OutdoorGearLab.com

I'm very proud of the work I do at outdoorgearlab.com - here's my latest review for the inexpensive and fairly high performing Mad Rock Flash 2.0;
http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Climbing-Shoe-Reviews/Mad-Rock-Flash-2-0

South Lake Tahoe Bouldering - Winter/Spring 2013

 

I've been having a very fun, rewarding and productive time bouldering, working and staying around South Lake Tahoe this year. Here's a few new lines I'd like to share with you;

>Fat Tire Boulder 

{park on the dirt below the block about a mile uphill on same hill-side as the 88/89 boulders that are across from the big turnouts lower down the hill}

*What had chalk on it;

The center of the south face(?) of this boulder has a good fun, slightly overhung line on crimps up to the diagonal jug lip V6/7ish!? The right and left aretes are also both fun at about V3/4/5 depending on how low you start. There is short steep face around left of the south face past the traverse with another fun, steep moderate bulge that goes about V2/3. There looks there is a tough low sit. The slabby backside is also fun in it's own right and easy to go up or down-climb on low angle terrain.

*What didn't have chalk on it (and therefore didn't seem like it had been done before); 

I cleaned and did first ascent of a long pumpy fun moderate traverse - sit start on the left arete of the south face. go up a few moves then left along the upper lip for a few moves. drop down a move and traverse along a cool natural rail feature on a steep low-ball face. top out on a V1ish bulge just right of/before the corner and the tree. There is a possible direct start into it and an extra finish to be added on past the tree and along the lip over the short steep face problems on the back side. Valentine also cleaned and did 3 or 4 fun VB-V0/1ish problems and a couple were likely first ascents on the slabby back side. The Forest Service recently cleared out a lot of brush around the boulder opening up the bushy landing below the traverse. I call it the "Fat Man Traverse" V5/6 ish? Sorta like Iron Man but bigger and heavier. 

>CA88/89 Boulders 

{Park at a short dead ond dirt rd - problems are on the big cracked boulder(s) "?" (name unknown to me) and it's shorter neighbor that are found just south of the Welcome to the Future Boulder and closest to the 88/89 intersection.}

I did a few possibly new sit starts. At least one or two of them seemed dirty enough before I cleaned them to be probable first ascents. All are in the V3-V5ish range. Fun with varied moves on cracks, seams, edges, knobs and huecos! Names and more info coming soon.. 

*Footage of most of the new lines in the LONG VERSION YouTube video below;

South Lake Tahoe Bouldering - Winter/Spring 2013

YOUTUBE

South Lake Tahoe Bouldering - Winter/Spring 2013 (LONG VERSION)

YOUTUBE

sorta silly but cool new problem in Mill Valley "Cascade"

                                           Chris Van Leuven on Cascade.

"Cascade" V6 - YouTube 

Some of my best climbing/bouldering vids;

Endless Fall

Castle Rock - End of the Endless Season

Sandstoned - Castle Rock Bouldering

Limestoned - Columbia Bouldering

Labyrinth Bouldering

Redwoods and Rain

South Lake Tahoe Bouldering - Spring 2012

Sugarloaf Ridge Bouldering - End of Summer 2012

Mt Tam Bouldering - Fall 2012

Mt Tam Bouldering - Winter 2012

Super Slab Bouldering Hey Day

Las Wages Rocks

Las Vegas Bouldering 2004

X-Cave

Oregone Bouldering 2004

Sonora Pass Bouldering

Richie Esquibel V6 + Chris Sharma V11 - Bishop

Kevin Jorgeson "Renegades of Funk" V9 (second ascent) Super Slab

Kevin Jorgeson - Eel River

Charlie Barrett "Camel Toe" V8 (first ascent) Sonoma County

Charlie Barrett "Flying Monkey" - Fort Ross

My hardest boulder problems on video;

"Eco Terrorist" V10 Castle Rock, CA.

"Welcome to Hell" V9 (2nd ascent) Putah Creek, CA.

"Mistaken Identity" V9 Tahoe, CA.

"Living La Vida Loca" V8 (first ascent) Fort Ross, CA.

"Dragon Moon" V8 (first ascent) Secret Sonoma County, CA.

"Chris' Ramp" V8 (first ascent) Pump Rock, CA.

"Killer Green Traverse" V8 (first ascent) Secret Sonoma County, CA.

"The Creek Traverse" V8 Secret Sonoma County, CA.

"Ultimate Trogdor" V8 Columbia, CA.

"Orange Top Blue Sky" V8 Kraft Boulders, NV.

"Popes Prow" V8 sit and "High Plains Drifter" V7 Bishop, CA.

"Lovers Leap Offwidth" Tahoe, CA.

lots of old and new vids on my youtube channels

I recently converted a lot of my 10-20 year old vhs-c and hi8 raw climbing footage of my friends and I to digital and just started putting a lot of it on my youtube channels;

Mrchrissummit ~ Summitorplummet YouTube

drunkenmaster777 ~ secretnorcalrockclimbing+!? YouTube

Top 12 secret/private north bay boulder projects

Here are, from what I've seen, heard and can remember and also in my opinion, the top 12 un-done bouldering projects that are secret/private in and around the North Bay Area. I can't include directions, you will have to find that out through word of mouth. Access to some of these areas is possible with permission of local climbers/friends/landowners but a few of these areas have continually changing access dilemmas. The areas with the dilemmas require you to talk to the local climbers about the current access issues before risking trespassing without permission and getting in trouble, blowing it for everyone else and maybe even getting deliveranced :-/ I have more I'm saving for myself of course ;) but these are most of the best and most difficult. There are also a few that I didn't find, clean and/or envision so I also left those out for now until the discoverer has a chance to try for the first ascent.

I have a list of the legit Bay Area bouldering projects along with the top 10 best boulder problems at each grade in my;
Top 10 Best Boulder Problems in the Bay Area.



Top 12 secret/private north bay area boulder projects, in no particular order, 0-5 star:
( the grades are a guess on my part and since i have only bouldered about v10 anything above that is massive speculation and it's all totally my opinions and the names are just nicknames for now of course, do em and name em! :)

*****full direct Mammoth Cave V12/13/14+!? do the short but powerful 10ft v7/8 low direct center sit into any 5 of the 60foot long v8/9 original classics right into the 15ft steep and powerful v7 crux and past the end of the big cave into an upside down back against the wall no hands rest then do the 35ft v7 finish into the smaller cave - total = 120ft!!
MAMMOTH CAVE

*****full Mammoth Cave V10/11/12!? do any 5 of the 60ft long v7/8/9 original classics into the short v6/7/8 crux to the end of the big cave (V10/11 to here) then into the upside down back against the wall no hands rest and then do the v7 finish into the smaller cave for the full V11/12!?
MAMMOTH CAVE

*****direct Mammoth Cave V9/10/11!? do the short, powerful 10ft v7/8 low direct center sit into any 5 of the v8/9 original classics!?
MAMMOTH CAVE

***full Green Cave traverse V10/11/12!? start white widow v5 for the extra pump then do any of the main green cave traverses v5/6 and do "sit direct" which is a few hard drop down and set up moves that are about v7/8ish into kevin's sit v6/7 and then do the 50ft v3/4 traverse to finish - total = 100ft!
GREEN CAVE

***sit direct V9/10!? do a few hard low traverse moves that are about v7/8ish into kevin's sit v6/7.
GREEN CAVE

****Moonrise Arete V9/10/11!? left hand arete/face from start of kick me up right!?
MOONRISE

*****direct variations!? V11/12/13/14!?
SLITHER

****direct orange cave V13/14!?
SECRETS

***corridor traverse V10/11/12!?
SECRETS

**saber-choong V10/11!?
SECRETS

**fish slap traverse V9/10!?
SECRETS

****warrior project V7/8?R!?

GEYSERS