During my 2006 trip to Bishop, I spent a lot of rest time running around and fondling holds of testpieces like The Mandala. Who hasn’t? However, I couldn’t spend the whole trip mimicking sequences I would never need to know so eventually I had to climb. When I was done molesting the “holds” on The Buttermilker, made famous by Dave Graham in Dosage 1, I walked 10 feet up the hill to try Cave Problem (V4/5/6?).
If memory serves, I did my normal routine before crawling down into the dirt for my flash go. I was pleasantly surprised to see my plan pay off with a 1st go send. My crew bailed me out from feeling like a complete leech by quickly sending as well so I was off the hook (that time).
I’m sure some of the popularity of this problem has to do with the Dr. Topo guide giving it 6 V points. I’m not sure, but the new guidebook gives it 5 or maybe even only 4 points. Either way, it is a fun problem. Get on it…
