New Web Project in the Works

Yeah, it's true, I've only posted like one time this month. Weak sauce, right? Well, at least I've got a decent excuse. Me and a couple of climbing pals are working on a new website project we're really excited about, and it's been taking what little free time I have after my days and nights of grad school misadventures. What's the new project? I can't say quite yet cuz it's still in the developing stages (but that's a fuzzy logo teaser to the left) and no one wants to see a project that's half done--it's like seeing yer grandma half naked before she puts on her makeup and girdle and puts in her teeth in the morning. But I'll be dropping info here soon, hopefully by next month.



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What Happened to the Bouldering Circuit?

Yeah, what happened to the bouldering circuit? Nowadays, the mighty 'project' reigns supreme. Projects, projects, projects. It's one of the most common words you'll hear out in the boulder field or at the crag. "Did you do your project man?" Singular feats of peak performance have trumped the ensemble experience.

I've tried to think of an analogy from another outdoor sport. The emphasis in climbing on projects and difficulty reminds me a bit of the emphasis--and marketability--on single, super-difficult tricks in skateboarding or snowboarding. That stuff does seem to sell, that's for sure.

In the French birthplace of bouldering, a circuit of boulder problems is such a common tradition that they're physically coded and marked on the boulders themselves. Visit Fontainbleau and you can't miss them: they're painted in vivid color with arrows pointing up. Depending on the color, you'll find an appropriate circuit for kids, hard men and women, and all levels between. Just pick a color and follow the arrows. If you're lucky, follow a local too.

I was in Font once, bouldering in a spot which roughly translates to 'Valley of the Dog.' It's a flat, sandy expanse littered with perfect boulders and home to the famous roof problem, Le Toit du Cul de Chien, a French version of Blowing Rock's Roof of Death. I had the chance to follow an unassuming Frenchman on a red arrow circuit. Over a few hours, we went from boulder to boulder, linking red arrow problems in a continuous flow. True to form, he kindly pointed out flaws in my beta, which I must admit now was really a great help. I didn't send the hardest thing I'd ever done, but that wasn't the point. Climbing uninterrupted wore me out, and left me with a great feeling: the simple satisfaction of moving over stone for an extended period of time.

Now, I know circuits aren't totally dead, and that a few climbers still nurture and practice their favorite local link-ups. Tom Moulin's recent guidebook for Red Rocks bouldering actually goes as far as describing a whole handful of bouldering circuits for different areas. It would be neat to see more guides in the states do this, but cool and unique as it is, collectively shared circuits are the exception. No one really talks about circuits anymore, and for a more recent generation of climbers, it seems like the idea is either forgotten or meaningless.

Ironically, while running a good circuit is easily more fun that flailing and falling on a pad all day, the truth is doing circuits builds a fantastic training base for taking it to the next level on that one, single hard-for-you climb, i.e., your precious project. For those who remain fixated on performance, and uninterested in this pitch for a flowing hippy trip through the boulders, keep that in mind.

Maybe I'm way off though and there's pent-up love for the circuit out there. Care to tell your favorite circuit spot? Mine's the Long Wall at Grandmother.

Zachary Lesch-Huie

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New Year's Eve at Rumbling Bald

Seeing as how there's almost a foot of snow on the ground here in Boone today, I'm feeling pretty lucky that we got out last week on New Year's Eve for a trip to RB. There was a big crew of folks in the parking lot and it was good to catch up with some folks from Asheville i haven't seen in months. We started the day warming up on the West Side at the Gateway boulders, moved on to Shady Grove, and then headed west to the "new" Hanging Chain boulders with Matt B, Brad C and George from SC, and a fella whose name I already forgot (Adam, maybe?) because I have early onset Alzheimers (sorry, dude!).

I had never been here before so I was curious to check 'em out. We hit just one area that had a few moderates and one great looking V6 called "The Butch Seamstress." One of the best lines there was a V3 up a crimp rail that pimped out to a jug, and then the top of the boulder. It was fun climbing someplace without a lot of chalk--it definitely required sussing the problems out. It was also a nice way to get far from the crowds that were there that day. If you've never been, these boulders are worth at least 1 visit, especially on a crowded day.

We then went back to the West side and finished the day hitting a bunch of stuff from the Bart Simpson Boulder to Classic Overhang (V3) to The Crescent (V1 highball). I love ending the day by getting in a lot of mileage like that. Here are some pics from the day:




And here's a video of that fun V3 at the Hanging Chain Boulders:






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