Easier Problems at Tahawus

Finally I found some easier problems at Tahawus, there is two boulders ion this small spot, the other is directly left of this one just out of the photo, but that one is really mossy and would take some serious cleaning. The one in the photo has three lines, starting from the right is a nice v0 warm up problem, and they get harder as you go left. The center one I havn't done, because I couldn't reach the middle area to get some moss off of a couple key holds. It looks really easy too though, maybe v1 because the feet are really small to start. Then the third on the left is a really fun problem that starts in the middle, then you hit two sidepulls and make your way up on some ledges to a slopey top out. It wasn't too hard either v1 or 2. In total I've found five nice boulders now, and have cleaned three of them. I like this area.

Gnarnia!

Two days ago I got to adventure down a bit to the Brant Lake area, and even though the new gnarnia area only has maybe 8 or so good boulders, those boulders are really good. The big one that the platform was built for looks especially good, I cant wait to try it once I can get some more people out there with me. I got to work on one of the other boulders, a clean tall beauty that has some amazing lines on it.

The arete in this top picture is a nice thin line with a tough first couple moves. It reminded me a lot of colorful corners down in Coopers, with the one tiny start hold that looks like a joke but actually works nice. After that I get a nice high step on a big ledge, bump my hand to another mystery hold, then up the the slighty bigger ones. It had some chalk on it, so I'm pretty sure someone else has done it, but it was a fun one for sure.

This photo shows a wicked fun slab line that is right next to the arete. It starts on that hanging fin while stemming off to the side. then goes up crimps that get worse and worse the higher you get. It looks like it finishes up the thin diagonal crack in the middle of the boulder. I havn't done it yet, the landing isn't that great, and the slab is scary at the top, so it's another one I am excited to try with some spotters. Not sure if anyone has done this one, there wasn't and chalk that I could see and I cleaned to the top out, but if anyone else knows then let me know.

New Problem at Tahawus

Yesterday was a good day for the Tahawus area I have been playing around in lately. At first I thought there wouldn't be much more than the one gigantic boulder I found, everything else seemed too mossy. But I found another fun problem just a few feet from the big one, it's another really hard one though. I cleaned it off and gave it several attempts, but it started to get late and it was feeling really tough. Everything I have been finding so far seems above v5 at least, and the rock is really sharp, but nonetheless I am having a blast and here is the new boulder.

It is a heel hooking traverse that starts on a good ledge, then gets incredibly hard as it goes left, then has a nice jug finish. It seems fun, I just hope next time i get it. But wait, there is still more good news, I found two more boulders nearby this one, and although I didn't get a good look, they seem to have great potential. Next time I head there I hope to add at least three new problems to the area. For now, it's time to head off to Gnarnia and try and get some FA's.

Mckenzie Wilderness Trail Boulder

We found a great boulder all by it's lonesome on the Mckenzie Pond Wilderness trail, which is about a ten or fifteen minute drive from the actual Mckenzie Pond Bouldering area. It is right off the trail after about a fifteen minute walk. The most impressive feature is the obvious half a foot wide crack going up most of the boulder. The problem starts on the bottom left of the crack, then follows it up to the top. Get ready to have some sore elbows and arms though, cause there are some rough arm jams we used to get up the wide top of the crack. It was definitely a super fun project though, V4 once you find the secret holds way back in the crack. Andrew got the first ascent and we dubbed it, "There's Something In Your Mustache."

The Cave Boulder

We went to Snowy Mountain again last week, I really like the rock there. These first pictures are from the Cave Boulder, the top most boulder in the set. It has some really fun warm ups, Hammerhead and Buzzed, as well as some harder stuff. The top photo is of Andrew making his way over the lip on Buzzed. In the picture you can see the chalk marks for a problem I made up that starts on the arete to the left of it. It wasn't in the book, but it flowed so nice that I'm sure someone has done it before.

The right side of the Cave Boulder has the harder stuff, The sickness V6, The Cure V8, and the The Fin V6. We were focused on the The Cure, which is a super fun jug haul up to a scary top out on a slopes. Switching the last big hold before the top ledge to an undercling was the beta that made it easy to get up there. There is also a sideways crimp on top, and a little crescent heel hook spot. But the top holds are sloping so much that it's definitely still real rough.

Snowy Mountain

Once you find this place, you may never want to leave. Snowy mountain has amazing features on most of the boulders, big huecos, the one on the cave boulder is the size of a room. The rock is much more forgiving than most of the stuff up in the Adirondacks too, much less sharp. The difficulty of the problems here is the only deterrent, if you're climbing atleast V4, then this place is just either going to frustrate, or bore you. There are only about three or four problems below V3, and the ones I tried were not that good. BUT, the hard stuff is amazing! This problem was one of my favorites, Never Been to Hueco V7:

It starts on the low huecos, moves up and out on some fun moves to a decent crimpy ledge with a solid heel cam, then gets super hard. The top out has eluded me so far, but is seems to be a huge swing move left to the apex of the roof, then up on slopey holds.

Some other really fun problems I got on were Coitus V6, a fun pinchy problem. Everything at the cave boulder was really fun. I made a new problem up the far left side of that boulder, I'll be snagging some photos of that next time I'm there. It was a fun problem, maybe v2 or 3, up the left arete and over a ledge. The last one I tried was IHOPP at the Pancake boulder. An insane problem, I think the book said V6 but it felt super hard. All the moves felt really fun though, definitely worth the time if your there.

Mckenzie Pond

This place is great! The rock is super coarse and is pretty sharp, so don't plan on being able to climb hard three or four days in a row, but it's worth it. Some really nice projects I got on were Slobadon V5, a nice crimpy/compressiony start up, slightly using the arete, then a scary top out. Ian's Favorite Problem V5, a short 3 or 4 move problem on terribly small crimps up to a nicer hold, then the feet get bad, then up to the top. Also there were two V4's on the third set of boulders, this is the first one I worked.
Start is huge, up to a good hold, then get a nice side pull. This is where is gets tricky for short people. There is a small sloping crimp you have to make a big move to, I had to get it using the tiny feet scattered on the face of the wall, instead of the huge bottom ledge. So if your a tall person, this problem will probably feel maybe v3 at the hardest, but for the rest of us, v4 is sandbaggin it a little.

The second one I worked is a really nice compression problem.

It is a slapfest up the arete on nice solid holds, with a couple crimps you could snag. The feet get a little small and desperate and you come around the arete, then the top is a little awkard but fun after you figure out the perfect holds. Its a tall one though so be sure to have good pads.

Project Boulder

The exploring has started in the Adirondacks now, and so far I have found this one monster project. It looks about 40ish feet tall, maybe a little more, so it is most definitely a super high ball. I have about the first ten feet or so worked out, but since I only have one pad, and the next part looks to be the crux, I'm holding off for now. The beginning starts to the right of the arete on a sloping ledge, then makes its way left on sharp side-pulls. After that it looks good for going right up the arete, time will tell. There also looks like there could be a couple other lines on the southwest facing side of the boulder if we could clean off the top out.

I've looked around the woods near this colossal boulder with a little success, two or three nearby boulders have some potential. They are also much smaller boulders, truck sized and a little bigger, so it's not only monster high-balls. The spot is by the old Tahawus mining area right in the center region of the adirondacks, about half a mile from the trail heads for Santanoni, Panther, and a couple other mountains. To get to it you get off 28N onto 84 heading east, then turn and follow the signs for Tahawus.