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Location: CA : Central Coast : Santa Barbara : * Santa Barbara Bouldering : The Brickyard : ... : Cradlerock Style (V7)
By: andy patterson When: May 21, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: If we're thinking of the same problem (the starting hold is a long, thin crimp), the first move is purdy hard. After that it's cake. I did a hard move up right to a pocket instead of a hard move up left, as it seemed like the right thing to do.
Maybe I'm crazy.
Anyway, I wouldn't call it anything other than V7. Short, hard, bouldery. Which makes sense, since it's a boulder-problem.
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Location: CA : Central Coast : Santa Barbara : * Santa Barbara Bouldering : The Brickyard : ... : Photo
By: andy patterson When: May 21, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: Oh, there's more. Wait for it...
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Location: CA : Central Coast : Santa Barbara : Gibraltar Area : Gibraltar Rock : ... : Photo
By: andy patterson When: May 17, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: fantastic.
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Location: CA : Central Coast : Santa Barbara : * Santa Barbara Bouldering : Potter's Point : ... : Debra (V8)
By: andy patterson When: May 17, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: Bummer. I guess everybody's hands are different, but when I did it, I think my ring-finger (left hand) slipped off, leaving just a few sorry pads for the crux. I recall there being a sharp little crystal too.
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Location: CA : Central Coast : Santa Barbara : * Santa Barbara Bouldering : The Brickyard : ... : Dancing Outlaw (V8)
By: andy patterson When: May 17, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: As in harder? Easier?
I'm sure Debra is worse now with the broken crimp, but I thought it was on the mellower side of V8 prior to breakage. Dancing Outlaw has always been a good example of SB V8 in my opinion.
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Location: CA : Central Coast : Santa Barbara : Gibraltar Area : Gibraltar Rock : Jabberwocky (5.12a R)
By: andy patterson When: May 14, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: Funny, I said the same thing to Bernd after I led it. There's some specific beta that makes things slightly easier, but the way I initially climbed it things felt like solid 12b. Also, definitely wait till sunset next time. I've made the mistake of leading it in the sun and I took some good grease-off whips.
I also agree that the crux is a tad longer than Broken Mirror.
I'm so psyched that you and Nick have been getting on this line! More people need to climb it.
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Location: CA : Central Coast : Santa Barbara : * Santa Barbara Bouldering : The Lizard's Mouth
By: andy patterson When: May 9, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: Way to take initiative on the App! Whether or not visiting climbers or die-hard locals find it useful, I think it's admirable when fellow climbers devote gobs of their own time to purpose of guidebook paraphernalia. I personally thought the App a good idea overall—particularly the close-up picture of each problem. The big "overhead" shot look blurry, though, and possibly confusing.
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Location: CA : Central Coast : Santa Barbara : Gibraltar Area : Gibraltar Rock : Broken Mirror (5.12a R)
By: andy patterson When: May 8, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: Thanks for getting on this rig, Will and Nick. The only cure for grittiness is traffic.
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Location: CA : Central Coast : Santa Barbara : * Santa Barbara Bouldering : The Lizard's Mouth : ... : Worst Idea Of The Century C... (V5)
By: andy patterson When: May 5, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: You could, Brian, you could. The suck-factor would no doubt increase exponentially.
Get after it!
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Location: CA : Central Coast : Santa Barbara : Cathedral Peak : Sea Urchin (V2-)
By: andy patterson When: May 2, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: Never before has a V2 boulder problem garnered this much hooplah.
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Location: CA : Central Coast : Santa Barbara : Cathedral Peak : Sea Urchin (V2-)
By: andy patterson When: Apr 28, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: I typically divide climbing places in to two categories:
1) Places where quality climbing can occur
2) Places where Dale (my Siberian Husky) can run and frolic
The Cathedral Peak area mostly falls in to the latter category, in my opinion. Potters Point is a mix of 1 and 2. The Yard', the Mouth, and the Playground also straddle the categories.
Some places, like Stoney Point—historical noteworthiness notwithstanding—don't fit either category. For such locales there is a third category:
3) Pl... more >>
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Location: CA : Central Coast : Santa Barbara : * Santa Barbara Bouldering : The Brickyard
By: andy patterson When: Apr 22, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: Hey there, climbing community of SB.
For the second time in the last year, I've had to mitigate forest-fire potential at the Yard'. On Friday night some campers dug a fire-hole directly under Grotesque Old Woman, and when I arrived for a bouldering session on Saturday morning, there was a SMOKING PIT OF ASHES. It was a hot and dry day, with a steady breeze. Eek. Needless to say, my friends and I had to sacrifice most of our drinking water to douse the pile of embers. That's not how I like to en... more >>
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Location: CA : Central Coast : Santa Barbara : * Santa Barbara Bouldering : Potter's Point : ... : The Brute (V9)
By: andy patterson When: Apr 22, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: Sooo awesome. I love sandstone (not being sarcastic).
Good for you guys. Way to keep up the psyche!
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Location: CA : Sierra Eastside : Bishop Area : Buttermilk Country : Buttermilks Main : ... : Croft Problem (V8)
By: andy patterson When: Apr 8, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: Funny/humbling story:
After watching a climber do the moves, I put my shoes on, chalked up, and easily flashed this problem. Feeling pretty good about myself, I decided to explore some famous "moderates" around the Milks'. I landed on Birthday Direct, a classic V3.
In short: I had a mini-epic, and barely sent after like 40 tries.
I love rock-climbing.
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Location: CA : Central Coast : Santa Barbara : * Santa Barbara Bouldering : The Brickyard : ... : Photo
By: andy patterson When: Apr 4, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: Yeah. I totally remember going to fight the War between the States after this. Totally gnarly war. Afterwards, I went to California to pan for gold, but got sidetracked by the Brickyard and have been there ever since.
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Location: CA : Central Coast : Santa Barbara : * Santa Barbara Bouldering : The Brickyard : ... : Photo
By: andy patterson When: Apr 2, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: Here I am, climbing the Brickyard, circa 1856.
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Location: CA : Sierra Eastside : Bishop Area : Owens River Gorge : Inner Gorge : ... : Escapade (5.11a)
By: andy patterson When: Apr 1, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: Has a distinctly "old-school" feel. The bolt placements are sporty, but not particularly run-out. The physical cruxes seemed to be lower on the route, but the moves past the last bolt test your mental stamina—and your toes. Almost every hold is perfect. In my opinion, this is a 5.11a for someone very comfortable at the grade. Not a great climb for someone breaking in to the 11's.
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Location: CA : Sierra Eastside : Bishop Area : Owens River Gorge : Inner Gorge : ... : Excelsior (5.12d)
By: andy patterson When: Apr 1, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: I TR'd this line at the end of a session, after putting some work in on Yellowstreak (5.13a). Thought I'd cool down on a "less hard" classic. Ho....ly...crap. Absolutely savage through the crux. I completely agree with Brad: the crux feels like V9.
Insanely elegant and beautiful. And did I say savage?
Not sure I could redpoint this. Ever.
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Location: CA : Sierra Eastside : Bishop Area : Buttermilk Country : Buttermilks Main : ... : Birthday Direct (V3)
By: andy patterson When: Mar 29, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: Absolutely, unequivocally NOT easy for the grade.
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Location: CA : Central Coast : Santa Barbara : * Santa Barbara Bouldering : Painted Cave : ... : Break on Through (V9)
By: andy patterson When: Mar 27, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: I knew I wasn't crazy; I remember the "big edge" you grab used to be bigger. At some point a handful of years ago, it broke. I wasn't trying it much then, but I do remember something being different. The Wills Way seems to be the ticket nowadays.
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Location: CA : Central Coast : Santa Barbara : Gibraltar Area : Gibraltar Rock : Broken Mirror (5.12a R)
By: andy patterson When: Mar 26, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: From the "Hole-rest" on Broken Mirror, there seems to be a rather tempting line up and left, just waiting to be climbed. The prospective line follows the arc of those concoidal fractures to the right of T-Crack. It would eventually join up with the hand-traverse ledge in the middle of T-Crack. It would need a bolt, probably two. Someone check it out!
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Location: CA : Central Coast : Santa Barbara : * Santa Barbara Bouldering : Painted Cave : ... : Break on Through (V9)
By: andy patterson When: Mar 26, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: I thought it was hard for the grade too until I saw Bernd WALK up it. Repeatedly. Then I thought "hey, I should try again". So I did.
It still felt hard.
I always blame my failure on the size of my fingers, and the fact that they don't fit inside the crux "slot"—which, unfortunately, you have to crank on in order to gain the upper holds. But my failure has more to do with the fact that Break On Through is too hard, and I'm too weak.
Some day.
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Location: CA : Central Coast : Santa Barbara : * Santa Barbara Bouldering : Painted Cave : ... : Old Soft Hsu (V3)
By: andy patterson When: Mar 26, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: Fantastic line. Tricky feet, tricky finish, and possibly harder for shorties. One of my favorite at PC.
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Location: CA : Central Coast : Santa Barbara : * Santa Barbara Bouldering : Painted Cave : ... : Big Traffic (V4)
By: andy patterson When: Mar 26, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: Agreed. Skipping the biggest hold on Heavy Traffic makes this problem less of a link-up and more of a singular, elegant line.
To wit:
Start with right hand on pocket, left on crimp, set up feet, crank up to gaston-rail with right, cross left hand to sloping crimp-rail, roll out with right to the last rail on Big Deal, then top out.
Done and done.
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Location: CA : Central Coast : Santa Barbara : * Santa Barbara Bouldering : The Brickyard : ... : Single Shot (V2)
By: andy patterson When: Mar 22, 2012 | view comment >> |
Comments: As would I. Round' these parts, Ocean's 11 is scripture.
Historical note: during the winter of 2008, Micah Elconin and I climbed all those lines—and about 260+ other problems—in one afternoon as part of Micah's birthday-challenge. I remember doing a number of highly non-classic problems, but the area around Paradise Blend stands out in memory as an under-visited area with fantastic moderates.
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