Mountain Beavers Video

From Red:



For a change of scenery, I went back to the Mtn. Beavers with Joel and Red to do some new stuff. Joel repeated the sit to Jarrad's amazing "Integrity" problem and Red did the stand. I mostly spectated and toured all morning as baby duty has me fairly sleep-deprived and ragged. I did "sack up" for the first descent of a sick highball proud widow-maker (see video.) Clay and Laura showed up for a minute and did some moderate lines. Clay also tried and looked great on Integrity. Joel also hiked and found a futuristic squeeze line that needs cleaning.

By afternoon, however, it was a different story for me; psych was high and I was ready to do some new things.

The first new line I did I named "varigation" after the multi-colored, spotted wall that it's on just to the left of Integrity. It's a fun v5 move to a cool top-out. It's hard for V5, but it can't be harder, can it?! None of us flashed it, and Red didn't even do it. Anyway, You tell me.

The second new line I did was super rad. "Cat Reflexic" V7. This line opens with double left hand campusing out an overhang buldge with a bad right crimp and a huge left jug. There are no feet. The landing is not good and might necessitate ninja-ing the landing... You have to land like a cat. That being said, I did not feel the actual climbing was that hard, maybe hard V7. It would be good to get consensus on both these lines, as usual.

Both these new lines are in Red's video above. I tried to imagine the grades as they would feel in good conditions, though they both felt 2 grades harder in 80 degree weather on slopers.

I look forward to Jarrad, Jesse and David O returning from their May Lake trip for a report and to open some new lines at this stellar new area.

BTW, here is some beta on the Future Boulder (near the saddle) from our close friends at BETABASE.

Zun is doing well adjusting to home-life, he is nursing well and he actually let us sleep for 4 hours straight this morning!

Seek perfection of character, respect others & Try Hard. Noah as usual

Pool Service V5 & a new South shore zone...

Here's a sweet new Jesse Bonin video detailing some spring/summer fun on classic Tahoe moderates:

Tahoe Moderates from Jesse Bonin on Vimeo.

The first problem showcased is a sweet line I put up a couple seasons ago at Eratica. Called "Pool Service" in honor of Big Dave Nunley, God Dammit. dave found it and got me psyched on it. I called it V5, but it may be harder actually. It's all about sloper control, and it's a great line, indeed.

The other problems are also sweet and should be done if you are here for a while or are looking for sweet lines in the more moderate range.

In other news, there is a sick new area in south lake that Jarrad Wycoff discovered. He and Jesse have been picking plums and doing trail work while I've been up doing new stuff on the North Shore. It's hot everywhere and the skeeters are horrible this year. that being said, everyone is PSYCHED and the crew is in the best summer-shape ever. Fall should be epic. special mention about Jarrad Wycoff: Jarrad done got STRONG! He also just put up a 5 star line at his new area, the Moutain Beavers. This new line, called "Integrity" V7 stand, 9 sit, is the best compression line I have seen since Pine Box, V11 in Yosemite. Great job, Jarrad! ...Animal.

This new area reminds me of Sugarpine area 1. supposedly there are 4 areas though, and I've only seen one. I'll try to get some pics and video ASAP. Jesse, David O, Jarrad and others are going down to Yosemite to May Lake to check out some Matt Arnold goodness this weekend. Jesse and D.O. are gearing up for an extended 10 month road trip, and they are super stoked.

Zun is home now and has much to learn. His ninja training has begun though!

Get out there and destroy!

Seek perfection of character, respect others & Try Hard. Noah as usual

Zun Lee Kaufman

Boom.

Welcome little man! Time to work on crimp strength...

Seek perfection of character, respect others & Try Hard. Noah as usual

Sky

My friend Ethan has done "Sky" V14, This is the image above that is the background for the title of this blog. Here is the video and then some background:

Sky V14 from Ethan Pringle on Vimeo.

...The first year we went to Rocklands, Our friends Cody Roth and his friend Bernie ran me around the newly developed "Austrian Sector" currently known as Klienfontaine. He showed me the uber projects that their crew had been getting close on, namely, "Sky" (As Bernie named it,) and the cracked egg project, an amazing V11 that I opened the following season and named "The Hatchling."

These problems are two of the finest in the world. Period. We originally tried Sky as a straight up massive dyno, and Bernie and I independently felt it was V12 from the stand and we both tried the huge dyno method as depicted on the main intro photo on this blogsite. We got close, but no cigar.

The next season I came back stronger and took Daniel and Paul there right away. The race was on! Those guys did the stand after some effort, Paul after a few days, Daniel did they FA of the stand 3rd go and then the sit a few days later. I kept trying the long dyno method since I felt that would fit me better and since I did not feel strong enough to gymnastically grab the left open hand hold as Ethan does in this video.

After Sky went down, Paul and I happened to be at the Hatchling proj giving it goes. Paul was 4th day on with terrible skin and I somehow snaked the FA from him.
...Like that'll ever happen again! Look at this beautiful line:

Noah Kaufman's The Hatchling (V11). Photo by Zlu Haller / www.chalkjunkie.at

Congratulations to Ethan for strong work on one of the best problems in the world. I will train diligently to do it when I return to South Africa, however, the sad truth is that Sky may exceed my personal limit.

...But maybe if I try hard enough...

Seek perfection of character, respect others & Try Hard. Noah as usual