Lost In Space Update

Here's an update for those keeping track or interested in this dope new area in emerald bay:

Hatchett went to work on the moderate circuit after nearly flashing "Ender's Game" (he did it in a couple go's.) Several blocks of very high quality stone yielded many problems in the V0-V4 range, rounding out the area nicely. Jarrad Wycoff also put up a sweet V5 on the red wall called "Locksmith," and Kyle O'Meara added the obvious "Celebrity Golf Tournament" V7 which I repeated. It is a good tall-man line fo sho.

Joel Zerr put up the sweet line to the left of Space Race; a nice steep edgy/crunchy affair called Space Cowboy. It climbs into the same top out as Space Race and is awesome (but tweaks my knees and feels very crunchy!). This one was done in horrible conditions by Joel (80 degrees!) and will probably settle at V9 in better conditions. Joel also flashed Ender's Game V8.

With better beta, almost everyone has done the four star Ender's Game, V8. Here's a video of Siemay crushing:



I also put up the sit to Buck Rogers and it is a very cool V8 that shares the start and exit to Ender's Game. I know, I know: that does not sound classic, but the climbing is so cool, it's 3 star and worthy!

Additionally, Siemay and I ventured about 10 minutes past the Mothership boulder to the "outer belt" and put up an amazing line called "Moon Dog" V8. Check out the vid:






The Lost In Space area is 15 minutes up the Eagle Lake trail, across the stream at a visible big rad boulder that has untouched projects that are being saved for colder conditions secondary to the aspect of the boulder. The boulders are in the woods in a 5-10 min radius.

Here's a great vid of some of the area classics that David Outcalt just put together:



All these new areas and problems will be in the new definitive guide from Dave Hatchett which will go to press soon!

It's amazing that Tahoe summers are so climbable despite the heat... It's so dry and mornings and evenings can be cool on even the hottest days in the valleys.




What a special and blessed place we live in.




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

Mother Brain V7

Jarrad Wycoff strikes again, this time with an excellent steep V7 called "Mother Brain." Jarrad has quite the eye and has put up some of the truly legendary lines in Tahoe such as "Integrity" V10 and others. check the vid by Brad Perry who has repeated this line several times because he likes it so much. I have to go do this one, Epic!

This problem is a little obscure, but will likely find its way into a future South Shore guide from Hatchett. (It is off Pioneer near the Armstrong connector mountain bike trail.)

Anyway:


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

Lost in Space Boulders, Emerald Bay

Brad Perry found some killer new rock and a sweet new zone on the west shore up the Eagle Lake trail. There are many rad boulders. I put up a very unusual problem at this new area; check out this amazing span move:




"Tall Man's Gift" V? (morpho, felt like a 9-banger) photo: Brad Perry

Sure it felt like V9, but who the hell knows!? It is almost definitely undoable if a climber is under 6 feet. Tommy Herbert tried it and may be able to do it at 6 feet. The left hand is a horrible sloping mono stack and then a dyno for the lip jug. RAD!!! Pure and aesthetic as hell. Two sick moves. How can you grade something like this? It is an interesting question. There are many V14 climbers who would have no chance on this rig... It was a very enjoyable first ascent since the line looked highly improbable upon visual inspection. Could I even span it? It was shocking to find out how barely I was able to stretch and span. A remarkable problem!

Just to the left of this line, a sweet V7 was put up by David Outcalt called "Space Race." It is a thuggy hoss to moderate compression climbing and it is stellar!

I also put up a four star V9 called "Ender's Game" at this new area which is currently known as the "lost in space" boulders... So cool. There is much more development to be done, and although it is hot out, it is dry and we are psyched! There will certainly be room for some test pieces when the temperatures drop again.

For now though, classic lines are plentiful and the crew is amped.

Nice find, Brad!!! There will be a video of The Tall Man's Gift soon and I will post it.

This truly is the golden age of Tahoe bouldering. Dave Hatchett's guide is going to be an eye-opener to many!

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

Squamish

Squamish is a climbing Mecca. It is convenient, concentrated and has bullet granite. The movement is cerebral and often times very subtle beta changes will make impossible moves seem easy; dynamic moves go static. This intellectual problem solving is very rewarding and each climb in Squamish feels like a piece of art; a sculpture.

That being said, there is plenty of thuggery! Check out this vid for example:

SEND THE PAIN BELOW V10


Here are some pics from our trip and I will be adding videos and stories in the coming months as well...




The Bulb, V8



Best warm up ever? High V0



Master Plan V7



Ben getting super close on Dreamcatcher 14.d



Tim working the low moves to a proj. He had just sent the stand "room service" a Sean McColl line. Matt Lucas spotting.



Matt D. On Minor Threat V6



Testing Zun's tolerance for forest humor.

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

New Beaver Action

Well, well. The Beavers continue to deliver. Several Amazing new lines have gone up including "The Slug" V7 & "Bandit" V6 on the project boulder past the "one eyed willie" boulder.

Then there is the amazing "West Nile" Project which I sent as a stand start at V7. One more hard V10 move will put it together for a really cool sloper problem from a legit sit start. The stand alone was classic, too.
Here is a video of a new V6 called "Blood Donor" that has really nice movement on granite slopers. A great video by Brad Perry and a great FA by Noah Napier. It shares the same top out as "West Nile" but climbs totally differently.



We cleaned another new very cool short and stout sloper line called "Fungazoid" which is cool despite being so weird. It will likely be a V8 or 9 from the sit and will be very nice when it is a little colder.

The Tal Memorial Boulder has some very cool V4-7 problems including the four star technical arête V7 "Tal."

This year, the Meyer's Bouldering Competition will feature the Beavers and all of these amazing new lines!

Get out there and find a boulder!

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

Angora Lake part deux

Here's a rad vid of the new V7 "Loki" from Jon:



Yesterday we went back out and Kyle and I tried the Odin variation but it was not to be. HOWEVER, Kyle then straightened the line and perhaps betterfied it by going straight up to make "Odin" V8 Highball. Such a sick line! Where Loki exits right in the above video, Odin goes right hand first instead of crossing and goes straight up via hossy moves.
What a line!

In other news, a very fit Kyle O also sent the long term v12 project at Sugar called "Polar Opposites,". This was also known for a while as Red's project or the monster project. It's unsane. Legit.

Get out there and train for fall!!! It's nice and cool finally in Tahoe!

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

Angora Lake

I found these rad blocks about 5 years ago and always wanted to come back to them. It's an easy approach although you have to pay $7 for parking...

It was as if I was keeping these boulders for the day when everything in Tahoe seemed tapped out.

...I guess I finally realized that Tahoe will keep giving for many more years and I might as well check these lines out. Although temps where in the 80's, our crew was psyched! Three sick V7's went down, one of them was four star. Also a four star V6 went down and Dave Hatchet quickly sent the second ascent.

Check out these pics; this boulder is unbelievable. Video to come!




Hard jump start to slopers. "Loki" V7, up right. Slick moves to a committing as hell upside down jump move into juggy compression! NINJA MOVES!


"Odin" project, up and left. Could be 10-12 banger or harder.


Don't soil your shorts, and stop salivating. Sweet V7 on left side "clear and present danger" and VHard project up middle.


Under V7


Warm ups.

I will be putting together some media and blog about Squamish in the days to come and post the "Loki" video when Jon puts it out! The movement and holds and position and aesthetic of these lines are truly incredible. This Area will be in the new guide!

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

Motion on Monzonite

Best Bishop climbing vid I have ever seen. Hands down.

Amazing work by Tahoe's own John Thompson.

Enjoy.



...Squamish was amazing as usual. We are going back mid Sept to Oct! I will have several posts and videos in the coming days so check back!

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