Moar Gnar!

Murph on the Gnarwhal

Last weekend I managed to squeeze in 2 days at Gnarnia on Brant Lake, an area that we have been working to develop. This time, I was bringing along Murph, who has been waiting to visit the Gnar and also be featured on the blog.

He explained that recently, he's been crushing hard after he rediscovered some motivation to send and cleaned up his lifestyle a little. It was clear he was stronger... but how strong?

JP on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - V6

We arrived at the Wardrobe boulder around 2:00 and we both warmed up on The Wardrobe - V3, which has turned out to be one of the better problems at Gnarnia so far. After the Wardrobe, Murph set his eyes on an obvious traverse that starts at the left end of the boulder and finishes on Wardrobe. We gave it a few goes, and eventually got back to back ascents of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - V6. This GREAT problem moves through interesting crimps and edges to killer underclings and a pumpy redpoint crux on Wardrobe. Murph got the FA.


Next we headed up the hill, directly to the Gnarwhal, a boulder Murph had been dying to see since its debut on the blog and facebook. He was not disappointed as a he sat beneath the behemoth overhang. After a minute of looking and fondling holds, Murph turns and says quietly with a hint of sarcasm "I wanna rock climb it". Of course I took this simple phrase as a joke, I mean, the platform was more than sketchy, we only had 3 pads (plus a piece of hard dock foam) and I was the only spotter.

Murph getting to entering the crux of Unicorn of the Sea Super Stand - V4/5

We quickly assembled the platform so it was at least sturdy enough to fall on (in some places...) and began working what was the obvious stand from the platform. Murph got to the top first time, and before he attempted the top-out, which was not protected by the platform, he sussed out moves, and came down twice.

Then, on his third visit to the nicely placed jug right before the finish, he yelled down to me, tentatively spotting:

"I've got a sequence worked out"

"Are you gonna top-out?"

"Yes"

"...Okay..."

Before I could worry Murph was standing atop the beast, fresh chalk glimmered on the textured ledges, and the Unicorn of the Sea Super Stand - V4/5 had been erected.

JP feelin' the moves on the Gnarwhal.

Next came the stand from in the pit below the platform. There are TWO sketch zones on this line, 1 being the start (which can be avoided with good pads and spotters, and the other being the top-out. After a good deal of time just trying to get on the problem, Murph pulled off and nearly stuck the first move. The first move is a hard cross over into a pinch, followed by another hard move to the starting ledge of the Super Stand.

Murph stuck the first move, and while trying to execute the second, he fell and nearly tumbled into the abyss below. He rested for a second, and then set up to try the problem again. He stuck the first move, and with a little hop and grunt he reached the ledge. I quickly hurried onto the platform to spot, and watched as Murph executed the incredible problem with ease.

And so, the Unicorn of the Sea - V8/9 was tackled and conquered. Murph believed the grade to be V8, but the problem was also his style, and he has been climbing strong lately, so he did not want to give a definite grade. Let me put it this way, if V8 is your limit, this is NOT the climb for you. When you add in the height and length, the grade seems much harder.

Still high off the send, Murph and I headed to the Treeboob boulder and managed two more FA's, one being a tall and beautiful arete which I named Stuff of Dreams - V4 and the other being a lowball, ugly and painful problem called P.U.S - V2 (Pinky Under Scalpel). We headed out happy and tired.

Murph executing the boom-box-position infront of Treeboob, behind him is Stuff of Dreams - V4, and pads are under Vanilla Slice - V5

Ben, Spook and I returned the next day and put up Prince Caspian - V2 on the Wardrobe boulder, and a few interesting moderates on a new boulder which is full of atypical slopers.

There is still TONS to do at Gnarnia! So get your shoes and chalk, head up to Brant and give a few goes!

Email me at weekendbouldering@gmail.com for a tour, information or if you get some sends!

Its real hot in the northeast right now... NOT sending weather...
-WB