Summer Syke

So the summer heat has set in here at the New River Gorge. It happens every year and every year I dread the end of cool temps. Its really hard to stay psyched when you have been spoiled all winter with some of the best untouched boulders in amazing temps. I've been doing everything I can to stay psyched, watching climbing movies, keeping up with friend's travels, and cleaning boulders. A friend of mine, Jason, was telling me about the fern boulders all winter, and getting on me about checking them out. I had heard of fern before but never really heard anything good about the area. You can't always go with what others say. So after sending all my year long projects, I was on the hunt for a new one. I decided to check out fern, with no expectations. I turned left turn to go up the creek, and had my mind blown. I'm walking around like a kid in a candy store, behind every turn, tree, and water fall was another amazing line. Hiking around in fern is like being in land of the lost, in the back of your mind your thinking a T-Rex is going to snatch you up. Its beautiful, I cant even explain how good it is. Its to hot to be working hard lines but I have recently come into a partnership with a really good friend of mine. We're writing a guide book. So between making topos and cleaning boulders at fern, i have more then enough to keep me busy.This video is a few from fern.  Nothing to hard just some fun lines. Enjoy.

Rendevous High balls fall

So this past weekend at the New River Gorge Was the annual New River Rendevous. I took the entire week before off so that i could help with the set up show some people around, and finish off some long time projects. On wed the 18 i went out to the substation boulders to try and get the fa on my year long boulder project The Rambo Rabbit Project. HEREs a link to a video of me working this line last winter
www.dpmclimbing.com/climbing-videos/watch/dpm-project-series-rambo-rabbit. This project was shown to be by some local boulders last january. The first time i saw it i knew that this line was something that had to be done. The project starts on a short lived vert face with some techy moves for me. You a long move out to the lip of this small roof onto a 15 foot long 35 degree overhung wall, then you mantle the lip and climb another 15 feet of easy slab. This boulder is about 30 feet tall but has about 35 to 40 feet of climbing. Well with the comp only a few days away and strong climbing comming to the area i felt the pressure to send. After refining my beta i was about to stick the crux and do the last dyno to the jug. sticking that jug at the lip for me was a life changing moment. When i grabbed that victory hold i felt like i weighted 3 pounds. I pulled the lip onto the wet slab and took my sweet time summiting the massive boulder.I found out that a local climber found this boulder years ago and was calling the line The Beauty Mountain Beat down. I decided that the beauty mtn beat down was a more suitable name, I didnt know what to rate it because its the hardest problem i felt ive done. The day of the comp ABS crusher Alex David Johnson was at the substation to go for the second ascent of the line. He made pretty quick work of it saying that it is one of the best and hardest boulder he has climbed, Giving it the grade of v11/12. Later that day Ryan Banister was able to get the third ascent and though the line to be v11. While at the substation Alex was also able to snag the second ascent of a ridiculous v10 roof dyno that was also a brand new line put up a few day before the comp by John McCauley. After that Alex had is mind set on trying  for the first ascent of the Cardiac Arrest project, he quickly sent and called the line the heart breaker, V10. Also in New bouldering news at the new South East crusher Nate Draughn was able to get a wet Third ascent of a Joel Brady v10 test piece called Fayettevilles Finest. I also made pretty quick work of a high ball project at the cotton bottom boulders. What did you do last week and why werent you at the New River Rendevous.

the video below is the two high ball problems i put up last week enjoy

A few more New River Gorge classics

Weekend session

Weekend Session

So Saturday after work a few friends and myself desided to go to Hawks Nest Dam for a little afternoon bouldering session. I havent been back down there scense i did the Black Pocket. The water level has been crazy high there too. The boulder field is on the down stream side of the dam so depending on rain fall and snow melt the boulders accessiblity  change daily. So once i got down there i took a walk around and saw that the high water level in past weeks had actually pushed large amounts of drift wood on to the boulder field, a few problems had trees pushed up underneath the starts, well have to go down there with some chain saws to free the lines up. I was able to send a V8 that i have never had to much luck on before. I brought my camera down for some footage of just a few classics .

TWO FROM THE NEW

So Tuesday me and a few friends if mine went bouldering at a new area at the New River Gorge called Teays Landing . Its a new spot that we have been developing over the last month or so. Its pretty small spot there is only two boulders with about 20 problems total. Even though its small its a area the problems and rock quality is amazing. The main boulder is about 15 foot tall and mostly vertical or slab. There is a few problems at are slightly over hung which allows you to pull on some really small holds. The problems on this boulder range from v0 to v7, there are a few open projects that are really good lines, they just haven't gone yet.The other boulder is pretty big but only one side is climbable. The problems on this boulder are all on the down hill. It dosent look like much from the from above but when you walk around the back side its a steep 17 foot face. Most of the holds on this face a pretty good holds there just really far apart which makes for some really dynamic climbing. Theres a line that hasnt gone yet that goes right up the center. It starts on two slopey crimps about face hight, you have to pull up and campus to a incut crimpy seam thats about half a pad. Then you have to get a right toe and toe hook the underside of the boulder with your right, so that you match on the seam. From there you hike you left foot up and rock over into a undercling side pull. Then you have to do a very hard foot match to set you up for the crux move, get settled in on the undercling and stand up doing about a 5 foot right hand movement that is extremely  low percentage. This video is this project and a fun v5 on a boulder by its self in the same area. This is the first video i have edited or filmed so sorry its not that great and the music is just funny .

The Cirque

 Now things have really started to pick up with work, and I'm crazy busy, which is a great thing. I'm not complaining, but on the other hand my climbing schedule has taken a direct hit. I'm still able to get out at least three times a week. Its been raining off and on for a few weeks here so the water level has been really high on the river where all my boulder projects are so I let a few locals talk me into roping up at the cirque (endless wall). Let me just say this if your a boulderer, and think that sport climbing can't keep you entertained then this is an area you need to check out. Im talking 30 foot 5.13s with stopper cruxes that keep any boulderers attention or 100 foot 5.13s that keep you fighting the pump to get to the 5 foot dyno crux.
Either way its a blast. Not to mention that its some of the most soild, over hung, beautiful ,orange, blue, and black sandstone (with everything from 5.11a to 5.14+) you will ever see in your life. So needless to say even when the boulders are wet you can still go work great v7 through v9 cruxes. The cirque, is in my opinion, is the New River Gorge's showcase craig.
No Idea whos pic but thanks for sharing with google

Routes

So after sending my boulder project last weekend I decided to take a few days off from bouldering and rope up. I've been going to the NRG for about 6 years now and never really had any luck on the sharp end of a rope. I think its mainly because I would get so mad at myself for falling off moves that I know I could do if I wasnt pumped out of my mind. As a boulderer I have the power and hand strength to do the V7/V8 boulder problems on a 5.13 pitch. but by the time I climbed 50 feet though some pumpy climbing I couldnt hold on to a jug to save my life none the less pull through a boulder problem. So i decided to take a different approach and not expect to go out and do hard moves but go out get on classic routes and just fight the pump. This past week was a struggle for me mentaly, I got on some classic NRG 5.10s and 5.11s. I had to force myself to take rests, look for handjams, and try to conserve energy. All things, that when I'm bouldering aren't even in the back of my mind. Day one was disapointing. I was climbing 5.10s and getting so pumped that my forearms were actually hurting. After a few days of dialing in my route climbing techniques I was able to start onsighting 5.11s.  I can see why climbers who route climb love it so much, the hight, the exposure, being completely alone 80 feet up. When I was tied in, however many feet up, I felt alone. It was quiet, and i could think clearly. It was a great escape from the real world with all the people and bullshit. Its just you up there and you can do whatever you want to. But bouldering for me is social,  its more about the good times and hanging out with friends all day looking for climbing that is at your limits. I think that when you are bouldering the people who are there are just as involved as the climber, cheering, spotting and talking shit to your friend as he mantles like a gumby. So route climbing for me is an escape, but bouldering is my life. More  boulder updates to come.

Projects fall in feb

  So this past weekend Two of my projects at hawks nest dam went.   After a total of about 25 days working and cleaning it I was able to snag the first ascent of the black pocket project. The  'black pocket'    was the longest standing boulder project at the New River Gorge and maybe even in West Virginia. The problem is a straight line of pockets up a steep black face with pretty much no feet. It has eluded alot of climbers in the past. Black pocket was the most condition dependent problem I have ever tried to project. It sits inside a dam where water levels varie from day to day. If its too warm you cant hold on the the river polished sandstone , but on the other hand if  the temps are right it usually means  its snowing.  On the day it went i was feeling really good and temps were amazing. I spent the better part of my morning sitting in my harness brushing about 6 inches of snow off the top and drying the holds. I had never stuck the huge move to the lip but on the first attempt saterday I was able to hit the sweet spot and pause for a breif second, I knew it was going to go after that. Two tries later i was shouting from the top in disbelief. I couldnt belive it went. Here is the raw footage. its not the best ,my new camera is on the way.

Another one of my HawksNest project went this weekend. I stopped at this blunt arete that I have walked by hundreds of times and started chalking up holds. From the sit start there is a very low percentage move off a really bad left hand crimp to a really good right hand. I had about 6 days wrapped up in the problem so I was really stoked when I was able to get the FA on it. I called it brass knuckles. Heres a pic.

The Move

I recently to move to the new river gorge about 1 months ago. Ive been trying to make it happen for about 6 years and i got tired of waiting. I just decided that now was as good a time as any. The move went pretty smooth all in all . Its funny you tell people your moving to the West Virginia and they look at you like your crazy. They dont understand. The New River Gorge is one of the most beautiful places on earth, that alone sucks you in, then you add friendly locals and amazing rock climbing on top of that. I mean really what more do you need? This blog is main focus is to show everyone what this place has to offer as far a rock climbing. It will be the most up to date news on NRG bouldering.