Roll Call - Mt. Charleston

Didn't see a soul at Charleston yesterday. A Slight breeze, great temperature, and complete isolation made for a truly peaceful session. While resting I was even slightly chilled. There may only be another month of so left to boulder in the cave, but as the temps cool off at elevation so follows the valley. I'm so excited to get back on sandstone for the early fall season and hope to finish off some projects before leaving for Texas.

I managed to finish off Happy Trail, V9 yesterday, leaving just Landing Strip left to do from the center start. What I really enjoy about these three problems (Happy Trail, Landing Strip, and Sideburn all V9) is that sharing a start doesn't take away any of the quality of movement. Each problem has such a unique finish that they all stand apart. I'm excited to send all the 9's in the cave, but it's bittersweet like finishing a good book.

I realized while hiking down that there is not a complete listing of the problems yet. Since Tom Moulin's guidebook just came out there is little chance that these problems will be known. After some reflection I don't mind so much that they will be under the radar, and actually prefer it, but for the locals (and since there are probably only 10 people that look at this blog) here is a list for posterity's sake:

(In order of proposed grade)

Delirious, V11
Crown of Swords, Hard 10/ Soft 11?
Glamdring the Foe Hammer, V10
Orcrist the Goblin Cleaver, V10
Brazilian Wax, V10
Goin' Postal, V10
Landing Strip, V9
Happy Trail, V9
Sideburn, V9
Pony Express, V9
Rough Rider, V9
Flat Spin 360, V9
Flat Spin, V8

Quite a resume.

-BLOCHEAD

Stickers

Quick post today. Heading up to the cave for a relaxing solo session later today. It's 81 in the valley so looks like it might be time for long sleeves at elevation. I can hope.

In the meantime here are a few sticker ideas I've been working on. I recently had a conversation about the oddity of climbing language to the outside world. I like the idea of celebrating this bastardization of language, whether doctor, plumber, surfer, kayaker, or in this case climber. A jugfest to a climber is just a bunch of boobs to everyone else. By isolating a few words and phrases out of context I came up with some pretty funny results.

Hopefully I'll have some floating around Hueco this season. Be on the lookout!





-BLOCHEAD

The Cave: Featured! - Mt. Charleston

DPM published a little write-up I wrote about the cave. Nice!

Check it out HERE

-BLOCHEAD

Delivered - Mt. Charleston

It rained at Mt. Charleston yesterday. Sometime before sundown though, because we only saw traces on the hike up. It smelled wonderful. Very still.

For once I decided to leave the camera at home and have a pure climbing session. Two days before I had fallen off the final move of Goin' Postal V10 and I wanted to send.

Warming up I felt restless and kept glancing over at the line. Without realizing it I was at the bottom reaching for the start holds, too hyped up to wait any longer. It's amazing how powerful motivation can be.

I was surprised to send first go. I fumbled with one hand hold and did not feel solid on the crux foot movements setting up to the undercling pinch, but the motivation stayed, and was just enough.

This is the best line I have climbed in the cave so far. Definitely a step up in difficulty from all the V9s in the cave (for me anyway), but also very different in its direct, sustained movement with little to no rest. It is a true gem that I can see becoming a classic line in the cave.

-BLOCHEAD

Goblin Cleavers and Farewell - Mt. Charleston

Yesterday I joined Pete, Andrew, and Bill for a morning cave session to send Craig off to Salt Lake City properly. It was hot compared to the night sessions I am accustomed to, but there was a nice breeze and plenty of motivation. I was the youngest of the group by nearly 10 years and also the weakest. It is overwhelmingly inspiring to see people float up double digit boulder problems into their 30's. I learn the most around people like this because they have lived and climbed through so much that their advice is void of speculation or ego, grounded in practicality and quiet confidence.

Pete managed to make a first ascent of a line that links the Delirious start into the Mach 3 exit and, inspired by the 1977 animated feature The Hobbit, named the climb Orcrist the Goblin Cleaver suggesting a loose grade of V10/11.

I spent most of the day either climbing, laughing or listening and neglected my camera, but here are a few photos:
Roscoe
Pete and Craig pioneer the new sub-sport of synchronized climbing.
Bill doing what he does best: Crimping the life out of things.

-BLOCHEAD

The Last Resort - Mt. Charleston

Hiked out beyond the resort off Kyle Canyon road yesterday in search of new boulders. There was one freestanding bloc that looked of particular interest and a cliff band to the left that seemed worth the hike.

From the dumpster behind the resort the two areas are clearly visible on the the other side of an unfinished wasteland. It looks like a golf course construction project that ran out of money. The half-buried shreds of tarp flapping in the wind. The partially dug ponds and sand traps. Strangest of all was a winding ribbon of pavement snaking back and forth into the hillside.

After an hour of bushwhacking, following the pavement to dead ends, backtracking, and a steep climb up a loose slope I found the boulder and the cliff band around the corner. As much as I wanted to see the lines, wanted the pay off for the hike, it was a disappointment. Worth the hike to satisfy curiosity, but that was all.

-BLOCHEAD

Catching Up - Mt. Charleston

The sun slumped behind the ridge and glazed yellow as Andrew and I reached the cave. I had been wanting to shoot a video of Andrew's line Landing Strip for a while and finally got a chance to yesterday. It is arguably the hardest V9 in the cave.

Here is the video:

Landing Strip V9 First Ascent, Mt. Charleston from BLOCHEAD on Vimeo.

-BLOCHEAD

Dead Point Magazine Feature - Mt. Charleston

In the past I have chosen certain videos and uploaded them on Dead Point Magazine. This is the only frequently visited website where the climbing masses can upload freely. This isextremely important for keeping the climbing community just that, a community. Sites with features like this help keep the sport grounded and slow the separation and idolization of professionals. This is not to say that professionals should not be recognized and awarded for their accomplishments both personal and altruistic, however the presence of the masses are critical to avoid alienation in this relatively early stage of the sport's development.

The greatest and most unfortunate aspect of this website lies in its users. There is absolutely no filter for the videos posted on DPM. This is a great thing because climbers just becoming passionate about climbing videography can experiment and have something to be proud of on a well-known site. They can learn from their mistakes, take notes on others, and receive critique on their work.

Ideally.

This is not the case. Up until recently DPM allowed users to post anonymously, leading to a rash of hateful, derogatory, and ignorant comments on nearly every video. Whether it was a personal attack on the author of the video, the climber featured, a snipe on the grading, or just a few choice four-letter words it was a serious problem. I felt hesitant to post on the website and I doubt I was the only one.

That said, egos heal and change follows necessity. DPM did away with anonymous commenting (and thus 90% of comments total) so yesterday I decided to post the projecting video. After all if one person finds a video enjoyable or useful then it was worth it.

To my surprise not an hour later the video was featured on the homepage of the website. The fact that a nobody in the community can still have the opportunity to be featured among videos of professionals is a great and important thing for climbing that should not be ignored.

I am happy that a unique and very essential part of this website did not see its end at the hands of hate.


-BLOCHEAD

Cleaning Up - Mt. Charleston

Andrew and I headed back up to Mt. Charleston yesterday. I've been nursing a shoulder tweak and opted to leave my shoes at home. Andrew quickly snagged the third ascent of Sideburn, V9 and began working the moves on Craig's Delirious project.

Here are a few photos:




-BLOCHEAD

War and Peace

"If the world could write by itself, it would write like Tolstoy."

-Isaac Babel

Battle of Borodino
Peter von Hess, 1843

After finding myself alone outside of El Paso in late January I decided to begin a book that without having glanced over the first page, I had been afraid to read for two years. That book was War and Peace. After nearly seven months I am done, with only the regret that I will never again read it for the first time.

I just spent half an hour trying to express myself in regards to the impression this masterpiece made on me. It is impossible. As someone very dear to me once said, "It's one of those things that changes your life. How can you ever explain that?"

-BLOCHEAD

The Delirious Project - Mt. Charleston

I joined Craig yesterday up at the cave for his last day of climbing before heading back east. He has spent the last few days working on one of the last lines yet to be done in the cave, and certainly the hardest. After some last minute shoe and beta adjustments he was in redpoint mode. As the cave got darker we lit up the headlamps and Craig gave it one more try, barely dabbing on the pad. He jumped back on immediately and finished it out, coming as close as you can get without sending. The tentative name comes from Craig's request to play Prince's song Delirious before each burn.

Here is a video I cut together of the various attempts and days of work Craig put into the line both in natural light, by headlamp, and even lantern. Hopefully sometime in the future I'll post a clip of the send. Until then enjoy.

The Delirious Project, Mt. Charleston from BLOCHEAD on Vimeo.

-BLOCHEAD

Mt. Charleston - Progress

Had a pretty good session up at the cave today with Cory and Erik. It feels good to go out with people that are psyched and respectful. The cave seems to get better and cleaner every time I go up there and I'm looking forward to spending more time at such a fun summer spot.

I spent the entirety of the day on a new link up Craig opened called Sideburn, which starts in the center and exits far left to the side through some of the best movement in the cave including a bump through a one finger pocket. I managed to hold on until the final move to the jug twice, but it wasn't in the cards. It felt great to get the movement down and refine the micro-beta. At very least it was a good work out. Here are a couple photos of Erik and Cory on the second half of the problem:



-BLOCHEAD