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Mike Feinberg just sent the Skipper Roof Left V11 in Upper Chaos. Dave Graham did the first ascent in 2001. The roof now has three problems, Skipper Right V10, Skipper Left and Next Friday V11.

In the fall of 1999 I was in my 4th year at Michigan State University. It was the first year that I had a car at college and I was ready to put it to use. Four or five days a week I would make the 25 minute drive out of Lansing to the town of Grand Ledge. It was and is the only place to climb on rock in Lower Michigan. Grand Ledge is a 35 ft sandstone cliff with about 75 or so routes. The rock is too soft to take bolts or gear, so toproping is the ethic. I was very motivated to climb, and quickly worked my way through the grades there. I vividly remember sitting in my little green Geo Prizm unbelievably excited by the fact that I had just climbed a 5.10. “5.10″ I thought, “the land of the elite”. By the spring I had climbed the hardest route there, Ragged Edge (5.12+). I remember asking another local if he thought Chris Sharma could do Ragged Edge. He said “He might even flash it” That seemed impossible as it had taken me several months of work and I thought I was going to break my fingers.

Local Dave Pachsen on a classic 5.9

The closest gym was an hour and a half away and for three years I was a fixture at “The Ledges”. Looking back its hard to believe that I spent so much time there, but it was all I had. Grand Ledge is a very small, beautiful little cliff. I would never recommend that anyone should go out of their way to climb there, but if you find yourself in mid-Michigan on a crisp fall day you might have some fun. The last day I climbed at Grand Ledge, before I moved to Colorado, I brought a camera with me. By that time, I had converted to a boulderer and had spent much of my time traversing the base of the cliff. We filmed some of the classics that day, and here they are, for your viewing pleasure, with a special appearance by Dave Ludders. Just so its clear, the last problem is only climbable in the dead of winter, when the moss I used for feet has frozen solid. w3rd.

In the spring of 2005, I went back there with Angela. In good form, she flashed Ragged Edge for it’s first female ascent.
Check out www.trails-edge.com for more photos and a guide.

Here is some quick video from yesterday. The counterparts Secret Splendour V12 and one of my favorite problems Nuthin’ But Sunshine V13. Conditions were amazing and we didn’t get back to the parking lot until 11:48pm! Glad to be back and I am psyched to go rock climbing! Horsetooth Hang this weekend.

The Horsetooth Hang is this Saturday and I will be heading up with Ryan Olson and Tyler Landman to help with a Five Ten Shoe Demo and a little rock climbing. Paul Robinson will be doing a slide show. Check out the website at http://www.horsetoothhang.net/

Scotty French on Cheathook V8

Wednesday, weathering permitting, I will head back up to the park and start trying to get fit again for what I hope is an extended fall season. Last year, my last day was October 24th, and I postholed up to lower Chaos, got warmed up and sent my project Secret Splendour. Two years ago it was Oct. 31st. The conditions were incredible. There were 30 mile an hour winds and the temperature was in the mid 30s. That day I climbed one of the best problems in Colorado, Nuthin but Sunshine. Hopefully, I will have a few of those days in the coming weeks.

I just got an email from my friend Matt Wilder. He spent the summer in South Africa bouldering at The Rocklands and is doing a slideshow at Neptune Mountaineering this Thursday at 8PM. Check it out if you get the chance! Matt has traveled around the world bouldering at a very high level. He is also the author of the Yosemite Bouldering guidebook as well as the Hueco Tanks guidebook and I personally saw him solve a Rubicks Cube in 42 seconds.

Klem Loskot FA Ray of Light

This fall has been far busier than I had planned and I have had a hard time getting outside.

Last year at this time I was climbing outside four sometimes five days a week. Today I climbed on the Automater V13 for the first time in what seemed like forever. I decided to return to the cross over beta, did the last move 4 or 5 times, and fell here the same amount of times from the start. If I can ever get out again and get some cold weather I would love to finish this.

In other news, Harry Robertson added a new V13 in Moraine Park called Both Sides of the Spectrum. It has quickly been repeated by both Paul Robinson and Dave Graham, who suggests it maybe easier. This was an obvious project that was often referred to as the “Karma Project” It is a very nice line on quality rock. There are now several problems in the double digit range including an unrepeated V11 put up by Tommy Caldwell many years ago.

I have been in the process of putting a bunch of footage together for a DVD which I will make available around Christmas time. That is all for now.

Update: Sounds like both Ty Landman and Tony Lamiche have made one day ascents. A two move V13 should be very, very hard. Does this fit the bill? Only time will tell. Lamiche has suggested V10.

Here is a quick video of a couple problems in Hueco Tanks. I am out of town this weekend at a wedding.

YouTube Link

Six years ago I was living in Michigan and decided to head out on a two week climbing trip to check out the new boulders in RMNP. I had no information whatsoever except for a couple magazine articles. I got out some old maps and hiking guides and quickly found Lake Haiyaha. My plan was to drive up to the Park, hike around until I saw the boulders and start rock climbing. September 9th was my first day bouldering in the Park and it began at the Suzuki Boulder. I climbed the fun V3 and V5 on the backside. I was ready to put my skill to the test against some of the harder problems. I went there with my friend Dave Ludders and he showed me this little V9 roof on the front side.

We both did it in an hour or so. I was so psyched. This was the hardest thing I had ever climbed, and only one step away from the much coveted V10. There was a bit of snow on the ground and with a good morning session we were ready to head up to Chaos.
The hike was refreshing with all the new snow. We walked around for a long time before we found anything. Finally we came upon European. I remember thinking that it looked impossibly hard. We walked over the little rise and saw the Bushpilot. I had never seen such an amazing problem! I tried this a few times and got totally shut down. Will Lemaire was trying it as well and I was very impressed with how good a climber he was. Funny how some things never change.

He and Rick Vitaka showed us around and I had such a good time. Gang Bang Arete was a good project and I spent the next several days working and finally sending it.

I met Dave Graham, Jason Kehl and Chad Greedy. I remember thinking that this was a perfect place for bouldering. Impeccable rock, hard problems and an amazing setting. Two days later everything changed. But the more things change the more they stay the same. 6 years later, to the day, there I was at Gang Bang Arete with Chad and Dave, trying hard, laughing and living.

Long’s Peak

Saturday I went to Chaos Canyon with Angela. The air was as crisp as it could be this time of year. I was psyched to head to Upper but things would not be. Angela has been trying European Human Being V12. She has done the problem in two parts now. Here are some great pics from Ryan Olson.

European Human Being V12

Angie Payne bearing down.

I hung around Lower until the evening and then my first good session of the year on the Automater V13. In my opinion this is the last classic hard problem I have to finish in Lower Chaos. Although I will admit it is very low, and a traverse, the rock is incredible and in my mind holds a special place for its difficulty. I remember long ago reading about how it shut down Ben Moon, Jerry Moffat, Malcolm Smith and Chris Sharma. (Check out jasonsales.com for some great old school photos of Malc, Tommy Caldwell, Chris and Dave, ignore the intro photo and click on climbing) The problem is long and continuous. With my beta it is 13 moves. It is naturally divided into two sections, the beginning boulder problem, which is probably V10 on its own, and then end sequence which I would put at solid V11. Saturday I got through the beginning section. I did all the moves but the last one and I was very close. I am sticking with Dave’s original beta instead of the cross through which has become so popular now. I think the whole problem, particulary the end, is easier if you are short. Anyways, I was psyched on my effort and am looking forward to putting more time in.

“Conditions are about to get really good, before they get really bad.” Dave Graham

Sunday was a pretty chill day. Olson and Brian Camp were at Veritas and I stopped there and warmed up on a fun little V9 called Stripes. It starts on two opposing sidepulls and jumps to a good edge. We went up to Upper and I tried Don’t Get Too Greedy V13 but I got pretty shut down. I was visibly shaking and that is not a good sign. It was a little frustrating after having done all the moves quickly and gotten close to doing it. We went back down to Lower and ran into some friends Chad, Ty, Dave Marquess, Nick Sherman, Caroline etc. Isaac Calderio and Dave Graham were there as well, and I hadn’t seen either in a while. Dave sounds psyched as usual. In other news, Tony Lamiche is here and had a nice warm up day at Mt. Evans, sending Clear Blue Skies V12 and Mental Pollution SDS V11 in a few goes. I am sure there will be more news to come from his stay.

Here are a couple roadside V9s on the Veritas Boulder, one I repeated and the other I did for the first time on Sunday. Enjoy.