Katie, RV and I went out to Governor Dodge on Saturday hoping to clean up a couple of projects and catch the early morning weather window. I was a little worried that it'd be too hot and humid to really climb anything harder than V2. Glad I was wrong.
We drove straight to Deer Cove and went to Grounded For Life. This is another problem Katie had put in a decent amount of work on last fall and had most of the moves figured out. She just didn't have the juice to link it all. We ended the season there, with snow covering the topout on her final attempts.
Katie, last fall, trying to finish up Grounded for Life (V5) through the start of a snowstorm
After a few goes she had most of the moves figured out again and it was nice to see her put things back together rather quickly. She refined her beta and was linking through to the last hard move regularly, but couldn't seem to get it all to click. RV also put some solid work into it and figured out all the moves, save the finishing mantle, on his first go. After a bunch of efforts he sent this really cool problem.
I really think this is one of my favorite problems at Dodge. It helps that I've got it on lockdown now and I was able to repeat it, as well, to start off the day.
RV and I went up to a short two or three move project above grounded for life and started working on it. I had seen it last fall and was interested enough to give it a few tries. The wall itself is more overhanging that you expect and made everything harder than we expected. After a number of goes I started to make some serious efforts in gaining the second left hand hold. I had one really strong go and busted the left hand crimp off of the wall. Perfect.
I think this was actually the first hand hold I'd broken since I broke a hold off of Secret Agent Man. Oh well. Katie went down to try Grounded for Life again as RV and I searched for the broken hold. A minute or so later I heard Katie from down below. "Help...". She was starting to top out and I hurried down to give her a spot. She finished it up with no problem and ticked off her second "Fall Project" of the season! Well done! It was nice to have a group send of such a classic problem!
Katie, a few goes before the actual send, on Grounded For Life (V5)
After giving up for the day on my project we wanted to try and find Alpine Bouldering Club. Remo put up this line last summer/fall and it looked cool enough to try and find. We got lucky and found it first go! That seems to always be the real crux. I tried to get RV to try the problem first to leach some beta but he's smarter than that. We switched goes back and forth a few times and the problem kept feeling better. After 3 or 4 goes I sacked up and finished it up with a less than graceful topout. Not my finest moment, but I was glad to have done the problem so quickly.
My less than graceful topout on Alpine Bouldering Club (V6)
RV going for the first good crimp on Alpine Bouldering Club (V6)
RV gave some more goes but he was getting tired and I'm sure he'll finish it soon. I also tried the project to the right and while it's somewhat of an eliminate, it's still fun pulling on chickenheads at Dodge that don't just rip out of the wall. I wonder how long those are going to last.
On a separate note, Brian has spotted some super secret shoes from Five Ten. I'm glad to see their return but I am curious to see what they've changed on them. Nic, however, is pretty adamant that these shoes don't exist. I'm curious and want to hear more about them!!! Out with it!
Posts
I wish my shoulders had that kind of definition!! Damn
ReplyDeleteCool shots Steve. Nice work putting ABC together so quickly, and finding it at all! Easily one of my favorites at the park. And Katie on Grounded, superb problem.
ReplyDeleteSo the project-- is that the 'Out Past Curfew' face project? The halfway decent but super sharp crimp is gone?
Funny, I had Titty Twister put together (without a send yet) and someone busted off a necessary crimp on that too recently. It will need another way to do the FA I guess, though the problem really is just an eliminate on sharp bad holds. Oh well. It's the Dodge. What can you do.
Sorry to have missed you out there. Went to the Lake and tied in. Felt like a traitor but it was really fun!
Chris E
Not directly related (but sorta to your top out photo), checked your site stats lately? Specifically, commonly searched terms that lead people here?
ReplyDeleteChris - What'd you guys get on at the lake?? ABC is super fun and I'm glad we found it. After hearing your horror stories I was a little worried. The project is actually on the boulder above Grounded for Life and Out Past Curfew. I've worked the face to the left of Out Past Curfew and there is a different way around that business of the little crimps. But all of those holds are still in tact, should you want to use them.
ReplyDeleteRV - Yes, I have seen your wonderful searches. Noticed them on Sunday I think. Well done little man, well done...
Aha. Cool. I am not sure I want to work the OPC face anymore anyway, super painful, unless as you say there is another way!!
ReplyDeleteSteve Dew adn I did Birch Tree Crack, Upper Diagonal, and Callipigeonous (8, 9, and 10), was a fun half day, pretty chill, just trying to get my feet wet there with well-protected classics only, of course.
Yeah I think I found ABC boulder on my fourth try, but looking with the leaves down is much better than full summer... Super good. Loads of new stuff going up, and a new V8!! Not that I think I will ever be able to pull that one off. Ugh. Looks painful. Maybe someday soon I would like to go try to find all the V3-V6 new problems put up in the last 4 weeks in a day and try to put them all up. Good to have goals, even if they are contrivied...
Great blog.
Chris E
Thanks Chris! Glad you like it!
ReplyDeleteThere is definitely another way to do the OPC face. Next time I see you I'll tell you about it! Painful in a different way.
Glad to see you guys got on some classics! All of those are good.
Dobbe's line looks way too painful for me. I'll leave that to some others out there. I'm excited to check out the 401 boulders. They look good!
Absolutely, me too, 401 boulders look great. Group camp A might be okay too, no photos yet (sounds like a short approach anyway). Not so sure about the Twin Valley North, sounds like kind of a cluster to find. The Complex is cool, but Oral Over is sharp and a committing kinda scary top. I will post up if/when I get to check 401 & Group A out- maybe we can meet up out there. ce
ReplyDeletedude i love your 'beached whale' on ABC. Hot! Did you do 'broken dreams' while you were there?
ReplyDeletesweaty
My beached whale was way hot. like woah. you missed out.
ReplyDeleteI didn't do broken dreams but it looks really cool and I want to try to flash it when I head up there next. For some reason I tried Titty Twister instead of that, even though it's a massive eliminate and Broken Dreams is not. Stupid.
Looks very good though and I'm excited to try it!
haha word. you'll have to let me know how it goes... or I'll just read it on here as I normally do.
ReplyDeleteMore photos of those "secret shoes".
ReplyDeletehttp://kjorgeson.blogspot.com/2009/04/new-shoe-testing.html
The bouldering looks fun!