Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Clark Canyon Bouldering


The trailhead and the Parking Lot Boulder

"Summit Fever" V8 FA!



"Bump n Grind" V9? FA!



CLARK CANYON BOULDERING

Parking Lot Boulder (a short bushwhack off the left of the crag trail)

*backside - left to right:
1 "Kurt's Problem" V6 stand V7 sit - mega classic rails to seam!
FA = Kurt Smith / 2nd ascent = Wilbur Nazarian - sit - FA = ??

2 "Summit Fever" V8 sit start right hand small pocket and left hand edge and boulder up left into #1 - or V7 stand start in sinker right hand two finger pocket. FA = Chris Summit

3 !? sit start right of #2 on same pocket but with left hand and angle up left into #2!?

4 !? do same sit as #3 then angle up right into or around #5!?

5 right hand arete!? or left hand arete/high slab face!?


*frontside(s) - left to right:
6 left arete(s)!?
7 center face!?
8 right side center face!?
9 right side traverse?
10 right side arete(s)!?


Parking Lot Boulders (around Parking Lot area)
11 face?
12 arete?
13 traverse?
14 !?
15 arete/face!?


Trailside Boulder (along the main trail about halfway to the crags)
*frontside - left to right:
16 "Trailside Slab" V3/4 the start is the crux!
FA = ??

17 "Bump n Grind" V9? sit start pocket under left hand sloper arete bulge - or V8? stand start bulge.
FA = Chris Summit (unrepeated!?)

18 "Bahl Hornin" V4 sit start or V2 direct left stand start or V1 right stand start on jug lip same as #19 but pull over and top out.
FA = Richie Esquibel

19 "Bahlers Traverse" V5 sit start #18 then traverse right along the lip into #20 or V2 from stand start on the jug lip into #20.
FA = Chris Summit

20 VB short up/down-climb on far uphill right side.


Clark Canyon Bouldering - YOUTUBE

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Spirits Wall - Mt Tam


Photo: Summitorplummet
Eliot Carlsen does the first ascent of
the class-sick "High Spirits" V6/7R!

Ken Ariza found this awesome boulder and did most of the first ascents on it but this line was unsent until yesterday September 5 2011 when Eliot Carlsen snagged the first ascent - great job Kenny and Eliot!!

Spirits Wall has about 15 problems (V1-V7) and potential for more!?

Spirits Wall - left to right:
1 VB slab left or center
2 V0 corner crack
3 "Absinthe Makes The Heart Grow Fonder" V3/4R left arete FA=KA
4 "Beam Me Up" V5R straight up slab between #3 and #5 FA=KA
5 "Two Buck Chuck" V5/6R sit FA=KA
6 "High Spirits" V6/7R steep, sort of highball, center face!! FA=EC or V7!? Low stand!?
7 "Cocktail Traverse" V5 stand V5/6 low stand!? FA=CS
8 "!?" sit start Two Buck Chuck then traverse up right into #6!?
9 "!?" sit start Two Buck Chuck then traverse up right into #7!?
10 "Groundhog" V4/5 sit (V1 stand on jug rail) - step off from slab onto rock or top out!? FA=KA
11 "!?" sit start #10 then traverse up left into #6!?
12 "!?" VB/0 crack and/or face!?
13 !?

(small boulder below #3)
14 Stupid Face V0 sit mini face then top out straight up
15 Stupor Traverse V1 sit then traverse right and up along low lip


Spirits Wall is below the radio towers on the top of the south/east side of the small peak just to the west of the East Peak of Mt Tam just downhill from the small green building that is next to the white building across/southwest from the big green dome :)


Cocktail Traverse V5/6 FA! - YOUTUBE

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Veeder Boulders

Mt Veeder Boulders - Napa County
{secret so no directions - sorry :( send me an email if you'd like to come with us sometime tho :) .!?}

Sean Brady (V4 FA variation!)


Aron Quiter "The Crank" (V4) sit


Kevin Kinnison (#3 V2) sit



Sean Brady (#13 V1)



Sean Brady (#20 V0) warm up traverse FA!



Kevin Kinnison "Wicked" V3 stand!



"The Damned" V6 2nd Ascent!





Veeder Rock (above road - right to left)
{Main Rock}
1 5.8 2 bolt lead or top rope face (TR bolts on top) or 5.11 low start - 30ft  FA(TR)=Eric Holt/Eric Madison/FA(Lead)=Jonah Hall)
2 V0/1 stand start on hillside traverse far right to jug or up and right into huge mossy hole
3 V1/2 stand start on jug rail then do a few fun moves up to the mossy jug and drop off or V2 sit or V2 traverse right into #2 or V2/3 sit or (right/direct eliminate variation - no jug rail) FA=Eric Holt/Napa Crew? or V4 low sit into big undercling match then up right past crux sidepulls
4 V4 stand start on small undercling right hand and sidepull left and go up into #5 or V4/5 into #3 or V5 into #3 traverse
5 "The Crank" V4 sit or V1 stand - lock your feet on the cranks like your pedaling a bike or "Left Crank" V3/4 left sit with right hand on upper hold and left on small crimp or V4/5 into #3 or "The Crank Traverse" V5 do the sit start into #3 traverse FA=Chris Summit
6 "Tilted" V5/6 stand start on tiny tilted right hand crimp and tinier left hand pocket crimp and power up left into #7 or V!? traverse left into #8
7 "Faded" V2 stand start and go up right into same jug finish as #5 or V3 left stand start or "Vulcan Death Grip" V5 low stand start on left hand crimp and far out right hand pocket crimp on #6
8 "Lip Buster" V2 stand or V2/3 low stand or V!? low sit? far left side of wall (top out often dirty)
9 V7/8!? traverse from #8 right and up into #7 or V!?? into #2 for the complete traverse!!?? FA=Andrew Zaslove
10 !? top rope face left of 5.8!?

Creek Boulder (right to left)
11 V1 sit VB stand - short bulge
12 V1 sit V0 stand - left hand arete
13 V1 sit V0 stand - face left of arete
14 ?V2/3 - sloper start?
15 V3 - traverse from low left sit start or V2/3 stand FA=Eric Holt/Napa Crew.?

Upper Creek Boulder
16 V1 stand or V2 sit FA=Eric Holt/Eric Madison (or V6 low sit FA=Jonah Hall)

Wicked Cave (below road - right to left)
17 "Wicked" V6 sit or V3 stand or V4 low stand matched on underclings - center/right side of cave from sit in mini hueco or V6/7 low sit into step off top - or V7 low sit into mantle top out! FA=Chris Summit
18 "The Damned" V6 or V4 stand - left variation to Wicked with holds on left arete/face from sit in same mini hueco as Wicked or V7!? low sit!? FA=Andrew Zaslove
19 V7/8!?? far right side of cave direct up steep crimpy face with no left arete eliminate variation!?
20 "Sean's warm up traverse"? aka "The Vine Traverse" or "Vineman" V0 - traverse usually done right to left on backside of rock next to trail.
21 "Cinco De Mayo" V5 sit start low lip of roof left of The Damned then go up left and traverse all the way up left to easy step off or high dirty top out. V2/3 stand start. FA=Jonah Hall/Chris Summit
22 "The Stickler" (V6? sit same as Wicked/Damned) V2/3 stand start between The Damned and Cinco De Mayo.
23 V1/2 traverse (finish of Cinco De Mayo) stand start on rock traverse left same as Cinco De Mayo.
24 V0/1 sit start into the end of the V1/2 traverse.
25 !?

"The Stickler" V6 sit 3rd ascent!? YouTube

"Cinco De Mayo" V5 sit fa/1st+2nd ascents! YouTube

"The Damned" V6 sit 2nd ascent!? YouTube

"Wicked" V6 sit fa/1st ascent! YouTube

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Outdoor GEAR LAB


Outdoor GEAR LAB - The Consumer Reports of the outdoor industry!

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Climbing and Bouldering in Northern California


Photo: Summitorplummet


I've been a proud Northern California native since I was born and will be until I die. I started climbing and bouldering on the rocks around my home in Santa Rosa where I grew up and still live and climb today. In my 20 years of climbing I've found and developed many new areas and established many first ascents of sport climbs, traditional climbs and boulder problems all over Northern California. I have also written 6 climbing/bouldering guidebooks including my now out of print Wine County Rocks (self published) and Bay Area, Northern California and Tuolumne Bouldering as well as Bay Area Top Ropes by SuperTopo and with Tom Slater, I co-authored the bible to Nor Cal climbing, California Roadtrip, A Climbers Guide, Northern California by Maximus Press. The link below will take you to my SUPERTOPO Photo Gallery that has images from each of my SuperTopo guidebooks as well as a few other random images from all around Northern California - I hope you enjoy! :)

http://www.supertopo.com/rockclimbing/pro_photos.php?gid=31