Tahoe!

We left Bishop.
This winter was really hot and we were both ready for a change…
We are now in the Lake Tahoe area. The weather is great for climbing up here.. It’s refreshing to feel cold and sticky rock once again…
To start things off we spent a week in the South Shore area..
If you don’t know, the rock in Tahoe is generally what I think of as proper granite. The crystals that are melded together are usually small and smoother, hence forth the holds you grab tend to be substantially less spikey than the holds in Bishop.. This is a very welcome change for me at least! (I still love Bishop, don’t get me wrong..) The movement tends to be very technical and interesting and the boulders generally are very climbable.. And there are A LOT of boulders in Tahoe..
Tahoe is in it’s golden age of development right now so it’s a pretty exciting place to be if you’re into putting up new climbs.. Also there are tons of established problems I have never even seen.. Oh man.
We’ll just do a little recap of what’s happened since we’ve arrived..
We climbed at the Beavers a few days. Erin did some classics and I think I put up a handful of fun new lines in the V5-V10 range.. I did a different start to an existing V4, Beaver Feaver, that checks in around V10 called Tickle Me Beaver. I also did a fun new mini-compression problem dubbed Belly of the Beaver that felt about V9. I put up another V8, Moss Man Prophecies, and a fun traversing V5 with interesting moves, Don’t Feed the Beavers.

Erin eyes a slope on Don’t Feed the Beavers

We climbed at Lake Audrain one day. I tried my buddy Jesse Bonin’s problem, The Geode (V11). It’s a sick little mini squeeze rig and it’s hard! I got all the moves but didn’t put it together before the sun crept over the barely existent holds rendering them unusable for me.. Next time.. Erin and I both did Sloper Slide Original (V8), I put together The Path of Most Resistance (V10) and Globe Trotters Sit (V9) also.

The Geode.. Good problem.. Next time.

Erin getting some Slope and Slide.

We went up to the Mountain Beavers with Charlie Barrett. Charlie and I wanted to send one problem for the day each and we were both successful.. Charlie did the epic squeeze prow Integrity (V10) second try. I did another Bonin masterpiece Soliasit (V9). Both of these lines are incredible… Erin ticked off some classics as well.  Here’s a vid of Jesse doing the first ascent of Solilasit.. 

We also went on a three day exploratory backpacking trip with Jesse Bonin, Charlie Barrett and Joe Debaun. Jesse and Kenyon Smith developed some boulders near Lake Elbert this past year and there were more to do and look at. Jesse gave us the tour of the developed lines and we weren’t disappointed.. There were a ton of fun ones. I had a very enjoyable, and big day of climbing repeating Bonin’s and Kenyon’s lines. I managed a flash of Squeaky Tree Gets the Grease (V9) and Snapper Roof (V8). Charlie FA’d a sick sloper problem that went at V8 and I pulled the second ascent out with difficulty. I put up a pretty fun link up that went at V8 that was very good I thought, and dubbed it Flock of Seagulls.
We shot a ton of video, expect to see that soon. Bonin has several unrepeated, hard, and good problems up there and he climbed some for the camera.. I tried a couple of the harder ones with no success.. They felt hard! Erin also strongly fired off Squeaky Tree Gets the Grease (V9). Charlie second ascented Cuban Reuban (V9). The few days in the wilderness were great and it was nice escape the world and have no phone service for a few days.

Not a bad spot..

Lake Elbert

I am running out of time here. We are in Truckee now, just north of the Lake. We’ve climbed a couple days up here and we’re hanging out with some friends..
At Soda Springs I had a good day.. I flashed the classic Fresh Tips (V8), did Shibadang (V10) and White Stallion (V10). White Stallion was amazing.. It climbs up a beautiful, tall and slightly overhanging wall to a V5 mantle move with some bad fall potential. Erin came so close to Fresh Tips.. soon.

The mantle onto the slab of White Stallion.. This picture doesn’t do the problem justice. The wall rises out of a hole that is lurking to my right.. If your foot or hand were to pick, it feels like you will fly into it..

I also came very close to doing Charlie Barrett’s mega line Boyz in the Hood (V12) yesterday. Hopefully tomorrow…

Here’s a vid of that too.. https://vimeo.com/98306440

Almost time to move on.. Projects and Friends..

For another week and a half or so.. depending on the weather, Erin and I are in Bishop. This week unfortunately looks very hot, so it will be a battle to try and send our remaining projects.. If we don’t get’em all this time around they will be there next time I suppose..
However, my philosophy has always been if you are capable at a moment in time of climbing something at or very close to your limit you had better try your absolute hardest to get it done. There is no foreseeing the future. Injuries and life can get in the way at any moment and you will probably never see it coming. The time for action is now!
So, before we leave we are going to try our absolute hardest to get the proj’s done..
You are probably wondering what these projects are so I guess I’ll spill the beans even though I’m reluctant too so I don’t jinx us..

Erin:
Acid Wash Right (V9). She’s fallen at the last move twice from the start. There is a very friction dependent hold. Heat doesn’t help. Will she pull through?
Juniors Achievement (V8). A historical crimp line that is very sharp at the Buttermilks that was the hardest line in the area for a while. The heat makes it that much sharper..
Twisted Sister Sit (V9). She’s got this one I think and it’s at Rock Creek and higher in elevation.. She just has to drop the hammer and we need to go there..
Erin also has many other things that are harder and easier (at least number wise) she has been trying and could very well do at any moment.

Me:
Mandala (V12). I am so close I can taste it. I’ve done all the moves. I Almost did it yesterday. It absolutely destroys your skin. Heat doesn’t help. Going back monday morning and warming up at 6 am in hopes it’s cold enough. It might not be..
Michael Caine Sit (V12/13) So very close… could go at any moment. I had a horrible dry fire off it last session and got two of the worst, and bloodiest knuckle bashers I’ve ever had.
Tony’s Dyno Rock Creek (V heinous for me..) I’ve put more than 50 days of effort in over the years. Enough said.
There are many more lingering around too but enough with that…

I’m helping with the Bishop Bouldering Guide Update and have been tracking down obscure and undocumented climbs along with updating info regarding current climbs. If you have any info that you would like to contribute please contact me at cottersnow@hotmail.com! If you are a concerned about certain undocumented local areas that have sensitive access being revealed, rest assured they won’t be, and know that I am really trying to keep the bigger picture in mind.

Speaking of obscure climbs I have done some pretty darn cool ones..
We climbed a number of undocumented classic problems at the Bardini’s that I’m sure had been done many times before. One of them I ended up doing was a really unique bulge problem that checked in around V9 or 10.. If anyone knows a name for it please let me know!
Here is a video of that one, along with Slow Dance (V10) at the Happy Boulders.  

Erin climbed what is perhaps her first V8, Water Hazard Right at the Sads. It’s in the current guide as a 9, but we both think an 8 is fair. I think I inadvertently put up this variation years ago when I was trying to do Water Hazard (V10) and started it wrong.

Erin eyes the lip on Water Hazard Right.

I did one other harder and cool obscure climb at the Buttermilks yesterday. It starts right of Gleaming the Cube on the cave boulder sitting in a scoop. I had my right hand on a low faint sloper and left on a cool rib hold. It did a few contorted and funky stem moves to join Gleaming the Cube and probably checks in around V9 or 10. I know it has been done before, and if you’re in the area check it out. I made up a name for it, 3D, and if somebody knows of a previous name it let me know.

A couple good friends of ours Mike Lohre of Mike’s Mix (aka Mr. Mix) and Matt Satermo came out and climbed around with us a bit. It was a great time and very refreshing to have fun with these guys for a few days.. Here’s a couple shots of them tearing it up..

Matt’s first problem at the Happy’s ever, the mega Heavenly Path (V1)

Mr. Mix bears down on the Happy’s classic, Every Color You Are (V6).

Also of note.. the Devil’s Lake Bouldering guide is coming along.. Get psyched!

Okay, I gotta run, Erin and I are going to relax at Keough’s hot springs for a couple hours before I head to work. Hopefully everyone is well!