Seek and Destroy Video

Hey everyone out there on the interweb! I know it's been a little while since I've updated, but I've been trying to include a video with every post lately and I just finished editing another one this morning.



This Gateway Canyon classic can't be found in Tom's guidebook, however on his website he describes the problem as:

Seek and Destroy V11**
FA Pete Lowe December 2010

A wild line with radical features and great movement reminiscent of something from Hueco. The biggest detractor being the tight nature of the exit moves, where avoiding the rock behind becomes an issue. Start with a right hand jug around the lip and a left hand sloper-edge, climb the roof with sloping hueco features to a jug-hueco, exit through the orifice up and left.

The sequence I use in the video is in the style of the first ascent. Shortly after Pete completed this project a "new" hold was found down and to the left of the holds that make up the roof crux. This four finger full pad jug allows a significantly easier alternative method (V9), though the origins of this hold are suspect. Whether via aggressive cleaning, breakage, or otherwise, this hold has been reported as not existing when the line was a project.

Given this information and the fact that I'm a stubborn boulderer I chose avoid this hold for the send. It's a shame that the original sequence now an eliminate, but it is amazing that such a line exists in Vegas. It gives me hope and motivation to keep an eye out.

Enjoy the video and see you out there!

-BLOCHEAD