12-14-09: Teenage Mutant Ninja Gerbils

Just up the hill from the big boulder at the Woodyard lays another big boulder. In addition to 'Chicken Nugget,' this boulder offers something most of the others at the Woodyard don't...warmups! Once warmed up one should try the new addition, 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Gerbils' [v8?]. Unfortunately the video was started a little too late to catch the first move. Its not very difficult so don't worry about it too much, but for clarity's sake, one begins crossed with a left hand on a good edge and a right hand on a smaller triangular shaped edge. Here's Raza making the first ascent courtesy of the very generous Rebecca Trafecanty.

Oh yeah, please ignore the guy stuffing his face while pretending to spot.

-Justin

11-10-08: Cindy

Kevin Cuckavich savoring the slopers

AKA: 'Sydnie' or 'The Elephant's Butt Crack.' This problem was originally climbed by visiting Brit, Sean Myles on top-rope. Sean had sustained a broken leg the year prior and did not have the benefit of using a crash pad, let alone many of them. The problem has been listed in the two versions of Yosemite bouldering guides as 'Sydnie,' but the problem was not often attempted and may not have been repeated...until this October when Randy Puro re-cleaned and climbed the problem sans rope.

Randy was so excited about this problem that he contacted Sean Myles to learn a little more about the history of the problem. This is what Sean had to say:

"Cindy (I believe that was how her name was spelled) was the name of a
bartender in the Mountain Room bar back then. I guess she may still be
around. The naming story went something like this: I'd been trying the
problem and was having trouble sticking the first move where you have
to hit that slot very accurately and I was telling people that the
first move was a bitch. Later the same day I'd tried to get a drink in
the bar without an ID and Cindy had refused to serve me and was
generally, well, a bitch to me about it. So, by loose association, I
named the problem after her. Subsequently I actually told her the same
story which she took very well. I guess she was just having a bad day
that first time."

So 'Sydnie' is actually 'Cindy'[v10], so respect the first ascentionist and get it right from now on!

Cheers,

-Justin

8-24-08: OK Corral

Raza on OK Corral [v10]

We just got back from our trip to Squamish and it will be September in a few days... Can you feel the redpoint breeze just around the corner? Yes, fall will be here soon so the posts should be more frequent to get everyone psyched!

But back to the boulder problem, OK Corral is located just to the right of Tombstone. This fun, dynamic problem starts on two head-height slopers at the bottom of a dihedral. I'm not sure about the grade, but everyone agrees that it's pretty darn cool!

-Raza

8-16-08: Dogwood

Randy on Dogwood, v12

Well, I guess you could say that the "the cat is out of the bag" in regards to Dogwood (Sorry I couldn't resist!) It was one of the problems featured on Josh Lowell's new film Dosage 5. There was a short featurette about valley bouldering that seems just slightly off the mark. But maybe that is just what it always seems like when you see a dose about your 'home' area.

Anyway, this awesome problem is at the Woodyard, easily seen from the road and so easy to get to a drunken driver could easily run right into the boulder! This blunt arete starts on an obvious jug rail and climbs sidepulls to an intimidating headwall. The last move is a desperate dyno to the lip where you have to slot your pinkie in the finish jug - just right.

-Raza

6-5-08: Tombstone

Courtney on Tombstone [v9]

There has been a lot of development around the woodyard this spring. One of the original projects that helped start the development surge was found by Scott Frye in the spring of '07. He thought it would only be v5, but it rebuffed all attempts until Randy Puro got the FA in the late fall of that year.

The Tombstone boulder is located up the hill from the main woodyard boulder. There is an old road that you hike up and the boulder is on your left. Start the problem in a dihedral and climb up and right through crimps to an exciting topout.

-Raza

4-28-08: Woodchuck

Lyn on Woodchuck [v5?]


It's getting scary up here!

As if there weren't already enough reasons to start heading out to the Woodyard, Woodchuck, an excellent problem put up by climbing legend, Scott Frye, in the spring of '07, gives you yet more incentive. This devious and technical line is seriously committing at the top. More terrifying than difficult, it's all about finding the balance using fairly poor holds. It seems to be the inverse of Lumberjack, with the power moves low and the techy stuff up top. And since it was cleaned by the maestro himself, you won't feel like you're pimping moss. Give Scott a round of applause!

To the left of this problem, is another excellent Scott Frye creation: Sliver [v3]. Yes, it follows the trend on this boulder by being tall and scary, but topping out is sweet satisfaction. Start on a higher sidepull/rail feature, go left and then follow small crimps up right to an exciting slab finish. And for those who crank out v12, think of all of these climbs as a great warm up to the best line of them all: Dogwood. But more on that later.

-Lyn

4-27-08: Chicken Nugget

Untitled from scott chandler on Vimeo.
Raza doing the second ascent of Chicken Nugget [v7?].

I saw this line a few of weeks ago out at the woodyard and the following weekend Paul and I went back to check it out again. We figured out the beta and both managed to send it. Its a fun problem with a large move and a top-out that lacks any decent holds. To find the boulder from the main woodyard boulder: Walk up an old road/path that heads uphill for a couple hundred yards...you will see the boulder after a few minutes on your right. Chicken Nugget starts to the right of a tree (on the downhill eastern side of the boulder) and climbs up to the nugget hold and on to the slopey top-out. Enjoy!

ps- if you click on here you can see the video in a larger format with better resolution.

-Scott