Courtney Hemphill on Pin Ball Wizard [v7]
Pin Ball Wizard lies in a corridor on the opposite side of the trail from the Dominator. You can crawl through a cave to get there or walk around. It's been getting hot recently and this is one of the cooler (temperature wise) problems in Camp 4, probably a great place to store turnips if you had to. The holds peter out at about mid-height, but a since that section is just off-vertical, a technical slab sequence was discovered. Falling is really scary becuase of the proximity of the boulder behind but no one has come close to hitting it. Falling at the top of the slab is not an option. (It's time to get your game-face on and block out failure)
The moves on this problem are varied, interesting and just plain fun. An instant Classic?
-Raza
Scott Frye added: Why the question mark? That this is ultra-classic! And it seems that you could fall anywhere on it.
Randy on Six Degrees [v10?]
photo: Courtney Hemphill
A stone's throw from Cocaine Corner in Camp 4, lies an overhanging face. I've looked at it for years but the holds in the middle blank out half way up. Then a couple of weeks ago, looking at things with "modern eyes", Randy and some visiting Norwegians had the vision to see the aretes and see the line in the middle as a diagonal line that meets up with the left arete. (Duh!) It's amazing how one's own preconceptions will prevent one from seeing something right in front of one's eyes.
What we originally thought would be a moderate line turned out to be quite difficult. A bunch of us worked the moves and while most of us complained of the heat, Randy dug deep and sent the thing. I guess it wasn't too hot!
We started with left hand on a big self on the arete and a right hand on a crimp in the face. A great, great problem.
-Raza
Tim Medina trying All Hands on Deck [v8]
photo: Lyn Verinsky
There is a cool looking boulder to the right of the Bear Hug problem that would be one of the best boulders in the valley if it had more holds. On the left side of this boulder is an obvious edge that would be cool to use if you could ever get to it. I've looked at that edge countless times, as I'm sure many other people have, and bemoaned the lack of starting holds. However, we recently figured out that you might be able to jump to that obvious edge and top out.
That possibility became a reality when Tim jumped up (with both hands) and stuck the edge. But that's just the beginning. After a stiff move to a good flake, a rounded top out awaits over a landing that is all too far away. (Your left foot is about 10-12 feet above a not-so-flat landing.) That's why it is important to have All Hands on Deck, to help spot.
-Raza
Daniel Soto trying the moves on Tenterhooks [v8]
On a trip to Bishop near the end of December, Daniel discovered a possible problem to the right of America's Fit Homeless. It didn't seem likely but with some brain-storming we figured out some beta:
Start matched on side-pull crimps and move up to a bad sloper (pictured) move your feet up a bit and huck to another bad sloper. More sloper madness awaits on the top out. You never feel very solid which is where the name tenterhooks came from. (It's like being on tenterhooks)
-Raza
Courtney on Downward Dog [v8]
Downward Dog [v8] (A)
Tim's Problem (B)
Lyn on Big Bird (C)
I guess it was a couple of years ago now, when Tommy Caldwell, Randy Puro and Greg Loh all fired Downward Dog in rapid fire. Randy dubbed the line Downward Dog and since I have no idea if Tommy ever named it, we just started calling it that. Campus start, matched on a pinch right at the tip of the beak and campus up and right on slopers to a fun mantle.
Tim Medina put up a problem to the right (starting on underclings and your feet on the lower rock) that ends near the top of Downward Dog. The problem is tricky with has some fun body-tension moves.
Scott Frye's dubbed the climb to the right that he was trying Big Bird. While he didn't manage to send it ever the name stuck. Randy managed to send it just a couple of weeks ago. The problem is both a little reachy and a little schrunchy; unless you're just the right height...
-Raza
Tim Steele on Wills Arete at Crystal Ridge
So I'm sure the question on everyone's mind is where the hell is Crystal Ridge. Well, I can't tell you exactly due the the maze of BLM roads that we took in, but it's a little bit south of Big Pine. Two big blocky boulders stand out and both have good problems on probably the best rock I've climbed on in Bishop.
Directions: Ask a local.
-Raza
Unknown Problem near Twinkle Toes
There is a problem to the left is you are facing Twinkle Toes. (Sean Myles crazy slab problem left of Shiver Me Timbers) I coulnd't tell if someone else had done it before but the top out was pretty mossy. Anyone else know?
-Raza
Courtney on the recently rediscovered, Well Preserved [v9]
Randy and Courtney saw Jason Kehl when they were bouldering in Rocky Mountain National Park on their recent trip there. He told them about a problem that he had put up a couple of years earlier in the valley. After getting the rough directions from Jason, they managed to find the problem on their first trip back to the valley.
The name seems very apt now. The problem has been sitting there for a couple of years most likely without an ascent. Beta: start on bad holds and make a hard move to the sloping rail. Engage the worm drive and work your way up the dihedral. Topping out can be a little scary since there is a big pit off to you left, but I don't think you'd fall there. (most likely)
Directions: the problem is up the hill, (trend a little to the left) from the Ament Arete. You can also get to the problem by walking by Bear Hug and heading right, but the way is a bit more treacherous.
-Raza
**UPDATE**: It turns out Jason did the problem from a pseudo-sit start, starting with two pads. Here is what he said:
"Left hand on arete, Right on an edge And a cool pinching twist with the
feet... I think I sat on double pads or something though.."
Ishmael, v7 (A) & Fishmeal, v10 (B)
This overhanging boulder near Rainbow Road has two great problems on it. People initially tried to go straight up but a fall on the boulder at the base broke someone's leg. This project was known as the Jaw Bone and as far as I know it has never gone. Kent Schmitz figured out a way to head left (thereby avoiding the dangerous whale-like rock) and that is how Ishmael was born. Scott Frye then found a line of improbable holds heading left after the first move of Ishmael and dubbed it Fishmeal. Chris MacNamara's guide has a direct line to the end of Fishmeal and calls it Mandible, v9 although it looks rather unpleasant.
-Raza
Tim Clifford on Park Life [v12]
photo: Lyn Verinsky
I haven't kept many climbing magazines over the years but there was an issue with a feature on Yosemite bouldering in 1994 (Climbing#144). One of the photos is of Sean Myles on a project with the caption "Myles on an unclimbed problem near the base of Lower Yosemite Falls." Randy walked around and eventually found the problem. There is a new trail that runs around the boulder with a wooden "boardwalk" to make the trail more accessible. Trying the problem becomes difficult by the sheer numbers of tourists walking by. That's why Tim named the problem Park Life.
The problems climbs up a mini diehedral and the whole time you are trying to fight a wicked barn door. Tim managed to climb this crazy cool problem last fall when the temps were great. He ended up trying it at night because there were less tourists to cause problems. To find the problem, hike towards the lower yosemite falls trial that is near the emplyee housing.
-Raza
