RMNP!!

Matt Fultz and I headed out to Rocky Mountain late last week and have been sampling the best that the high-altitude areas of Colorado have to offer. Upper Chaos Canyon in Rocky Mountain National Park is just that: complete chaos. House size boulders sit upon pedestals of monster truck size "pebbles" that we grapple and grovel with. The amount of rock that one can see upon topping out near Top Notch and looking in a 360 degree view is mind blowing. Years of bouldering have produced lines that are merely the tip of the iceberg that is Upper Chaos. Climbers are still plucking the gems and beautiful lines, not yet having to settle for climbing the marginal lines.

Fresh out of the car (a short 9 hour jaunt from Ogden), we hiked in to Both Sides of the Spectrum, a cool sloper problem at Moraine Park with the shortest approach in the area which suited our late afternoon arrival perfectly. Warmed up on some pretty cool stuff that was right near Both Sides and then got down to business. We soon realized that it was a little warmer than we thought and the slopers a little worse than expected. I sent some unnamed problem on a really cool suspended block that pinched and heel hooked its way up an arete. Matt did pretty well on Both Sides despite the conditions, yet neither of us were psyched enough to try it anymore than our fresh tissue paper skin could handle. Even then, Matt's fingers paid the price of one too many attempts and he ended up with a bleeder on day 0.5. Fultz on the first move of Both Sides of the Spectrum



All our time since then has been at Upper Chaos, we both sent Blood Money from the stand start, Matt did the Lochness Monster and I came away with a flash of Skipper D (thank you Ryan Young for the beta spray down). Blood Money from the sit start should have been done for me, but an ass rocket to the rocks and a heel hooking on my own finger put a hitch in the sending. Fresh and repsyched I will try and send that Thursday. Matt is eyeing Top Notch and Jade...he can lock off "the move" to within 6 inches of the left crimp in only a few tries, so hopefully he can make some progress on that. I am looking to flash Eternia, a goal that has been one of mine for a long time. I will check back in soon with more, hopefully a good report filled with sending and good photos. For now, I have only these images to offer, but more to come!!

Jade Stand Start