Saturday, February 14, 2009

Sewemup Mesa Bouldering

Friday dawned cold and snowy, but the desert beckoned with the promise of blue skies and warmer temperatures. Lexi Tuddenham and I decided to head somewhere different than the usual Paradox Valley haunts. Instead, we sped past the turnoff for Hwy. 90 and kept going north on Hwy. 141 into the heart of the Dolores River Canyon and the sheer vertical walls of Sewemup Mesa. Numerous boulders lie scattered throughout the whole length of this canyon, but one of the best concentrations is below the Sewemup Mesa buttress, where several dozen problems can be found among the beautiful Wingate Sandstone boulders. This small gem of an area is a great place to visit for the West End climber as well as those who frequent the Unaweep Boulders. This spot is not far from Unaweep and boasts blocks that are far superior in quality.


The pictures: (above) Christian Prellwitz pulling through the juggy middle of 'Survey Marker' (v0), a spectacular highball in a perfect position. (below) 1-Christian getting high on 'Survey Marker' (v0). 2-Lexi Tuddenham finding the friction on 'Autobahn' (v0). 3-Lexi Tuddenham prepping to climb her 'Arch Nemesis' (V2-).

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