Portia Menlove reports via her 8a scorecard that she’s done Barefoot On Sacred Ground (V12) on North Mountain at Hueco Tanks. Based on her scorecard this is her first problem of the grade.
Barefoot On Sacred Ground (V12) Repeated By Portia Menlove
Posted In: Asides, Bouldering, News
Climbers: Portia Menlove
Areas: Hueco Tanks
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20 Responses to Barefoot On Sacred Ground (V12) Repeated By Portia Menlove
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Topout?
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The topout is kind of meaningless on that problem, just a few long V1/2 moves that make up the end of See Spot Run. Always nice to topout the boulder, but not really adding anything. The real cool part is she says that she did it “the old school way” which I think means that she threw the huge dyno instead of using a tiny gaston to do the crux static.
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If you’re going to question the validity of someones send, at least use your real name. It’s really juvenille to try and invalidate anothers success behind the vail of an unknown identity.
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I was unaware that I could drop off whenever the hard climbing was “over”….I’ve done more problems than I thought! The transition into See Spot is no gimmie.
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Let’s not get too carried away since a) we don’t know what she did and b) there seems to be somewhat of prevailing ethic that it’s ok not to top out that problem. I’m not saying it’s ok since I think we all agree that topping out is always best when possible, but let’s not be too quick to judge.
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So many haters on these climbing websites.
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No doubt! The problem she did was super cool, top out or no. Why can’t we leave it at that?
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noice
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Just as starting the Mandala in the undercling is completely invalid, so is not topping out on Barefoot. Not saying she did or didn’t do it, but ANYONE who hasn’t topped it out has not sent it.
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Barefoot is traditionally a drop off problem put up by bouldering legend Fred Nicole as a drop off finish. Fred was no doubt strong enough to top it out but (I assume) saw no need to venture into dangerous ground(straight up). Of course, Chris Sharma and a few others with brass balls topped it out straight up and recently it seems people have begun linking it into See Spot Run. The link into See Spot Run is an amazing problem but is essentially a variation problem of Barefoot. Really the Barefoot-See Spot link up needs its own name. To discredit a send of Barefoot done in the traditional style of the FA (who happens to be Fred Nicole) is ridiculous.
Also, I highly doubt as a 5’2” girl Portia could span the move from the finishing jug on Barefoot around the corner to the upper holds of See Spot Run.
Impressive send Portia.
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this is the video of her send its fully legit when it guide book ( that matt wilder wrote) says that barefoot on sacred ground finishes on the large obvious hueco…..
http://vimeo.com/19815829
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If Fred didn’t top it out, I wonder who actually got the FA. If there are holds going to the top of the boulder, you go to the top of the boulder. I can’t believe climbing has gotten to the point where we are actually having this conversation at all. If dropping off is good enough for you, and you are just climbing for yourself, that is fine, but if you are pursuing recognition for a send, and actively making it known that you sent said problem (video footage) at least have the decency to top out.
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I guess Fred Nicole didn’t do the FA of Esperanza then either???
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There’s a clear difference between having no holds to get to the top of the boulder (Esperanza) and having a couple different topouts to choose from. I would venture to say that if someone manages to top Esperanza out that would become the standard and dropping off would no longer be acceptable. Mojo is another good Hueco example. If you haven’t topped out, maybe you’ll send next time….
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No, you’re wrong.
First, if someone topped out Esperanza, it would be a new problem.
Second, “no holds to get to the top” is something that always changes. Do you know how many times that line was said in the past, only for future generations to find plenty to grab on?
Third, there are thousands of boulder problems where it doesn’t make sense to top out. Organic/mossy top outs, super chossy rock, the list goes on and on.
Fourth, I’m pretty sure the FAist gets to choose the line, both where it starts and where it finishes.
You don’t use a real name, and you’re arguing against Fred Nicole and one of the top female boulderers in the world. Give it a rest.
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You’re assuming that Portia herself published that video (which, based on who uploaded it, doesn’t seem to be the case). The reason why this is news because sites like this one monitor 8a.nu (unless Portia contacted the Narc directly).
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Your point is valid although she ostensibly consented to having her ascent filmed knowing it would be published online. Same thing with publishing one’s ascents on 8a and placing them in the public sphere for all to see.
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Agreed, and it seems she plays the game, as it were, since she is sponsored by more than one company, right?
Does anyone differentiate the direct v. See-Spot finish to Barefoot?
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We haven’t gotten to this point. It has always been this way. If a climb is first established as a drop off problem due to no finish, choss(direct finish of Barefoot), deemed unnecessarily dangerous(see choss again, or maybe landing, etc.), or sometimes even to remain an independent line(instead of linking into See Spot, especially as there is already a link into See Spot from the start of Barefoot called Darkage). . . then the problem remains a drop-off but with a variation to top if one wishes. As it stands Barefoot has two top-out variations.
Would you then argue that everyone who has linked this into See Spot Run has not done Barefoot on Sacred Ground as there is an independent line that tops out directly (Chris Sharma)? I don’t discredit any of the three variations but simply treat them as such. . . variations to a great boulder problem. . . all of them worthy of my respect but to different degrees.
I am really surprised that the first person to link Barefoot into See Spot didn’t name it and call it a variation. . . especially since a direct had been done and because it’s Hueco Tanks where if a problem can have a variation it’s almost certainly been done, named and reported.
For the record, Portia shook out on the jug and tried to connect into See Spot Run but could not span the move required (5 ft 2in wingspan) to connect into the upper headwall.
Also, for the record, and to be honest. . .I dropped off the finishing jug of Barefoot. I think topping it out is cooler and I respect it more but I still sleep well at night.
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I talked with Portia about Barefoot when she was in Boulder for the ABS Nationals and she did try to reach right to SSR but it wasn’t going to happen. I would imagine that hearing comments like the ones posted here make her glad she has a profession and doesn’t climb full-time for a living.
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