So thanksgiving was an adventure this year! I ended up going to Jtree with a small group if friends and having a blast on boulders and even some trad! I got to try a bunch of projects but unfortunately didn't send any of them. But I did finally get a v5 in jtree! So the first day of the trip we started it off by trying Caveman high(v6) but neither I nor my friends TJ and Jeremy could figure out how to do the last/crux part where you have to drop down and come out the other side of the cave. After an unsuccessful day on that I decided that I would try to finish as many problems as possible regardless of the grade while still trying to surpass my v4 grade cap that I got stuck on in January.
This trip was definitely a very different experience for me in jtree because the group I was with were all trad climbers rather than the normal bouldering crew I tend to climb with. This is one of the reasons I was unable to go back to all of my projects and give them a try. But on a brighter note I got to get on the sharp end of a 5.9 called Chocolate is better than Sex on the thin wall in the real hidden valley area of Jtree! I also got on a bunch of topropes and did some following up the other trad climbs my buddies doing. Getting to spend time with a great group of people durring thanksgiving was great! I wish I would have tried doing it earlier.
Its very different seeing the strength vs stamina change from boulderers to trad climbers. Especially my friend TJ who was able to do climbs as hard as caveman high and just sit and shake out while trying to figure out the crux. I got to the same point but could only last a few seconds while trying to fidgit and get past the crux. Boulderers may win for sheer power but when you can sit there and try to figure a very hard crux stamina definitely has its advantages.
One highlight of the trip for me was being able to send Gunsmoke(v3), a 75 foot traverse that has great movement as well as quality rock. This problem is a great training piece for me because of its length. If I could climb at the v6 range for that long of a sequence I could probably rock out much harder climbs but alas I am in love with bouldering so I don't often hop on really long climbs to train my endurance. I think once it gets to hot to boulder I might start doing more sport climbing to train my power endurance. I guess what I really need to start doing is getting to the point where I can rope climb as hard as I can boulder. Having that level of power and endurance together would be ideal then I wouldn't gas out when trying a longer boulder problem. Right now my max number of moves on a moderate(v5-v7) boulder problem is maxed at about 15 moves after that I better be on slab or at least able to use my feet a ton because my arms are most likely donzo. That is one thing that should be a fun way of training but that's for after this season. =)
Another highlight as I mentioned earlier on this post was I was finally able to pass the v4 threshold that I had reached earlier this year in January. The last day as I was on my way out of the park I decided to hit up the chocolate boulders on the way out the north entrance of jtree. I was feeling rather week since this was my 5th day of climbing. My skin was wrecked I was tired and hungry and it was crazy windy. But I figured what the heck , I won't be back to jtree in a while so why not try to get a v5 on this cool looking roof as well as everything else in the area. I started out on the 'easy' stuff 5.7 slab and the sort, which can actually feel harder than some v3's just getting of the ground. I then proceeded to climb each climb one all but one of the boulders in the area. I was struggling on a three start v4 for a while then kept falling off of what I thought was a v1 which turned out to be a v3 but couldn't do it so I moved on and flashed a v4 right next to it and onsighted a v3 just to the left of the other v3 I couldnt even pull off of the ground for. After this boost of confidence I headed up the hill where the cool looking roof was. I then proceeded to onsight both the v4 and v5 on the roof called Chocolate roof left and Chocolate roof center. Finally being able to send a v5 I was psyched and ready to leave and get a shower that I was much looking forward to.
This was an amazing trip to Jtree and I would recommend everyone to take there family there and enjoy a nice holiday in the outdoors.
Till the next adventure post,
-The Irish King
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