Spot visits

Went to the Spot on Monday and Wednesday and worked a couple of 4-spot problems, making some progress. Wednesday Hardly and Judy were there along with Kreighton, Kevin, and Farris. I did a hard orange 3-spot in two tries. Made some good progress on a cool blue-white 4-spot that involves a figure-9 move, but was stopped cold by the last hard move near the top.

Got my hands over the top on the black/white 4-spot, but couldn't pull over. All the problems will be gone after this weekend because of the national comp. New stuff next week.

Sent Blue/Yellow 4-spot!

SENT!!!!!!!! I'm psyched! I warmed up a bit and then went straight to this problem, thinking I would get it first or second try. My first effort I got to the striped sloper and fell off. Damn! I swung way left when I matched. Next try I get to the same point, but move my right foot over thinking it will lessen my swing. I barely tag the sloper with my second hand and fall off. Then John Christie shows up and I finally have a buddy. I get energy from my friends. Despite this my third ends at the same point. Now I'm tired and a bit disappointed, thinking it just isn't going to happen today. John's tries it a couple of times, but falls off. He does match on the sloper on his second and third tries - something that took me two days to do. I figure I'm just getting a workout now, but I bear down on attempt number four and John is encouraging me for all his worth, talking me through every move, even though I have it wired. This time I match on the sloper and hold it. I'm swinging, but I'm not off. I get the foot up on the big hold. It should be done now and it is! I top out! What satisfaction!

That made my trip, but I hang out and climb with John for quite awhile. I do the green 5-spot again (on my third try). John sends the super hard pink 4-spot ONSIGHT! We both flail on the super hard 4-spot orange squiggle route and both can't do the first move (this must have changed somehow) on the black 4-spot. I get up to the last hold, holding it for a second or two, on the black/white 4-spot on the Hueco boulder, but that's a long way from topping out.

We finish by working the black 4-spot just left of the black/white. John gets higher than I do by a couple of moves, but we're wasted and head back to work. Fun time. Thanks to John for showing up. That made my day for sure. I don't like bouldering without my posse. I know lots of people there, but my crowd wasn't in. Jonathan Lantz was there, but he pulls down WAY stronger than I do. Nate Gold was there as well, grunting up a storm. I like that style. He gives his all, that's for sure. Also met Mike A..? a friend of Jonathan's and a member of the ACE, of which I've just been voted a board member.

Bill

Space with Hardly and Kreighton

Today I was concentrating on working the 4-spot blue/yellow problem. Previously I had it down to 3 pitches. Today I linked from the start clear over the stripped sloping hold, only a couple moves from the top. I had previously said that once I got the big red hold after the brutal opening sequence, I shouldn't fall off. Kreighton and Farres had both gotten past this section and fallen off. So it was a bit embarrassing to do the same thing. These moves are much easier, but they aren't that easy and you are so pumped when you get there.

On my first effort, I got further than on Monday, but still not to the big sloper. Kreighton showed me a couple of tricks and Hardly showed me crucial heel hook. With these tricks, I got by the sloper twice, but didn't have the guns to finish it. This baby is definitely going down on Friday! Kreighton it getting to the same point as I am, but he's gotten there more times. Once we match on the sloper it should be over, but I said that before. I suspect the final move could prove to be very tough, just like the pink/black one was. I've never missed that more starting in the middle, but I've never missed any of those other moves either and now I'm falling off them. What fun this bouldering is...

Hardly fired the orange squiggly 4-spot on his first try! Awesome... That one is still on my list. He also sent the pink 4-spot that was my pride and joy - the hardest problem I've done in the gym. He also cleaned up the orange 5-spot that I had done twice, but that is just a mantle/balance trick.

Bill

Monday at the Spot

I arrived around 1:30 p.m. at the Spot today. No one had responded to my email to meet me, but I found a number of friends there including Alina, Ferris, Jonathon Lantz, and Jimmy Redo. I had an okay session. I sent the black 4-spot on the west buttress of the Hueco boulder on my second try! That made the whole visit fruitful, so I was satisfied. I had tried this problem probably 20 times. I then tried the new black/white one just left of this. I got up to touch the last hold, but couldn't hang it. What's more, the top is the crux - no holds! This has a very hard move to a 2-finger pocket. I can just barely do this semi-static. Ferris jumps up to this pocket.

I then started working on Kreighton's blue/yellow 4-spot problem on the overhanging face of the Hueco boulder. That thing is brutal! There are two really hard moves for me. Adrop into an undercling and then the move off the big sloper. I worked it like a route. I did all the moves in three "pitches". :-) I sent it twice by starting with my left hand on the sloper and my right hand on the hold to the right. BUT, it took me two "pitches" to get this far. Hopefully Wednesday I can get it down to two pitches. It's so powerful that I don't see myself sending it this week. Maybe never, but I'll work on it.