Sunday, December 28, 2008

"New" Cypress Falls Problems

Ahem. It has occurred to me today, while sitting at my desk, that I have failed to report some new problems I opened this year at Cypress Falls in West Vancouver. Ordinarily, I might not worry about it, but because I think these are three of the best problems at the area, I am making a special point of describing them.

All three are on the Darwinian Boulder, near the parking lot. This boulder also has the hardest problem (I think it's called Double Decker) at Cypress Falls. Double Decker is supposedly rated V10. I have tried it on three separate occasions, and it is very stiff, indeed.

All the problems on the Darwinian Boulder share the same start - a low start on a long positive edge below the slot in the middle of the boulder. My three problems are (from left to right)...

1) Darwin's Riddle (V3). Start, then traverse left to the arete using all kinds of trickery. Climb the arete to the fun topout above using a small chicken-head. If it feels hard, you haven't solved the riddle correctly...

2) Survival of the Fit (V5 or V6). Looks impossible, but isn't. From the start, move a meter or so right, then climb directly up the blank-looking face on tiny knobs by underclinging the slot. High, tricky, cerebral, technical. An amazing problem, one of the best at Cypress falls.

3) Natural Selection (V1). From the start, traverse right using the giant foothold; using a hold on the arete and an edge on the face, climb up to the fun topout. A more challenging variation (Unnatural Selection, V3/4) stays left of the arete, and uses only the holds on the face to top out directly above. Another great problem.

Enjoy!

1 comment:

Dan said...

Where is the Darwinian Boulder? what does it look like? would love to scrape a few extra problems out of Cypress falls!