As I mentioned before, I take a lot of video while I’m out bouldering alone. For one reason or another the majority of the footage doesn’t end up on youtube. Here’s some screenshots from my video footage from the last year:
Ring of Fire Right V2, FA - Whiskey Gulch, MT (Seq-knar spotting)
Peder's Demise V1 - Whiskey Gulch, MT
Better Eat Your Corndogs V6 - Lost Horse Canyon, MT
Inertia V6 - Whiskey Gulch, MT
the Kind V5 - RMNP, CO
Unnamed V6 - RMNP, CO
Aces High V4, FA - Cascade Creek, MT
Magnum V6 - Cascade Creek, MT
Breakdown V4, FA - Beartooths, MT
Project - Hollowtop Valley (Tobacco Roots), MT
Henry to EC - "WTF?"
Sunny Slab V0, FA - Beartooths, MT
A River Runs Through It V3, FA - Upper Mason Lake (Tobacco Roots), MT
the Topus V5 - Ibex, UT
Squeeze Problem V6 - the Poudre, CO (Full Disclosure - I didn't send...)
And last, but not least… my next post will be from here:
Been developing like crazy lately. Too much stone to climb. Made two trips out to the Tobacco Roots – one to Lower Mason Lake and the other to Hollowtop Valley. The day trip to Hollowtop Valley ended up being a full value day of bouldering. I decided to check out some potential on the way to the Valley, which made the 2-2.5 hour hike into a 4.5 hour hike, but I did see some cool rock on the way. There was some bouldering that probably wasn’t worth the hike, but there were some really cool looking cliffs:
Looked like a few potential splitters, but I didn’t get close enough to gurantee quality. Any traddies out there up for some hiking?
I finally made it to Hollowtop Valley and warmed up on large boulder with a cool section of crystally rock:
From there I went to the main event – a perfect 30-40 degree overhanging finger crack that I found last year – the Punisher. I got semi-shutdown on this when I tried it last year and I knew I wouldn’t have too many trys because of the painful nature of it. The problem is basically two super painful finger locks, a really tight/insecure hand jam and a dyno – not long by any means, but not short either. I quickly made sure I could do each move individually, then gave it all I had and sent! I have no idea on the grade, mostly because cracks are my biggest weakness, but this is definitely one of the best problems I’ve done and one of my proudest FAs.
The Punisher:
I finished up the day by doing a cool lip traverse near the Punisher and started the long 2 hour hike back. Luckily it’s a little quicker heading back because it’s downhill, but it was still the most tired I’ve been in about 5 year. I was just about falling asleep while hiking. I managed to find the same cool tree that I found on my way out last year:
After getting my Tobacco Root fix, I turned my attention to Yankee Jim, more specifically the Hidden Valley – a new area Ho and I found a couple months ago. This small area is starting to become chock full of great easy to moderate problems. Last trip out I was lucky to put up one of the best V1’s I’ve done – the Ram’s Horn. It’s a perfect line of crimps and slopers up the back side of the largest and most aesthetic block in the whole area.
The Ram's Horn (chalk line on the right)
Lodged in the talus at the base of the Ram's Horn
Starting hold on the Ram's Horn
The next photo is the front side of the Ram’s Horn boulder. It’s hard to tell the scale of the boulder from the photo but it’s about 35 feet from the top of the boulder to the jumbled talus below. I wouldn’t even call these highballs, maybe deathballs? They look fantastic though and I may put in a top rope anchor sometime.
Frontside of the Ram's Horn boulder
Here’s another video of some of the best problems I’ve put up at the Hidden Valley:
Last, but not least, make sure you’ve got your calendar free on Saturday, August 27th – it’s the return of the Butte Bouldering Bash! Last year was a blast and it sounds like this year should be even better. Hope to see you at the Northern Bourbons! For more info check out Bouldering the Backwaters.
I made it up to the valley that I spotted from Hollowtop Mtn last week. For lack of a better name, I’m calling it Hollowtop Valley. The weather’s looking a little sketchy for this weekend so I decided to take a pad and make it a long day trip instead of risking an overnighter this weekend.. It was a perfect day, sunny, but chilly all day. Although I didn’t scout everything, most of the stuff that I saw last week from Hollowtop Mtn. was too small for bouldering. But, there was tons of stuff in the trees surrounding the 3 highest lakes that looked good. Definitely tons of potential. I think this would be a great place to head up once or twice a year for a weekend. If nothing else, it’s and absolutely gorgeous area. Here’s the pics:
Hollowtop Valley, you could do worse for places to spend a day bouldering…
Cliffs along the North side of Hollowtop Valley
The best crack boulder problem I’ve tried anywhere. About 10-12ft tall and 30 degrees overhanging with a few well placed finger locks. I found it as I was hiking out, cleaned it as fast as I could and tried it for a bit to no avail. I have no idea on ratings for cracks like this, but it felt comparable to a V5. It would probably feel a lot easier for better crack climbers. Just like all harder finger cracks (from what I’ve heard) it’s probalby going to end up being 50% strength/ability and 50% pain tolerance. I can’t wait to get back on it, but it may have to wait until next year. I don’t know if I’d have time to get back up until October and it may be snowed in by then. We’ll see…
Another view of “the Punisher Project” after I cleaned it.
A cool tree I saw on the way out.
Hopefully y’all can get out this weekend between the potentially crappy weather.
Bouldering Montana 