Telluride Bouldering Beta- Ilium Boulders Video

Here's some footage that I've shot over the last few weeks (a warm & dry March created some stellar climbing conditions) of some of the best problems in Ilium. There are certainly plenty of great problems that I didn't have the time to climb/film, but I tried to choose some testpieces, as well as some more obscure problems in order to entice people to check them out! My hope is to eventually do a movie like this for the Mine Boulders and the Tree House as well. We'll see.

The grades of several problems are different from the guidebook. These grades are just my thoughts after having the last five or so years to refine the grades a bit. Any comments/thoughts/suggestions are greatly appreciated.

A few notes on the last two problems:

-'Frogger Dyno' has been done by Scotty Michels and probably a few other people. It's actually the way the problem was originally done. Though it is somewhat contrived not to exit right towards the top, it is a great mental and physical challenge to attempt the direct dyno. The day I filmed this was actually the first day I ever tried it this way. It's exciting! There is a bolt on top (that you might want to back up) for working it out on top rope, if desired.

-'White Wizard Right' I started trying this when I went up to film 'White Wizard' because it seemed hard but plausible. It is somewhat forced as one of the hardest parts is avoiding the boulder behind you, but the moves climb beautifully. The moves aren't super hard (maybe v6?) but I needed to figure out a little more beta to avoid having my feet cut. Jim Hurst informed me the other day that Paul Pierce had come up with an exit similar to this recently, apparently using a heel/toe cam of some sort, though I think his exit took a different path since the exit holds I brushed were covered in dirt and lichen. If I find out more about this, I'll update this post...

An Afternoon At Ilium

Annabelle Boelema- 'This Airplane Will Crash Tomorrow' (v0+/1)

A quick update on Telluride bouldering conditions, as of April 5th:

Ilium-- scattered patches of snow on the ground, but all of the boulders are dry
The Mine-- still lots of snow on the ground and on many of the boulders, road still closed
The Cove-- dry boulders and no snow
Society Turn-- dry
Eider Creek/Tree House-- haven't been up there but the road looks dry and passable, probably still some patches of snow and wet spots on boulders, but the majority of climbs should be dry

Enjoy!

Spring Is Here

'Alien Traverse' v4/5
Society Turn- Telluride, Colorado

Telluride Bouldering Conditions Update

Noah Sheedy- 'The Grinch' (v3/4)

Just wanted to give a quick conditions update for bouldering in the Telluride area. The weather is quite nice these days, though the occasional snow shower still makes an appearance. (The accompanying photos are from the last two days.)

-Everything down valley of Society Turn is dry, including Ilium. It's getting pretty warm out in the desert, but good conditions can still be found in the evenings.
-The Eider Creek Boulders (Tree House) are dry as well.
-Bear Creek can be a little snowy and wet in spots on the approach but the blocks are dry for the most part.
-The Mine Boulders are dry for the most part as well, with snow still found at the base of some climbs. In fact, this is one of the best times to climb at the Mine because the vegetation hasn't filled back in yet, so no nettles to deal with and it's quite easy to get around and find boulders if you're unfamiliar with the area.

The friction is high and gravity's pull is low. No excuses. Get outside and start sending!

Kaylie Rozen- 'This Airplane Will Crash Tomorrow' (v0+)

All Fires- AEC Bouldering

The sun sets over the La Sal Mountains

Christian Prellwitz- 'Smile Left' (v3/3+)

It's been a very cold and snowy December so far, which has made climbing outside quite difficult. I've had several planned road trips get shut down by big snowstorms. With the busy Christmas period just around the corner, I was desperate to get on some real rock. Luckily, the weather was quite beautiful yesterday and I was able to make it out to the Atomic Energy Boulders with a couple of friends.

'Dare To Compare' (v2/3)

Simon Hutton- 'Breaking The Waves' (v0+/1, from the stand)

Hannah Gordon- 'Sunshine Arete' (v0)

'Broken Feet' (v1/1+)

'Red Baron' (v0)

'All fires have to burn alive to live...'

Joe's Valley Again

Lexi Tuddenham and I were able to sneak out to Joe's Valley for a few days to squeeze in some world class bouldering. For those of you that haven't been to Joe's, the climbing is incredible with some of the craziest features you'll ever see.

It was a successful trip with Lexi knocking out some projects, and I was psyched to send 'Chit' (V4/5), 'Self Service' (V5) and 'Roll The Dice' (V5) in quick order. We encountered some very strong winds on Friday so I decided to keep the camera in the car. Here are some of the pictures we were able to take.

(above) Lexi Tuddenham looking for the goods on 'Peep Show' (v1). (below) 1-Lexi crimping hard on an unnamed v1 at the Boy Size Area. 2-Christian Prellwitz pulling through the opening moves of the mega classic 'Self Service' (v5). 3-Getting ready for the last long pull on 'Self Service' (v5). 4-Lexi cruising the beautiful calcite patina of 'Cherry Coke' (v1). 5-Lexi topping out in the sunshine on a stellar v0 slab at the Boy Size Area.

So Long For Now

Dasha left today to head back to New Jersey where she'll have a couple of weeks to take care of things before she begins her PhD program at Rockefeller University. I'll be staying here in Telluride until mid September to do some distribution and promotional work with the guidebook.

It was sad seeing Dasha leave. She has been a wonderful and amazing part of my life for the last two years. I know that we will continue to be a large part of each other's life for a long time, but it's always sad when time moves faster than perhaps you're prepared for it to.

I'm looking forward to Fall climbing in the Gunks, watching Dasha move beautifully over quartz conglomerate. Until then, here are some pictures of her finally climbing one of her longest standing projects- the 'Flat Top Left Arete' V3+, The Cove.

Another Day At The Mine Boulders

We finally had a nice day on Wednesday (well, at least until it started pouring at around 5pm) and Dasha and I took advantage of it by heading to the Mine Boulders so that she could try to dispatch some lingering projects before she leaves for New York on Saturday. For those of you who don't know, Dasha will be starting a PhD program in Microbiology at the prestigious Rockefeller University in New York City in September. So, she's been on a mission to climb a lot of her favorite problems as well as a few longstanding projects (for her).

While at the Mine Boulders, we ran into a group of guys from Wisconsin who were enjoying the climbing with the help of my guidebook. Dasha and I had them join in with us and we gave them a tour of some of the best problems. Here's two of the guys on one of the Mine Boulders' best problems- 'Gravity's Rainbow' V2+. Intricate beta and powerful bear hugging make this classic a full body workout. (Note to the Wisconsin crew: get in touch with me and I'll send you the rest of the pics!)

Back At The Ilium Boulders

Dasha and I have been spending a lot of our time developing a new bouldering area just outside of Telluride, located very close to the Ilium Boulders. There are some excellent boulders there, with the rock quality being very comparable to Ilium. There will be more information on these boulders as we get further along in the development.

Yesterday, we spent a few hours at Ilium clearing some trails in the Shire and Rivendell area, as well as a trail to the Dark Side boulder. We also cleaned up 'Snake Hole', a hard V2 in the North End Boulders. This problem is short, but stout and quite fun. If you're in the area and looking for something off the beaten path, give it a go! It's located about a 100 feet left of 'Itsy Bitsy Spider'.

Here are two pictures. 1-Dasha Zamolodchikov using the mono beta on 'Snake Hole' (hard V2). 2-Dasha sticking the final hard move. It's all jugs from here.

The Mine Boulders

We finally received a clear and sunny late afternoon/early evening yesterday. Dasha, Noah and I took advantage of it by heading to the Mine Boulders. We haven't spent much time there this summer, choosing to go to the Ilium Boulders or The Cove instead, but this place really is incredible. Tucked high into a steep mountain valley, surrounded by waterfalls, are some of the best boulders in the Telluride area. This is the place to go for steep Telluride bouldering. Only one wall is crazy overhung- the nearly horizontal east face of the Gym Boulder- but almost every boulder has at least one gently overhanging side. The Mine Boulders are deceptively pumpy. Before you know it your forearms are burning, and your last bit of strength is gone.

The conditions yesterday were spectacular. We met a number of nice people who were enjoying the guidebook and the sunny weather. Dasha and Noah climbed a bunch of problems. Here are a few of them: 1-Dasha pulling through the hard starting moves of 'Broken Ankle' V1+. The crux comes early, the anxiety comes later. 2-Noah Sheedy spotting Dasha on the incredibly pumpy 'Jug Traverse' V0+ (sandbagged).

The Riverview Boulders

We've been getting a lot of afternoon rainstorms lately. This has forced Dasha and I to head a little further west to find dry boulders. Yesterday, Ilium and the Cove were both wet, so we kept driving all the way to the Riverview Boulders. This small, but quality area is located along Sanborn Park Road, a few tenths of a mile before the parking for the Clay Creek climbing area. A little further up the road are the Sanborn Park Boulders, another outstanding little spot.

These two areas are excellent for Norwood locals, or Telluride boulderers looking for a change of pace. They are dry most of the winter, and they are often dry and tolerable (as far as temperatures) during our typically stormy summer afternoons and evenings. If you're sick of the same old Telluride bouldering, this could be the ticket for you. Check out all the beta in the new guidebook- 'A Guide To Bouldering In The Telluride And West End Areas' by Christian Prellwitz. Here's a few pics of Dasha climbing a fun problem at the Granary section of the Riverview Boulders.

New Problems At The Cove

The Cove, located in San Miguel Canyon, is one of my favorite bouldering areas. It is not a big area, with only around 30 problems, but the rock is outstanding and the climbs are superb. Combine this with easy roadside access, close proximity to Telluride (20 minutes), mild temps that make it climbable year round and the fact that no one is ever there, and you have an area worth visiting. The potential for new problems at The Cove is fairly limited. However, there are some new problems that have been put up since the publication of the guidebook.

Here's a sampling: 1-Dasha Zamolodchikov on a new short, but stout V2 lay down start (with both hands starting matched in the crack under the roof) located between problems 5 and 6 in the guidebook. 2-Dasha Zamolodchikov on a new V0+ located across from problem 1. 3-Christian Prellwitz staring down the arete on the powerful start to 'Ashes to Ashes' (V4). 4-Christian Prellwitz sticking the lip on a tricky new V1 SDS on a small block to the left of problem 7.

The Latest

Mountainfilm came to Telluride this past weekend. It was a fun event. I didn't go to that many films- just 'King Lines' and 'Fitzroy' (as part of the Chuck Kroger Tribute). 'King Lines' ended up winning the Charlie Fowler Award for Best Climbing Film. It was a really enjoyable film that showed how much fun climbing can be when we forget about grades and all the other stuff and just go climb.

On Sunday, I did a book signing as part of the Reading Frenzy. It went well. I sold a few books, met some cool people, and got a chance to catch up with Ginny Fowler Hicks (Charlie's sister). We didn't know each other well while Charlie was still alive, so it gave me a chance to express how much Charlie meant to me and I was able to show her the dedication to Charlie in the book, and give her a copy. She was there signing copies of 'Mountain Star', which is a children's book about how to draw a star using the story of Charlie Fowler's life. Look for it in your local bookstore!

In addition to all of that, we've also been doing some climbing. I ran into some guys from Phoenix yesterday, and they complimented me on the book. They were giving 'Pinch' (V3) on The Premier all of their effort. I comforted them by telling them the grade was rather sandbagged. It's probably closer to hard V4, but the local hardmen say V3. I'm happy to say they pushed hard and completed the problem, sending in good style.

Anyhow, here are some pics from the last few days. First, Damon Johnston sending the proud direct start to 'Beams of Light'. This problem is listed in the guidebook at V2+ and goes at that grade if you head slightly more right and then up. This new variation moves from the undercling to crimps for the right and left, and then to a hard to hit sidepull. Pull the feet up and throw for the rail! I would say the grade of this is closer to hard V3 or easy V4. Though Damon made it look pretty easy by sending it in only a few tries.

My last photo is of Scotty Nichols climbing one of the last projects for the area- the hard arete of The Shire boulder. Scotty nailed the stand starting with a left hand undercling/pinch low on the vertical rail on the right side of the overhang, and his right hand above that on a cool vertical pinch. Foot trickery and a big throw lead to some campusing and a hard finish on crimps and a good edge. The grade is probably somewhere in the V5 range. The sit start is still a project. Here is 'Headlights Like Diamonds'.