The KD Factor, Hive Boulder (Pollen Grains)

Heard from Kevin Daniels that he has climbed another tall and beautiful line, this time on the Hive Boulder at the Pollen Grains. Sounds amazing. From what I understand, it starts down and right from where Timothy Leary Presents runs (#6 page 291). You sit start matched in a nice hole; you dyno up left and move left and up through nice huecos to a big black xenolith. Fom there you head up left on nice slopers to intersect Timothy Leary Presents near the top. The KD Factor sounds like a three-star highball, and is thought to be around the v3 range (5.11-ish), but knowing Kevin, it could be harder.

Dale's West Projects Climbed ...

Went out for an evening session at Dale's West on Thursday and repeated The Green Hornet finding it about v3/4 and just as nerve-wracking as the first time I did it many years ago -- super-super classic though, and an absolute MUST-do line. Take big pads. Also climbed the line to the right that Jeff Sillcox told me he and Andrew Stevens had done recently, which is listed as Unknown in the guide (page 314). See also Jeff's Eastside Bouldering Blog. That one is also a little spicy. Seems about v4/5, with some hard pulls on small crimps and very technical as with Green Hornet. Failed miserably on Project #5, page 314. Someone can do it though, no doubt, but definitely in the v11 or harder range, I'd guess -- with long arms very useful.

Also went down to the Zen Flute Boulder and climbed a few things including the Project #17 listed on page 315, which wasn't too hard, maybe around v6/7 with a sit that went at a grade or so harder. Possibly been done before but likely not. Checked off Unknown/Project #14 listed on page 314, which was hard going as the rock stayed warm even after the sun dropped behind the nearby ridge, and the moves required some skin. Beginning with both hands in the lower crack/sidepull, the sequence involved hard moves to gain and then pull up on a limpet-like protrusion (v9/10? Maybe easier in good conditions!). I had to meat-wrap the limpet, which was one of the weirdest handholds I've ever used on a boulder problem. It is fun though, for sure, and maybe someone can find a way to do it without the limpet move?

New Line on Fly Boy Boulder

Got this from Garrett Gregor:

"I put up a new climb - I think? his weekend to the right of flyboy... same face as fly boy. which starts left hand low and right hand on a slopey crimp instead of crawling up the slab to the jugs. It busts right and has a comitting move over the slab... maybe v7/8ish? Let me know what you think..."

Here's a photo:

Evil Empire (v6/7?) on Solitaire Boulder

Charlie Barrett has climbed a project on the Solitaire Boulder to produce what he has named Evil Empire (at around v6/7). The Solitaire Boulder is out toward Dale's Camp, past the Painted Cave Area, approached either from Dale's, or from the same parking as the approach to The Checkerboard Area. The problem is listed in the guidebook on page 264 (project #2).

"The climb has some really nice movement," says Charlie. "You start on a nice rail about 4 feet off the ground make two moves to nice edges then dyno for the good edge about 5 feet up, then up on some cool slopers and edges to a hard move out left followed by a big high step onto the edge you dynoed for and stand up to a big dyorite knob on top."

The problem required a lot of cleaning, but is now, apparently, well worth checking out!

Painful v9/10 project climbed on the Fly Boy Boulder

Listed as a project in the guidebook, page 195, #17, is this line, which starts as for Haroun and the Sea of Stories, but climbs rightward and out the roof, per Bulging Grain (v7) and then right again along the lip of the boulder to finish on a blunt rib: a long and sustained problem in fact. It would be an amazing counterpart to Haroun if only it were more skin-friendly, but sadly it's extremely rough. It's been something I have thought of doing, and maybe someone has even done it before (?), but it was definitely climbed by Gabriele Moroni yesterday. He suggested it was about v9, though his compatriot friend said, "Maybe ... but it's harder than Haroun ..." so perhaps it's more like a v10, or so: Haroun is not as hard as originally thought and is definitely not the v12 given in the guide, but v9? That's going a bit too far. The once-project gets a lot of sun, so if you have rhino skin and can wait until evening to give it a go, let me know what you think.

Gabriele Moroni repeats Mandala Sit Start (v14)

Today "Gabry" Moroni repeated the sit start to The Mandala. If you see a shortish, very red-haired Italian looking very strong out climbing, it's probably Gabriele Moroni. Or are there a lot of super-strong bright-red-haired Italians? Crimping is his specialty, and so the Mandala Sit Start felt okay for him, he says. Then again, he feels all the crimpy things he's done are pretty straightforward, including Direction and The Mystery. Don't you just hate that? He is only around for a couple more days, so it's hard to say if he'll get a chance to try any of the other top-level testpieces of the area. There is a lot of snow on the approach to The Swarm (v14), so if he doesn't get out to try that, maybe he'll come back another time ...

Pics of Magnetic North (v8/9?)

Here are a couple of pics of Jeff Sillcox on this line, mentioned earlier on this blog. It provides some really cool moves on great rock despite looking slightly contrived. Kinda harder, higher version of High Plains Drifter ... It's really good.


The first pic shows the small right hand crimp that is the key to this problem. Gain this with a pretty hard move out right with poor footholds fairly low.


This second pic shows the pull through from the key right crimp using a high left heel. This is a scary and hard pull. Jeff's left hand is on a slopey intermediate which is useful to gain height before grabbing the good patina above.

Thanks to Matt Birch for the images!