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.