Bouldering via google images

Sarah, down from Missoula for springbreak has been on a bouldering tear lately, ticking off sends on some of Whiskey's most classic moderates. Most of which were projects that have plagued her for years. Instead of posting the same tired photos of boulders you've probably seen 100 times before, I decided to google image search their names and post my favorite picture instead. Fortunately, she avoided problems like "fagatron" or "the young and the breastless," otherwise this blog would no longer be PG.

Sends thus far include:


The Senile Traverse


Bone and Barbwire


Yoda


Waverunner

Meanwhile, I got throttled by the boogyman

It was most unpleasant

Spring Bleeding

Signs spring climbing season is on: Huge flappers and climb-on in my backpack, a tick-list of problems to send in the margins of all of my notebooks, my clothes no longer smell like campfire, and a long line a of shirtless Brobrahs lined up to thrutch and flail on the Wave.

On Thursday, Kyle (spacecat) Neely and I headed out to the Trailers for an afternoon session, which involved quick sends of the Pope's Simulator, and realizing that we are both short on Heart of Darkness. (Neither of us sent, but Kyle deemed the sds to be MT's next rad v10+ probelm.) Then Kyle wanted to go sus' some beta, on an old Dwight line on the Queen. Given that we only had my mondo and no ropes, this was probably a poor idea.

On Saturday, the Dizzler and I pilgrimaged to Whiskey, with a long list of problems to try. I managed to get an FA of a little line called Western Grip (v4), in the recently developed cluster directly in the middle of the main area (near that weird red cave). We then both got shot down by top-out of the Whiddler (v7), before finishing up the day, Erik Christianson's newish problem, Full Gravity Daze (v5). A neat little problem which involved a fun dyno, and some ugly face dragging falls.


A shitty pic of myself on the Whiddler, that does no justice to the problem nor my old climbing sweat pants.

Side note: A few years back I stumbled upon a white shipprow like mini-butress above what became new whiskey. The other day, I went looking for it again and found it cleaned and chalked with a large landing area constructed and a ladder stashed. It looked as though a lot of work had gone into the lines and I was wondering if they are still projects or are established and open? Beta por favor.

Montana winter bouldering summarized in a single photo.

*Sidenote- We only built the fire outside the ring out of necessity and tried to scatter the ashes afterword.

Making Hay

45 degrees and balmy in the batholith this weekend! Saturday saw the defacto Butte crew (only one of us can claim to be a true Butte rat) out with gusto. I recently decided that the free printing my tuition at Montana Tech pays for, would best be used by printing bouldering guides off the internet. Thusly, I found a copy of the "New Whiskey" guide in my hands, compliments of Erik Christensen (Bouldering Montana blog). I'd hiked though this area before but had never actually hopped on any of the problems. Its always nice getting on some new goods.

Highlights and conclusion after our saturday visit...
-The cornballer v2, may be the best straight-up (ie. non-traversing) mellow problem in the Whiskey area.
-The Italain Job v5, is one hell of a circus trick, and I'm pretty certain I blew a disc in my shoulder.
-Pasta, Gummibears and Zombies v4- I'm normally not too stoked on cracks when it comes to bouldering, but this was an acception.
-Fefifofum v7- Is a far trickier problem than it first appears. It should not be attmpted in the dark!

Overall very cool. Need to go back and finish up some business...

On Sunday (after regaining our composure from a rough night at the M&M), Sarah, JD and I decided to head up to the East Ridge. I'll spare the details until I get more pictures of the area...


Here are some random photos from JD's GoPro. The fisheye makes everything look a little weird.


Hobo-ing along the tracks. The East Ridge.


Sarah on The Assination of Biggie Smalls, v2/3. East Ridge.


JD on the same problem.


Myself on Low Hanging Fruit v2/3 (Our name). Located on a shelf just below globetrotter... our warm up area on saturday. This thing is actually pretty neat, though I can't be 100% sure if she'd been climbed before.


Start of the same problem. Could result in a terrible fall.


Sarah, not aware the gopro was still taking pictures.

More pics and such coming soon.

Enter the Forest.

Yes, I have not posted in a while. This is mostly due to my younger brother snagging my camera for a trip to Latin America, and me realizing that climbing blogs without pictures usually come across as thinly vailed essays on narcissism. With that said, things have been happening...

On Saturday Dylan (Dil-bag) Peck, traveled east from Mongzoolia (Missoula) and called be to link up with the "Backwaters" crew for a tour of the Trailer boulders. Big thanks to Tom and company for showing us a good time and lots-and-lots of very neat rock. Psyched to know about this option. Favorite problems included the Aristocrat v4, Pope's Simulator v5/6?, and Heart of Darkness v8(Actually, I just watched others get burly on this epic problem). Bummer no pics.

After seeing so many pretty new blocks, we (JD Jordan, Sarah Hambock, and myself) decided we were unfortunately, weak bums. So on Sunday we tried rectifying this problem by doing a big circuit in old Whiskey... The usual problems were climbed, mostly by stubborness and "try hard," rather than by strength or skill. JD took these rad shots.


Sarah, getting mean on CCC.


Very Close.

Highlight of the day, was perhaps a new gem found deep in the sagebrush, high above the Wave. I am by no means certain that we were the first people to climb on this very cool little boulder, but it is not in the guide, lacked anytype of trail or logical approach, and has never appeared (to the best of my knowledge)on the internet... Anyway, we decided to call it "Real Housewives of Jefferson County" and gave it a tentitive grade of v4. I'll try to get a photog up soon...

Here's to hoping that La nina reamians MIA, and the batholith stays nice and dry.