Beta Bouldering will be opening
December first and the mad rush to finish the place has been underway for quite
some time. I’ve been over there disobeying the warnings on Bud cans and
drilling, pounding, patching, painting almost every day. In the few short days
I’ve not gone in to help out, or worked on the innumerable unfinished projects
in my own house, I’ve been getting out to Cherry Canyon, Choss Roof, and Middle
Elden.
I’ve been having a good fall, to
say the least. I feel the strongest I ever have. My ambitious winter tick list
doesn’t seem so out of reach now. Maybe it was the six months of trail work, or
the six months of more limited climbing, or the better diet. Who knows, it’s
probably a combination of it all.
In any case, I finished off Uptown Vandal
first go of my second day on the problem. I figured out some good beta for the
stand start that makes the problem flow much better. I also did John Val John,
a problem whose name always seems to be mumbled, (I think no one is totally
sure how to say it) on my second try. I also rapped off a tall wall just up
canyon from Panama Red that looks like it could go after a good cleaning. The
gate to Cherry Canyon will be closed soon, so any projects need to be finished
before access is limited.
Choss Roof and Renegade have been
in the news lately and while gates are not closed, it might be better to wait until
spring to revisit. I managed, with some beta from Matt Gentile, to snag the
first ascent of The Spider Pocket, a problem that has stood up to many strong
Flagstaff climbers for several years. The problem climbs right out the center
of the roof through a large move to a two-finger pocket and gaston. I’m really
happy to have contributed this problem to a roof already filled with excellent
problems. I also managed the third ascent of Choss Origins, which is arguably
the best line on the roof. Matt put together this video of both problems.
Yesterday morning, I went up Middle
Elden with Christina to work on Broken Symmetry. I’ve written about this problem
before, and tried it many, many times. It was a lump in my mind, clouding
thought, keeping me awake. I started working Broken Symmetry this season about
a week ago and came so close on that first session that it’s all I’ve climbed
on since. On Wednesday I went back
up the canyon with Matt Gentile and Cory Hathaway, who was on his way through
town. Matt figured out how to reach the bad right hand crimp, the one that has
crumbled several times, (I even broke a little off on the first day of work)
but was still trying to figure out the match. I struggled at the same place,
but managed to match that crimp once with a cool cross-under move. I’m not
really sure why, but I fell after I matched that hold. Maybe my core just gave
out, or I surprised myself, in any case, I couldn’t get back up there again.
After two days off to let my skin callous up, Christina and I walked from our
house to Broken Symmetry. The wounds on my left forearm opened up after one try
so I taped my shirt snuggly to my arm. Then, second try of the day; I floated
the thing using the same cross-under I’d used on Wednesday. After probably five
or six sessions over a year, Broken Symmetry is a boulder problem once again. Like
with The Spider Pocket, I’m really proud to open this thing up again. It’s a
great problem, and unlike anything I’ve ever climbed before.
I’ll leave you with a video of the send. Sorry the top out is cut off, you can see it in the shadow.
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