Higher and Harder

My obsession with Man on the Moon started with my ever growing love for taller boulders. Over the past two years i feel i have climbed alot of the high ball boulders that have been established at the New while also adding a few of my own. High ball bouldering is my favorite type of climbing. Something about being in the No fall zone and being able to remain clam takes me to a place that nothing else comes close to. When i first saw the Line it was considered a project in the old New River Gorge bouldering guide book. It seemed unreasonable to try and boulder it at first. Its A perfect 25ish foot face with good holds down low that lead to a blank section about 3/4 the way up followed by what look like jugs from the ground. The landing isn't exactly ideal. The farther up you go the more the ground slopes away, so 25 ft of climbing can turn into a 30 ft fall from the top which is border line soloing in my book. I finally decided last fall to rap the boulder and see exactly what the deal was.  The very first thing i noticed was that the top out was no joke. The lip of the boulder is just a large sloper with one thumb catch for your right hand. and above the lip where two small crimps 1/4 pad and 1/2 pad. I didn't really think to much about it i figure it was manageable and kept lowering. i got down to the blank section and I felt like it was pretty straight forward.  I was stoked . I rallied up about 10 pads for the first day and i decided that i would have to try and go ground up without trying any moves on the rope. I got completely shut down, it was way harder then i originally thought. I ended going back a few days later and worked out the moves on a single line while pulling rope as i was climbing. this wasn't an easy thing to do this boulder is steep and the holds are very small. i ended up having to get my girl friend Michelle to come out and pull me into the wall just so i could work the moves out. I figured out the top pretty fast. It ended up not being very hard just extremely technical and i felt like falling off the top was a good possibility if i was even a little pumped. That first day on the rope i never could quite do the crux move in the blank section but i still felt like i saw the way to do it. I felt like it was all about sticking that move one time and it would be over. I went back about a month later after some cooler temps came around and tried again. this time i was making it to the crux but wasn't even getting close to sticking the move. I ended up back on the rope that day just trying that single move over and over. i must have tried it 30 times that day. Then it happened I stuck The Move. I couldn't believe it . I yelled in excitement It goes i cant believe it goes. From that second on i knew i had to climb this boulder. I have to name my projects before i send them. for me its like my own little way to make it seem like its really a climb. If i call something a project to much it gets in my head that its to hard for me or i would have done it already. I figured standing on top of this boulder would be the closest feeling i would ever get to standing on the moon. Man on the Moon seemed fitting. I went back multiple times over the fall and even into the winter i spent roughly 10 days putting effort into it over a 4 month time frame

.  I couldn't try it day after day because i knew i would have to be at 100% or i could possibly fall off the top. One day while working it I ended up sticking the crux move and did the next move to the Jug. as soon as I hit the jug I realized that I was too pumped to do the top. I shook out for a few seconds on the jug and made two more moves to the lip and then I backed off I knew that if I would have tried the mantle I would have taken the worst possible fall and probably would have been really hurt. I had mixed feeling about that moment. I was happy because I knew that I could do it but I realized that it would take confidence to top this thing out. I knew that this boulder was very close to the limit of what I was capable physically but mentally I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to pull it off. I was scared to fall off the top. with no Health insurance I couldn't really afford a serious injury. I went back by myself and worked the top out into submission doing it over and over until I felt that there was no doubt in my sequence. I went back a few times after that and couldn't stick the crux again. I started to think that the time I bailed was my time and I let it slip away. It started to mess with my head. I wanted to climb this boulder so bad. I took about a month off from trying it i worked on my core my power and my endurance. I wanted to be in the best shape of my life for my next attempts . I was ready, i remember telling Michelle that morning that today is the day. i felt light confident and I wasn't putting any pressure on my self to send i was just going to go for it. i was either going to send or die. Click on the Link to My vimeo page to see the raw footage.https://vimeo.com/69916032



Photo taken by Pat Goodman

The Dries First Look

 This past fall I was contacted by Dan Sohner about shooting a video about The New River Gorge bouldering development. There was no real plan at first except for shoot some climbing footage and talk about the bouldering. We didnt really have a direction. I just wanted to show people that the New River Dries are truly a unique bouldering destination. And I think Dan nailed it. Click the link to see the video.

http://www.dpmclimbing.com/climbing-videos/watch/new-river-dries

News for the New River

The NEWS on NEW

Brookfield Renewable owns and operates  Hawks Nest dam. Hawks Nest dam isn't your normal dam  it  diverts 10,000 cfs of the New River through a 3 mile long 30 ft diameter tunnel to a power plant down stream from the dam. The diverted New river rejoins its natural path just below Gauley Bridge WV. The power plant creates a very specific amount of power for a manufacturing plant further down stream. This plant is a silicon metal plant. They are the largest silicon smelting plant in North America. It runs 24/7 and fills 30% of our countries silicon metal needs.  November 2012 started the 5 year long relicensing process for Hawks  Nest dam. This is going to affect a lot of different people. There was a public hearing in Ansted WV where Brookfield Renewable Energy had a public meeting where they explained what was going on and gave individuals a chance speak about whatever their interests are in this process.

AlloyMetals

Gone but never forgotten 

The hawks Nest Tunnel

Stakeholders.At the meeting the issue of minimum flow level on the dries was stated to be to low by environmentalists. The Commercial white water industry wants to sell short trips of class three rafting. They want scheduled releases of water on the dries during the summer months. The alloy plant down stream was designed to run off the power that the dam creates. Any loss in water means they lose productivity and possibly jobs. The climbers want the minimum flow to stay the same so that we can access the remote parts of the river for bouldering in the winter season.

What this means for climbers.

The past few years the Dries have seen a lot of bouldering development. The dries has very remote sectors down stream from Cotton Bottom boulders. You can walk down the river during the minimum Flow days and even cross in some areas. The minimum flow on the dries right now is 100 cfs which means that during the times of minimum flow the entire river becomes a bouldering Promised Land for the climber that is willing to explore. There is potential that Brookfield would be willing to work with the climbers to put in a trail system that could mean 15 minute approaches to sectors that normally would take hours walking down the river from Cotton Hill. Brookfield is aware of the climbing and fishing that takes place on other parts of there property and are open to the idea of allowing more recreational access. With that being said its up to us climbers to show land owners that we can be responsible and respect there property. They dont have to let us climb there. Thats a fact. There are  places all over the country where climbers have trespassed to climb on rocks that most land owners didn't even know were there. Climbing development is more then just finding and climbing new lines. I understand how hard it is to explain bouldering to someone who has no idea what rock climbing is or why people do it, but it is a necessary step. Locking in legitimate access is the most important part. Brookfield is going to need volunteers for the studies on the dries during the relicensing process. This could entail carrying equipment, surveying and even helping them navigate the remote areas on the dries. Climbers have the opportunity to work directly with the land owners that hold the key to more climbing. That is something that we should take pride in. No other user group has put in the miles on the dries like the local climbers have. Anyone wanting to volunteer to help with the studies can e-mail david.barnhart@brookfieldrenewable.com. He is the operations manager for Hawks Nest. These studies will take place over the next two years. The best way to stay informed is to get on the mailing list for the Hawks Nest relicensing process. I will also keep current updates on this blog.

Remote sector on the dries

Hawks Nest OG classic. white eyebrow

Pat Goodman putting up a New line 

Wing span. Just below Hawks Nest dam. 

Water Level on the dries.

Enter the Ninja. Newest addition to Cotton Bottom

This link takes you to USGS site that tells current gauge height below the dam. 4 ft its just over Min flow(100cfs) http://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?380649081083301

Any one wanting to experience Bouldering on the New River Dries should reach out to any of the locals or waterstone for more info. E mail me at nicspruill@gmail.com

The Dries

The New River Dries

   The Dries, you've heard of it or you haven't, but I would be more than willing to bet you've never been there. Not to say that you wouldnt what to. Trust me you do. The Dries are the last 5.5 miles of the New River that starts below the Hawks Nest dam. The dam has a tunnel that diverts  about 10,000 cfs of water from the New, any more then that is released from the dam and flows down the dries. The lack of water on the Dries makes it a truly unique place because it leaves hundreds of polished sand stone boulders revealed. The Hawks Nest and Cotton Hill sectors of the Dries has been what most people think of when they think of New River Gorge Bouldering but are just two of the many sectors on the 5.5 mile stretch. The hill that is located between rt 16 and the river is owned by Brookfield Renewable Energy. They have allowed  rock climbers to use Hawksnest and Cottonhill areas for years. Over the years climbers have slowly explored the areas down stream from cotton hill. During minimum flow days you can park at Cotton Hill and walk down the river all the way to Gauley Bridge. The New has never really seen a strong push for bouldering development until the recent years. The local bouldering community is pulling together to getting things done. Efforts range from finding cleaning and climbing first ascents to trying to make sure we have legitimate access so that others can come to the New and see what it's Dries have to offer. Check out some pics and video from this past year on the Dries. Anyone interested in checking out the bouldering at the New should reach out to the locals and they will point you in the right direction. Waterstone Outdoors has directions and info to get to some of these areas. Check out the link on the bottom of the page to see a video from Skerv.

Crux move on Enter the Ninja.
The stand start to the left of V-sixteen

                                                                     The New New

Week end in Chattanooga

I Think I Can photo Ryan Manning

 With Hueco right around the corner I decided I needed a weekend to just relax and get in as much climbing as I could. Some friends of mine invited me to Chattanooga, TN for the long weekend over the MLK holiday. Four days in Chattanooga sounded great! I left the New Thursday afternoon and drove six hours through a rain storm and white out snow conditions. I made it to my boy’s, Ryan Manning, house safely at around 11:30. A couple more friends, Ron Bartolo and Max Hardier, rolled in two hours later from their 12 hour drive from Virginia Beach, VA. Everyone went to sleep stoked for what the next day would bring. We woke up to ideal conditions; the ground was lightly frosted with cloudy skies and great temps. My goal for the trip was to do classics, V0 to V-whatever, it didn’t matter. Partly because I hadn’t been there other than at the triple crown events, and because I’m researching the grade scale for the guide book I’m working on for the New.

We warmed up on the fire crack boulder and I decided to give Incredarete a try because Ryan said it was one of his favorites. The same area is also home to the classics Two can Sam, The Mane Event and Art of the Vogi. Ryan showed me a line he thought I would like called I Think I Can that is set in a little corridor. He said it was small crimps, and barely overhung so I was in. After three tries I finally stuck the first move, and then crimped and dyno’d my way to the top. Spyro Gyro, a one move wonder was our next stop. I had been on it before at the triple crown where it gets gangbanged by chuffer trying to put a V7 on their score card. The holds always felt greasy. It pretty much boils down to an all points off dyno for me. After what felt like forever I stuck that damn sloper and realized why people this problem. It was pretty fucking fun slapping the sloper jug and fighting the swing. Ryan had recently sent Spyro Gyro and was working on another LRC. Cast Away fit my style really well and I did it second try. Its such a fun move!

Ron on fortune , Photo credit Ryan Manning

We made our way to the back nine and Ryan wanted to get on Fortune. After spraying us down he did it first go.  I quickly followed and then Ron and Max got it, a first V6 for both of them. Beta for this problem is key and its really fun. All of us were pretty tired after that  but on the way out I wanted to check out Biggie Shorty. It looked a little wet and I was pretty beat but I had to give it some effort. After a good once over I shoed up and gave it a burn. On my first try I fell going to the small left hand crimp off the good edge. Realizing this move was gonna take some some thought, I tried about 4 different ways and went right hand on top the good side pull with left foot on the start hold and right foot way out right. I sat back down with the intention of sending, but I couldn’t do the first move again. (Damn it!) I figured out the first move again after about 4 tries and sent the rig from the ground on my fifth try. I’ve never climbed V10 in a day so I was feeling pretty good. Saturday came and it was a different game plan. I wanted to try something harder so we warmed up and went to The Law. I had no expectations on this thing but we padded it and shoe’d up and I got my ass kicked. It felt impossible. I was having trouble with every move. Then from out of nowhere Doug Ianuario came around the corner psyched as ever. He shoe’d up and showed me some beta, slowly I made progress. I never stuck the first move but the rest felt doable. Every burn Doug made we were expecting a send. He crushed every move with tips looking like he’d been crimping cheese graters. He couldn’t snag the move to the lip from the start but he’ll send any try now for sure. After that we headed over to The Sheild. I’ve been wanting to try this thing for years now and never got on it. Evolv and Asana athlete Neal Sipahimalai was on his fourth day working the problem and was damn close. After helping me out with some beta I was getting to the gaston move from the start every time. I decided to work just that move and I never stuck it but feel like some  cold day in 2012 we will meet again. Neal sent after about 6 burns that day, his first V12 send. It was sick to watch.

Ron on The Wave

Max on ShotGun photo Ryan Manning

                Walking away without sending The Shield was fine with me. That boulder deserves a fight and I don’t mind giving it one. It’s probably one of the best looking hard lines in the country for sure. We ended the day with White Trash and Heroin right around the corner. Heroin might be in my top 5 favorite boulders. Its so much fun, no matter your height, it definitely shouldn’t be missed. Sunday was my last day at LRC so I had a list of stuff I wanted to try. Again we warmed up out front. I did The Wave and Manute Bol  for the first time; both are really fun.  We made our way back to Shotgun, another LRC favorite of mine right next to Heroin that Ron and I quickly sent. We also did Elephant Rider, a super fun squeeze arête. After that we went to Grimace and A Face in the Crowd. Both went and I learned where Grimace got its name, an exciting top out.  I ended my LRC trip with Rib Cage and Crack of Dawn that are both really good moderates.
Our last day was spent at cumberland trail. i was able to climb River front and 711 and almost ended my trip with Gross Roof. I had a blast climbing in Chatt and hanging out with some old friends. Leaving for Hueco tomorrow.

711 Photo Ryan Manning

Gross Roof Photo Ryan Manning

Max on River Front Photo Ryan Manning

2011 Wrap Up

So 2011 was a pretty big year for New River Gorge bouldering. This was my first year living at the New and I am still amazed at the amount of potential there is. I'm just going to dive on in. The winter started off with the down fall of the long standing Black Pocket Project. After about 25 days of work I was able to figure out some subtle beta that made this line feel possible. One perfect morning I was able to stick the move to the lip and the Black Pocket Project was no longer a project. I kept the name because it explains this boulder to a "t". Black Pocket is a power packed pocket pulling classic. It remains unrepeated and its arguably one of the hardest lines in the Gorge. The next day I sent another project I'd found at Hawksnest Dam. I called it Brass Knuckles V9 (Unrepeated). I also repeated the only two V10's in the gorge at the time, Joel Brady's Fayetteville's Finest, and the problem formally know as the Squeal project. The Squeal project was first sent by Stephen Meinhold and Matt Ginley a few years prior. They named the line Octagon Control. Before the heat set in for the summer I was able to send one of my longest standing Projects. The Rambo Rabbit Project.  http://www.dpmclimbing.com/search/node/rambo%20rabbit . It was right before the New River Rendezvous. I heard that a few crushers were coming into town so I was feeling the pressure. I gathered every pad I could find in southern WV and I fired the rig on a cool summer day. I called it Beauty Mountain Beat Down. I also sent a high ball project that I was referring to as the V16 project because of its looks, blank and impossible, from the ground. After rappelling off the top to clean it I found a single line up the center of the face. The name stuck and it became V-sixteen. Its only about V7 but who doesn't want to say they have climbed V16 (Unrepeated)? The day of the comp ABS champ Alex David Johnson had the most impressive single day of bouldering the Gorge has seen to date. He made quick work of Beauty Mountain Beat Down; in his opinion its a V11. After warming up on that he claimed the second acsent of John McCauley's test piece, a V10 dyno he named Commitment Issues. Then Alex had his mind set on trying the Cardiac Arrest project. He sent too and it was officially dubbed Heart Breaker V10(unrepeated).

Me on Beauty Mountain Beat Down

Summer sucked as usual but it brought a few cool days. Local climber Micah Klinger and I made our way to check out some projects on the Dries. Micah was able to snag the FA of another  projects on the same boulder  Gone With the Wind V9 (unrepeated). He also showed me a line he had tried in the past. Between the two of us within a day we found some new beta and I sent. I called it  Dark Passenger (V9, unrepeated).

Travis Gault on Spinal Remains

Fall and winter came and the New started to see some welcome outsider traffic. PA strong men Tim Rose, Travis Gault and Ryan Scurfield all left there mark on the New. Tim put up Bubba Hotep V10, Prince Ali V9, Cock Block V9, Vaminos V9(unrepeated) Bitches Get StitchesV8 (unrepeated) and Revelry V9 (unrepeated). Ryan Scurfield  claimed the fa of Master Lock V9(unrepeated) and nabbed the first ascent of Master of Manipulation V11(unrepeated). Travis Gault made a short trip to the New sending one of the most amazing roof problems I've ever seen. It climbs out a huge flake into a horizontal block for about 15 feet. It is called Spinal Remains V10 and is unrepeated. Micah finished out 2011 with the fa of the Fern Creek compression project. He called it F-five and it might be the most aesthetic boulder problem in the gorge.  The movement is just as good as it looks and its an unrepeated V10. 

2011 was a great year for the New. New friends,  New lines, New psych and a New Guide Book in the works. I relized that the New for me isn't a place where I climb, its home. Every new line is bigger and better then the last,  each bringing its own challenge to the table.

Tim on the FA of Bubba Hotep, Photo by Kyle Adams

Ryan Scurfield on Master Of Manipulation .Photo By Kyle Adams

I just wanted to thank everyone who came out and made 2011 what it was.

Micah Klinger 

Matt Stark

Michelle Eckert

Rudy Oppenheimer

Chris Helm
John McCauley

Tim Rose 

Ryan Scurfeild

Travis Gault 

Jason and Rachel Babkirk
and

Big thanks to all my sponsors 

Friksn clothing 

Organic Climbing

Evolv shoes

Me on Revelry

Travis Gault on The Black

Tim Rose on Bitch's Get Stitch's

Me going For the Fa of Black Pocket

the summit of Dark Passenger

CHECK OLDER BLOG POST FOR VIDEOS OF THESE LINES

  

Fresh Start

Jd chilling under Half Moon Tilt

So 2012 started off with an old school classic. Half Moon Tilt, This amazing line sit starts on an overhung  half circle shaped prow that leans up hill . Half Moon Tilt has been on my to do list for along time. Ive tried it few times over the years, i remember it always feeling hard and the holds always feeling terrible. I had pushed it to the back of my mind for awhile and kind of forgot about it. New Years eve an local buddy of mine mention he had been working the line and felt like he had some good beta. I though about it all night thinking what problem i would be most stoked about bringing the new year in with and i didnt really know what i wanted to do as soon as jd mention half moon i  I knew that  was it. With being so focused on all the New lines and developing going up this past year, i felt like a Classic like this is exactly what i needed to change things up for 2012. We got up early sunday morning 1/1/12 drove straight to half moon got about 40 mins of beta dialing in and the sky opened up and it poured for the rest of the day. We decided to call it a day and try again the following day. Monday came and brought great temps, we decided to warm up on a few moderate boulder problems and gave Fingers Malone a shot.After about 10 tries on that i knew that if i didn't walk away i wouldn't be able to give Half moon everything i could. so we walked up the hill to Half moon. The temps dropped and the wind and snow came in fast. i knew i would only get a few good tried. I sat down put my shoes on and took a few deep breaths . My first try i stuck the crux move from the start and my foot slipped off. The second try i pulled threw the crux again only to fall  on the barn door move later that i had forgotten about. I took about a 5 min break sat down and focused. I Knew exactly what i had to do for every move and shorty after pulling past the crux i found my self on top this amazing boulder.  Ill always remember this boulder not because its the hardest lines ive done but because a line like this cant be forgotten.

project to the right of half moon (First headpoint project for me)

Posting 2011 wrap up soon . sorry its taking so long, alot went down