HUECO!

Friday

Friday was spent mostly in the airplane being bored or trying to watch cartoons over the engines noise. I found out that If you act like you are sick, and do a good enough job, people won't sit right next to you even if the plane is practically full!

When I met Kevin, we went over to Super Target to get enough food for the week and went to the land to so I could set up my tent. With about an hour of daylight remaining we went to the North Mountain and I did my first climb in Hueco, Butter Dish (V1) on the warmup boulder. Next, Kevin showed me Stinking Jesus (V8) on the back of the same boulder and I proceeded to flash it making it my hardest flash to date! After that, we went to Diaphanous Sea (V12?) and I flailed on it not coming close on both the hard moves so I wrote it off as to hard at the time.

Saturday

On Saturday I went on a tour to East Mountain with Many strong climbers including Daniel and Phil! I warmed up on the classic Warm Up Roof (V4) getting it second go because Kevin called me on a microscopic dab (maybe just a little bigger). I heard Kevin say that he wanted to try 10-10 (V10), so I decided to check it out. I really liked it. Aside from one flexing crimp, it is all pretty solid rock and If you don't mind lowballs (which I don't) you might find this to be a very enjoyable climb and definitely not one star as suggested by the guidebook. To add to the ascent, Kevin sent shortly after and I got a back to back send train with Daniel Woods!

Next, I went over to Mojo (V10) with Mellisa (I'm pretty sure that was who I went with) and found it frustratingly difficult and not a little awkward. This problem has a high hand heel match and I suck at high heels. Once I learned the heel, I found it to be very fun. I did the topout (which you are supposed to do, but some people drop from the jug) and found it to be quite scary and was surprised to hear that I looked relaxed.

Next we went over to the Dragon's Den and I was pummeled by Full Service (V10) and could not figure it out. Kevin recommended Dragonfly (V5) and I flashed it and campused Dry Dock (V7) second go. When I went to look for Kevin, I stumbled over Daniel and watched in awe as he dispatched the first ascent of Yellow Diamonds (V13?) an amazing new line near Satan, Satan, Satan about on par in quality and style to Nagual (V13).

After that We went to Hobbit in a Blender (V5) and I did it in a few tries. I really liked this line and the start is surprisingly similar to an easier version of Evolution (V12) Bishop. Then Daniel, Kevin, and I worked on Try Harder (HARD V9). I got most of the moves but never sent. Daniel sent after about an hour of work and then proceeded to find and clean a blank looking section of wall behind Hobbit. He sent it in two tries and dubbed it Escape Velocity (V11). This is a super cool climb with a sort of a jump/float move from a tiny crimp rail to a crimp gaston. (I just found out that this problem has already been done, although it looked as if it were never touched, by Chris Schulte and called El Condor Pasa, same grade)

Sunday

On Sunday we went to the East Spur. We met up with Daniel and a few people from Colorado including Asher (who I climbed with at nationals a few years ago) and Ryan and Rylin. We first went to Better Eat Your Wheaties and both Asher and I couldn't do it. Next, I went to Glas Roof (V9) and worked it for a while and almost sent, but decided to save my fingers for Platonique (V11). I worked on it for a while and got all the moves except the bump to the pinch and decided to just do Glass Ass Crack (V9) (the right exit) before we left.

Next, we all went to New Religion (V7) and Asher and I flashed it! I really like this problem and Asher says its one of the best.

Monday

On Monday, I warmed up with Kevin and Phil and went to the Diaphanous boulder. I gave Diaphanous Sea a few more goes and made no progress so I gave up and did the super fun highbal with a death landing Hearshey's Symphony (V1) and found it to be no that scary. Phil made some progress and was coming pretty close on Terre de Sienne.

After that, we went to The Power of Silence (V10) with Tomo, and I tried it many times for an hour, almost sticking the crux.

Next we went to Kevin's project El Techo de Los Tres B (V11). I got beta and did it fifth go! I was really surprised and very happy with the send as this is a very unique problem with heel and toe hooks and heel hooks above the head all on a small-ish roof.

Tuesday

Tuesday was spent as a rest day. First Kevin and I went into town for food and gas, then Kevin took out a mid afternoon tour in which Courtney finished 10-10. I spent the afternoon watching South Park and Ren and Stimpy and reading the Hueco guidebook.

Wednesday

On Wednesday I went on a tour to East Spur and met up with Daniel and a few other people. First we went to the Gunks and I did Alf in a Blender (V6) which is an awesome lowball cave and quite hard for the grade.

Next, we went to the Stableboy Rock, which is a really neat boulder situated in a sort of a cave and I did Mr. Serious (V8) which is a really good crimp problem and someone (I forgot what her name was) did her first V10, A Good Day for Swiss Crisp Mix!

Next, I went to Glas Roof and I did it first go from the start that day, I had tried it a lot on Sunday and now I really like that problem. I think it is a perfect combination of strength and technique with almost every type of hol and many styles of movement. Then we went and watched Daniel come painfully close on the project behind Jigsaw Puzzle (V5).

On the way out we stopped off at Sex After Death (V8) which I did in a couple goes.

Thursday

Thursday was my last and possibly best climbing day. First we warmed up and met up with Asher and Rylin and went to Diaphanous Sea. I decided to try it a few times because the thought of giving up on it nagged me in the back of my head the whole rest day. I decided that I would try the crux first as I hadn't come close to sticking it before and surprisingly stuck it first try. I rested for about a minute and fired it off form the start. I was so happy I ran down, called my parents, then did a victory lap on Hershey's Symphony! This climb was very fun and as for the grade I think it is probably more like a solid or hard V11 than a V12, but it was very fun and hard and that is what matters to me.

After that, went to the Power of Silence and I stuck the crux about three times and fell going to the crack. Since I had done Diaphanous, I wasn't way to disappointed.

Next we went to El Techo and Asher almost flashed! Soon Kevin sent it and eventually Asher sent right before we left, after finding some circus trick beta and hitting the hold right. Rylin said that Asher and I could only take nine points on 8a since we both did it, so I pointed out that if it was only a nine, then why didn't he do it?

Next, we went to Bleeding Brothers (V12) and I tried Big Nose Milley (V9). I heard that many people do this problem with only one shoe to fit their toes in a pocket, but that didn't work for me so I found a strange campusy beta which involves a full one arm lock off and a one two campus to the lip. This was a great way to end the trip with a send.

Friday

On Friday, we met up with Asher, Flannery, and Rylin at a coffee shop before I headed to the airport. Thanks for picking up my Ipod Flannery! (I left it on a table back at the land and almost forgot about it) and thanks for the amazing trip Kevin!

Saturday I just looked and found myself posted on 8a:

Two 8A (+) by Liam Vance (14)

Liam Vance has done his first two 8A (+), El Techo de Los Tres B and Diaphanous Sea in Hueco Tanks. In the Junior rankings up to 19-years-old, the 14-year-old is #14.

Bishop!

I just got back from Bishop!

Thursday

The first day was spent mostly on driving. when we got there, we immediately went to the Sads so I could try the Aquarium (V12), a problem that I had waited a long time to try. I sent the first part, Aquatic Hitchhiker (V10), within a half hour or so and started to work all the moves. I did all the moves by the end of the day but couldn't link them, falling on some of the last moves.

Friday

The next day I sent first try! Not to be grade chasing but I am pretty excited about getting my first twelve. It is actually really fun with all sorts of different styles of climbing from aggressive over the head heel hooks at the beginning to almost backward roof climbing to gastons and a jump at the finish. It also really helped to go through all the moves in my mind and visualize myself doing it on and off for the five months while I waited to try it.

After I sent the Aquarium I tried, and sent, some fun easier stuff like Prozac Nation (V2), The Mothership Connection (V4), and The Fang (V4). All of these were really fun. Prozac Nation is a great warm-up with cool moves on overhang using a heel off of a massive jug to gain a handlebar. The Mothership Connection is a really cool square-ish boulder suspended next to another boulder square-ish boulder. This has really cool climbing with heel-toe cams and funky beta to hold a swing, or preferable not, on the suspended boulder. It ended up feeling like an 8 so I must have done something wrong. On the send though I used really cool beta of using a swing to get into a kneebar to stop the swing. The Fang is a crazy roof with tons of wacky beta and cool holds. There are lots of heels, heel toe cams, toe hooks, and a sun swing onto a stalactite like feature.

After the easier stuff, I decided to try Slunk (V9), a cool looking arete that I had only seen a picture of. The first part almost climbs like a slab even though its overhung, which is followed by a reach to a small pocket, or what I did, a big and hard dyno to the top. I also found some sneeky toe jams in the crack for the start. It went in about a half an hour. It is really fun and a great combination or strength and technique.

After the Sads (still Friday) we decided to go to the Buttermilks. I looked around and played on some hard lines including the Mystery (V12), then I saw Keenan's pad and his blown out old slippers. I saw him at the High Plains boulder with just about half the Rocknasium crew all working on High Plains Drifter (except him as he had already gotten it). he gave me some beta that looked kind of doubtful at fist, but I tried it and flashed! This is probably the hardest and proudest thing I have flashed so far.

Saturday

All of Saturday was spent working the Mystery with lots of progress. I managed to hit all the moves, doing it in three pieces, the beginning, the crux, and the finish. The hardest part for me was the foot walk through, which took me the whole day to stick, and wasn't high enough percentage to send. Scott Cory gave me some really good beta which I will surely send by. I got very close to sending lots of times but could just barely not link the moves as the foot walk through requires extreme tension.

Sunday

The beginning of Sunday was spent trying to complete the Mystery, but I was to tired from all the other climbing to send. I ended up leaving the Mystery and trying an old nemesis Soul Slinger (V9). This problem is definitely my anti-style and could previously not even stick the first hard move on it. I did it in around ten goes, making about twenty goes total, figuring out each move just about every try! It was still pretty hard once I figured out the beta, but it was possible. This definitely a classic technical problem with balancy high-steps.

At the very end of the day, I decided to try some slabs on the sunshine boulder, including Good Morning Sunshine, (all of them V1 and under) and found they were really fun and good for warming up on as they are in the sun at the beginning of the day.


Overall this was a great trip in which I completed many goals and worked on problems which have become now projects. The most important goals for me were to do a V12 and do The Aquarium (sort of the same goal as I wanted to do the Aquarium regardless of the grade), and I completed both! I also sent an old nemesis, Soul Slinger and Flashed the mega classic High Plains Drifter! Also very importantly, I have found a problem which will test my skill and strength to their limit, the Mystery and will definitely send it next trip. It has already become my longest project at probably around nine hours of work, and will hopefully end close to that too!

Update:got some pictures!

Some of the beginning moves of The Aquarium

Double heels on the Aquarium

Slunk.

The fang. Looks even more cool in person and much less cramped than the picture portrays it to be.

Until next trip...

Yosemite!

It's finally cooling down and temps in Yosemite are getting good! Yesterday Keenan, Charlie, Sal, Jacob, Teddy, Paul, and I all met up in Yosemite. Just about all of us got a good ascent with fifteen total ascents this trip.

First we went to Atlantis (V6) and I did it. Its pretty cool with an interesting location on the river. Keenan and I went exploring down the river and found lots of cool unclimbed boulders ranging from cool V2s with amazing sidepull and underclimg jugs, to small suspended boulders, to ridiculous V-impossible amazing highball double arete squeeze problems.

Next we checked out The heart of Darkness (V9). At first we tried Keenan's beta and got shut down and almost left (naturally), but then we met someone named Ben and someone (I forgot his name) that I met at a comp at pipeworks and they gave us good beta. Keenan and I both sent! This is the hardest, and probably the best thing I have sent in Yosemite so far.

Next we went to LeConte to do Chocolate Bunny (V6), and Athletes Die Young (stout V5). Keenan, Charlie, Sal, and I all did Chocolate Bunny. For being a lowball it's really fun with heal hooks, compression, and overall pretty sustained power. After that tried Athletes Die Young. Aside from one small crimp, its really fun. Keenan sent first, followed by me, Jacob, and Sal. Since we did that we decided to try Conan. I don't like the crimp so I decided to dyno. I never did it but showed Jacob the dyno and he touched the top of the hold a few times!

It started to trickle a little rain so we decided to go to Camp 4. Keenan and I climbed an awesome slab called the Kor Problem (V3). Teddy made a long waited ascent of Torque Spanner (V8?). Sal, Charlie, and Jacob all got close on it but never got It. We tried the Font Problem, but it got dark and none of us did it. I decided to try the Largo Lunge (V0) and did it. It's a pretty cool problem great for warming up on (not as good in the dark when you can't really see where you are going).

Overall this was a very good trip with lots of good ascents. We discovered that there is a practically limitless potential for bouldering in Yosemite if you are willing to hike even just a few hundred feet from any part of the road.

Wick's Problem!

Today I went to Saddle Rock at Donner Summit and did Wick's Problem (V11)! I tried this problem about two months ago and wanted to try it again ever since then after falling grabbing the jug twice. This time I went there with my parents and got there at around noon. I warmed up for a short time then started trying it. The first try of the day I got past the crux and matched the jug, but all of the sudden both my hands popped. I sent around eighth try nearly falling on the end just before the topout. I ended up using some unmarked tiny crimp cracks that I thought I would fall from any second.

After I sent that, I started trying Nietzsche Girls (V9) and got very frustrated when I touched the crack/pocket almost every go and my feet popped every time. Then I decided to try Soul Train (V10). I stuck the crux in about a half an hour and got to the topout (the same as Wick's Problem), but could barley pull by then due to being very tired so I decided not to try it again as I didn't want to hurt myself and we only had two pads. After that I decided to try Nietzsche Girls some more and sent after about 1 1/2 hours of work. It took a while to figure out how to place my feet, but I finally found that a right toe jam works, but even on the send keeping my feet was desperate.

Overall this was a great day in which I completed one of my hardest problems, Wick's Problem (V11), and sent Nietzsche Girls (V9), a problem that I had been interested in trying before.

The firestones, again

Last Sunday I went back to the Firestones with Kevin and Keenan and finally did the Monster (V10). We got there at around ten thirty and climbed for until twelve. This time we were able to drive up to the closest parking and only had to walk a few hundred feet rather than getting lost and walking a few miles. I worked it for a while tiring myself getting to the last move many goes. Finally when it started to rain, I decided that I would send it, and did! Since I hadn't practiced the top out that day, it took me a while to commit to. This was made worse by the smear that I finally used to top out on was dripping wet. In all this is an amazing problem on good rock.

Future Present

About a month or two ago Mike, Boz, Keenan, Sal, Ferris, and I went back to Barbed Wire and Erratica. We left in the night to go to Hate Handles for good temps, but ended up hiking for a long time in circles trying to find the boulder. Finally we gave up and agreed to go to Barbed Wire before too late. We got there at around 11 p.m.. Keenan pseudo flashed Future Present (V10). (he almost sent last trip but fell on the last move) I had sort of wanted to try it but was discouraged from not coming close to sticking the first move last trip. I sent it second or third go with the first move feeling easy. When I did it, it felt easy enough that I decided to try the Welcome to the Future (V11). I sent after about five goes of unlocking the sit moves. The sit is the full line and is definitely one of my favorite problems ever.

Desolation Wilderness

About two weeks ago, I went backpacking in Desolation Wilderness near Lake Tahoe. There are tons of amazing boulders but you would probably have to hike around five miles to get to them so it dose not really work with a pad. I managed to find a bunch of fun super lowballs and one amazing double areted slightly overhung prow. It is about 12 feet tall so I had to try it several times before I committed and did it even though it only felt like a V0. This an amazing and probably five star problem.

The Saddle and the Leap

About one month ago, Mike, Boz, and I went to the Leap to try the Cubist. The Cubist is and amazing tetris shaped boulder located on top of the lower buttress. To get there you hike on a trail that winds around and up the crag. It starts on two holds in the little roof and begins with a throw to a crimp on the edge of the flat wall then slapping the roof to hold a swing which is followed by awesome pinches and edges and a throw for the top over a rocky landing. This is an awesome problem and definitely worth checking out if you are in the area.

About two weeks ago, Mike, Sal, Keenan, and I went to the Saddle. Everybody came extremely to sending something but the only send was Mike doing a crazy hard V5 slab. Both Keenan and Sal got close on midnight train, Keenan and I got pretty close on Nazgual, and I fell off the jug of wicks problem twice. Overall it was a good trip and now I have tons of good projects in Tahoe.

Erratica and Barbed Wire

After Bishop and for a lot of the summer, Mike, Keenan, Sal and I would go to Tahoe just about every weekend. The next place we went after the Firestones was Erratica.

Erratica was and still is a very new bouldering area with lots of potential and amazing scenery. Since this is a new bouldering area and not in any guide, as is much of new Tahoe, we met a few people from the Bay to show us around. The names I can remember are Walker and Moses but I know there were a few other people.

The first boulder we went to was the Shady Grove boulder where I worked on Balls to the Wall, which was first done by Jesse not to long before. I got fairly close, had to stop due to tearing a tip on the first move to the crimp sidepull.

The next trip there, we first went to Barbed Wire to try Future Present (V10 stand) and Welcome to the Future (V11 sit). Boz and Mike sent Future Present pretty quickly and Mike sent Welcome to the Future the folowing morning.

The next morning, we went back to Erratica and I sent the Yeti, which is an awesome V9 with a cool cross move. Mike sent almost every hard problem in Erratica that day including the Mofo and Hellamental.

On the last trip to Erratica we also went to Barbed Wire late the night before due to not finding Hate Handles. Keenan Pseudo flashed Future Present and I sent third go that night. When I did it, every hold felt ten times better than they had ever felt and my heel stuck easily, which it refused to do every time I had tried it last trip.

Since I got the stand, I decided to try the sit. I sent after four or five goes at midnight. Climbing and topping out this problem at midnight with coyotes howling in the distance was surely one of the best few moments in my climbing life. This is surely one of the best problems in Tahoe.

The next day, we went to Erratica and Sal sent the Mofo Stand and Wick sent Party Animal Stand but other than that there wasn't as much sending as the past two trips due to Tahoe heating up.

Overall I really like Erratica and Barbed Wire is definitely home to one of the best climbs in Tahoe.

Firestones and Rainbow

I am pretty sure that the next trip I took after Bishop was going out with Mike, Keenan, Sal, and Teddy, Ethan, and Boz to the Firestone Boulders. This boulder is home to two amazing problems: Monster V10 (right exit), and Big Monster V11 (direct). To get there, you usually hike through a small forest on a dirt road into a clearing and back into another small forest, but since there was snow everywhere and Mike had not been there in a long time we took a different dirt road which wound around a hill. Since Mike had explored all over this area a few years ago, he did not realize that we were on the wrong road until too late. Rather than walking about a quarter mile, we walked probably around two miles but we got there all the same. I nearly sent Monster but fell off the final hard move feeling the jug at least three times. Ethan sent Monster pretty quickly and Mike had sent both on past trips.

After we were all done with the firestones, we went to Rainbow and tried Ishmael and Fishmeal. Ethan sent Fishmeal pretty quick and Boz sent Ishmael with quite a bit of Drama.

Bishop

Now that I have written about this last trip, I will back up and write about some important things that have happened this past year. I will start by writing about my last trip to bishop.

Last May, I went down to Bishop for my birthday. Fortunately it was unseasonably cool and in the seventies instead of nineties. The first day there I tried and sent Bubba Escapes the Ward in about ten minutes. It definitely helps to be tall. I am sort of confused about the grade since everyone puts it at V11 on 8a.nu but the new guide (which was published after all those ascents) puts it at V10. Later that same day I checked out beefcake, a really cool roof V10, and sent in about forty five minutes. Since I had not seen anyone do it, online or in life, I was forced to find my own beta which I am ninety percent positive most people don't use. From the two side pulls near the start, most people apparently go directly to the pocket on the small lip, but I used a bad pinch for my right hand in between the two. This is probably one of my favorite problems and was the hardest I had ever tried at the time. After doing Beefcake, I started trying the moves of Beefy Gecko (an extension off of Beefcake graded at V11) but got to tired so I decided to call it a day.

The next day, I managed to do Beefy Gecko after a few tries. It was my favorite problem at the time and is still in my list of top five favorite problems. The only problem with it is that it's a drop off, but I like the moves so much and reaching and grabbing the giant finish jug feels so good that it's one of my favorite problems.

After sending Beefy Gecko, I went over to the Happys. There I first tried Last Dance, a V9 which I had over looked last trip. The taller you are, the harder and more awkward this problem gets and being fairly tall myself made this no gimme. I worked this for about a half an hour until I gave up and went over and tried Acid Wash Right, a V9 which I tried on the trip before this and didn't send. I sent in three tries no problem this trip. After sending this I decided that I wouldn't leave without sending Last Dance, which I tried for another fifteen minutes. By this time I had gotten pretty frustrated and wanted to go try something else, but I knew I couldn't leave until sending so I decided to give it one more go and sent. Both Acid Wash Right and Last Dance have very interesting and awkward but very fun moves If the rock was better I would have given both three stars on 8a.nu.

After sending Acid Wash Right and Last Dance, I worked Prozac until I was tired and sore and decided to stop for the day.

The last day there, which was my birthday :), I managed to flash Therapy, Though a little soft, it was my first V8 flash.

This trip was one of the best. I managed to complete three goals: sending a V11, flashing a V8, and sending Acid Wash Right (since i didn't get it last trip). This was surely my best Birthday.

A few pictures from the trip to Crater Lake and the Oregon Caves

Crater Lake and the Oregon Caves

Since I haven't written in my blog for about two years, I will first write about the most recent things I have done while they are fresh at mind, then go back and write about past things that I feel are important to write about.

Last week I went on a trip with my family to southern Oregon to see Crater Lake and the Oregon Caves. The first day of the trip was almost entirely driving up to the Crater Lake camp grounds. We stopped at least twice to get drinks along this six and a half hour drive. There were many more people than in Lassen and there are lots more campgrounds.

The second day there we hiked to the top of Garfield Peak. The trails have lots of wildlife and the rock looks a lot like the Happys in some areas. The top has an amazing view of the whole lake. After about ten or so minutes it started to rain very lightly, so we stayed another ten minutes then started to hike down, by which time a large dark cloud was rapidly growing. By about half way down the cloud took up most of the sky and you could hear thunder approaching. When we got back to the car it had stopped raining but the clouds were still there, so we decided to save driving around the lake for the next day and go to the store near the campground to get something to eat.

After we were done eating we went to the car and sat for a few minutes watching the thunder. After a few minutes we heard a loud thump on the roof, then a few seconds later a few more, so I looked out of the window onto the ground where I saw a few inch thick hailstones. A few seconds after that, the storm really started to pick up and inch thick hailstones rattled against the roof of the car sow loud, I thought they would break through the roof or a window.

When we got to the campsite the hail had become smaller but showers of hail fell for about another ten minutes, then it rained heavily for a short time then it all nearly stopped except for a few small drops and some thunder.

Then we got out of the car and started digging trenches with rocks to lead the water away from the tent. Surprisingly the tent was fine except that the bottom got a little wet. All the days after this were nice and sunny.

The next day, we went on a two hour boat tour of the lake. The only way to get to the water is by a very steep 1.1 mile hike filled with switchbacks. From the boat, you can see many spectacular formations that you can't from the lookouts rim. On the tour we learned a lot about how the lake was formed and how each feature was formed. My favorite feature was the Phantom Ship. This is a 200 ish foot long island with rocky towers probably about 70-100 feet tall in some parts. After the tour, we drove around most of the lake and looked at many of the lookouts.

Next, we went to the Oregon Caves and stayed in the Chateau. The drive from Crater Lake to the Oregon Caves is about three hours and passes through a few small towns and over a river. When we got there we quickly got something to eat ant got on the last tour of the day. There were only three other people other than us so it was not to crowded. The caves were lit by lights and there were paths and ladders almost the whole way. There were tons of amazing features. There were huge jellyfish looking features and tons of stalagmites and stalactites and even a large column.

On the way back home, we stopped at a really cool woodworking place in Kerby Ville. They had tons of neat sculptures and lots of tree houses. One of the tree houses had three stories and was about forty feet tall.

Overall this trip was one of the best I have ever taken.