Conditions were excellent up at RMNP yesterday but I was feeling tired from several hard previous sessions. After a sluggish warm-up and some chalk-testing, (I have tried three different types of chalk out up there since Metolius is just not working out anymore. Results to follow), I wandered over to the Centaur boulder to see how GB Arete felt. It felt terrible but slightly more doable, so I started working on it again. Strangely, I found I had the strength to cut down the swing after the first move and soon had the dyno move in hand. After a couple of failures, I stuck the dyno and held it together on the throw to the top and the nemesis was done. The hardest "V8" around has been climbed and I can move on.
A couple of things to note. While I like climbing alone, there is no question that group energy can assist in getting some motivation that initially might have been absent so thanks to the crew that was there that afternoon. Also the air was dry and breezy like I have almost never found recently there so the slippery opening holds felt quasi-sticky. Anyway, I will be moving on, though the Marble Sit looks appealing. Two recent videos give some perspective on this side of the boulder.
Alex Puccio: The Centaur from Prana Living on Vimeo.
Aslan V14 - Carlo Traversi from Carlo Traversi on Vimeo.
Props to both climbers, especially Carlo's proving you don't need to stash a pile of pads to do a hard and scary problem. Thanks everyone for the suggestions on dealing with this issue and yes, stashing pads definitely is coming back in vogue this season. It's a shame. Keep the ideas coming.
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Chalk: I've finally settled on a mix of the long-lived classic Endo brick combined with Metolius and/or Bison powder. Wondering if anyone else mixes brands like that. Metolius seems too dry on its own for me and I like having chunks of the Endo to crush between fingers.
Endo has been around forever and was a staple for me until a few years ago. BTW Metolius has not answered an email I sent asking about the chalk. Let you know what I hear.
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