Bouldering Montana

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

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

September Photo Dump – TRoots & Cascade

Posted on October 1, 2012 | Leave a comment

As I mentioned in my last post, I went to Upper Mason Lake early in September and did a terrific new dyno, the Interplanetary Insanitarium. While I was up there I noticed that the Lake was way below it’s normal level, which opened up a few new lines on a huge lake side boulder – the Ark. Unfortunately a thunderstorm was moving in while I was completing the I.I. and I had to cut the day short, hiking out in a drizzle. Well, that boulder was on my mind the entire week. In the last few years that I’d been going to the lake I’ve never seen it low at all so I knew I had to take advantage before the snow came in. I established a couple sweet new problems. The first, SeqKnar V5, named in honor of Sequoia’s fifth birthday, should be perfectly dry the vast majority of the time. The second, Smoke on the Water V2/3, is super classic and will definitely be in the lake during most normal snow seasons. Smoke on the Water head up great moves on perfect rock to a tough mantel on thin crimps just high enough to make me back off a couple times before screaming my way through it. Here’s a few photos/screenshots from the day:

the Interplanetary Insanitarium V6 – It’s not too easy to pose a picture of a dyno with a self timed camera, so I’m pretty proud that I got one to work.

Sequoia hanging out by the lake on her fifth b-day.

Figuring out what would become SeqKnar V5 (screenshot)

FA of SeqKnar V5 (screenshot)

FA of Smoke on the Water V2/3 (screenshot)

Soaking in the view (screenshot)

I also talked Sarah and Leslie into Cascade Creek for an afternoon instead of sport climbing a couple weeks ago. I toured them around to the classics and when they left I went for a little jaunt up the hill. I managed to top out the hill above the boulders. The whole point was to look for more problems, but that was pretty much a bust. There’s definitely potential on the way up, but the highest talus field was what was on my mind the whole time and there was absolutely nothing up there that would make me do that hike again. I did see a moose on top of the ridge so that made it worth the horrible hike. Photos:

Leslie – Cream V1

Sarah – Peaches V3

Leslie – Peaches V3

Moose!

Little different view of the Skyline and the upper Gally formations from the top of the ridge above the Cascade boulders.

-EC

Cascade & TRoots

Posted on September 4, 2012 | 1 comment

We had a great crew up at Cascade last Sunday so I once again have some photos to post up. Joe and Griffin were in town from SLC for the weekend along with Alex, Ho, Isaac and myself. We spent the entire day on two of the best boulders Cascade has to offer – the Explosive Boulder and the Haunted Space Mansion. As usual, everyone crushed:

Joe – Fire in the Hole V4

Griffin – Fire in the Hole V4

Griffin – TNT V7 (3 Points of Contact…)

Joe – TNT V7 (Zero Points of Contact…)

Joe – TNT V7 – Not a great photo, but I love Griffin’s expression.

Ho – FA of Intergalactic Jellyfish V6 – Brilliant Slab!

Alex – Intergalactic Jellyfish V6

Joe – Project

Griffin – Project

Isaac didn’t wear a bright shirt so no action photos. Might as well wear camo…

Besides Cascade, I’ve been getting up to the Tobacco Roots a lot recently too. I’ve had a few days at North Willow Creek and a few more days at the Mason Lakes. I put together a short video of two of the best problems I’ve done in the TRoots – the Interplanetary Insanitarium and Stone Cold Crazy.

The I.I. is an amazing one move wonder dyno. I could barely pull off the ground when I first tried the I.I. in 2010. Last year I progressed to being able to generate and almost touch the hold you dyno to. This year when I made it back last month, I was able to get to the hold but didn’t feel too close to sticking it. I got into a little better shape and succeeded last Saturday. Definitely one of the best problems I’ve put up! It was really great to have the multi-year progression on it as well.

The other problem, Stone Cold Crazy, I put up in June while there was still snow. I mentioned it in this post. As I suspected, the problem went from safe with snow to highball-jumbled-talus without snow. This problem would be a very serious endeavor without the safety blanket of snow. Enjoy!