Category Archives: Northwest

Skyline Boulders, the Bash and a rainy Leavenworth

Posted on October 30, 2012 | 2 Comments

Well, it’s been awhile so here’s another photo dump – par for the course.  Let’s start with a trip to the Skyline Boulders.  This small, but high quality collection of boulders sits below the Skyline Buttress in the Gallatin Canyon.  Here’s some photos of Isaac and Ho trying a new V8 (possible it’s been done, but unlikely) up the center of the Trailside Boulder on the way to the Skyline Buttress.  Neither got it that day, but both returned and triumphantly sent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A couples weeks back I attended the Butte Bouldering Bash at the Trailer Boulders.  As usual, the event was awesome and the climbing was lots of fun with lots of friends.  I basically didn’t take any photos, but Ari took a few with my camera.  For a bunch of excellent photos of the event check out Tom’s wrap-up post here.

Myself on the Aristocrat V4 – best problem I did all day! (photo by Ari Kaufman)

 

Lastly, Jeff, Sarah and I made a trip to Leavenworth, WA last weekend.  What was supposed to be 4 or 5 days of perfect granite crimps and slopers turned into one perfect days of bouldering followed by rain… lot’s of rain.  Luckily we all climbed a ton on Thursday so it wasn’t a complete bust.

Jeff and Sarah took off to Seattle on Saturday morning while I stuck it out through the weekend.  On Saturday, I tried what was probably the only dry problem in Leavenworth – the Lefty V7.  I got pretty close, but didn’t succeed on Saturday so when Sunday rolled around with clear skies I went back to it thinking I could finish it up quickly and then move onto whatever else I could find that was dry.  Well, that didn’t happen.  I spent 7.5 hrs over two days on a single problem with nothing to show for it.  Very frustrating to say the least.

The problem basically boiled down to two very hard moves then another kinda hard move to a drop-off jug.  Just after warming up on the second day, I stuck both the crux moves only to fall off going to the jug.  It’s a bit of a precision throw into a slot and I missed.  I knew I could do all the moves and usually that means imminent success for me.  Not this time.  3 more hours and I never got through that second killer move.  I suppose since it’s a contrived drop-off anyway and I stuck the first V6 move about 30 times, I can say I ran 30 laps on a V6, right?  Anyways, although the weather made it mostly a bust, I’m as psyched as ever for Leavenworth granite and can’t wait to get back!

Photos!

EC – Hueco Route V1 (photo by SHo)

 

Ho – alternate beta for the Hueco Route V1 (photo by SHo)

 

SHo – the Undercling V5

 

SHo – the Undercling V5

 

Ho – the Shield V7 (photo by SHo)

 

EC – trying the Shield V7 (photo by SHo)

 

EC – Cruise Control V6 (photo by SHo)

 

Leavenworth livin’ – brats and beer!

 

-EC

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Posted in Batholith, Northwest, Skyline Boulders

Leavenworth & Squamish

Posted on October 9, 2010 | Leave a comment

Got back from Leavenworth & Squamish a few days ago.  Bouldered 3 days at each.  Tons o’ fun was had.  I’m not one for super wordy posts so I’ll try to summarize.

First off, yes, Leavenworth bouldering is better than Squamish.  Squamish is good, but I enjoyed the style at Leavenworth much more.  On the other hand, the setting at the Grand Wall boulders is insanely cool.  Super dense rain forest right beneath the Grand Wall.  I’d put the Grand Wall boulders right next to the Buttermilks for bouldering areas that I’d be happy going to and not even climbing.

Back to Leavenworth… It reminded me a lot of a granite version of Joe’s Valley.  It’s basically two massive canyons with granite everywhere.  There’s pulloffs every few hundred yards for different areas.  One  area may have 4 problems and the next may have 40.  Generally, I’d call Leavenworth crimpy technical, while Squamish is a weird slopey technical.  The Leavenworth style fit me well, while I had to work a little harder on most problems in Squamish.

I didn’t take as many photos as I wanted, but here’s a few:

The Grand Wall:

 

Howe Sound from on top of the Chief:

 

Rock Art on the Grand Wall trail:

 

Squamish flora:

 

I’ve got to bring this up too, because it was very interesting:

 

I’m not one for ranting and I’m pretty sure I’ve held off from ranting in this blog until now…

No visit to the Grand Wall boulders would be complete without a visit to the hotel-sized Cacodemon boulder to gawk at Dreamcatcher.  It’s not too often you get to see a 14d (especially in MT).  Anyway, while walking to it I came across this beautiful blank slightly overhaning wall and I saw a line of amazing chicken heads right up the middle.  I went to investigate and it turns out the chicken heads were gym holds bolted to the wall, supplemented by drilled pockets.  I couldn’t believe it.  The most obvious and largest boulder, holding one of North Americas hardest and most well known sport climbs, in one of North Americas most popular climbing destinations… and it’s got two lines of drilled pockets, one with plastic gym holds bolted to the rock.  Unbelievable.  I’ve heard of this happening in the past (Smith, Castle Rock, etc…) and I’ve seen it on a smaller scale with just drilled pockets (Cody), but to have a 60ft route on a perfect wall in the heart of Squamish was crazy.  It’s hard to tell from the photos, but the in the first photo the line basically follows the tree up on the right side of the photo.  The second is a close up and you can just barely see the drilled pockets.  C’mon Canada, you’re better than that.

Here’s a little vid that I put together as well:

 

-EC

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Posted in Northwest