There Is No Place Like This...!

Photo by Damon Johnston © 2008: Climber on new project just outside Moab, UT. 

UPDATE: 3-26-08: OK, it is just outside of Moab, off the Potash Rd, just a few miles past the climbs. Corona Arch Trail, just a few minutes up the trail (stay in the drainage). Dean Potter sent this problem some time ago and the word is out. Which is why I have changed the above photo and replaced the "Sorry, someplace near Moab, UT" with this new update. This area offers many high-ball problems that will keep your attention for days, weeks or months. Bring a lot of pads and friends to spot you!!!!

The Sugar Boulders

Another Season Begins

The weather is becoming perfect. And once again we stumbled upon boulder treasure. Several new high quality boulders and problems came out of this past weeks’ efforts out in Disappointment Valley. This photos was taken of friend Paul on Tumble Weed V3+ (a good warm up for the area). The beginning of the route starts about five body lengths lower down on the boulder—sit start. The underside of the boulder offers many V2 moves before heading out over the top (crux). The days out there are some of the best you could ask for—magic, new problems on new boulders, … one day after the next—we are lucky!

Season Projects

The season has brought out the best in many. A rough summer in the Telluride area for climbers—rain has made life, well, we have not climbed that much in the past two months. But a few people were out there getting-in what they could regardless. Todd Rector and friend Lance Waring (and others) established a note worthy addition to the routes in Upper Bear Creek: Gesus! 5.13a/b. (Photo: Lance Waring heading up to the pumpy overhanging crux moves just five body lengths away—making this the first clean ascent of Gesus!). The Sesame Street area has but few routes. You guest it, Bert & Ernie (two very fun warm-up 5.10’s). Most notable, Big Bird a classic 5.12d that will keep your attention the whole time your on it—and if your on to long, the Bird will take off leaving you in the air, with only the chalk on your hands and the sweat dripping from you brow to show for you extensive efforts. This area has a total of 8 established routes from 5.8 to 5.13a/b. The quality of which will keep me coming back time and again!

Location: Sesame Street
Approach: 2 miles / 1 hour and 15 minutes +/-
What’s New: Gesus!
Grade: 5.13a/b
Other Notable Routes In The Area: Big Bird, 5.12d / 13a
Photos: Todd and Lance making hard efforts on Gesus!

Undercover-A New Season Begins

Under Clouds—Steve Johnson and I had the continued privilege to establish another new route just above the Mine that sits above Telluride. Shown above, the main crack system in the middle of the face. Pitch 1: ascends a slightly grungy left facing corner, then up ledges that take you up and right to an anchor (Gear: small fingers to hands). Pitch 2: head up and right then work your way up and left, past four bolts into the OW up to the anchor (Gear: 5 draws, Camalots up to #6). Pitch 3: continue up the OW/crack breaking right just before the top passing two bolts on fun easy face-climbing (Gear: Camalot to #6 and two draws). Careful, there is very loose rock on the top ledge 300 ft up. At this point you need two ropes for this route as the top pitch is 130’ and with two 60m lines you can make the ground from the second anchor—saving on time.

FA: Undercover, 5.9R, three pitches. Damon Johnston & Steve Johnson 5-19-07.

Up Up & Away

A lot has happened in the past few months. Most notably, I have been exploring a new bouldering area just outside Slickrock Colorado with friends. The bouldering is world-class. The rock is clean. The access is BLM. Best of all, you can do many problems in a day (depending on how hard they are) and everything you do has not been done by anyone else. Grades are between V0 and V7 so far and there are many amazing lines that will go at a much higher grade. This is a taste of what we are up too. The above photo is of Andy Cook on Spin-Cycle V6.
Below Dan Goss fires up another classic V3.


So, many new routes...(left) Paul Pierce on a "totally-killer" V6; (mid. Paul on a new V3; (right) Paul getting air.