Climbing Narcissist » Climbing

Woods & Metcalf Repeat At 2012 Dark Horse Championships

Narc — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:52:49 +0000

With the 2012 edition of ABS Nationals fast approaching many of America’s top boulderers headed for the east coast last weekend to participate in the finale of the 2012 Dark Horse Series. In a repeat of last year’s comp, Daniel Woods and Francesca Metcalf prevailed over a pretty strong field.

2012 Dark Horse Championships – Metrorock – Everett, MA
Men’s Final Results	Women’s Final Results
Daniel Woods Rob D’Anastasio Carlo Traversi Alex D Johnson Andy Lamb	Francesca Metcalf Angie Payne Kasia Pietras Katie Lamb Nadya Vorotnikova

Pat Bagley posted a huge gallery of great images from the comp and there is the now standard LT11 highlight reel to recap the action. As a bonus, here’s Daniel Wood sealing the victory as he levitates his way up the final problem:

Woods & Metcalf Repeat At 2012 Dark Horse Championships from Climbing Narcissist

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Jimmy Webb’s Climbed 99 Problems And The Island (V14) Was One

Narc — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:33:32 +0000

Ok. Horrible title. Forgive me.

Anyway, Jimmy Webb is about a week into his first trip to Font. Last week he managed that one day ascent of Kheops Assis (V14), and according to his 8a scorecard this week he managed a relatively quick repeat of Dave Graham’s The Island a once V15 but now maybe V14 at Coquibus Rumont. This latest ascent puts him at 99 problems V10 or harder in the past 12 months which is notable for being 99 more V10s or harder than I’ve done in my entire life¹.

Unless I can count that 1 problem that is V10 for some people but not V10 for other people. Then I’m only 98 behind! Yes! ↩

Jimmy Webb’s Climbed 99 Problems And The Island (V14) Was One from Climbing Narcissist

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Golden Direct Repeated By Ben Spannuth

Narc — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:10:14 +0000

Ben Spannuth, who recently started a blog at LT11, grabbed a rare repeat Golden Direct at the Cathedral in Southern Utah according to his 8a scorecard. Golden Direct was first done in 2008 by Joe Kinder at a suggested grade of 5.14d and was subsequently repeated by the likes of Chris Sharma and Jonathan Siegrist. Having climbed five other routes in the 5.14c/d range in the past 6 months, Spannuth felt Golden Direct warranted a grade of 5.14c.

Golden Direct Repeated By Ben Spannuth from Climbing Narcissist

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Alex Johnson Climbs Lethal Design (V12)

Narc — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:12:45 +0000

Alex Johnson gave the highballs in Bishop a break to check out the bouldering in Red Rock, Nevada where she repeated the V12 highball Lethal Design according to her 8a scorecard:

great support crew and tons of pads! long and crimpy. worked out all the moves quick and sent first burn.

Since the start of 2012 she has done some eight V10′s or harder across Yosemite, Bishop and Red Rock.

Update: Climbing.com caught up with Johnson to discuss the ascent

Alex Johnson Climbs Lethal Design (V12) from Climbing Narcissist

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Low Gravity Week In Fontainebleau

Narc — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:54:49 +0000

Someone apparently flipped the low gravity switch last week in Fontainebleau…

Only a couple of days into his first visit to the Horse Pens 40 of France Font, Jimmy Webb wasted no time putting his other-worldly compression skills to work by making a 1 hour ascent of Khéops Assis (V14) according to his 8a scorecard.

Webb wasn’t the only climber to make a fast repeat of Khéops Assis last week as Sean McColl also managed a 1 day ascent of this boulder. In a sign of the times, his ascent was aided by the fact that he could watch footage of Paul Robinson trying the line while he was actually at the boulder:

I was happy to say that my flash go was very satisfying. I did the first 5 or so moves and fell exactly where I thought I might, from sloper to sloper. I didn’t even come close to doing the move, but it still felt good. I then figured I’d just try that one move until I got it. I spent the next 20 or so minutes trying to figure out that move but after 7-8 tries, I just couldn’t do it. After that many tries, I sat down and studied Paul’s movie again. I was just looking for where he put his right foot for the hard move. After watching the movie for probably 5 minutes, I suspected that he was putting his heel unusually close to his left foot right on the arête.

I saw how I assumed it would work, and put my shoes on pretty fast. The first time I tried the move with that magical heel, I did the top! I was psyched and as I was running down the backside of the boulder, I already knew that Kheops Assis was totally possible, and today!

Also enjoying the prime conditions in Font was Nalle Hukkataival. In a single day he did the FA of a recently cleaned project he’s calling Realist (V14) and he repeated Gecko Assis (V14).

Nalle Hukkataival on his new problem in Font called Realist (V14)

And lastly, Guillaume Glairon-Mondet repeated Satan i helvete bas (V14) according to UKClimbing.

So yeah, that was a pretty good week, no?

Low Gravity Week In Fontainebleau from Climbing Narcissist

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Paul Robinson Punches His Ticket For Memory Is Parallax (V14)

Narc — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:01:03 +0000

Turns out Paul Robinson was next as he did the 5th ascent of Dave Graham’s Memory Is Parallax (V14) over the weekend. Paul Robinson Punches His Ticket For Memory Is Parallax (V14) from Climbing Narcissist Become a fan of ClimbingNarc.com on Facebook Related posts: The Dagger (V14) Repeated By Paul Robinson Paul Robinson Repeats Ninja Skills [...]

Paul Robinson Punches His Ticket For Memory Is Parallax (V14) from Climbing Narcissist

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All Aboard The Train

Narc — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:14:41 +0000

Dave Graham’s Memory Is Parallax (V14) is the flavor of the month among the Frontrange’s elite boulderers as in the past few days both Matty Hong and Carlo Traversi have joined Daniel Woods in punching their tickets on the send train of this great new problem. Who’s next??

All Aboard The Train from Climbing Narcissist

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Vicious Fish (5.13d) Repeated By 12-Year-Old Drew Ruana

Narc — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:16:17 +0000

Last weekend 12-year-old Drew Ruana took his climbing to the next level by repeating Vicious Fish (5.13d) at Smith Rock, OR. The route description on Mountain Project sounds nightmarish for the small statured:

This is the ultimate prize on the Churning Buttress. Each winter hardmen flock to this site in search of ‘good’ (read: frigid) conditions for the redpoint. This is another great example of a route without holds. Sure, there are holds in spots, but in the business, you’re basically slapping and sloping on pitiful ripples.

Drew Ruana on Vicious Fish – Photos by Ryan Palo

Ruana has been climbing since he was 3 but only started climbing seriously the past 3 years or so. This ascent builds on previous notable sends by Ruana at Smith Rock including Churning In The Wake (5.13a), Oxygen (5.13b) and Rude Boys (5.13c). Here are a pair of so-so quality videos showing the latter two sends:

Vicious Fish (5.13d) Repeated By 12-Year-Old Drew Ruana from Climbing Narcissist

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Desperanza (V15) Repeated By Chris Webb Parsons

Narc — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:04:39 +0000

Chris Webb Parsons reports on his website that he has done the second ascent of Daniel Woods’ Desperanza, the proposed V15 low start to Esperanza in Hueco Tanks:

Im not sure if the full grade of V15 is correct for this boulder, but being that is a tad harder than Esperanza maybe V15 is correct? I don’t know?

Alex Puccio is also in Hueco with Webb Parsons and she has done a few V10s and the V11 Sunshine.

Desperanza (V15) Repeated By Chris Webb Parsons from Climbing Narcissist

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Another V14 For Daniel Woods Near Estes Park

Narc — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:57:24 +0000

It was another productive weekend at Nicky’s Boulders near Estes Park for Daniel Woods. Woods took to his Facebook page to describe what went down:

Yesterday, I was able to complete one of the coolest boulders I have done in a while at the Nicky’s boulders aka Elkland. The line goes out a 35 degree overhanging bulge. There are two near parallel rails leading to a flat hold at the 3/4 point. The style is wide compression moves between the two rails with involved heel hooking and edging. Once you arrive to the flat edge, you then set up for the giant iron cross move out right to a flat sidepull. From here the moves are not so hard, but you have a potential 25 foot fall onto rocks and logs and the rock quality becomes not so good. This just adds in an adrenaline packed topout.

Daniel Woods on Mind to Motion (V14)

Photo: Dariusz Kuczynski

The new problem is called Mind to Motion and Woods has suggested a grade of V14 for the line. As seems to be the norm these days for hard boulders put up in Colorado, Woods is sure to credit Dave Graham for the vision to see this line:

Dave Graham brushed it up, then showed me some photos and I was instantly psyched. His eye for bouldering is truly one of the greatest out there and I am priviledged to be able to learn from the master.

This ascent comes not long after Woods made a one day repeat of Graham’s Memory Is Parallax (V14) at Nicky’s Boulders and the FA of Mirror Reality (V14) in RMNP. ABS Nationals, the Hueco Rock Rodeo and several other trips loom in Woods’ near future so it will be interesting to follow his continued progress.

Another V14 For Daniel Woods Near Estes Park from Climbing Narcissist

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