In the year 1999, I had been climbing for about a year and a half. I had just finished my 5th year of school at Michigan State and I drove out to Colorado to pick up my brother from CU. I was looking to check out some of the good bouldering Colorado had to offer at places like Flagstaff, Carter Lake, and Morrison. It was Horsetooth Reservoir, however, that was at the top of my list. My knowledge of Horsetooth had come from Stone Crusade, which I had read a thousand times, pouring over each page, desperate to soak up ever bit of bouldering information I could find.
I had my sights set on the Talent Scout Roof, a thin and challenging V6. I was climbing in the La Sportiva Cliff, which was produced as a rental shoe for climbing gyms. My first day there it was wet and my shoes got dirty. I remember thinking this was unfortunate because when I stepped onto the rock, the footholds would get smeared with mud. I let the dirt sit there overnight, failing to realize that other people may want to climb on clean problems.
I came back the next day to try my project and who should stroll up but Steve Mammen. Introductions were made but they were unnecessary. I recognized him instantly from Sherman’s book. “Just getting both feet on the rock is a triumph” the caption in the book states, and there is Mammen, a full page photo, fingertips underclinging nothing, both feet pasted on the rock. I knew the picture well.
“Looks like someone got some dirt on the holds” he said and I embarrassingly said nothing. He quietly cleaned up the holds. Then he pulled on with a grace and fluidity I had never seen before and absolutely walked Power Glide, the harder version of the Talent Scout Roof. No grunts, no thrutching, just perfect control. I was shocked and humbled. He cooled off by sending my project with similar ease. I saw something that was very special that day, a master in control. As an up and coming climber from Michigan few things could have been more inspiring. There is a new interview on www.frontrangebouldering.com of Steve Mammen and I recommend checking it out.
After 6 months of nonstop bouldering, I have taken the last few weeks to rest. It really feels great and the timing couldn’t be better as the alpine areas continue to get more and more snow. I have gone out a few days to snap some pictures and enjoy the company of friends. Here are some nice shots of two classic Poudre Canyon problems that don’t see nearly enough attention.
Justin Jaeger
Small Axe V8
Clayton Reagan FA
Just down the hills from Small Axe is an outstanding unrepeated Ben Scott FA called The Eye of Sumara. It climbs a very nice nice arete over a workable landing on awesome rock. One of the best problems in the Poudre Canyon and strangely neglected, in my opinion.
The Eye of Sumara V10?
Cameron Cross getting close on the unrepeated Ben Scott testpiece.
More news from Magicwood, as it has now come into season. Just a few weeks before Daniel Woods is to leave Europe, he finished off his project in the Darkness roof at Magicwood. He called the new problem In Search of Time Lost and has graded it 8C. The Darkness roof is an extremely steep over hang, very similar to the infamous CATS roof, where Daniel has spent much time training. It is littered with very small, but positive incut crimps. Previous to Daniels ascent, Dave had put up The Left Hand of Darkness, an 8A that starts on a jug and heads straight out the roof. In Search of Time Lost powers out the left side of this massive overhang. Nice Job Daniel!!
Barbara Zangerl has made the first female ascent of Pura Vida, given 8B, in Magic Wood, Switzerland. Pura Vida is a classic problem and a quick search on 8a.nu shows that more climbers than not have registered it as 8B including Dave Graham, Bernd Zangerl and Gareth Perry. Others, like Ty Landman and Andreas Barth suggest 8A+. Either way, an impressive ascent of an amazing problem and perhaps the hardest boulder problem climbed by a female.
Here is a quick video of the problem I put up in Joe’s Valley. It’s up above the Warm Up Boulder on the hillside. There is a nice project to the right. Nothing amazing, just something fun and new on good black rock. Enjoy!
I have gotten several comments about Idaho. Here is the best picture I got of the Warpath Roof. You can’t see the beginning of the problem, but you can see the middle two V10 sections, and a hold or two of the last V10 section, which heads straight up from the dark brown circle and tops out the boulder on a gorgeous headwall.
The last day of our trip we headed up to Castle Rocks, Idaho. Castle Rocks is very nearby City of Rocks, the famous roped climbing area, and our goal was to check out a James Litz problem called Warpath V14. Mike Call and (SLC) Tyler gave us the tour. The scenery is spectacular and it was a perfect place to go at the end of the trip.
It’s about 3 hours from Salt Lake City. Southern Idaho is gorgeous this time of year. City of Rocks has to be one of the most pleasant climbing areas I have been to. Granite spires and boulders are everywhere.
It is a perfect mix of Red Feather, Bishop, Black Hills and Mt. Evans. Mike took us straight to the roof and I was blown away. Warpath is one of the most incredible lines I have ever seen. This is certainly an outstanding contribution from James, and one of the best problems of its grade I have ever seen. It begins with a V11 boulder problem and then breaks hard left into three consecutive V10 problems. The rock is very nice sculpted granite and the holds themselves are amazing pinches and sloping crimps. Isaac Calderio was with us, and he made a nice flash of the stand start, which a brilliant problem in itself called Out of Africa. I was psyched for the V11 and Isaac, myself, and Jess all managed the one day ascent.
IZAK getting it done.
Ty gave several good efforts at the whole problem to no avail, suggesting that it was probably in the V14 range.
Tyrone on the Warpath V14
I think we were all very impressed with the quality of that one boulder. It was sad leaving Idaho, not only because of the outstanding climbing we left behind, but our road trip has come to an end. How can I even being to convey the glorious feeling of traveling and exploring for 6 months? I am thankful to be back safely and I look forward to a time when I may live the simple life again.
We decided to head west for the last few days of our trip, to Joe’s Valley. Joe’s is a great place to unwind, and we spent the last few days there repeating some old classics and putting up a few of our own.
Angela did the second female ascent of Jitterbug Perfume V10/11, which is a gorgeous, black, pocketed face up in the Right Fork. She climbed very well, and after trying it one day last year, did it on her first try on the second day of attempts this year. I was also psyched to finish that problem and after a few attempts at the mantle, I finally figured out a sequence which made it quite easy. There are some nice pictures posted on www.ryanwedemeyer.smugmug.com
I was more psyched on cleaning up some new things and I managed to put up a nice problem in the Right Fork. Yuri Kimball took me up to a gorgeous wall with several projects. I sent the left line but the right line remains unclimbed. It was a pleasant few days and now we are headed up to Idaho with MC, Tyrone and Isaac.
Today was a great day and Rolson, Brian Camp and I went up to the Park and we all climbed Veritas V11 from the sit start. This is an outstanding problem on good rock. It is one of the more proud lines in Colorado and very much not my style. I had tried it a couple days last year so it was nice to go up and do it on my first day this year. Angie made, I believe, the first female ascent of the stand start which goes at V9 or so and Kelly McBride did it right after her. Well done everyone. Tomorrow we head to Utah.
