"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!

Area G

Despite all the (unfortunately) snowy weather here in Vancouver, I thought I should post of photo of one of the walls at my new Vancouver bouldering area. This wall is one of many - it's between 2 and 7 meters tall (approximately), with lots of interesting features. It overhangs slightly along it's entire length, and will likely have 20 problems or so on it. You can see my German Sheperd friend Lupin standing at the base, so you can get a sense of how tall it is. Some of the problems (well, most of them at this wall) will be well into the highball category. A real 'climber's bouldering area', not for the faint of heart.

When all this snow melts, and we get a few nice days, I'll start posting the problems I've done. Yes, this "Area G" is going to be interesting, I think.

Names for Problems?

With the growing number of projects in my North Shore bouldering area (let's call it "Area G" for now), I realize that the onus will be on me to come up with interesting (and exciting) names for dozens of new problems. I'm sure I won't be the only one putting up problems, but I still hope to get the first ascent of lots of lines.

My first project already has a tentative name - "How to Pull a Tooth". The name makes a lot of sense when you see it. It's just two moves and a mantle, but fairly hard, I think (V5 or maybe V6).

Pictures will follow when I get them.

It's super cold here in Vancouver this week, so I may be forced to go ice-climbing this week. ;)

T.

Hello Again!

Even though it's mid-winter, the time has come to update my blog. I've been pretty dormant (climbing-wise) for the last year, as I finished my PhD and helped usher my son Rowan into the world. But lately, I've been in the bouldering gym here at UBC a fair bit, trying to get back in shape. I set here at UBC, which certainly helps my motivation.

I am also motivated because I'm working on a new bouldering area in Vancouver. It's only about a 20-minute drive from my house. There's probably room for about 400 problems, lots of which will be pretty hard. The climbing is mostly on short bluffs, but there are 10+ free-standing boulders as well. I've been prepping stuff, and laying out where the trails will go, but now I'm almost ready to start climbing. I was working my first problem there on Saturday (just before it snowed) - a short 2-move problem that'll likely be V4 - V6, and it felt good to be working new problems in a new area.

I've got a bunch of stuff prepped, and now those lines just need a good wire-brush scrubbing before I get on them. On the weekend I found that a small boulder that I had previously ignored will actuall have a couple of really nice short power problems on it, as well. I also found a new boulder hidden behind a fir tree - the largest free-standing boulder yet, will likely have 5 - 7 problems on it.

Anyways, I'm pretty excited. I'll post some pictures when I have them.

"Where is this area?", you ask. When I get 50 problems cleaned and sent, I'll post the directions here.

T.

A World of Hurt

Don't worry. I'm not injured. Nor have I become a blues musician. A World of Hurt is the name of Jordan's new highball in Squamish. I'm psyched to get strong so I can get on it next spring, but my training regime isn't exactly turning me into the Hulk. In fact, my 'training' is starting to make my middle look a little bigger, and my lats a lot smaller.

I was in Squamish on the weekend, doing a little bouldering. I climbed a bunch of moderate slabs, which is supposed to be moving me towards my goal of climbing all the hard slabs in squamish. There's just not that many slabs over V4 - really, only Black Slabbath (V7) and Phat Slab (V4 or V5 if you don't cheat). I did my new V0 slab Sel de la Terre a bunch of times - it's such a fun bit of climbing. I also did a new slab / arete problem to the left of it as well. It's a bit harder, more like V3 or so. I'm trying to make a slab circuit - when I do I'll post it here. I haven't decided how many problems should be on the circuit, but probably 20 is a good number.

I also went crack climbing the weekend before last. Cracks are weird, and incredibly painful if you don't have the right shoes. Which I don't. My tight 'bouldering' shoes ended up causing me a lot of pain as I tried jamming them into hand and finger cracks...

I have some more pictures to post, I'll get them posted soon.

Happy climbing!

Jordan W., climbing high!

Ahhh... winter.

While I realize that winter has not yet officially arrived on the coast, it certainly feels like it. Grey days of drizzle and cold dampness are here. I hope just for a few days, but I suspect it's here to stay until Spring. Luckily we did get the chance to do some climbing before the rain set in.

One of the highlights of the last month was Jordan Wright's ascent of my project in the boulders. Ordinarily, I get a little grumpy when I don't get the chance to get the first ascent of something I spent the time cleaning, but I felt honored to work the project with two of Squamish's strongest (and nicest) climbers - Jordan and Tyson. I actually did pretty well, I thought - I made it almost through the first cruxy bit - but it took stronger fingers than mine to make it to the top. And a fair bit of intestinal fortitude.

The project, you see, is almost 25 feet high. Even for Squamish, that's pretty tall. And when you throw in a pretty sketchy landing, it's a pretty bold line. And atypical for Squamish, in that it's almost all basalt crimps, lots of face climbing (not a single granite sloper on the entire problem). It's got some fairly dynamic moves on it, and some pretty committing sequences, so it demands 100% dedication to top out on. The moves are so great, though, I am psyched to get stronger this winter so I can put in a real effort next spring on it.

It doesn't have a name yet, or an official grade, but it's about V8. Or so I thought. maybe V9.

Anyways, I posted a picture of Selena on my new slab problem, tentatively named Sel de la Terre. Hope you enjoy it.

I need new slab-climbing shoes. Jack Fieldhouse embarassed me by climbing Superfly Slab in his running shoes, no hands. I can climb Superfly Slab, but I don't find it easy.

More later. Hopefully the rain will stop.