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Bouldering
News |
9/28/00 Bradley Mountain, CT
At Bradley Mountain, Dan Yagmin repeated Mad Blunted
Jazz, V9 , for the problem's third ascent.The problem was established
by Dave Thierault and then repeated by Matt Wilder who felt that he had been
on problems of the grade that have been harder and easier alike, Dan feels
the same as far as the grade is concerned. Also at Bradley, Dave T and Dan
established two new problems on the Project boulder one is a stand up of
a long time project and has been named White Lines, V7. The sit down
to this problem involves sick hard gaston moves with bad feet on a nicely
a overhanging wall which is likely to be V11 or harder. The other problem
Underground Vibes, V7, involves thuggish climbing out a short roof
to to a rad slopey top out. They also repeated Deviled Eggs, V7/8,
which hadn't been done since the key foothold broke off. Phil Schaal topped
out the Big Up, V8, on the Graffiti Wall for the first time. The way
the problem had always been done was you would do the V8 climbing to a finishing
jug and drop off avoiding the high ball climbing. So, they rapped down the
25 plus foot boulder and cleaned off the loose holds and dirt and Phil climbed
the problem in its true form, which is now mandatory for the tick. There
has been a large number of easier problems going up at Bradley including
Pinch a Loaf, V5, Crack Head, V4, The Rambler, V3, Bad
Karma, V6, and many more. |
9/20/00 Rumney, NH
Tim Kemple sent a new route that he called Shame
on a Chippa, 5.13c. Not more than a half hour later, Justin Hayes snagged
the second ascent which is his hardest route to date. Then, Luke Parady
fired off Cold War, 14a with ease after a few days of work. Then,
he sent a new route and called it Rythmn X, 5.13b. Tim did the second
ascent of Joe Kinder's route Sinister 6000. Not long after Luke, did
it as well, second try. Both confirmed the rating as 13d. |
9/20/00 Rocky Mountain National Park,
CO
Dave Graham wrote us to say that he is unsure as to
the rating of Nothin' but Sunshine and would like to officially call
it V13 until someone else can confirm the rating. Also, he feels that Chunk
of Blitz may actually be V12. Either way, these problems are way hard,
and are testaments to Dave's strength and vision. |
9/20/00 Red River Gorge, KY
Previously unreported from this summer, Chris Redmond
sent a new problem in the summer heat at the Red River Gorge. Chris says
of the problem, "It is perfect, the movement is delicate and power. The stone
is super hard (unlike other rock in Kentucky) and it is a super aesthetic.
It took two months to complete, the humidity and 95 degree temps caused a
few problems. I had to slowly piece it all together giving it several tries
every few days." Chris named the problem McGuire after a friend who
was killed in a drunk driving accident. After two long months of sweating
and crashing down to the earth, Chris completed the problem on his 28th birthday,
by himself. Chris says, "The conditions were insane, the humidity was so
thick I couldn't see my car (right down the hill). Armed with a mattress
and two bouldering pads, I managed to get up the thing. No spot. I haven't
rated it due to the heat. I love the moves on it, and I would have to say
it is the Illustrious Buddha of Kentucky. If I had to say maybe V9 or so."
Chris told us to stay tuned as he has several harder projects he is working
on. |
9/14/00 Rocky Mountain National Park,
CO
Dave Graham completed his project yesterday at Rocky
Mountain National Park. Dave has named the problem Nothin' but Sunshine
and rated it V14. We will be getting more details (and hopefully photos)
on this big send soon. |
9/14/00 Great Barrington, MA
Today, 15 year old Josh Spear made the second ascent
of Fotowa, V9, one of the hardest problems at Great Barrington. Dan
Mahoney did the first ascent a while back. |
9/14/00 New Hampshire
With all the bouldering and climbing out west Dave
Graham has been doing lately, he has gotten a better sense of ratings and
has upgraded some of his boulder problems in New Hampshire. At Pawtuckaway,
Dave has rated Chunk of Blitz, V13 (see the 1999 news section for
a blow by blow description of this problem), Back at You with Realness,
V11, and Blaow, V11. At Rumney, Dave rates both Land Shark and
Satan's Choice V11. Dave has finally decided that The Fly at
Rumney is rated 9a/5.14d, saying that it is definitely the hardest thing
he has ever done. This makes this route the second route in the U.S. of this
grade along with Tommy Caldwell's Kryptonite at the Fortress
in Colorado. |
9/13/00 Rocky Mountain National Park,
CO
Dave Graham has spent most of the summer out west,
and most of his time putting up new boulder problems in Rocky Mountain National
Park. Dave says about this area, "This place is FIVE STAR!!!! as high quality
as Hueco, stone as bullet as Rumney, and a location uncomparable to any other
bouldering that isn't at 12,000 feet! AMAZING-I must emphasize the quality
of stone, aesthetics, and good lines. I have never bouldered anywhere like
it." Dave said that the area had not really been developed and felt lucky
to stumble upon so many hard projects. Here is list of some of the
highlights:
- The Automator, maybe hard V12, maybe harder, took three or
four days
- The Centaur, V12 maybe harder, took five days this past
spring
- European human being, V12, hard 5 move power problem. Luke
Parady and Dave did this problem over three days, and they both think its
harder than Diaphanos Sea at Hueco
- Fat Lady, V10+, repeated by Nick Sagar and Theo Merrin
- The Gobot, V10+, unrepeated, 25 feet of power endurance climbing,
Ghetto Simulator-like landing
- Optimus Prime, V9/10?, BAD landing, like a ten foot pit
- Deep Puddle Dynamics, V9, high and proud, 100% slopers-very atypical
of the Park, you top out three times!
- Gang Bang Arete, V8, easiest of the moderates-but hard V8-classic
Dave said there are about three other really hard projects he
wants to do. One, he worked on four days this past spring, and one day so
far this fall. Dave says, "It is amazing, the best line, the best holds-rad
hard, maybe V14." Stay tuned for the news on the send. |
9/5/00 Joe's Valley, UT
Native New Englander Justin "Bustin" Bourque, now residing
in Northern Arizona for college, spent Labor day weekend in Joe's Valley,
Utah and had a great trip. Bustin sent 3 Weeks, V10, Smokin' Joe,
V9, Big Boy, V8, Phoney Baloney, V8, and an unnamed V9. Bustin
said the problems at Joe's really played to his strength: overhanging rock
with small crimpers. |
9/5/00 Ute Pass, CO
David Marquess recently grabbed the second ascent of
the Bloody Arete Sit Start, V11, at Ute Pass in Colorado Springs,
Colorado. What makes this ascent newsworthy is that David is only 13! Keep
an eye out for this upcoming talent. |
9/4/00 Rumney, NH
Joe Kinder has put his summer experience to good use
back home at Rumney in the last few weeks. He started by redpointing Cold
War, a 14a on the Waimea Wall, which consists of the first half of
Barracuda, 13c/d, and finishes on the second half of Urban
Surfer, 13d. Joe said the route, which took him eight days to send, is
long and full on endurance with lots and lots of hard moves and cruxes.
Continuing his good form, Joe did the first ascent of a Ward Smith project
which Ward recently opened. Joe named the 30 foot route Sinister 6000
and tentatively rated it 13+. |
9/3/00 Western U.S.
Luke Parady, Dave Graham, and Joe Kinder recently completed
their annual summer trip out west. Joe said, "the tick list was small, but
it was not any big deal. We had a nice slow pace of waking up at 12 p.m.
Chilling out for a while in the camper then getting warmed up about 1 p.m.
and then trying our projects for a while then taking a break around 3 or
4 and getting back on the proj around 6 p.m. It was really hot out west and
to get the best conditions in temp you had to climb at night." Joe redpointed
Yellow Card in Rifle, a 13d roof stamina route and fell trying to
clip the anchors on his flash attempt of Daydream Nation, 13b. Joe
said Yellow Card was, "Totally manufactured to hell but was way fun."
As previously reported, Joe, Dave, and Luke all sent Super Powers
14a, with Dave flashing the route. Dave redpointed Present Tense,
14a, Roadside Prophet, 13d 2nd try, Huge, 13d 2nd try,
Gamorrah 13d or 14a, Gay Science, 13d, and Tomfoolery
14b. Luke sent Super Powers, Gamorrah, and some other 13s. |
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Bouldering is dangerous. You could be
seriously injured or killed. Do not attempt any of the problems described
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