Gold Bar Bouldering

On Sunday, I checked out the bouldering at Gold Bar about an hour northeast of Seattle. I went up with the Olympia crew, Me, Laura, Micah, Nick, Jimmy, and Whitey. It was my first visit to Gold Bar, and I'll definitely be back for more.

Whitey on a slopey V6 highball

First we went to the Five Star Boulder which is described in the guidebook as 'one of the best boulders in America, hands down' and having climbed on it I can say its probably the best boulder I've ever been on. Its got high clean independent lines on pristine granite on all sides. The only negatives are the landings on some of the highballs, even with 3 mats and good spotters it was quite scary.

Micah on the steep Five Star Arete V6

I sent a great V6 lowball called Sobriosity, along with Jimmy, Nick and Micah. And Jimmy who was on fire, sent the V7 Red Rover straight afterward. We also took some big falls off of the highballs. Fall of the day went to Jimmy who came off the top jug of the Five Star Arete (V6), missed the mats completely and landed right on Nick. Good spotting Nick! I'm glad it wasn't me, at least we got it on camera though.

Nick on Sobriosity V6

We also checked out the Camp Serene boulder a little bit down the road. This boulder is even taller but with better landings. We tried the two best lines on the boulder a V4 and a V6. But the topouts were wet and dirty so nobody tried to top out on this boulder which was a wise decision in my opinion considering the lack of a descent off the boulder.

Jimmy high on a V6 at the Camp Serene boulder

I was very impressed with the quality of bouldering at gold bar, we only checked out two boulders so there is plenty more to return for. Its cool to have quality bouldering close enough for a day trip, we don't have to drive all the way up to Squamish now. As Micah put it Gold Bar is a goldmine!

Psychosomatic

I sent my first 7c this weekend! A route called Psychosomatic at Little Si.

Photo: Dom on the lower section of Psychosomatic 12d/7c. ©Micah Humphrey

On Saturday, Micah, Laura and I headed out there and Micah and I got on the route, by now I had tried it so many times that I had all the moves wired. I was climbing well I got up to the crux without too much of a pump, but just couldn't stick the crux. I could do it every time with just one hang, I couldn't be closer, I gave it 3 good attempts on Saturday, Micah and I were both so close but still had to wait to link it all. I decided to move on and try some other routes. We all did a cool 10c/6b on the far left side of the wall. Then we went down to the woods to try a route there.

Photo: Laura sending a 10c/6b on the left hand side of World Wall I. ©Micah Humphrey

I tried to onsight a 12b/7b route called Digitalis, a little girl and her dad even came over to watch the rock climbers. I gave them a good show, I took a whipper at the crux. I managed to clip the chains with a couple of hangs, then sent it second go, Micah also got it second go. It's a sweet climb, 12 bolts of vertical climbing with a committing crimpy crux. It was a good morale booster to send something hard so quickly, I could definitely feel all my goes on psychosomatic had helped my stamina.

Photo: Dom on Digitalis 12b/7b, at The Woods, Little Si. ©Micah Humphrey

The next day our plans to check out a different area to climb fell through when we woke up to find heavy rain. We knew there was only one option – back to the overhung wall of World Wall I and Psychosomatic. The temps were good, and I was feeling good. I got up to the crux really smoothly, barely feeling a pump, went for the move, hit the slopey crimp crux but the same old story, I got spat off again. I felt calm going for it but I think I was too calm, I needed to really commit.

On my next go, I felt good, I got up to the chains of Psycho-Wussy the 11b/6c+ route it starts up, took a good shake out psyched myself up then went for it. I cruised through the next few clips and got set up for the crux throw. I stared down the hold and went for it. A second later and my fingers were still on it, I stuck the move!

I could hear Micah and Laura cheering from below, but I was way too scared to make any noise, don't mess up now I kept thinking to myself. I got my feet up, bumped my left hand up to the next sidepull, then one last move to the jug. YESS! I screamed when I latched the jug, I knew I was good from here, I skipped the last bolt there was no way I was going to fall now, I traversed over to the chains clipped them, and slumped into my harness. The excitement the relief and the accomplishment, this is why I climb!

I sent it on my 12th redpoint attempt, its the longest I've ever spent on a single route, but the payoff was well worth it. I couldn't have done it without Micah working it with me! It won't be long before he sends it too, at least I hope so, he's on redpoint number 18!

Photo: Laura working Psycho-Wussy 11b/6c+ on toprope. ©Micah Humphrey

First Blog

I decided to get one of these blogs because I couldn’t contain my excitement for climbing anymore. I’m an avid reader of climbing blogs, from professional climbers to people I’ve met along the way to random people who I’ve never met, but still get psyched from reading their blogs.

Who am I? In the words of my girlfriend, I’m probably the most psyched climber she knows, with the possible exception of Dave MacLeod after watching E11. And as the title of my blog suggests I’m obsessed with grades, but in a good way if that’s possible.

I’m originally from Aberdeen, Scotland. I started climbing in 2001 on the sea cliffs of Aberdeen and the Pass of Ballater, and bouldering at Portlethen and the Luath Stones where I even have a boulder problem named after me, its given 4b but I still maintain its at least 4c. In 2002 I went to Stirling Uni where I studied Wolfcrag crimping, and also went to a few classes. I did my harderst boulder problems at Wolfcrag that probably weigh in at about Font 7A (V6), and got into hard (for me) trad. During this phase I headpointed a couple of E5s, Nijinski at Auchinstarry a classic protectionless arete which I soloed, and The Purr-Blind Doomster at Cambusbarron a bold E5, that probably weighs in a F7a (5.11+) climbing with whipper potential. Ironically at the time I probably climbed harder trad routes than I’d sport climbed. But the options for mid-level sport climbing in Scotland are limited. It took me over 3 years to tick my first F6c so I’ve by no means been tearing through the grades. In 2005 I met my girlfriend at university, an american named Laura, then the next year when I graduated I emigrated to Olympia, Washington to live with her.

Living in the States has been awesome for my climbing. I believe strongly that your climbing environment defines who you are as a climber. And living here in the Pacific Northwest there is an abundance of sport climbing. I’ve been lucky enough to meet some great climbers here who are equally as psyched as me. In particular Micah, Jimmy Nick and I have been pushing each other to climb harder each time we go out. And a testament to that is that we’ve all got our hardest redpoints in the last few months. This year I climbed my first 7b (5.12b) route at Smith Rock in Oregon, which was a landmark moment for me. I felt like I had finally broken into hard climbing, it only took me 6 years! Since then I’ve done a few more 7b’s and a couple of 7b+’s. And my girlfriend Laura is on fire this year as well, she’s climbed her first 5.11a (F6c) and V4 (Font 6B), after climbing less than 2 years which is amazing, I’m pretty jealous, if only I had a pushy boyfriend when I started out climbing ;)

Although I’ve gotten into sport climbing big time, I still love bouldering and try to get up to Squamish as much as I can during the summer and still do the occasional trad route, although the days of scary headpointing are behind me. I feel that for someone with a full-time job I’m doing pretty well at getting out as much as possible and pushing the grades. So how close am I to sending my first 8a? Well I’m working on my first 7c at the moment, but what once seemed like a pipe dream, now feels within reach. So watch this space!

-dom

Photo: Me on Latest Rage at Smith Rock, a sweet 12b arete which i have to go back to redpoint.