I got out for a few hours on Saturday and did some problem research on Cob Rock. The creek is surprisingly high right now and crossing was pesky but I got across and looked around. There is some really good rock up in the talus but RMNP style landings abound. Pride of place has to go to Sleepy Hollow V9, a tall pillar with great rock and holds. The Hug V11 looks very hard. Both have plenty of awkwardly placed boulders at the base. I am updating my Boulder Canyon Bouldering Blog to include these problems.
I went upstream to try the Graham Aretes which I haven't done in about 4 years. I met up with Alex Manikowski, a young boulderer who hails originally from Florida and has some done some hard stuff recently including the Hug. Using his beta, I did the Fields problem which is certainly not V5 or 6, more like 7 or 8. We checked out the Capps Problem which is nowhere near V9 in difficulty, closer to V10 or V11. After he left I worked on the R arete doing all the moves but not sticking the move to the crimp on the go, which is silly considering it's the second move on the problem. Then I worked on the L arete, getting very very close. I have wanted to do a V11 for a long while and this one seems very feasible. If possible, I want to get up to the Poudre to check out Castaway, one of the classic V11s in the state and pretty much my style. A little extra free time for Thanksgiving week may prove helpful in escaping Flagstaff for a while.
The real project is installing the wall in the cellar. I'm not exactly Mr. Handyman but I think I can figure this one out. The fingerboard is great. I did 20 pull-ups on the big rung and 2 or three front levers on the small. Pictures of the latter forthcoming.
peter: do you have a metal i-beam that sits exposed at the ceiling of your basement? if so, the design i used in my basement is idiot proof, easier to construct, cheaper, and more stable than many wood-supported designs. bounce me an email if you want some two cents on it.
ReplyDeletePeter -- Is Right Graham arate still given V 10?
ReplyDeleteRGA is one of those classic disputed problems. Conditions make a huge difference as well as height. When I first did it a few years ago, it felt V10 and frankly I feel a lot closer to doing the LGA right now. Some call it V8, some V9, others V10.
ReplyDeleteJustin, I have only exposed ceiling joists so I will probably be screwing in a series of 2x4s to those. They will be resting on the concrete floor and I will be attaching plywood to that. Or that's the plan Steve Damboise suggests.
ReplyDelete