Dan Mills' Spring Action

Okay, it’s time to catch up on some of the Spring action that took place here in Bishop. I was recently chatting to So Cal's Dan Mills about some first ascents he added to the area. Dan, who was just 15 when he climbed the Mandala, a bit over ten years ago, has evolved into a Bishop connoisseur with few, if any, equals.

Over the past years Dan has systematically worked his way through the hardest boulder problems in the guidebook, not just picking his favorites, but literally climbing everything he could--one-star, two-star, three-star lines, the none-stared and the new, seeking out everything from the obvious to the obscure. Last year he completed all the hard lines at the Sad Boulders (everything v7 or harder) including additions of his own to fill some gaps, and when he read of a couple new lines/link-ups in the Beef Cave, he returned this spring to do those too.

This year he has been focusing more on the Monzonite of the Buttermilks and Druid Stones. Among the lines he has suggested as new this spring are:

Mini Me, v9 (sit start), on Mini Boulder, Buttermilks Main Area, listed as a project in Bishop Bouldering 2nd edition, page 288, route #2.

The Bush, v9 (sit start), on back of the Hueco Wall Boulder, Dale’s Camp, starting with both hands on an obvious pinch. Punch up and right, then leap to the lip. This line is not in the guide, but the Hueco Wall can be found on page 362 of Bishop Bouldering 2nd edition. See video below for a better understanding of this.

Mister Fister, v10+ (sit start), Druid Stones. Start at Hook Line and Sinker. Go right to match hands on a wide edge, then make big hard pull up and right to join the fingery sharp crimps of Red Light District.

Frosted Flakes, v8 (sit start), Cave Boulder, Buttermilks Main Area, makes use of some nice patina by branching out of an established classic. Begin as for Cave Route, (Bishop Bouldering 2nd edition, page 259), then immediately before the crux move of that problem head up and right to meet the Dyno Problem.

General Mills (v9, sit start) is another strained but fun line using some nice patina crimps in the same location, but this time moving left from the Cave Route. Again, climb the Cave route to immediately before the crux. Now move left past a sweet glassy crimp and along the lip leftward before pulling up into a right-facing flake.

While the latter two lines are somewhat forced (and possibly not new) Dan insists they are well worth doing and recording. Along with these lines, Dan made some impressive repeats including a likely second ascent of The Chunnel (v10/11), Alex Honnold’s addition to the Beef Cave at the Ice Caves (Sad Boulders, BB 2nd Ed, p 205). This line begins as for Aquatic Hitchhiker but heads up and out the wall above to a nervy finish on Light at the End of the Tunnel.

Of course it is hard to explain where lines go, so to get an idea of these, check out Dan's video:

Luminance Video

Bishop highballing is all about big lines, a bunch of pads and spotters, and the spirit of bouldering taken to an extreme. Here's Joe Maier on the amazing Luminance, recently done ground up by himself, by Jake Lovotny (see post below) and by a super-strong Japanese climber named Leo(?)! [Edit: The Japanese climber is Ryohei Hagiwara aka "Ryo." See second comment below.]

Don't try this at home:


Luminance, Bishop CA from Joe Maier on Vimeo.

Jake Novotny, Luminance: Ground Up Ascent

I recently heard from Lake Tahoe climber Jake Novotny of his ground up ascent of Luminance (v10?) the spectacular overhanging highball on the Luminance Boulder. Unsurprisingly Jake says, "It was the scariest line I've had the pleasure to climb in the 'Milks." But, he adds, "I've never been able to climb v10 so quickly."

Jake wonders if the fear-factor plays into the impression of difficulty on the line. No doubt fear will play its role, as the chaotic uneven fall-zone is simply terrible on this, and it would be inviting disaster not to want to overpower the moves. Could the fear subconsciously also force an extra effort?

Who knows? But others have wondered the same, and likely the problem lies nearer to the v9 mark. Most importantly says Jake, it has, "some of the best movement on some of the finest rock in the world," and he gives Shawn Diamond great credit for making the first ascent.

Jake had three large pads, including one big one down in the trough far below, and two spotters for his ascent, which is now believed to be the fourth(!) ground up after Dan Beall's back in October 2009--See comments below.

It is pretty amazing that so many are tackling this line without prior inspection on a rope. Impressive stuff by all!

Possible New v10 on Cave Boulder, Buttermilks

Itai Axelrad wrote to me about a line he climbed on the Cave Boulder at the Buttermilks. It goes up the wall that is to the left of Lactose Intolerant and The Buttermilker and to the right of the v3 "Dyno Problem" (guidebook 2nd ed page 259). This is a small sheer overhanging wall with some nice patina and I think a few people have looked at it to sport a line. However, I have not climbed it and I don't know if anyone else has climbed it, so Itai has tentatively dubbed the line, Crimps of Wrath and thinks it might be around v10.

He began the climb with his left hand on a thin in-cut horizontal crimp, and a similar but vertical crimp for the right, and climbed directly up beginning with a hard move to a left-hand gaston. This is a pic of Itai with the holds he used indicated. In the photo he has just stuck the first (and hardest) move:

Itai writes: "I thought about various different starts for the climb, but found them slightly contrived and rather difficult. The start that I did seems to be the most natural and direct."

Please comment if you try (or have tried) the line! Thanks!

Jill Church Waters, Fight Club

Jill Church Waters, who moved to Bishop last year with her husband and baby daughter, recently climbed Fight Club  (highball v10?) on the Saigon Boulder at the Buttermilks. This problem, first done by Randy Puro around 11 years ago, soon gained a reputation for being near-impossible after a lack of repeats and the break of a small edge used on the first ascent. With the boost of v11 in the guidebook, the line saw more interest, but few if any repeats per season.

With a vague beginning--it was originally done as a jump-start to slopers--Fight Club's start is somewhat indistinct (impossible if you are too short to leap to those holds). But whether you begin with both hands on, or one hand, or none at all, you still have to pull the crux mantel to get onto this undercut boulder. How hard is this mantel? With conditions being critical on the problem and because the rock sits in the sun all day, it normally feels impossible! Under better conditions, it may not be too bad ... Jill suggested that it felt closer to a v9 for her, after checking it off on a super-cold day, but go try it... very few succeed! Make it through that techy mantel and you have the highball slab to negotiate. Getting to the top is quite an adventure. A proud ascent by Jill, for sure!

Jill has been getting after it recently with ascents of Beefy Gecko (v11), and Bubba Gump (v10), to name a couple, but also declared her ascent of Lydia's Mouth (a reachy v3 at Pollen Grains) one of her hardest to date!

Climbers' Coffee with the BLM

I received a note from Becky Hutto at the Bishop office of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) telling me about the free coffee mornings the BLM are providing for anyone who wants to join them at the Pleasant Valley Climbers' campground (a.k.a. The Pit campground).

Please drop in starting around 8:30am for a fee wake-up brew (of coffee!) and take the opportunity to pose any questions or concerns you have about the management of the Happy and Sad Boulders (which the BLM are responsible for).

The BLM have been great at working climbers for the preservation and enjoyment of these areas for all and I urge everyone to help keep the areas as clean and unspoiled as possible. Please also take the chance to say hi.

Normally the BLM does these coffee mornings once a month, but during spring break these are EVERY week, please click the image to see the dates, thanks!

Saigon Superdirect ground-up by Dan Fong

Matt Mersel wrote to me with a link to a vid of 19-year-old UCLA student Daniel Fong (originally of the Bay Area) climbing Saigon Superdirect in ground-up style. Matt says, "We were out a few weekends ago and Daniel gave it a few burns and took some steep drops, but he got it first go last weekend. Never used a rope!"

As far as I know, the FA of this line was done ground up by George Ullrich in 2008, after half-hearted efforts by all the top names in the game, but it still rarely gets climbed and certainly sees few serious attempts in this on-sight style. Though it is above a flat landing, it's a very bold line, differing from the regular "direct" by gaining the good pinch with the right hand and slapping over the lip to a sloper where the regular direct goes right. See also a pic of Charlie Barrett on this. Nice work Dan!

Above: Daniel Fong holding the sloper after the big move on Saigon Superdirect (v9/10). Image by Edward Cheung.

Here's a vid Matt shot with a GoPro: