The Other Buttermilks

How is it that I've lived here for six years and hadn't done Checkerboard until now? I fell off the last move two years ago and knew it was a great problem, but that five minute approach managed to keep me away for a long time. Anyway, here's a couple photo galleries from the weekend and one from last night at the Sads. Click the photos for the galleries.

Way Lake

Eric working Aftershave (V9) at Way Lake
photos - Jeff Sillcox

Buttermilks

Andrew getting really close on Checkerboard (V8) at the Buttermilks
photos - Jeff Sillcox

Sad Boulders

Running a lap on Beefcake (V10) at the Sads
photos - Jeff Sillcox & Jeff Honeywell

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Uncle Rico: Kip, I reckon... you know a lot about... cyberspace? You ever come across anything... like time travel?
Kip: Easy, I've already looked into it for myself.
Uncle Rico: Right on... right on.

Wills has a new website to augment his Bishop Bouldering guidebook. It lists news, FA's, and altered problems (broken holds, grade changes, etc). Check it out: bishopbouldering.info. He also has a blog that anyone can join and post relevant Bishop bouldering updates, info, or news to. Tony Lamiche posted a cool video of his FA of Xavier's Roof at Dale's Camp. Check it out on bishopbouldering.blogspot.com. And finally, Tony posted more photos from his trip on his website from the Buttermilks and Druids.

Tuolumne

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***WAY LAKE UPDATE***
Way Lake has a new hardest problem with Wills' FA of the seam project. It's solid V11 and Tony Lamiche nabbed the 2nd ascent right after Wills. I added a couple new problems next to Mike's Threshold of a Dream (V7). Aftershave (V9) and Taco Meat (V8) both start with a couple hard moves; Aftershave goes left on some small incuts while Taco Meat heads right into the end of a really fun V5.

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We headed up to Tuolumne on Sunday to try Sharma'sThunderbird (Vhard). Tony did it in a couple tries and Wills sent quickly also despite pulling a muscle mid-problem. Noah, Lisa, and I came pretty close to doing the crux, but the real business is the scary V5 topout.


Tony setting up for the crux...
photo - Jeff Sillcox


...and eyeing up the mantle
photo - Jeff Sillcox

We stuck around for sunset to show the French how we do it in California...


Half Dome from Olmstead Point
photo - Jeff Sillcox


Stately Pleasure Dome (left) and half of Tenaya Peak over Tenaya Lake...stupid camera lens.
photo - Jeff Sillcox

Tony Lamiche has some really good shots from Sunday also. Check them out on his site: TonyLamiche.info. There's also some cool shots from Colorado on there. Good luck finding everything... it's in French.

Native American Summer

It used to be called "Indian Summer", but it still means the same thing: Southern CA is on fire and it's perfect conditions for some high altitude bouldering. Eric and I got our normal early start on Sunday despite the really cold temps and warmed up by battling out the second and third ascents of Tim Steele's Meadow Roof (V8). I added a few moves from the sit start to make it a little harder and I think both problems are worth a few stars. We finally met up with the lazy Bishop people in the afternoon and got shutdown by everything we tried. Here's some photos from Sunday...

Click the photo for the gallery

Eric cruising Meadow Roof (V8)
photos - Jeff Sillcox

I made it back up for a couple hours on Tuesday and put up three new problems. Pudge is a fun eight move V3 on perfect rock. Left El Plopper (V5) and Right El Plopper (V8) both climb a steep face and finish with the same topout. Wednesday afternoon was spent at Rock Creek and I finally managed to do Dude (V9) with a little beta from Wills. And finally, Thursday morning back at Way Lake. Tony Lamiche and Noah Kaufman got the 2nd and 3rd ascents of Wills' Wavecatcher (V10) and I came really close to doing it before I split a tip and had to sprint down the hill to get to work on time.

The Boneyard

...and Eric

The weatherman still sucks. There's some kind of conspiracy involving Friday storms. Long story short... Saturday morning came with 40mph winds and a dusting of snow at Way Lake so we ended up at the stupid Buttermilks again (only stupid right now... it will be the best bouldering in the world again in a month).

Eric topping out Essential Peabody (V1)
When you can't climb hard, you climb high... don't do drugs.
photo - Jeff Sillcox


Eric doing intergalactic battle with a sun missile on top of the Grandma Peabody boulder.
photo - Jeff Sillcox

Then we ate a sandwich...yes, the same sandwich.

Team Fat Camp at it's finest

And then we were so fat, we got a flat tire on our way to the Boneyard...

We didn't actually have to yardsale all our gear on the highway...there's some kind of crazy tire chandelier lowering dealie that took several readings of the user manual to figure out. Tire changing tip #1: Read the captions under the pictures... don't just look at the pictures.

Look for this photo on the cover of your next 4WD Toyota Owner Magazine.


We finally made it to the Boneyard after navigating through a field of sheep...mmmm.... rack of lamb.

Eric negotiating the tricky creek crossing
photo - Jeff Sillcox

Some of the rock was a little less than solid... some would describe it as kitty litter. But we found some solid patina and finished our skin off so we won't be able to climb tomorrow.


Jeff crimping the "mouth" on Viking frame 35A72 (NASA)... still a project so feel free to name it something else related to the Red Planet if you do it first.
photos - Eric Lang

Bishop Preseason

It's almost Bishop bouldering season and I'm not excited yet. It's autumn and the temps are perfect for Way Lake, Rock Creek, Tuolumne, and numerous other summer bouldering areas. But since nature isn't cooperating right now, I've had to venture down to the Owen's Valley a little earlier than normal.

The weatherman said we weren't going to get much from this storm...

photo - Jeff Sillcox

He lied. Anyway, we ended up in Bishop where it's always nice.

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Except for the crowds

photo - Jeff Sillcox

Eric managed to finish off Acid Wash (V10) in the blazing heat and we both got pretty worked trying Goldfish Trombone (V13/14).

Eric Lang wearing the wrong pants on Acid Wash (V10)
photo - Jeff Sillcox

Sunday was pretty unproductive because of the heat but I did play around on the Buttermilker SDS (V12/13) to remember the moves. It felt pretty good and I'm excited to finish it off as soon as temps allow. Here's a photo from a couple seasons ago.

photo - Eric Lang

I was tricked into going back to the Buttermilks on Wednesday despite the crappy temps. It was too hot to pull on small holds so I ran a lap on Hero Roof (V0+) and set to work on the Wheel of Cheese project. For those of you who don't know about this amazing linkup in the cave, let me explain. You can see some of the line in the photo above. It begins on Shelter From the Storm (V6) (right side of photo under the hole) and traverses high into the end of Little Forgotten (V9) and finishes with the topout of the Buttermilker.

Jamie Kulju on Inner Sanctum (V2), part of the first third of Wheel of Cheese (V10)
photo - Eric Lang

Now, I'm not a sportclimber so I'm not exactly sure about the grade, but I'm guessing it's around V10 or maybe 5.13 something. It's 25 moves and I fell off the end a bunch (in between naps) because I have no endurance. Maybe it's only V8. Time will tell as I'm sure many people will be lining up for it this winter. I don't have any photos of the send because everyone gave up on me and left for the day, but here's a photo that sums it all up...

Some dude wearing a sweet tux and holding a giant
Wheel of Cheese (V10/5.13/18000 calories)

Here's an old video of Bubba Gump (V10) from when the temps were good.

video - Jim Sillcox