Bennett Peak Bouldering and A Project Project Update

Rain today with memories of the past week keeping me motivated. I need today as a rest day anyway, so let it rain.One of the areas I'm thinking about is Bennett Peak. With so many good areas around Laramie holding perfect projects, Bennett Peak brings up a blank. It is a great place to boulder and needs some attention again.

 Noon Rocks, Bennett Peak, Wyoming. Noon Rocks is one of many zones in the Bennett Peak area. It is defined by steep, overhanging stone that has been wind carved and covered in patina!

Bennett peak Wyoming is a large bouldering area on the edge of the Saratoga Valley. Many years ago it was a place where I bouldered often, but have been going elsewhere lately. It sees little traffic if any in terms of bouldering these days, but has been on a  few lists as of late. One list in particular is that of Mike Molony who is leaving Laramie very soon. Mike has been on a crazed rampage of bouldering trying to get the last problems and areas in before his departure. Two problems, Red, White and Rock V6/7 and The Zero Point V8 have been on his list of to do problems in the area for some time now. With weather looking good we headed out to Bennett Peak with a pile of pads.

 Mike Molony sending Red, White and Rock V6/7, Bennett Peak, Wyoming.

Mike made quick work of  Red, White and Rock after warming up just left of it on Rusty Wire. Rusty Wire is a Bryan Vansickle problem that has a variety of grips for several different possible lines of ascent. It was originally graded V1, but felt a bit harder this trip. Some variations are probably in the V4/5 range. No matter the grade, the rock is steep and really solid. Mike suggested V6/7 for Red, White and Rock verifying my original grade for the problem. Next up was The Zero Point V8 a hard sloper line I put up just prior to my China trip this spring. It was something I had wondered about in terms of the grade and if I had put it up the hard way as I often do. A better way or sequence is often found and I was hoping Mike would find it. The crux of The Zero Point is really the starting move with some power endurance to finish. The problem is a classic and Mike was excited to give it a go. He knew ahead of time that the entire problem revolves around a single move, "the move". "The move" gave mike the fits despite a solid effort. He was close enough to it that I know he'll rock it next trip. He was very close to finding his zero point. It took me a while, but I was able to repeat "the move" and feel the grade is solid for the problem. It is the most unique problem I have done so far because of the singularly simple and somehow very complex move. A true gem!

 Mike Molony walking the rest of The Zero Point above "the move". The problem is fantastic slopers up a steep wall with a tall finish.

We also tried the Last Dirty Hole Project which turned out to be very painful in the warm temperatures of the day. It is a project that has taken a large step down on my to do list. It is right there with the Bob 69 Project in Vedauwoo in terms of difficulty and pain. One of those things that you would never be proud of sending, maybe even keep it a secret so people won't judge you for doing it. Mike thought is sucked hard! However, in the Bennett Peak area in general there are many really good things to boulder. The overall potential is huge and what has already been done over the years is very worthwhile for any boulderer. CAUTION: PLEASE NOTE: The cave containing the classic roof problem Outbreak V6 is no longer safe to boulder in. A huge flake of death is coming out of the roof (hundreds of deadly pounds). I was able to wiggle it with an old rotten, gray stick. You should avoid it like the plague until it comes out. 

The Project Project Update

The Project Project is slowly but surely getting done. I have been picking away it slowly and hopefully others have too. I spent three more days in the Vedauwoo area trying to get things done. It has been hard to focus at times at Vedauwoo, because of the warmer than good temps and again, better rock elsewhere. I went to Wolverineland at Mount Evans a few times on the invite from Brian Capps and also went to several other good bouldering areas out of Laramie. Despite those other trips, I have made progress on The Project Project. 

Specifically I have been in the Lower Blair area again. Parking at the Blair Picnic Grounds (Home of the Picnic Monster Project) I have been walking the short distance to the south end of Adam's Ribs. There are a couple of old project there, but the best is the Very Old Tree Project. It is in the roof of the largest boulder, just a hundred yards from the Picnic Grounds, on the trail into Lower Blair. I put up two good warmups along the trail (actually on the trail) and have done all the moves in the roof together, except the first. The roof is V10/11 as it stands now, but the first move should be done, as it is the obvious start to the line. A cold day is needed to hold the small, sharp holds in the roof and finish the line. I can say that now is the time to visit Vedauwoo. The aspen are going off in a show of color and it is a beautiful fall up there. If you have never been to Vedauwoo you should go now!

 The two new problems along the Lower Blair Trail. These are a hundred yards up the trail from where you park in Blair Picnic Ground. The left problem, above the bouldering mat is Hooky V5 and the right problem on the big rail is Aspen Glow V1. The Very Old Tree Project is on the back of the same boulder.

 The Very Old Tree Project. It starts in the depth of the roof on the big flake from a left, low crimp undercling and a low right triangle hold. Move right to the sloping edge near the left, top of the gray pad in the picture. From there it is V10 or V11 to the top.

Good Bouldering Weather and The Project Project Update

Fall weather is finally here! You can see the change in the grasses and trees. Yellows, reds and browns slowly creeps into the foliage of Wyoming bouldering areas. It is a beautiful site, but you can feel it too. Monday morning of this week marked the beginning of cold wind and dry finger tips. It is such an amazing time of year to go out in a wool hat, and feel the chill of the cold stone. Just a single dip in the chalk lasts for an entire problem and can last for a even a few. It is sending time and my favorite time of the year!
We had several false cool downs this late summer, marked by hot spells and damp, soft tips afterward. This one is real however you can see it in the sky. The Geese got the hell out a week or two ago. That always suggests the descent of the cold from the north has begun. The sun going down looks different in the fall too. The sky gets bigger than it's already huge Wyoming self. Just the other day while hiking out of a little bouldering area the sky said "autumn" as loud as it could. The excitement is huge. There are so many problems to do now in the cool air.

The Project Project

Things started off a bit frustrating for the project project. The weather was really warm and made for some poor sessions. At Vedauwoo, the heat, even a little, is recipe for not climbing anything. We had one good session and then two hot sessions. I was ready to scrap the whole thing after the last tip splitting, sun baked, humid, warm as hell session on a crimpy line. Then the autumn cool rolled in and the project project makes perfect sense. 

So, our first stop was whatever is closest to a road. We decided with such a huge list of things to do we would start with whatever is closest and work our way from there to the farthest things. We ended up in Blair at the Picnic Monster Project. A beautiful and huge line. One of the best single lines I've seen in Vedauwoo! Guili was the only one with the balls to give it good solid goes up high, the rest of us backed off after a go or two. The crux is the final move to the lip of the boulder and it is going to be fantastic. We had four guys, three regular Organic Pads, a large Organic Pad, two small half pads, and we felt like at least another large pad was needed to make the landing possible. To find the Picnic Monster Project drive to the Blair picnic grounds (a pay area) which is also home to the great crack problem University of Mars. From the first pull out once you are in the picnic grounds pay area, walk directly behind the picnic tables and outhouse building. The wall is a hundred feet behind the parking.

 Mike Molony getting set for the head wall of the Picnic Monster Project. The problem starts far down and left, under the boulder, left of Bryan in the green shirt. 

Guili high marking the Picnic Monster Project with a third of the line yet to be touched. It starts all the way down at the bottom of the rails. Zoom in to see the chalk.

There is a good warm up to the right of the project on the same wall. Bryan named it The Lonely Raspberry V4. It starts on undercling sidepulls.

Two poor sessions elsewhere in Vedauwoo led to hope of cooler temperatures and a trip back to the Blair area. Several projects on the project project list are located in the Blair area and again, I started closer to the road. I went solo as everyone was either out of town or busy. I first went to the small formation south of Little Blair which is south of all the lower Blair stuff, like Blair I, Blair II, etc... On the north side of the small formation described is an a-frame cave and in that cave are several good lines including two from the project project. I climbed a good warm up I called Union Made V2/3 and cleaned the two projects. One went with a bit of hard squeezing The Cat House Squeeze V8, the other is V14ish and will have to wait.

 Union Made V2/3 sit starts the perfect arete and goes all the way up. The V14ish thing shares the same start but moves right through the corridor to a large sloper, then around the corner and into the depths of the cave. The pads are protecting the landing of The Cat House Squeeze V8.

The Cat House Squeeze V8 sit starts on a right crimp that is very small, but around the corner and a left sloper that can be seen with the chalk on it. Go to the solid lip then move right into the corridor to finish up good features. It is basically a move of V8 and then a few moves to keep you focused.

After finishing up the Cat House area I walked towards the aspen grove between Little Blair and Blair 0. On the very edge of the aspen grove, to the west of Little Blair a few boulders sit with some potential. There are two roof lines that held my interest for some time there. The easiest way to get to the small area is to walk the trail under Blair 0 and cut south from Blair 0 in the sage brush field. You will have pine and a rocky, broken ridge to your right (west) and the aspen grove to your left (east). at the southern edge of the sage brush field cut into the first boulders on the edge of the aspen grove, directly west of Little Blair. 

I managed to finish one of the roof line quickly and named it Choo Choo Peeker V8/9. It starts in the far back right of the roof, climbs left through the longest length of the roof on underclings and edges, then cuts along the lip of the roof on slimper edges to a solid mantle. The problem is uniquely Vedauwoo, yet is completely unique to anything in Vedauwoo. Maybe a biased view, but it is a classic line at an attainable grade. It should prove to be a regular problem on the Vedauwoo bouldering circuit. It may be easier for shorter climbers?  

The boulder to look for on the edge of the aspen grove. Start Choo Choo Peeker V8/9 in the back right depth of the roof on an undercling crack. Move left a move to the horizontal (black stain) and reach behind your head right to an undercling. work from there to the lip of the boulder and change direction towards the mantle.

Another view of the Choo Choo Peeker Boulder. The problem starts on the far right of the roof, behind the brightly lit tree trunk and follows the roof all the way left to the edge of the blue pad. Then, follows the rail out to the mantle along the vertical crack above the right edge of the blue pad. An unnamed V1 or V2 starts on the south face of the boulder (don't grab the flake, it will break).

One other project went in the newer area The Jungle. A previous post to this showed a water washed wall with vertical streaks on it. Devlin Junker finished the streaked wall. Rolling The Dice V8/9. Even with three of the projects checked off the list, there are now 92 to do!