New Problem (sort of) at the Mine Boulders

I made it down to Telluride this past weekend and found the usual crew- Wylder Wilson, Damon Johnston, Jim Hurst and Andy Cook- hard at work: clearing trails, looking for new boulders and giving fresh love to the chossy underbelly of one of the best looking lines in Telluride. We have all touched the holds on this climb at some point but decided the prospect of a seventy pound cobble breaking off on our face was not worth the risk. Well, after their admirable efforts, the line is now climbing beautifully--a 25-30 foot roof climbed on a wonderful assortment of pockets, incuts and cobbles leads to a difficult lip encounter and a satisfying cobble jug. No one has sent the full problem yet, but speculation is that it will fall somewhere in the v10 range. Here are some pics of Wylder working through several of the moves. (for those with a guidebook, this problem is located on the 'Gym Boulder')

Telluride Bouldering Beta- The Mine Boulders

I thought it would be fun to share a little info on some of The Mine Boulders' classic problems. I have also listed the page number that this problem can be found on in the guidebook. Check out "A Bouldering Guide To The Telluride & West End Areas" by Christian Prellwitz for more information. The guide can be found locally at Between the Covers, Paragon Sports and Jagged Edge. It can also be found online at Bent Gate, as well as many other retailers.

(All pics courtesy of Erika Curry-Elrod)

'Karma' (v3) p.30

This mega classic line has a bit of everything. Follow the perfect line of edges and crimps up the right side of the wall to a dynamic move to a good, but flat jug. Pull through to a magical mystery top out hold. Simply amazing! One of the best problems in Telluride. Tip: beware of the rocks at the base, especially the one to the climber's right- they can definitely come into play if you come off unexpectedly.

'Clothes, Bankrolls & Hoes' (v7) p.30

About ten feet left of 'Karma', this problem ascends the center of the face starting matched on a good edge at around 6 feet. A powerful first pull to a small edge leads to a tiny crimp out left. Find some feet that work and make a big move to a better edge about 1-2 feet below the lip. If you made it this far, the top is a breeze! A somewhat funky landing that can be well protected with about three or more pads. Sort of highball. Clean and pure! Be sure to check out 'C.R.E.A.M.' (v6), which is the leftmost line on the face. Every line on this boulder is outstanding!

'Every Hole's A Goal' (v2) p.22

This line is one of the most tried/climbed problems in the Telluride area. Start matched in the giant hole, and follow an obvious line of pockets to the somewhat tall finish. Can be climbed with super techy beta or thuggery. Both ways are fun. A good introduction to the grade.

'The Crying Of Lot 49' v3/4 p.23

I suck at dynos so this problem is impossible for me to grade. Jim Hurst suggested v3, but he's tall with a big wingspan. I personally find this to be more like v4 and a challenge for me at that grade. Simple beta: grab a crimpy sidepull with the left and either a large crimpy pebble or a slopey edge (further right) with the right. Dyno for the triangle shaped hold. Sticking it is hard (for me at least!). There is another fun dyno problem to the left of this- 'Light Years' (v3/4)- starting matched on the big shelf and hucking for a textured sloper. The super classic 'Gravity's Rainbow' (v2+) climbs the arete at right.

'Broken Ankle' (v1+) p.23

This is one of the finest slabs in the Telluride area. A tricky start (take a look at the feet!) leads to beautifully flowing moves between small crimps and sidepulls, and a rewarding highball finish. This line deserves way more traffic than it gets! The line to the right, 'Broken Leg' (v0+), is an easier alternative (albeit with a much worse landing).

Some scenery:

Telluride Bouldering- The Mine Boulders

Christian Prellwitz getting high on 'Point Break' (v2).

After a long stretch of rainy weather, Lexi and I were finally able to make it out to the Mine Boulders yesterday. Here are pictures of some of the classic problems.

Lexi Tuddenham pulling through 'Gravity's Rainbow' (v2+).

Christian latching the crimp on the first move of 'Karma' (v3+).

A different view of the same move.

Snagging the slopey jug on 'Karma'.

'Every Hole's A Goal' (v2)

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 From Mt. Hood

I'm back in Telluride- a month early. I severely fractured my thumb running GS and will most likely need to have surgery on it. As I wait to see how long I'll be out of commission, I thought I'd share some more photos of bouldering in the Telluride area. Some of these were featured in my book A Guide To Bouldering In The Telluride & West End Areas. This spring I wrote mainly about the new development going on at Ilium, but there are new problems going up at other areas as well. The Cove, located in San Miguel Canyon, has seen several new problems put up on high quality blocks in the past year. The east end of the Telluride valley, home to the Mine Boulders, is littered with dozens more beautiful boulders and will be the focal point of Telluride bouldering development in the coming years.

1-Scotty cruising up 'Itsy Bitsy Spider' (V7), one of the benchmark Telluride boulder problems. 2-Leah Boelman on 'Karma' (V3+) at the Mine Boulders.
3-Catherine Gilb looking smooth on 'Sometimes I Still Feel The Bruise' (V0).