March 7, 2001
I'm not really a boulderer. It has none of the qualities which originally attracted me to climbing: adventure, placing gear, airy heights and improbable positions. That said, it has many of the qualities that I love about climbing: technical difficulty, comraderie, and an endless source of new problems. Obviously, bouldering is a great way to become a better climber. I was initially turned off to bouldering because all the problems were so hard - there didn't seem to be any easy problems to give me any positive feedback. Until recently I rarely even repeated a roped climbing route. Boulder problems frequently take tens and sometimes hundreds of tries before they are completed. Also, the rock on Flagstaff - the only place where I knew some problems - ripped the skin off my fingers after only a few tries.
The only exception to all this was the Monkey Traverse (V4). While, way too hard for me, the holds here were relatively positive and not very rough. I was able to stay on this problem long enough to actually get a pump in my arms. Eventually, I could do all the moves, but wasn't close to linking the forty-foot traverse. I probably only bouldered a couple of times a year, but each time I'd go to the Monkey Traverse area. There are some easier problems near by to do and then I'd work a bit on the Monkey Traverse. Each time I'd have to re-learn the sequences from last year and each time, I wasn't strong enough to link it. I'd see other climbers practically run across this traverse, making every hold appear to be a jug. I'd quickly discard my sequence in favor of this new found "easy sequence" and only then discover the holds these climbers were using were even worse then the holds in my solution. I favored a lowerer traverse in the middle section (the only section with any variance), so that I could work on it without a spotter and without any real risk of injury.
The Monkey Traverse logically breaks up into thirds - delineated by two no-hands rests. The first third is the easiest and the most overhanging, though it doesn't overhang much. The holds are all pretty big and so are the reaches. This section ends with a tough move where you can actually sit down. I quickly learned this first section and never had any problems with it afterwards.
The middle section is the toughest and the most technical. I had never linked it before. Though I could do it with one step-off rest relatively easily, putting the pieces together proved too much for my limited endurance. The holds are all positive here, as they are for the entire traverse, but they are small and so are the footholds. This section ends with a lieback move into a perfect knee-lock for the right leg. Once in this position, but hands can be dropped to rest.
The final third is by far the most dangerous as it finishes high over a boulder and a fall at the worst moment would likely result in a twisted or broken ankle, even with a spotter. Without a spotter here, a fall could be very dangerous. There are really only six moves on this section, but if I didn't feel very strong and secure I wouldn't finish it, but jump off before it got too serious. I had done the exit move only once before.
The weather was nice today and so we made plans to go bouldering. It was my second bouldering session of the year and I pressured Hardly to meet me at the Monkey Traverse area. We (Hardly, Steve Mathias, and I) warmed up down at the Tree Slab (5.10+), which I got first try. Then we did the lower warm-up traverse to the hand jam roof exit (5.10+). I failed on the roof exit move on my first try, but then did it four times in a row. Then Steve and I headed up to the Monkey Traverse.
Steve had only been here once before, so I volunteered to show him what I knew. I did the opening third to the rest, as usual. Then, much to my surprise, I linked the middle section for the first time. I got to the knee-lock rest and waited for Steve to spot me on the dangerous last third. I figured I'd jump off before the final moves, as usual, but once I made the iron cross move to the exit holds, I still felt strong. I struggled mightily on the final section and was a bit scared of falling on the boulder, but I knew Steve would take care of me. I cranked the final moves and let out a whoop of joy! Hardly was just walking up from down below to give me a high five!
This is my first and only boulder problem of note. V4 supposedly converts to 5.12a. Hardly was probably as satisfied as I, because now I won't pressure him to visit the Monkey Traverse every time we boulder on Flagstaff. After my success here, I linked the middle third a second time, but opted out of the dangerous finish as my strength had faded a bit. Finally, I did the finger ripping Pratt Mantle (V2). My best day bouldering ever. Perhaps I should get out more than a couple of times a year...