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.

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-).

Back To AEC

Another beautiful day of weather. Another trip to the outstanding boulders of the Atomic Energy Crag (AEC), perched high above Paradox Valley, just outside of Naturita in Southwest Colorado.

A sampling: (above) Lexi Tuddenham sticking the tenuous move for the top on 'Juniper Center' (v0+). A bad landing adds to the spice on this outstanding highball. 2-Christian Prellwitz pulling through the middle of 'Action Jackson' (v2).

(below) 1-Christian Prellwitz trying to catch the 'A Train' (v4). 2-Christian on 'Action Jackson' (v2). 3-Lexi Tuddenham bracing for the storm on 'Nor'easter' (v0). 4-Lexi approaching the thin top out of 'Bug Juice' (v1).

More From Moab

Another stretch of beautiful weather afforded Lexi Tuddenham and I the opportunity to head to Moab to boulder. Here are the results of two sunny days.

The pics: (above) Lexi Tuddenham trying not to get shut down by 'The Pregnancy Arete' (V2). (below) 1-Match on the arete, bump to crimps and move into the high step slab finish- 'Aunt Jemima' (v3). 2-And it's over. Grabbing the good edge on 'Mr. Trujillo's Big Day' (V2). 3-Lexi Tuddenham maneuvering on the accurately named 'Short Stuff' (V1). 4- The before. 5-The after. Christian Prellwitz slapping for the top on 'Black Slab' (V4).

Atomic Energy Bouldering

Two friends, Lexi and Sarah, and I drove out to Naturita on Friday to sample some of the fine bouldering at the Atomic Energy Crag. This collection of blocks (and roped climbs) offers some of the best bouldering in the West End, with around 100 problems spread out over a large boulderfield with expansive views of the La Sal Mountains to the west and the San Juans to the east. Check out info on this spot and many others in 'A Guide To Bouldering In The Telluride & West End Areas (Of Southwest Colorado)'.

The pics: (above) Lexi Tuddenham stretches for the horizontal before the final mantel on 'Box Car Sidepull' (V1). (below) 1-The starting left hand pocket of 'Hob Knob' (V1+). 2-Lexi Tuddenham shows off the optional downclimb for problems on the Shark Fin boulder. 3-Sarah Carden dances over stone in the last rays of the day on 'Sunshine Arete' (V0).

Big Bend Bouldering

After working 20 days straight during the busy holiday period, it was time to take some time off from skiing. I decided to spend Thursday and Friday climbing in Moab. The weather was great for both days, and it was relaxing to spend a few days outside of ski boots, in a t-shirt, climbing some high quality sandstone.

Here are the pics: 1-Christian Prellwitz crimping his way up an unnamed V3. 2-Christian Prellwitz delicately moving through the puzzle that is 'Black Sambo' (V4). 3-The smoke from charred tamarisk (an invasive species) drifts over a partially frozen Colorado River.

Day Trip To Moab

I've hardly been able to do any climbing since I got back to Telluride from New York. I made it out for one spectacular day about a week before Thanksgiving. Since then I've been on the snow every day for almost three weeks straight. I finally got a day off on Friday and the weather, while not the bluebird day that was promised, was nice enough to allow my friend Lexi and I to make it out to Moab for a fun day of bouldering.

Here are some pics of Lexi tearing it up: 1-Lexi sticking the initial crimp on 'BBB-4' (V1). 2-Lexi making progress on an unnamed V1. 3-Lexi scoping for holds on 'Right Exit' (V1).

Long Island Bouldering- Cutchogue & Greenport

Today, I headed to a great collection of boulders in the Cutchogue area. I had been eyeing two lines on a large block there since last fall. Unfortunately, the base of this boulder is covered with water except for a half an hour or so on either side of low tide. Consequently, I had to wait for a day when the tide schedule worked for me.

This gorgeous piece of rock is one of the tallest and best boulders on Long Island. There are two great lines with potential for maybe one or two hard variations. I would recommend bringing a wire brush for cleaning barnacles off the bottom footholds and an extension ladder for getting off the boulder as the two climbs are difficult to reverse, and the easiest downclimbs require a jump into the water to finish them off. I suppose that could be fun on a hot day. Just watch out for rocks hidden in the water below. I would love to have some pictures of me on these problems but I was flying solo on this day.

I'm not sure if these problems have been climbed before. I've named them for fun, not out of disrespect. As for the grades, how wet the lower feet are is an important factor, so the grades are just guesses. Here are some pictures and descriptions:

(below) 'Golden' (V1/2) This is a proud line up the obvious weakness on the main face. Start low on the right side of the lowest horizontal. Follow it left and then up on good edges, crimps and sidepulls to an airy but fairly easy top out. The base of this problem changes with the movement of sand each winter. As of right now, it is dry at the start, but once you traverse left you are over shallow water. It can be protected with pads, as long as you don't mind them getting wet. The best conditions would be a full or new moon low tide with an offshore breeze. In that situation, the base might be completely dry. The landing could probably be filled in to make it drier with a little work.


(below) 'Each Wave That Breaks' (V3/4) This is another proud line. The lowest foot is often wet but not critical. Start matched on a two hand sloped edge at 6-7 feet. Stab for the sloping crescent hold up and right. Step on a high right foot, match hands, and pull a powerful move to a good jug. From here, good footwork and crimps lead to a relatively easy but exciting finish. The base of this problem is entirely dry at low tide.

(below) This pic shows 'Golden' on the left and 'Each Wave That Breaks' on the right.
After climbing in Cutchogue a bit, I headed a little farther east to Greenport and spent a few hours messing around on the Sound Road Boulder (first picture below) and the Rock Cove Boulder (second picture below). The Sound Road Boulder offers fun face and slab climbs mostly in the V0-V2 range, with a few harder lines. The Rock Cove Boulder has easy sit starts on its south face and, on the face pictured below, about six lines with difficult and tricky starts that lead to a large horizontal and easier climbing above.

Central Park Bouldering

I spent Sunday in New York City visiting Dasha. We decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and explore the boulders of Central Park. I have always intended to climb in the park, but the opportunity never really came up. Sunday was the perfect day to change that. We expected Rat Rock to be the busiest place (and it was, with around fifteen climbers hanging out) so we decided to head to Cat Rock for a more low key experience. We were the only climbers at Cat Rock, though many interested passersby came over to take a closer look at what we were up to. Overall, I was pretty impressed with the quality of the climbing, and the rock. Hopefully, I'll get a chance to climb there more in the future.

Some pics: (above) The posh hotels of Central Park South loom in the background as Dasha cruises a super easy warm up. (below) 1-Dasha Zamolodchikov claws her way up 'Cat Crack' (V0-). 2-Christian Prellwitz setting up for the last move of 'Fancy Feast' (V3).

Long Island Bouldering- Wildwood State Park

After having a great time in East Marion on Saturday, Dasha and I enjoyed a lazy Sunday morning, lingering over breakfast and taking a nice boat ride to Great Gun Beach. We decided to head to Wildwood State Park for some climbing before Dasha had to retreat back to the city. Wildwood is a beautiful park, especially this time of year when the crowds have thinned out and the leaves are changing color.

There are two distinct bouldering areas. The Beach Boulders offer maybe a dozen problems with most of them being either fairly easy or fairly hard. The Bluff Boulders offer around 15-20 problems, most of them concentrated on one large boulder, with two smaller blocks adding a few lines. Of the two, the Bluff Boulders are the more frequently visited and this is where Dasha and I chose to spend the afternoon. An enjoyable twenty minute hike through stands of elm, oak, maple, sassafras and beech deposits you at the top of a short, steep trail down to the boulders.

The pics: (above) Dasha Zamolodchikov sticking the crux sloper on 'Kash Size' V1+ (below) 1-Dasha using her own unique beta on 'Crescent Moon' (V0+). 2-Christian Prellwitz midway through 'Agoraphobia' (V2). 3-Christian moving through the opening sequence of 'Blunt' (V2). 4-A sunset pose.