I *heart* G.B.

Speed Boulder, Great Barrington.
Michael Penn on Roses and Bluejays - V13

G.B. never ceases to amaze me, from hundreds of quality problems in an amazing setting (with more potential, both in routes and problems) to somehow drying up completely in a few hours.

After a night of rain that ended at around 3:30AM Saturday totaling 0.5 inches of rain, G.B. was of course soaked when we arrived at around 10:30. After scouting around a bit, we found that the Shade Boulder was dry and began warming up.

A cool shot of JP on Shade - V5

I took a couple laps on shade, as did ben, and Michael/Adam/Sandra worked on sending the fun little V5. After a lot of frustration, Michael and the rest of us began working the SUPER BURLY HARD SIT DOWN START. We worked on beta, and we found some that may work, problem is there is a rock that your heel constantly dabs on. No, I'm not promoting the disturbance of nature, but I'm just saying that if someone accidently dropped a hammer on a crow bar in a crack on the rock and then fell on the crowbar so that it dislodged the piece you dab on, I wouldn't complain.

Check da pics:

The really hard sitdown start crux.

After some good progress we decided to check on the dryness of things. We moved up to my project Snooze Button - V5. Its highball, crimping awesomness. Ben meanwhile was working the Sitdown to Fotowah - V11. We both made progress, and Adam gave his first goes at Snooze.

JP entering the airy section of Snooze Button - V5

Next, Ben, Michael and Sandra headed over to the Speed Boulder. Adam and I stayed back to catch some footy of Bromance - V5 and for Adam to try and send the awesome problem. Although Adam gave some serious effort, and nearly kicked me in the face a dozen times, the problem remains unrepeated!

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO HERE

Then came the AMAZING Speed Boulder. This incredible boulder showcases a beautiful, overhanging, featured front wall, split by tons of cracks that produce awesome crimps and ledges to stab your fingers into.

The last move dyno on Roses and Bluejays - V13

The climbing on this face is hard, infact, some of the hardest in the Northeast. On this one wall there are problems from V8 to V13 (with a really hard project). Michael was working the signature route of the boulder, Roses and Bluejays - V13, while Ben started trying Something from Nothing - V11. Sandra worked an Unknown Problem on the right side of the boulder (probably like V3?) for a while, until Adam and I showed up and moved up on the hill to the funky Heel Hook Problem - V4.

Ben working Something from Nothing - V11

Michael working Roses and Bluejays - V13

Ben made seriously good progress for a problem that was shutting him down on his first goes, Michael almost held the last move dyno of Roses, and I sent the Heel Hook Problem.

As the day continued, Adam and I spotted a cool looking arete on a small cliff band behind the Heel Hook Problem, Adam flashed it and I got it third go. Really fun, probably V3, last move crux.

There wasn't a hint of moisture and the skies were blue at the end of the day in Great Barrington. A day that could have been disastrous turned out pretty good.

-WB