Reborn in Paradise V14 FA
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is an old project in Joe’s Valley on the Zodiac boulder in Left Fork, nicknamed as the Humbler right project. This line stood undone for the last 30 years while the rest of Joe’s got filled out. This boulder is exactly what I was searching for in a project; crimpy, tensiony, tall, and a beautiful boulder.
The first move involves walking your feet up to some decent smears and reaching off a incut-half-pad undercling above your head to a slotted quarter pad pocket about halfway up the wall. This pocket is pretty precise and small. I spock my index finger to the outside of the pocket which gets me 4 fingers and a bit more control.
From there I get a high left foot on the right hand start hold to do a hard match to a left hand flat-quarter-pad-2-finger pocket. Which helps you set up for the big move to the crimp under the lip.
Keeping left foot on the start, you do a hard left hand deadpoint to a perfect 4-finger-quarter-pad crimp below the lip while trying to keep the left foot drilled. Without the foot staying you wind up taking a brutally hard cut on the crimp and hold in the swing. After a tensiony match in to a better crimp for the right hand, there is still a hard V9/10 sequence to stand up and a scary slab quest to the top.
I managed to get this done in 2 sessions, my first session being in bad conditions and unable to stick any of the crux moves, but giving me enough hope to come back. A week later I came back with colder weather and good skin. I was able to do the crux move to the crimp under the lip while keeping my foot on, first try. From there I figured out an ending sequence and geared up for my first attempt from the start. Having never done the first move, I set up my phone, got in the zone and executed my way through.
Grade Talk: I think this boulder sits between hard V14 or V15. It’s hard to tell exactly where it fits comparing to other hard joes boulders, but is likely a step up from Insurgency and Pegasus. This style fits me really well and the fact that I did it as quickly as I did makes me hesitant to propose V15.
Massive thanks to @jaredroth82 and @climbjoesvalley
I’m finally getting back on the wall after taking a break from climbing for a few months. Boulders and experiences like this are the reason why I climb and sometimes it’s easy to forget that.
Peahi v12
Cover Photo: of @paul_nadler taken by me
Video: @ethan_pringle@pusherholds@organicclimbing@oncrux_official
A couple of photos I took from a snowy morning on Cape Cod, just after Christmas. Not often does Cape Cod outsnow SLC.
My favorite part about these is that at first you can’t what is sand or snow, and as you keep looking, you see the white on the grasses or on the fences in a way that sand doesn’t and it makes the photos completely different.
A few of my favorite photos from Rocklands:
1. Sophia holding the epic swing on Skink with three fingers.
2. Tanner after taking his victory jump at the Realm waterfall.
3. Tim with the morning dart at the Hen House.
4. Tim still smoking a dart.
5. Colin playing with the Hen House dogs.
6. Jackson waiting for Chloe to come out from the table.
7. The Black Shadow boulder.
8. The rope suspended above the water at The First Rule of Fight Club
9. Emil eying up the crux move of El Corazon
10. The Euro’s house in some morning fog.
11. Brett dry firing as he almost sticks the crux of El Corazon.
12. Tanner getting high above the water on a new king line at the waterfall.
13. Sophia getting ready to climb through the hole at the waterfall.
14. Paul getting as close as you can to sending Peahi.
15. Beau getting some air time on Hole in One.
@organicclimbing@oncrux_official@pusherholds
Beautiful medium format photos from @chrisnataliephoto on an eery spring morning in Little Cottonwood.
We shot some photos on Grand Illusion first then ventured off into the incoming snow and fog to snag some more in the boulder field. I couldn’t ask for a better backyard 🫶
The Grand Illusion V16 @_briansquire_
After 80+ days and multiple seasons of cave dwelling, Brian landed the plane with his incredible “unprofessional” ascent of Grand Illusion.
As a great photographer and videographer himself, it was a real treat to take the time to get creative and mess around together. It’s not everyday you get that opportunity.
I will be back for more of this cave for sure.
@organicclimbing
The Grand Illusion V16 🥹
80+ days across three years, two seasons of digging it out from under the snow, 9 days in a row of falling on the last hard move, and then an entire season of regression. No boulder has ever messed with my head like this thing has.
It became a battle of refining tactics, I would warm up at the gym, drive up the canyon, give 1-2 attempts and leave because it wasn’t productive to give any more than that. I would try to get my fingers numb before giving any attempt so I wouldn’t numb out mid boulder. I would chalk my pants because I couldn’t wear a chalk bag but would be too sweaty and numb by the time I got to the 12, but slapping my leg would help with a little bit of blood flow to my fingers. Each breath was taken at the same moment on each attempt. I would turn my brain off so I could try and just flow.
I’m so grateful for the experience this boulder has brought, all of the people I got to climb with over the years, especially to Owen and Eli for showing me how it’s done and inspiring belief in myself. Bittersweet to be over but certainly I’m quite relieved.
🎥 @_owenwhaley_@organicclimbing
