Leavenworth Bouldering

This weekend Laura Micah and I made the drive out to Leavenworth to check out the bouldering there. The new bouldering guide (which is excellent) just came out this summer which really opens the areas up, so there was no more excuses for not checking it out. I'd heard from different sources that Leavenworth had the best bouldering in the north-west, even better than Squamish, but I'm a big fan of Squamish bouldering so I was skeptical.

The Pimpsqueek Boulder

We hit icicle canyon on Friday night with about 15 minutes of daylight left, so we jumped on the first boulder we saw from the road. It was the fridge boulder, one of the best in the canyon in my opinion. Micah coolly flashed the fridge center (V4) and soon after dispatched the fridge right, a sandbag at V4. I flashed Jumping Spiders, a one move V4, and in the dark Micah sent the Lizard V5. Not bad for a half-hour session. We met Tony and Adam at the campsite, who were in Leavenworth doing trad, and got psyched for the next days bouldering.

Micah on Crimpsqueek V7

On Saturday we started out at mad meadows, with some moderates, we all did a cool V2 called The Scoop which has some of the best holds I've seen on granite. Micah flashed The Crimp V5, without using the crimp he just locked off from the starting hold to the arête, I sent it a bit later using the crimp. We both flashed The Ampitheater V4 negotiating the tricky mantle. Then went over to the Pimpsqueek boulder which is one of the most obvious lines I've ever seen. Unfortunately Pimpsqueek (V9) was a little to high and hard for us to try seriously, but Micah came agonizingly close on Crimpsqueek (V7) which we'll have to go back to. We did a few more problems, The Hueco Problem (V1) which has amazing huge granite huecos. And Laura made her first ever V3 flash, Drugstore Cowboy, a really cool steep pumpfest.

Laura Flashing Drugstore Cowboy V3

We had lunch and hit up a different area called Forestlands. This area has perfect boulders with even better landings. We did The Real Thing (V4) and a few other crimpy classics. Then got on The Sheild, an amazing 6ft? dyno. After finding the right feet, Micah latched the hold and topped it out for his first ever V7. To say he was pleased would be an understatement. I slapped the hold so many times, but never held it, ahh well theres always next time. Micah also sent a V6 on the other side of the boulder, and Laura flashed a stout V2 called Sunny and Steep. Fearing a lack of daylight, we quickly moved on to a new area Twisted tree where Micah and I worked Mr Leftist, a hard V6. After working out the cruxy mantle Micah sent it, but I fell off the last hold twice. I gues it just wasn't my day.

Dom and Laura having lunch on the beach

Sunday we went to Tumwater Canyon and checked out a few of the areas there but we were were a lot more selective in what we tried due to our lack of skin and sore muscles. We did a few fontainebleu-esque slabs and technical problems on the smooth granite of swiftwater north the best being Un-obvious (V3). And Micah pulled another hard climb out of the bag, with a quick send of the steep and powerful Raging Bull (V7). We took a leisurely lunch and siesta in the sun on the beach. Then did a few more climbs, I flashed The Fin a classic V2, but by this point in the trip it took a lot more effort than I normally need on a V2. And Micah made a very bold deep water solo of the beach arête V2. Good job Micah, I'm glad it was you and not me. We finished up the beach area with a problem called Dyno 101 (V3). The name says it all really. I got a nasty flapper latching the jug, but it was worth it.

Micah on Beach Arete V2

So how does the bouldering in Leavenworth compare to Squamish? In my opinion Leavenworth has more and better problems in the grades V1-V7. But I don't think it will ever attract people from overseas to camp out here for the whole summer like Squamish does. The bouldering in Leavenworth is not as concentrated and you need a car to visit all the different areas. But if you don't mind driving between areas, Leavenworth has more quality bouldering than you could ever hope to do. Micah thinks the grades here might be a soft, but I don't think so, I think the climbing is just more powerful and dynamic which is his style.

Micah latches the jug on Dyno 101 V3

This trip taught me a few things. One, that even though I've got more points on my scorecard than Micah, doesn't mean I'm a better boulderer than him. That doing routes 2 or 3 times a week is not enough to get strong, I need to train as well (I bought a 3 month pass to the warehouse yesterday). And best of all, we don't have to drive all the way to Squamish for world class bouldering!

The end of a good weekend