"Norma Jean" Project, A Gift

I view my climbing, and my life, as art.
Part of being an artist is giving gifts.

Here is my gift-

I bolted and cleaned the chunk of rock adjacent to the "Marylin Monroe" climb in Red Feather Lakes Area of Colorado, Lady Moon Trailhead to be precise. You can't miss it.

It is an Open Project.
Enjoy!

Worse Than Lyrca

This is my cleaning get-up.
I look like an extra for a post-apocalyptic film.

Where are the zombies?

PMA Wall, Wreck Yourself Monday

Objective : Being everything to everyone

1) Set Route - 6am

2) Lab Meeting - 9am

3) Climbing Photo Shoot- Noon

4) Work FA projects - 2pm

5) Cardio - 6pm

Gettin' Some at PMA wall

Teaching Puppies Old Dog Tricks

Notes: Today was long and hard. But I won't have it any other way. The new guidebook to the Poudre Canyon is coming to fruition. I was able to contribute by wearing tight, bright clothes and climbing cruxes (over and over). Afterwords I somehow convinced the crew to check out PMA wall so I could drop rocks on their heads while they froze to death. I did all the moves on "Free is Everything", the link up between "Free but Not Cheap" and "Stupid Happy with Everything." It goes and its hard. Reasonable climbing sets up a deadpoint to a credit card edge. RAD.

"Stupid Happy with Everything " is still a little loose. The crux is an even bigger deadpoint from worse holds but you latch a flat edge. I wasn't able to stick it but it is possible. I'm syked on contributing to hard climbing in Poudre Canyon. It is a race between the weather and guidebook deadlines.

Crag To Be Named (By You)

Should keep me busy for the winter

There is a route hidden in the picture

Easy bouldering around the corner

The gem of the area

Slightly overhanging blank face
Simply Dreamy

I enjoyed a pleasant winter day by developing another wall, located about 100 meters from PMA wall. I bolted a steep moderate line, 10ish, and prepped the area for bouldering. While I was on top I noticed two additional much larger formations. There is a ridiculous amounts of rock right outside my door.

I don't have a name for the cliff or the route. I'm turning the naming process over the loyal readers of this blog. It is your chance for immortality. Please post name suggestions to comments.

PMA Wall, the PJs

I got some more bolts and bolted some projects, aka PJs.

Free But Not Cheap, 11a, Black (steepest line at the cliff, follow blunt arete)
Stupid Happy With Everything, Project, Red (clip first 2 bolts of FBNC, bust right into powerful climbing)
Coffee & Angst, Project, Green (traverse along the lip of cave, then up)
Look Who They Let In The Backdoor, 11d, Yellow (sustained climbing leads to a CRUX, then mellow climbing to the chains)

These projects are hard (for me), I can't even do all of the moves. The direct lines, denoted by the dotted lines, are futurist.

Time to Train

LOTD, The Catacombs

The weather finally relaxed its death grip on the Front Range. I used the opportunity to put up new problems in The Land of the Dead. I'm working my way along the upper ridge. The next sector is The Catacombs, tallish low-angle cliff bands. It was too chilly to dangle on a rope to clean up a majority of the problems. I had to settle for the "low hanging fruit".

The Catacombs

Who Is Laughing Now?, V3/4, Black (stand start on sidepulls, more sidepulls and a sloper, sds is undone)
Are We Worth Saving?, V2*, Red (gill start to good sized crimps)

Drink a Nice Tall Glass of Shut the Fuck Up!, VO, Green (4 star line, stand start on jugs follow orange streak)

* I need to repeat all the problems and downgrade accordingly.

Fable Boulders, A Couple of Classics & Lots of Hard Projects

Even though it getting cooler, I still hate climbing in the sun. While I waited for the sun to drop below the ridge, I explored for more rock in The Fable Boulders. I found a couple of VOs which I did my approach shoes. They are okay and located about 1/4 mile upstream along the ridge from the main area.

Unnamed, V0, Black (follow crack)
Unnamed, V0, Red (follow arete)

I found more trash than climbable rock

I got down to business and put up a couple of classics. While not hard, these problems have quality rock and movement.

Follow Your Bliss, V1/2, Blue (Stand start on jug, follow the left arete via slopers)
Joy Will Burn Out The Pain, V3/4, Green (Stand start, lieback the right arete, exit via crimps)

I spent the remainder of the abbreviated session cleaning and sussing out problems on the Hero Boulder

1,000 Faces, Project(V5R), Pink (SDS crack, move left on directional holds)

If You Fear Dying Then You're Already Dead, Project (V8R), Black (SDS on L.H. sidepull & R.H. Crimp, powerful moves to jug, big moves to the top)
Monomyth, Project(Really Hard), Blue (Small holds and big moves)
Call To Adventure, Project(V4PG-13), Red (SDS, big moves between okay holds, awkward landing)

The Fable Boulders, The Saga Begins

The "Boulder With No Name" turns out to have neighbors. I have choosen to name this area The Fable Boulders. It is a reference to Joseph Campbell, and his thoughts about the power of myth. I have a long list of possible individual problems names but sometimes get stumped when naming a entire new area. I feel pressure because I want the area name to be good, clever, and representative. At least this name is a deep of well of ideas.

Left to Right
Is, V1, Black (sds, lieback jugs, contrived but interesting)
Mask of Eternity, V2, Red (stand start on good left vertical edge, sds - undone)
Isn't, V2, Blue (sds matched on good edge, climb good edges)

Petty God, V3, Blue (left side, sds with R.H. on swirly granite sloper, larger moves between positive holds)
Jealous God, V2, Red (right side, sds edges to more edges)

Amazing Swirly Granite Sloper

The Boulder With No Name, Crane Fist Project

I started developing ANOTHER area. The main feature is freestanding boulder right off Highway 14, literally hundreds of climbers have driven past it. From what I have gathered, people have climbed the lower portions. There is no evidence of people finishing the lines. I busted out a rope and got to work.

The rope follows the Crane Fist Project.
The sds is v8/9 to a jug then v3/4 to the top.


Working the lower part

Working the upper part

I haven't decided the style I want to do the ascent in.

"Within the same school. The idea was that we'd later combine both styles, unify the techniques. But still, we were too young. Too full of ignorant pride in our own succulent sorrow."

Rancid
Crane Fist

LOTD, Farmhouse Sector Revisited

I was premature when I stated "I made a clean sweep of all the projects" at LOTD. I forgot about the Farmhouse Sector.

I got warm by putting up a high ball, "The Mad and Macabre" V1

"The Mad and Macabre" follows the right arete.
There is potential for more highballs but they are unfortunately low-angle.

"Invisible Invaders" V4 - sds, arete to face

I sent "Hell Down in the Cellar" Left & Right from the stand.
The sds are awkward with a poor landing.

There is a large rock blocking an "extended sds".

I'll leave the awkward sds, poor landings, and "extended sds" for the climbers that like that sort of thing.

I was able to to send a couple of low starts on the boulder closest to the road, no pictures. I'm sure those problems have been done before. I tried pulling on them last spring, and they felt very hard. A summer of intelligent training made them feel piss easy.

Too Much Developing

I need a new brush.

LOTD, Call Me The Broom Man

Cuz I made a clean sweep of all the projects at Land of The Dead.

Someone flipped "The Fall Switch." The temps in NoCo are prefect.
Time to send.

No More Room In Hell (Blue), V4* - sds, jug to crimps (And by No More Room In Hell, I mean my crotch. There is a weird hand/foot match.)

Twitcher (Red), V5 - sds, more jug to crimpers action

Scooby Doo on Zombie Island, V6 -Cave around the corner. Low start, LH crimp & RH sidepull, climb blunt arete

Day of the Dead, V4 - sds, LH jug RH sidepull, climb up and right

I still had time at the end of the day to find another cave. I'm doing it again tomorrow.

* These grades are suggestions. I have been doing so much training and developing my internal grading calibration unit needs to be reset.

PMA Wall, Opertaion Warm-up Complete

@ and I went up Highway 14 to do some cragging. @ wasn't syked about crossing the Poudre (I have waders) so we started bolting a new wall, PMA. PMA is pseudo-random acronym, you can make up your definition. She picked the warm-up line, and I got to work bolting it. She sent it right after I put the bolts in and decided on the name "Chutes & Ladders".

Happy about bolting the warm-up.

By this time, Doug S. showed up and stole the 2nd ascent from me while I was bolting a harder line to the right.

Doug S. during the 2nd Ascent of "Chutes & Ladders" 10a

Sending "Free but Not Cheap" 11a

I'm interested in how climbs are named. "Chutes & Ladders" is self explanatory. "Free but Not Cheap" is named because it is the steepest line at the cliff and provides plenty of opportunities for freedom, i.e. feet cutting. You have pay for it with a hard crux move.

Doug picked out the next line at the far right end of the cliff. It looked like another warm-up but ended up being the hardest line thus far.

Bolting "Look Who They Let in the Backdoor" 11c

Attention to detail

Enjoying the steep jugs of PMA wall.

There is potential for 5-9 more lines, most should be much harder.

The Palace & Beyond, Hard Projects

The forecast wasn't good for today, hot & rainy. I took a rest day and found some potential new lines.

Bat Cave
There are 3 bolts that follow the obvious weakness. I don't know the name or grade. There might just be enough holds for line going out the right. It would be very hard.

Left side of the cave. Potential for moderate line.

Right side of cave. Potential for moderate line following the arete.

This arete is in the main area of The Palace. It should be a difficult line once its bolted.

The rain picked up and I decided to scout via car. I was found the cave/wall below about a mile from the Palace. It is much steeper with higher quality rock than The Palace.

The left side from below

The entire formation from above
I most interested in the line that starts in the cave and follows the overhanging arete.

I will have to get going, there is a strong rumor of an upcoming guidebook for this section of the Poudre.

Big Game Area, End of the Season

I have spent the last 2 days at "Big Game", and it is looking unbelievably rad. It is no Hueco Tanks, but it is awesome for being within 30 minutes of my house. The first day was a work day, i.e. scouting the best walls and building landings. At the end of the day I snuck in some climbing on a striking line on "Trophy Wall".

"That is a Good Looking Mount"
Project

On the second day, I was joined by a Lauren, a coworker from the climbing gym, for bag limit amount of FAs. We start the day at "Season Opener Cave", repeating the lines and solidifying the grades. I put another line:

"Bag and Tag" V3/4

We quickly moved to "Small Game Wall." Originally I named it "Small Game Wall" as a poke at boulders. There is some good (but hidden) sport climbing potential, and this is just a small cave. The name is now ironic because the wall is mostly highballs.

Top Rope Inspection,
just like the pros do

The right most line, pictured above, is "Chubby Bunny" V1. Lauren stepped up and got the FA. I had to settle for the FMA (First Male Ascent). The next line to the left is "Frightened Rabbit" V5. It was starts on large jug to dynamic moves on sloping loafs.

"Frightened Rabbit"
V5/Project

The next line to the right is SDS on a jug then follows a crack feature to a throw to a sloping ledge.

"Wicked Wabbit"
V7/Project

Full disclosure: I did feel comfortable enough to top out the last two lines.

Next, we went over to the steep "Who's Hunting Who Wall" and both flashed a steep fun line on the right. While I was investigating an alternative descent after I sent the middle line, I spooked the biggest rattlesnake I have ever seen. Even though Lauren didn't see it, the rattle was loud enough to scare her from climbing there anymore.

"Who's Hunting Who Wall"
right to left
Unnamed, V2 - SDS, fun climbing to awkward exit
Unnamed, V3 - lie back fins
"Tommy Lee's Rattle", Project - SDS, climb arete

We finished the day at "Trophy Wall", 300+ft. mostly continuous wall. It starts in a potential sport climbing cave. The next 100ft section is easy bouldering. Followed by 100ft section over the river. Then another small potential sport climbing cave. It is end capped with "That is a Good Looking Mount" Project. We just traversed the 100ft section of easy bouldering.

"Manny Feet Traverse", V2
(Not a typo but a bad pun)

Unfortunately, that is the end of the season for "Big Game". It lies on public land which is closed to the public (other than hunting and fishing) from September 1 to May 1.

Big Game Area, "Season Opener"

Today was the first day of development for the Big Game Area, primarily it is a hunting area for "Big Game". I don't know what the "Big Game" is, but I'm a little spooked walking through the chest-high grass.

Season Opener Cave

1. Chipmunk Killing Time, VO - SDS
2. Unnamed, V3 - SDS, tricksy start yields to easier climbing
3. Season Opener, V2/3, - SDS, follow good edges, rad problem
4. Unnamed, V0 - SDS, easy climbing leads to spooky exit

There are a couple more problems left to do in "Season Opener Cave", including a traverse line.

This is will be "Small Game Wall", with at least 4 independent lines.
I'm usually not syked on traverses but this could be another good one.

I broke my trusty shears.

Season Opener, FA

Bonus : I found an application to create beta photos (like the one above). Check it out - Beta Creator.

Big Game, Another New Area

Today I left the house with the modest goals of bolting new lines near The Palace. However fate had different plans, a traffic accident shut down Highway 14. I used it as an opportunity to explore the wilder, north part of Larimer Country. I found a rad new area.

I'm calling it "Big Game."

Welcome to "Big Game" Country

This small cave is 15 minutes from the road.

Steep Wall

Another Cave

Different view of same cave

There is potential for sport climbing but nothing spectacular

The catch is this section of public land only open to the public from May 1 to September 1.
No time to waste!!

From what I have seen about 1% of the rock in Larimer County is developed.