I Do Boulder, Sometimes

Yes I finally went bouldering on Tuesday evening. We had a pretty good crew too. Members of team FOCM were present and fun was had. The posse warmed up on the Cheese boulder and then moved to the Ripper Boulder to work out the cryptic sequence enabling a clean (dabless) ascent of the Ripper Extension V8. Kerrek Stinson joined us halfway through the process and showed us how it was done. His pants dabbed on the first try and he was called out by the raucous and unforgiving crowd. He rested and casually sent it again which worked for me, allowing me to shoot it twice.

Kerrek Stinson on The Ripper Extension V8 from Mike Snyder on Vimeo.

We also visited the 80 foot long traverse on the West Face of the Symmetry Boulder. This awesome V1 'route' never disappoints. Lastly we ventured up to the Eternal Gardener Boulder which no one seems to know about as it was developed shortly after the guide came out. The fantastic problems Eternal Gardener V5 and Brilliant V6 were savored by all as the sun set on us briefly illuminating the red sandstone pocked by white chalk trails.

About the time my heart got racing for the brilliance that is Cody Bouldering, I went back to the Octagon in Ten Sleep. I can't believe how much fun those climbs are! I nearly flashed Kevin's new addition on the left side of the Cave called Vanilla Gorilla 12b/c, succeeding on my second try. It is the start of the Mexicutioner 5.13? which travels over 100 feet to the top anchors. I also fell going to the jug to clip the anchors on my second try of Baby Face Assassin 13a. I decided to continue out the horizontal roof to check out Soul Assassin 14b which adds 8 or 9 more clips of insanity to BFA. I belayed Kevin twice on his 5.14 project The Thrashing Machine. At 18 clips going out a nearly horizontal roof, it is one of the craziest routes I've ever seen, though one of many similar creations in this cave.

Can't wait to get back there for more. I climbed at The Octagon in February and March and now September and have always found tolerable if not ideal conditions. Summer is a little warm though the cave gets shade most of the day. Winter is cold but the sun shines in nearly all day long. What more could you ask for?