A List

Summer is here and things are chugging along at full speed. Work and family keeps me busy, though I have been juggling climbing and bolting in the mix whenever I can. Motivation has been high but focus has been blurry lately, probably due to a late spring sinus bug brought on by raininess and temp fluctuations. The recent heat seems to have dried everything up and my head is nearly clear now.

Many people over the years have talked about lists they have prepared to help them zero in on and complete climbing goals. I have always been interested but alas too lazy to actually compile a list. I always feel like there IS a list for me, its just not written down. Yeah right! Last summer it worked pretty well because each time I completed something, I knew right where I wanted to go next, and things moved along. This year I was having trouble knowing where to begin. So... I compiled a list. It is only for Tensleep right now, and only for the upper canyon stuff. It includes routes from Metropolis all the way up to the Whiny Baby wall. The routes are only ones I have not done and range from 5.11b to 5.13b. My list has 35 routes. I do not expect to do them all this season, but now I have something to shoot for. It feels different to have actually written down what I want to accomplish.

My fitness level is still lacking and my endurance is coming back, however slowly. I am a bit scattered in that I have been on HB&S a long 5.13 at the slavery wall twice now and my new granite route in Cody which is 5.13-. These routes both feel doable but I have also failed narrowly on two 5.12b's in Tensleep, but done everything else I have tried in one go. My power level is about as good as it is gonna get, I just need to wrap my head around fighting through the pump. Hopefully things will start to fall into place soon.

My new bolted routes in Tensleep are fantastic. I have bolted, cleaned and prepped four lines but am still trying the first and easiest(?) one. I thought it would be 11+, but 5.12b or c seems closer. I fell on the flash attempt at the last bolt and then again going for the hold to clip the anchor. Next go for sure. The one to the left, in the center of the pillar got cleaned and prepped last night and is even better than the arete line. It seems harder and more sustained. I installed two more anchors, one for CK and one for me, both just left of the other two routes. This should almost fill the backside of this formation, and there is still plenty of room on the side and front.

Charlie and JB are in full swing at the new area as well. CK has bolted and sent two lines, a 10+ and 11-. JB has bolted four lines on a different formation, one of which could turn into two pitches. I am psyched that there are over ten routes there already. I may be able to do ten myself this season. New routes are cool and fun to find and establish but they take a toll on me, cutting into climb time and wearing me down physically. It's definitely worth it though!

I have some more media and info on the local bouldering but I'll save it for a later post. Ciao!

Summer is finally here

I spent a day a few weeks back climbing with my friend BJ, we tried the undone lines bolted on the granite in the lower canyon. He had his sights set on an old project called The Labor of Hate. A cool 12+ line of crimps up a steep wall to a stopper move to reach the anchors. He worked out and chalked up the line and found a plausible sequence for the final burly move. He practiced it but never actually stuck it, damn close though. I worked on the line around the corner from last fall as well hanging the draws and reworking some sequences. Unfortunately there was a key jug that had a puddle of water in it, and though it may not have mattered I didn't have the strength to power through it and just wipe my hand afterwards. Oh well, draws are hanging.

My new job has me over on the other side of the Big Horn Basin in Worland a couple days a week, developing new referral sources. This puts me frighteningly close to Tensleep Canyon which holds many lines I have yet to climb and a massive amount of virgin pocketed rock to bolt. My good friend Alli gave me permission to plant my pop up trailer in her side yard to use as a home away from home. It has become my office for work and a staging area for bolting missions. I finished equipping two routes on a steep bulging formation at a new area. One is a managable but sustained rig that will go at 12+ or 13-. The other is similar with several brutal cruxes, so probably harder. I began aiding my way up a free-standing pillar, my intent to leave a sport route in my wake and reach the top to access the other gems waiting to be bolted. These routes will be superb with unbeatable position - very psyched!!

Now that Alli is back at home, the climbing and training has begun with much vigor. She has folks staying with her already and more showing up in the coming weeks. She has draws hanging on Heart Balls and Swagger, a 19 clip long 5.13 that her beau Kevin bolted and sent toward the end of last season with James. They graded it 13c due to its length and one bouldery move. I took one run on it and climbed to the crux move only to sag and fall before even trying it. I rested and did the move. I also found an unchalked pocket that provided a workable sequence after that leads to the only jug on the upper section. It is sustained 5.12 climbing to the chains from there. I have no endurance whatsoever, so I was psyched to do all the moves, but daunted by the idea of sewing it together.

Bouldering continues to excite and amaze all who venture onto Cedar Mountain. I always try to shrug it off as the heat rises in the summer and concentrate on rope climbing, since the season is short. I am inevitably drawn back though, because the momentum doesn't fade with the locals but rather accelerates due to the longer days and cool evenings. Speaking of locals, they are all stronger than ever pushing individual limits and completing long standing personal goals and projects. I wish I had some footage of Clint mowing down all the V8's on the mountain or Kerrek completing new lines like the V11 direct start to Spear Point Crack or the left sit start to the Wilfords Wretch, but alas none was shot. Instead here is a video of Dan demonstrating that you really can climb on sandy choss, Dylan in mid circuit doing More is Better V4 and Clint sewing multiple old problems together to create something a little different.

Any Given Thursday evening on Cedar Mountain from Mike Snyder on Vimeo.

My camera is busted so now I have an excuse to not post pics. I'll keep shooting with the little HD though so I'll try to post up some more media.

Charged The Drill!!

Nearly two months have past since a post, Damn!! Sorry, but things have gotten hectic in several ways. First of all I started a new job and energy and focus have been siphoned away to concentrate on getting things right. A good job that pays decent is a rare thing these days, so I have been racing to get up to speed and make an impact so I can keep the position. So far things are going well. The other thing is my crappy old PC, which is creeping slowly toward oblivion. An upgrade is in the works and that should help with sound and movie concerns.

I have been climbing, quite a bit actually. Bouldering days have been fairly regular for the past two months, though the occasional splotchy weather drives me into the gym on climbing nights. I have been to the Bridge Bands on several occasions and strung up the long easy tens on the right end of the Cliff. I feel mentally solid but my power level isn't quite where I'd like as evidenced by my two days of failure on the 25' long 12c, Fossil Crack. This climb is steep with a distinctive powerful crux and reachy jug haulin before a thin crimpy sequence to pull the lip. It climbs like a V6 boulder problem. I chose this climb because I have done it several times in the past decade since it went in, and I felt it would be a good transition from bouldering to bolt clippin'. My last visit was great and I linked through the crux twice and fell higher sorting out the powerful reach moves above. I'd like to polish it off and try to finally redpoint its neighbor Bobbys Big Bulge 12d (yes that is a Bobby Model reference).

The Tensleep season is nearly upon us and I am ready to start making pilgrimages. Routes to bolt and routes to send! Syked!! I have unfinished business on the granite here in Cody as well, and promised myself to install and open at least one other route on the plug formation below the Island. Also there are FA climbs bolted and waiting that may be out of range now, but if I can get to where I was last year I may have a shot at sending.

So I dumped my bolting bag out to see what shape I had left things last fall. I use an electricians bucket which is a great durable catch-all and it does just that. The usual suspects rolled out, various bits, a blow tube, wedgies, a hanger or two, a link of chain, some spare biners, and a cloud of dirt and rock dust along with a few rock pieces. For some reason that always gets me fired up, so I began assembling the rest of the kit and making a list of stuff to buy. A few days later and all the necessary stuff had been rounded up and the drill charged. I bolted 3 last year and 5 the year before, which is good for me considering I have been juggling a family, my small business and general ennui. Wait, I'm still doing that, its just with a different job and I'm actually fired up right now. If all goes well, I should get that many or more done this year, with several routes planned in Cody and a new wall or two with Charlie in Tensleep this year.

Its not that I don't have any new or old media to share. I have shot a lot film clips just nothing I have been psyched to sew together. Last night I was at the Homestead V5, a fairly high overhung arete and at Studs V8 right next door. Between the double send train on both problems, a nearly 20 foot fall I took off the prow and the massive relandscape job done to the Studs landing Zone, I was kicking myself for leaving the camera at home.

I have been climbing with Drew a lot lately. This is probably due to the fact that he is on the mountain nearly everyday either climbing or landscaping or both, so he is almost always available. He is climbing better that ever but his perma-psych and energizer-bunny motivation isn't allowing any rest or more importantly recovery. I think I climbed 8 days a week when I was in my twenties too, so I can relate, though I understand how vital rest is. Granted I am twenty years older now and climb marginally better than in my twenties, it seems like I need 3 times the rest to really recover.

Satan's Soul V12

The Hate Satan Project has succumbed to the determination of Kerrek Stinson. While I was not there to capture it on video, I'm sure he made it look easy. This problem however did not go lightly in that many attempts over multiple days went into it. This was even after the moves had all been sussed, completed, the sequences sewn together and with enough tries to pretty much wire it. It still demanded something more, like the exquisite meal that is so much more than the ingredients that went into it. Awkward yet unique in its execution, this is a fine problem that is also very hard. I did spend a morning filming attempts and sewed together a collage of moves identical to what he used for the send.

Satan's Soul V12 from Mike Snyder on Vimeo.

DST!!!

My favorite holiday of the year. Not really a holiday but significant nonetheless because the extra hour in the evening allows for after work outdoor sessions during the week. To me, it has always signaled the beginning of the season.

A few years back (like nine) Dylan put in an order to Frank Endo Chalk for a box of seconds. What he recieved he figured would last him for ever. A giant box lined with a plastic bag of busted up chalk blocks! A treausre indeed, and it did last for quite some time. With the bouldering activity ramped up last year, he began going through his stash and passing it out to friends with great speed and kindness. Lo and behold the well ran dry and now he is out.

Enter Clint Cook, always in search of the greatest deals on the planet. After a little research on the net he placed an order for a new case of busted up seconds. I picked him up this morning for an afternoon of bouldering on the mountain and he came bearing gifts. My very own gallon zip lock bag full of chunks of chalk. Yess!! A fine gift on this most excellent of climber holidays.

Now if you climb more than once in a while you know how quickly chalk can disappear from your chalk bag. Throw in a rookie mistake here and there like kicking over the bucket or sitting on your chalk bag and spilling the whole mess (come on we've all done it), and finding a good cheap source of the magic dust becomes a must. So next time you need a fix, get some buddies to pony up for a 24lb. box of seconds and it will cost just under $100 delivered straight to your door. You will never have to be THAT guy again, you know the one who always has a chalk bag but there is nothing in it except little pebbles and pine needles.

Winter Sun

Though it has been too cold and inclement for outdoor climbing for most of the winter, February wasn't that bad around here, for bouldering anyway. Most trips are usually to the sunny wind blocked Carcass Crag. Due to the flurry of recent activity several new climbs have been envisioned and a gem or two completed. I have been lazy in shooting anything down there but rest assured a treasure of an FA awaits. I hope to capture it.

Kerrek has been training with us due to the permanent demise of our local rock gym, CORE. He basically lived there training nearly every day after school for several years now and was wondering what he would do with out it. The kid is strong, he showed up and cruised our warm ups, cruised our cool tough problems, cruised our projects then went on to create a project of his own.

Kerrek has been making trips to an old project on the Hate Satan Boulder that we envisioned back when Finger Paint and the other roof problems were being established. Dubbed the Hate Satan Project, I convinced BJ Tilden to have a go at it. He made several trips and came very close but lacked a foot transition that apparently stopped the whole process. Kerrick has replicated the sequence and decided to simply campus the tricky foot work. He has done and linked all the moves and now has to sew it all together. I gave the lad a ride the other day hoping to catch some good light and a send to make some video. I did get some good video but no send yet. As part of my ongoing effort to document and publish as many Cody Boulder problems as I can stand to film and edit (if you could call it that), here is Kerrek Stinson warming up on Shiza Shiza V7.

Shiza Shiza V7 from Mike Snyder on Vimeo.

Doin' it in the Box

That's right, Box Canyon just outside of Socorro, NM. Not a destination you say? Perhaps, but I have found myself there two other times in the past two decades, always on the recommendation of a good friend who is from there. On this particular trip not only was he there with me but the catalyst for the entire trip, more like I was there with him and two other homies from Cody. We had four days to see what the Box had to offer. Our quiver included three giant crashpads and associated bouldering hooha, such as chalkpots, a variety of brushes, speakers and Ipods, green chile beef jerky, etc. In addition, I insisted we bring sport climbing stuff, cause at the box, you can do either and they're both very good.
The trip down was a breeze. We drove through the night, taking 4 four-hour shifts and were there in time to get a full day in. We hit up the warmup blocs in the riverbed right near the parking area. We then marched up the hillside to the THC wall and another wall up and around the corner. Nearly everything I climbed on was cool and needless to say I overdid it and felt trashed by the end of the day.

Dan Miller Pioneering at the THC Wall from Mike Snyder on Vimeo.

Another THC Wall problem from Mike Snyder on Vimeo.

Day two we clipped bolts at the Alcohol Wall. Dan and I struggled, er.. warmed up on the two climbs on the far left of the wall. We thought they were 10+ or 11- and it turns out the guide says 10a and 5.9. Meanwhile, Dylan and Clint warmed up on a cool climb he claimed was 10c. Dylan lead it and commented that he didn't remember it being that spicy. We all struggled through believing it was only 10c, only to find out later that it was actually 11c. Dylan kept talking about this old project through the bulge to the right. He bolted it and did all the moves but could never send it, he claimed it was probably 12+. Since the rope through the 11c anchors hung straight down the old project I figured I would give it a top rope. The moves up to the bulge are on the biggest jugs which is easy right into four super hard bouldery moves. I tried this sequence but could only do two of the four moves and couldn't link any of them. We talked to some one later on and found that this proj was sent by Timmy Fairfield and called Pimp Daddy and given 5.13d. No wonder I was getting nowhere.
We rounded the corner to the Pocket Change Wall to try the route of the same name. Dylan put the draws on in good style and 3 out of 4 of us flashed this quality route. After sampling one more easier 10 as a warm down we packed up and headed down to check out the Unbeatable boulder and several others down the drainage. No one had any skin or energy to muster much of anything but we all picked gems to work on the following day.

Pocket Change 5.11c from Mike Snyder on Vimeo.

Day three brought more fantastic weather, sunny but cool. Bouldering was the agenda for the day and we headed to the unbeatable to warm up. This superb stone has a steep wave on one side and a perfectly vert side on another offering a variety of easier climbing and a few test pieces. We did the phenomenal arete Pressure Drop V1, and it took us all multiple goes to fire off Lion of Judea V3, a viciously sandbagged steep juggy roof. Dylans friend Jake was along with his wife and kids. Jake is somewhat of a legend in Socorro having pulled off a mile of non-stop traversing of the streambed boulder some fifteen years or more ago. He easily hiked Jah Lives given V7 but regarded as V10 nowadays. An impressively strong dude to say the least.

After the blood was flowing we ventured further down the drainage. I had my sights set on Rubber Walrus Protector and Tyler Durden Meets Tyler Durden. My friend Eric from Alberquerque was down with his son and wanted to try another random V4 on the left on the way down to RWP. We both whacked away at it and made slow progress to no avail and ultimately decided there were better fish to fry. We made our way to RWP where people were already starting to congregate. I watched a few goes which seemed like an eternity because I desperately wanted to try this climb but secretly hoped to flash it. This one of my favorite types of climbs, an upside down compression squeezy thing, including heel hooks, toe scums and lots of slapping. I sidled down under the beast to the starting holds, knowing the crux was in the first two moves and the rest would be easier. These moves revolve around a heel hook that keeps you from swinging around, and everything else is just straight on power. We had heard rumblings of V4 all the way to V8 but no one seemed to know for sure. I almost wish I had failed because watching the crew work out the details led me to believe this was surely a classic. It fully engaged everyone that tried it and there turned out to be multiple approaches to solving this striking boulder problem.

Rubber Walrus Protector V4-8? from Mike Snyder on Vimeo.

We had watched a crew the day before working this steep bulge on the downhill side of the Fight Club Boulder. The difficulties revolve around a single two finger pocket and sloping edge you get after launching out under its belly. It looked fun and powerful and from the looks of the group climbing on it, not too hard. Turns out those first couple moves were so difficult that every one in our group except Dylan and I resorted to an alternate sequence going up the side on crimps avoiding the pocket altogether. This just wouldn't do for me, being that the perfect two finger pocket is what drew me in to begin with, I had to do it that way. Perhaps the duality of solutions lent to the bipolar name of this cool problem: Tyler Durden Meets Tyler Durden V7.
After trying a few of the other Fight Club Boulder problems and getting bouted, I wandered up to Sofa King V4 to find Tom and Paul two other old friends of Dylans working the line. They were more than happy to give me some beta and I was psyched to flash it. Several other folks showed up and the pads were shifted to Dark Knight V6 and a line formed. This turned out to be another brilliant and engaging problem that seemed to take everyone a number of tries to solve, except for Jake who didn't fall or fail on anything all day long.
Day Four my friend Eric came back by himself to sport climb with me at Dirt Wall, and the rest of my crew wanted to see the streambed boulder, so we split up. Eric and I marched up to Fillet a Papillon aka: Dirt Wall, and I was happy to find routes very similar to the limestone I'm used to tugging on back home. We warmed up on New Kids 10+, then Eric moved the draws over to a short 12b called Little Caterpillar for me to try after another 5.11 to get fully warm. It went very well with two cruxy moves and the rest being straight forward enough to onsight. Pleased with that, I tried a longer 12b called Red Tag Sale, with a 5.11 mid-point anchor and was too pooped to continue past the first anchor. I finished with Dreadlock Holiday another good and long, although sharp 5.12a that baffled me two moves from the anchor.
All in all this was a great trip with good weather and the opportunity to climb everyday. We all climbed well considering climbing on real stone has been had at a premium lately. The laid back attitude of the locals combined with the killer NM style cuisine and availability of bouldering and sport climbing make this place a favorite for me. My only possible complaint was not visiting the Enchanted Tower though it was potentially snowed in and I wouldn't have traded any of the days I had in the Box.