3-5-07: Heart of Darkness

Randy on Heart of Darkness [v9]

This isn't the greatest photo, but it was from the night that the problem went up. At the end of an already fun climbing day we headed down to try a problem that Matt Wilder and Noah Kaufman had cleaned. They were really excited about the climb and it was easy to see why: just enough holds on a gently overhanging wall.

The most amazing part is that it was right off the road down past the 140/120 junction. How was it possible that every boulderer that ever drove down 140 could have missed this obvious gem? After a while of while of figuring out the beta by lantern and headlamps I managed to get the FA with a key slopey backstep.

To find the problem, head down just past the 120/140 junction. Park at the first pull out on the left. Walk back up the road about 100 feet and the problem will be on your left.

-Raza

4-2-07: Liceberg

Lyn Verinsky on Liceberg [v7]

In the warm up area of the Ahwahnee's there are a number of fun problems. You can start on heinous slopers to start the easy dihedral that you can see to the right (that's called Iceberg). Or you can tackle the bulge which is called Liceberg (for Left Iceberg and a pun on the classic traverse in Font called l'iceberg). It's silly but fun.

Finding the problem is easy. It's just to the right of Funky Chicken in the Ahwahnee's.

-Raza

2-25-07: Ringtail

Randy Puro on Ringtail [v11]

On the same boulder, but to the left of Downpressor lies another line that for a while looked to futuristic. A series of slopey rails on a steep face lead to a blank looking top-out. The main reason Randy and I tried it was because the temps were so sick in January. Eventually an intricate sequence was teased from the boulder and before the the weather had a chance to warm up, we both sent.

And of course, we called it Ringtail because while we were working on it, a ringtail (who knew there are ringtails in the valley?) came to visit us by peeking its head through the jumble of boulders near the base.



-Raza

2-13-07: Downpressor

Tommy Caldwell on Downpressor [v10] (wtf?)

Behind the 2x4 boulder in the Ahwahnee's is a steep face with crazy slopers. A number of us have been looking at this line but it was Randy who took the initiative to clean the problem and work the moves. While most of us thought there wasn't much hope, he kept pressing on until we had a late night session in the rain where we (mostly Randy) started to unlock the puzzle. He sent on his first trip back to the problem, after most of the snow had melted away.

Downpressor tackles the right side of the boulder and starts on two flat edges below the lip. It heads up and left to a good edge and through an easy but puckery top-out. Randy swears it's only v10 but until there is a second ascent, I will remain skeptical.

-Raza

HELP: Lost climbing bag

On December 3rd, I did the dumbest thing I've done in a long time. I left my climbing bag, with all my shoes, in the parking lot across from Yabo's Roof (also known as Tommy's Roof). After realized this, we raced back the next morning to try to retrieve the bag but it was gone.

I filed a lost & found report with NPS & DNC, but haven't had any luck yet. I'm hoping that somebody knows what happened to my bag and send me an email. Most of my gear and shoes is labeled "RAZA" with a sharpie.

Bag contents:
2 pair Scarpa Vortex, size 41.5 (purple slippers)
1 pair Scarpa Dominators, size 42.5 (orange velcros)
1 pair Scarpa Vision, size 43.5 (red & white lace-ups)
Garmin GPS 12, (all my boulder GPS data is gone!)
Grey Mountain Hardwear rain shell

-Raza