Lastly is a vid of Ho doing the FA of a gorgeous new line at Cascade – ‘Fear Factor’. Technically it’s the 2nd ascent since I was blowing it with the video camera and ran out of space just before Ho climbed it the first time. I deleted some footage off and made him climb it again. Isaac would be proud!
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.
Headed back to East Rosebud on Sunday with Ho, Henry and Jarred and gave ’em a tour of what I’ve seen/climbed over the last couple weeks. Good times were had by all. We started off the day beneath Double Book Dome, a relatively popular roped crag. We pretty much spent the first couple hours complaining about how hot it was and lounging in the shade:
the Warm-Up Boulder
I dropped my flip-flop down an 8 foot deep talus pit. Luckily Henry was there to fish it out.
Luckily clouds started to roll in and stayed there the rest of the day making the conditions manageable. Next up we went 20 feet farther up the talus and checked out the 45 degree wall I’d scoped out last time. Perfect line of holds up a steep wall with a nice top-out. The stand start went quick with Henry snagging the FA, but the sit start wouldn’t submit.
Henry on the FA of "Splode" V4
Henry checking out the sit start, "Super-Splode." Undone and hard.
After everyone Splode’d we packed up and moved on to another boulder field farther up the road. I’ve been calling this area the Streaked Slab Boulders because there’s a gorgeous streaked slab just above the talus that home to at least a couple bolted routes. If anyone knows the real name of this crag let me know. After giving a quick tour of the dozens of boulders we headed over to a tall face that came to be known as “In It To Win It.” In typical fashion, Ho lurked around and let Henry figure out the beta for the start then jumped on and easily flashed it for the FA. I don’t think Ho has fallen off a problem in a few years… I was too much of a wimp to even boot up, so I just took photos:
Henry sending "In It To Win It" V5
Henry
Jarred
Jarred catching air
Jarred
Jarred sending
Henry on the eliminate "F*$% It and Huck It"
On the way up to the next new one, I talked everyone into trying a problem I put up last Wednesday called “Made in the Shade.” It doesn’t look like much but it’s got some pretty cool movement with a mean top-out crux. I’m quite proud to say that Ho did not flash it! Everyone sent it easily after I showed them the sneaky beta.
From there we went up and Henry did the FA of a problem I cleaned calling it “Wasp Womb.” Really fun movement, but there lot’s of dab potential in the first half. I got close, but I started on it a little too late and didn’t want to hang around any longer cause there wasn’t much light left. Something to come back for!
Henry on the dabby start of "Wasp Womb"
Henry on the FA of "Wasp Womb" V5
Ho flashing the 2nd ascent
Lastly, just before it got dark we stopped at a beautiful black boulder in the middle of the dense trees below the talus. This was the last of the top three lines that I had spotted in the two areas. “The Black Arete” ended up being the unanimous favorite. It starts with a great jump to a sloper then another dynamic move to a good pinch and ends with a few more sloper moves and a great top out mantel at a perfect height. It was too dark for photos or video, but here’s a photo from when I first spotted it:
The Black Arete V4
Henry also did the FA of a cool looking slab just right of the arete to finish out the day. Here’s a few more random photos.
Cleanin'
Here’s a short vid of 3 of the new problems – Made in the Shade V4, In It to Win It V5 and Splode V4:
Bouldering Montana 