B3bouldering.com

I have added a videos page at the top of the blog. I will put all the videos that are published in this page for easy access. Enjoy!

Tomorrow we leave for Joe’s Valley and three days of Utah Bouldering.

Get Psyched!

Check out the new Urban Climber issue #16. There is a nice article about CATS, the only place to train in Boulder (with a great picture of Angela), and a very nice photo taken by Wade David, of me on The Full Monty in Hueco Tanks.

Ethan Pringle visited the Poudre Canyon yesterday while passing through Colorado. He had one of the best days the area has seen, making short work of Circadian Rhythmn V13

Pringle worked Circadian for about an hour before completing it and snagging the first one-day ascent of the problem. Nice work, Ethan!

Ft. Collins, Colorado, USA

We awoke today to the shining sun. We heard rumours of 10 inches of snow in the Poudre and our hearts sunk. A few phone calls later and the word was “Rustic is dry!” We packed the truck and bolted north. It was a pleasant 2 hour drive and soon we made it to the boulders. I was ready for another day on Circadian Rhythm.

Conditions were fairly warm but good enough. I had figured out a very important foot switch the last day and was ready to try it out. I felt like I had a good chance to get to the last move, a giant dynamic lunge to the sloping lip. I tried a few times from the start but I seemed to consistantly mess something up, as is often the case with such hard climbing. I decided to wait a bit, take some pictures and reset.

The first move.

Grabbing the intermediate.

Ready to pounce.

After the rest I felt ready to go and on my first attempt I reached out and snagged the intermediate. My hand blew off as I went for the finish, but this was certainly a breakthrough! The next three goes were even better. I grabbed the small, white hold and twice I had my hand over the lip. It was just a little much for me to hold the tension. I feel no frustration. I am motivated, full of psyche and hope. It is right there, so close, just waiting for me to step up and grab it. I cannot wait to try again.

After the session, Angela and I crossed the river and went over to the Bog. She was interested in Castaway, a crimpy, four move V11 put up by Theo Merrin a few years ago. I did the second ascent soon after. This was her third day of climbing on the problem and she did all the moves and was ready to try from the start. In one of her most impressive climbing efforts, she pulled on and fired it! It was nice to see her put it together so quickly. She really attacked the last move and I was very proud of the way she climbed. This was her 5th V11. We got some video, and as soon as I can get it edited, it will be up on the site for your viewing pleasure.

Angie Payne sends Castaway V11

Crimping hard.

Focused and determined.

Colorado has 300 days of sunshine every year. Today is not one of them.

Today Angela went to Black Ice V10 in the Flatirons. She had been working on this problem for a while, and finally did the first female ascent. Black Ice is a beautiful boulder problem in Fern Canyon that was established by Will Lemaire. Although the problem takes some time to reach, the 45 minute trudge uphill is well worth it. It climbs a steep roof (~60 degrees) for about 12 feet and then finishes with a 15 foot slab. The climb is commiting, but very fun, and the rock is some of the best in the Front Range.

Angie Payne sends the Front Range classic Black Ice V10

Angie first tried Black Ice a year or two ago. “I was able to figure out the moves, but I didn’t return to the problem that year. This year I turned my attention back to the problem and recruited Jamie to hike up there with me. I relearned my beta and got relatively close to sending within a few days. Then the snow came, and Black Ice was put on the back burner again.”

Recently, when the weather finally improved, she began working on the problem again with Mike Moelter. Today they hiked up there late in the day and both sent it. Nice effort Angie!

I went back to Circadian Rhythm for a night session with Feinberg. Conditions were amazing for about 30 minutes until it rained, putting an end to our session. It feels good and I would love to finish it before it gets too warm.

In other news, Daniel Woods and Paul Robinson established a new boulder problem today near Eldorado Canyon. The problem is called The Honey Milker V11 and is the sit start to an existing problem called Honey Maroon V8. Check back soon for more info on this problem.

Check out the new video on momentumvm.com showing Angie Payne winning the SBS at the Spot Bouldering Gym in Boulder, CO last month.

Check out this nice video, courtesy Ryan Olson, (www.coloradoclimbs.com) of me doing the second ascent of Burnout V12 at Walker Ranch.

Watch Burnout Bouldering Video

Today I went to the Poudre Canyon with a great crew. Harry Robertson, Mike Feinberg, Brian Camp, Rolson, The Landman Bros., Chadwick Greedy, Si Moore, Daniel Woods, Seth Allred etc etc etc. The weather was really nice and the vibe was good. I started off by warming it up first go on the Canopener. Canopener was my first V10 ever. I did it on the Fourth of July in the summer of 2002.

Daniel Woods doing the proper finish to Canopener Right V11.

This was the first chance I have had almost all year to put a good session in on Circadian Rhythm V13.

This problem has been on my mind for a while. Circadian is a 6 move roof on the Balance Boulder that sits in the middle of the 420 Boulders in the Poudre Canyon. It starts on massive jugs and climbs through a steep wall of polished, flat and incut holds with a big throw at the lip. A truly brilliant boulder. One of the best and hardest in Colorado. Dave Graham did the FA in the fall of 2001. I was psyched but there were alot of people and it was a little frustrating waiting in line.

With the temps cooling it felt right to head back and give Circadian another burn. This time I did the moves quickly. Tyler and Harry were sessioning and both were close. The wind picked up and Ty responded with his best go of the day and the 6th ascent! Good effort.

Ty Landman sends Circadian Rhythm V13

Harry soon followed suit. It was really neat to see such a hard problem get climbed, twice! On several goes I got the cross under but fell lurching out to the intermediate. I can’t believe how much easier it felt today and I shall go to full attack mode to try and finish this boulder before the season gets too warm. I feel like this is the real winter prize and one of the last hard problems in CO I have yet to complete. The day was already a great one but on our way out we stopped by to see Daniel Woods amazingly do all the moves on the project in the narrows that was featured in an earlier post.

Ben Scott attempting the Narrows Project.

I think Daniel thought it would be V14 or 15. Everyone seemed psyched and the future of hard bouldering in CO may be closer than I thought.