A Sample of the South

JP on The Wave - V6 at Little Rock City

(MORE FOOTAGE TO COME)

Southern Sends Part 4: RESTDAY!!!

It rained last night. And as we woke up to face the soggy day of planned trad, we decided to go visit the aquarium instead.

Its a very nice aquarium but, no sends....

Heres a picture of a cuddlefish.

Southern Sends Part 3: Rocktown

Day 2:

The crew woke up ready for sends and to find some more easter eggs of sorts within the magical world of Rocktown. Today we would be skipping the Orb boulders and the Vagina for the other side of Rocktown. After warming up at a cool wall called the Hueco Simulator, we roamed back towards Nose Candy and Sherman Photo Roof. Where after a few tried Ben sent Sherman, a proud send for the weekend bouldering crew. 

Next we strolled on over The Pythagorean Theorem A.K.A. Asphalt - V5. Luke, Ben, Adam and I all sent (Luke, Adam and I in no shirts I might add), leaving Jess to work it to the core. After incredible effort she unfortunaly could not send. Next it was over to Triple Slaps - V3. A SUPER COOL problem with a tricky double undercling start. After that it was... well... how do I put this?... Lets just say if God made these boulders, he was having a very strange day when he made this one. Aptly named for its resemblence to... well... Mr. Stiffy - V5. Yes, laugh it up. We all sent. Or at least, we thought we all sent, as it turns out the problem is an eliminate. The way we did it the problem was more like V2/3. Still fun though...

Jess Jablonski on Asphalt A.K.A. The Pythagorean Theorem - V5

We then worked our way to another classic! The Scoop - V3. Picture a boulder like an ice cream dollop, dotted with mono-pocket sprinkles. Now picture someone took an ice cream scoop, and scooped out the main face of that boulder. And there you have The Scoop. Luke sent in street shoes many a time. Ben and Adam sent. And I, although I finished the crux move, was unable to send. We finished our day on The Hobbit - V5, another fairly easy climb with a tricky top-out... Im starting to see a trend here...

-WB

Southern Sends Part 2: Rocktown

Ah yes, the dirty south. Full of hearty foods, strange fast-food joints, friendly people and of course... some of the best bouldering the world over. 

As we arrived at Raccoon Mountain Campgrounds Friday night,  camp was set up and dinner was served with a tantalizing anxiousness caused by the knowledge of what tomorrow would bring, quality sandstone at Rocktown, GA. After scanning the guidebook numourous times we all selected problems each of us wanted to 

hit up. (Taking into consideration the ticklist of problems we HAD to hit up provided by Nyle). And so we laid our heads down with a curiousness of what southern sandstone would really be like. We soon got the answer to that question.

DAY 1.

I guess I should start with where Rocktown is. After traveling across the border into middle-of-nowhere, Georgia, we found ourselves in a mess of farmland and mountains. It is upon one of these mountains where a random erray of boulders decided to rest, and it is up this same mountain that a terryfying road full of insane U-Turns and Guardrail-less drop-offs leads to a parking lot that allows access to these boulders. Now for the meat of the story.

Sandstone is amazing. If you've never climbed it, its very rough, very slopy and almost never blocky. The first problem any of us tried was one called Double Trouble - V4. Its a sweet traverse out a roof to a patented Rocktown top-out. It is in this same grouping of boulders where an area classic resides. If you've heard of rocktown, you've heard of this problem. Soap on a Roap - V4 (+2) is the HARDEST FRIGGING FOUR EVER. Fun moves lead to the top-out of all top-outs. Fortunatly two members of our group saw sends on this classic, Adam and Ben both defeated the slopers and stood valiently ontop of

 the boulder.

Jess Jablonski on Double Trouble - V4

After working a few other problems (mostly nameless) we treked to find Golden Harvest Boulder, where Golden Showers - V6 was. Unfortunatly, we could not find it, so we headed back up the hill to The Vagina - V8. The V is an endurency, underclingy problem that Luke and Ben worked hard, but, it saw no sends (Except by a local). As they worked that, Adam and I worked 

another classic, Island of Beautiful Women - V4. Super grainy rock with interesting beta leads to a commiting and exciting top-out. Adam sent, I did not.

We then worked our way over to two very aesthetic problems, Nose Candy - V6 and Sherman Photo Roof - V7. Ben hopped on Nose Candy and got the flash on this dynamic crimp-fest. As the rest of our group worked it, our fingers soon paid the price. (The holds on that problem are some of the sharpest I have ever climbed on). We spent a good amount of time on those two climbs but alas, no sends. And so, after receiving an etiquete lesson, we moved up to New Sheriff in Town - V5. Definatly a cool problem but, no sends. 

Adam Catalano on Nose Candy - V6

And that was it for Day 1. But we still had skin and there was still sandstone to be sent. We would return to Rocktown the next day to destroy what had defeated us last time. 

-WB

Southern Sends Part 1

Don't get all excited, we aren't out of the woods yet (If by woods you mean upstate New York). No, this is merely the prologue of a series of posts pertaining to our upcoming trip to Chattanooga, Tennessee. Yes, tomorrow we will be leaving for the warmer temps and softer rock of the South, and enjoying the plethora of hard-core bouldering and climbing the area has to offer. Our crew will be consisting of Adam, Luke, Ben, a friend of ours named Jess, and another chaperon named Mechelle. Below is a crude outline of the activities.

DAY 1, FRIDAY: Arrive in Tennessee. Most likely no climbing, but we will get ourselves situated.
DAY 2, SATURDAY: Bouldering in Little Rock City.
DAY 3, SUNDAY: Bouldering in Little Rock City
DAY 4, MONDAY: Rest day for some rope climbing at T-Wall. Mock-Trad, Leading, Top-Roping.
DAY 5, TUESDAY: Bouldering at Rocktown, GA
DAY 6, WEDNESDAY: Bouldering at Rocktown, GA
DAY 7, THURSDAY: Area of choice. (Horsepens 40 maybe?)
DAY 8, FRIDAY: Head home.

NOTE: This schedule is completely flexible. The blog will be updated DAILY, pictures and all, so check back for changes in schedule and the daily send count.

Enjoy your break everyone,
-WB

Triple Right Video

Sorry for the long wait, my computer contracted a virus which had to be removed over the course of two weeks. However, here it is, in all its glory, the amazing Triple Right send footage:

The first problem is Neapolitan - V5 sent by JP. The second is Gillete - V6 done by some guy we met out there. The last problem is Uptown Girl - V3. If you are wondering, yes, Mark's shoe did fall off while climbing it. 

Spring has Sprung. Sending Done?

Ah, the warm temps of Spring gave us a taste of the Summer today in Great Barrington, Mass. But, with all this heat, the texture must be horrendous, I guess were done with sending for the season... right?

NO!

Despite our complaining that the weather was nice (as in, too nice), we had a great day in... well... GREAT Barrington!

The sends started early, with my crushing of an old project Scary Mantelo - V3. As the pun-tastic name states, this fun problem ends in a commiting, mantel top out. Next, Kyle and I worked another one of our projects, The Crystal Quartz Problem - V4. We both sent, and Crystal Quartz is currently my favorite problem. A few commiting, dynamic moves lead to a not-so-easy top out.

We then moved on up to where the real projects lie, Spac boulder. Two of our groups major projects find there home on this boulder, and we were psyched to find them good-to-go. Ben floated through and flashed his project Green Goddess - V7, and Adam sent too after a little work. Kyle and myself both got our project SPAC - V4, both of these problems are very similar in that they involve static moves on tender-busting crimps.

Adam finishing up Green Goddess - V7

JP settin' dem feet up on SPAC - V4

Now, as Ben would put it, our "Master Plan" to send all the projects today was going very well. That is, until Ben met Fadowah - V9. This dynamic crimp-fest was determined on ruining Ben's Master Plan and ultimatly succeeded, after Fadowah, no more projects saw sends. Ben fell off the second to last finishing jug on Fadowah, and he will never let himself forget that.

While Ben wrestled his pebble, Kyle and Adam were working vigorously on The Platform Problem - V6. This stretched out powerhouse shut both of them down. With a commiting, cruxy, crimping, sloping top out, this problem takes no prisoners.

Finally we headed over to the highballs where three send-hopes of ours denied us, Fen Fen - V7, some V5, and Filter - V9. While those problems gave Ben and Kyle the shut-down. Adam and I scoped out a few (possibly)-undeveloped bouders up past the highballs. We found a few problems on a super-cool block with commiting last moves. We also found an amazing, perfectly 15 degree wall with slotty seams spewn on it. The names we chose for the problems we set need some explaining...

#1 - Do You have a Question? - V2
This one was named due to the last move, where the climber raises his left arm until it is full extention above him, clutching for the finish block. This motion is very reminiscent of raising your hand when you have a question in school.

#2 -When Trees Attack - V3
This one earned its name from the branch of a small sappling near the base of the boulder, which tickles and scratches the necks of those who dare climb its super-fun arete.

#3 - Commitment Issues - V4+
A V1 seam leads to a V2 dynamic move leads to a Vholygod top out. The top out is where this route draws its name.

WELL thats it... Next weekend we are heading to Peterskill in the Gunks. Which should be nice seeing as it has been closed all winter.
And then... Brace yourselves... ADAM, BEN, LUKE, AND I ARE HEADING TO CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE!
The campground has wifi and outlets, so I'll be sure to keep you posted on the sends and such.

Good luck on your projects and watch out for ticks (I got one today :[ )
-WB