Cleaning Climbing Holds--Benky's Grip Wash

Here's the most boring video ever from an action standpoint but climbing gyms everywhere should take note.



From Climbing Works gym in Sheffield UK

Lynn Hill on Chblanke

The news has circulated very quickly about Lynn Hill, a household name in world climbing going way back, and her success on Chblanke, a thin technical V11/12 at Hueco. Jamie Emerson has counted 6 female ascents and then someone remembered Liv Sansoz so it's the 8th or something like that. Which raises some questions worth asking at this point? When is a First Female Ascent worth reporting? Is it ever worth reporting? EZ Harrison proposed a FOGA (First Old Guy/Gal Ascent) for his send of Secret Splendor in RMNP which regardless of gender is to my mind even more important. Lisa Rands doing The Mandala is pretty sick and a benchmark for V12 female ascents that I have not seen equalled, in my opinion. Lynn Hill's ascent is impressive but I feel the reporting of repeats of hard routes maybe ought to emphasize the age involved, not the gender.

Her ascent of Chblanke makes me wonder about how well people could climb if they were free to travel for extended periods, train when they want etc. The ascent is inspiring but I'm waiting for WFTMAWKA ascent for some of these routes and problems. That's " Working Full Time Middle Aged With Kid/s Ascents." By the way, she pretty much qualifies on all those categories as well.

Update: A video of Lynn Hill at the RRG.

The East Draw and The Infinite

For a change of pace I hiked up to the East Draw, just east of Eldorado Canyon. I decided to get an annual pass to the park as there are a number of fine projects there that are best tried in winter and early spring. My main aim was trying a problem called The Infinite, a V10/11 established by Paul Robinson in 2007. On the way up I also took a detour to check out a short V10 problem on the Trailside Boulder called Trailside Overhang. This problem looks good but was a bit wet at the time. Boulder just had about 6 inches of snow on Wednesday and Thursday so I was hoping the upper area would be warm and dry. I was not disappointed.










Trailside Boulder

A stiff 10-15 minute hill climb leads to the overhanging outcrop where the problem is. The views are stupendous from this place and on a cool day, the sun warms up the rock quickly making it an ideal winter spot. The Infinite starts up the jugs of a problem called Pig-Dog and then tackles the bulge on the left on bad holds. It basically is a short V5 to a V9/10 move. The way I was trying it involved a pretty poor crimp for the right to a jump for a slot and felt very unlikely yet eventually doable. If anyone has alternative beta suggestions, please let me know.

For anyone looking for a good winter project in the V10-11 range, this problem is really good and well worth the short hike. Be careful about the approach and get good directions. You have to walk through a residential area and even use a private driveway to get started on the trail so keep quiet and be respectful of locals.










Trying the crux of the Infinite

Trento Film Festival Interviews

I just came across the Trento film festival which is held every spring in northern Italy. There's a great interview with Pietro Dal Pra.


I recommend that readers wander around in the Web TV section and browse the other interviews. It's a great resource for mountain and climbing related video from the non-English speaking world.

Another Flag Project Dispatched

Last night I went up for a quick session at Flagstaff, hoping to complete a problem I called Glass Plus, which is a RH version of Don't Touch the Glass at Nook's Rock. You pull on with two terrible holds, with a poor right foot and jump for the lip. This seemingly simple problem has taken me many many attempts to figure out. Last night, as the dark was truly closing in I finally stuck the lip and moved left to finish up on the jugs of DTTG. I was very psyched. The problem could be soft V10, maybe V9 if you are taller. The grade is hard to figure since I feel I am climbing pretty well and if it was easy, I think I would have done it a lot faster. The problem has a slightly lower start which will probably be V11 and which I will be trying soon.

I then went over to Scott Rennak's house to buy some holds from his home gym. Scott is a longtime fixture in the climbing scene and I was particularly interested in whether he had any of the crimps from Crater, the climbing hold company he ran. I scooped up a few choice items and really there is a lot to choose from still. Here is the link to his craigslist ad. Some great deals are available on some first-rate grips.

By the way if you are reading this blog, leave a comment. I appreciate hearing from readers.

Dawes/Dixon Interview at UKClimbing

For a great insight into a landmark route in bold climbing go to this link. Johnny Dawes and Nick Dixon discuss their experiences on Indian Face in Wales. The description of likely falling scenarios is a bit chilling (circa 7 minutes). The smaller version of the video is below.

Dawes and Dixon on the Indian Face from UKClimbing.com TV on Vimeo.