get renamed from Hayden's Bouldering.

Butt Shots at the Garden

After class today, Tim and I snuck off to the Garden for two hours to spend some time on Kor's Corner (5.12).  The climb starts out with five pitons of face climbing and then moves into 30 or so feet of good fingers in pin scars with reasonable gear and poor feet.  Parts of this climb are a bit lacking but the crack section is pretty cool and I plan on working it a bit more when other places move out of season.  Here are some shots of Tim's butt that I snapped while belaying.

The Pterodactyl

After falling off the top of Skipper D repeatedly, Nathan and I headed over to a new project that Jamie had cleaned up the previous weekend.  Jamie had done the stand but was back to try to put up a sit.  Jamie had a number of amazingly close burns, where he was falling on the last hard move of the stand.  Near the end of the day, Andre was able to link the whole thing together to snag the first ascent.  

Parchaudge

On Saturday, Nathan and I made the trek up to Rocky Mountain National Park.  After a brief session at Veritas, we met up with Brian, Jamie, Nic, and Andre and headed up to Upper.  I had hiked around in Upper twice, but never actually climbed there and was excited to see some new problems.  Jamie gave me a nice tour and I got to try a number of cool problems.  Overall, I am much more psyched on what I saw yesterday than anything else I have seen in the Park thus far.   Here are some shots of Nathan working Parchaudge at the end of the day.

Rocky Redeems Herself

After my first real bouldering session at Upper, I have decided that Rocky is almost as good as Evans.

Rapture

After a heavy afternoon thunderstorm and a detour to the Doughnut Mill, Nathan, Tim and I arrived psyched to put some more work into Rapture.  We all agreed that Rapture climbs much better than Spew and is also much more consistent.  We all had a few good links.  Tim and Nathan both took some nice 25+ footer whips pushing through for a send.  And at the end of the day, I was able to climb the route to the chains.  It took me 5 tries, and I would say on send it felt easier than Spew.  Here are a few pics from the day.

Hindenburg Project

Yesterday, Nathan and I headed up to Ute Pass for a quick little session.  It was a bit warm but I was interested in checking out a project that Max had chalked up a week or so earlier.  We found it pretty easily and went to work figuring the beta out.  After a bit, Nathan suggested a high heel, which got me to the crux that I was not able to stick.  I decided to scope the last moves from a nearby tree and when I weighted one of the key holds I broke a good amount of it off.  It will still go but this one is going to be hard, probably 8 to 10.   I am headed to Elevenmile today and will try to grab some photos this time.

Back in the game of things at CC

Yesterday, Byron, Nathan, Dane, Tim and I pilled into a car to go do a little rock climbing and it felt really really good to be doing so.  I had not pulled on real rock for exactly a week and I was itching to get a good pump on.  I managed to send Spew (5.12d) on my third attempt of the day and then tried to flash Rapture (5.13a).  It was a good effort but my endurance just was not up to it.  The moves all went and felt good though so hopefully next time it will be to the chains. Byron is getting back into shape with noticeable improvement in strength.  He worked the V7 on the far left of the Spray boulder, where he came agonizingly close by grazing the crux hold a number of times.  No doubt in my mind Byron will be send soon, which will be his first climb of any significant difficulty in over a year.   Tim and Nathan made some really good links on Spew and Dane got his first dose of Colorado rock after transferring to CC this year.  All and all a great session that was followed by some delicious vegetable curry.

Its been cold down in Southern Colorado recently, the river crossing was surprisingly easy!