Jan 10-13: Hueco Tanks

Bouldering at Hueco Tanks was my reward for driving across Texas, and it was totally worth it. I was also finger (and hand) shredding, butt-kicking, beautiful, fun, inspiring and awesome. I even managed not to injure myself on the hikes in and out. Definitely need to work on my scrambling with a crash pad and backpack strapped to my back skills.

Access to Hueco Tanks can be challenging, plus, I was by myself, so I opted to join some commercial tours run through Wagon Wheel Co-opt, which provided access to the guide-only areas of the park, plus people to climb with. Pretty sweet.

Thursday's group was all female. There were some strong women bouldering, working V8's and such. That's more than a little above my pay grade, but there were problems nearby within my range, and I even managed to get up some of them. Definitely feeling the effects of spending most of the past year route climbing instead of bouldering, not to mention the additional junk in the trunk. Regardless, it was fun. We warmed up on some V0's and V1's with big huecos and juggy topouts, just the way I like them. We moved over to the other side of the Warmup Roof boulder and tried some harder stuff. I got on The Guillotine (V2), which has a long move at the beginning that I made progress on, but didn't put together and then the start of another problem that had some moves I could work on, even if completing  it was not going to happen, which it didn't.

The Guillotine

We packed up our pads and headed to the Dragon's Den, where the strong ladies got on the blender problems (Hobbitt in a Blender, Hector in a Blender), among others, and I worked on a V2 called Ostracizer. The topout is harder than it used to be, as a giant flake has come off the problem, but I didn't get to that point on this day anyway. Shredded up my hands quite nicely, though. The shredding continued on Satan, Satan, Satan and Sweat Loaf, two V1's with big holds on about a 60-degree angled wall. The day ended on a high note when the guide sent her project Ultramega (V8.) Sweet!

The Girls Tour

Friday was a rest day. Well, I am not sure if you call a day where you run 4.5 miles a rest day, but it was a non-climbing day. I was back on the rock on Saturday with another tour to East Mountain. We warmed up on the Hug-A-Jug wall, filled with many variations of hueco-y, juggy V0's. After people worked Warmup Roof and some other problems, we went to the Dragon's Den area where I got another shot at Ostracizer. I am doing the bottom section much more efficiently, but still can't grab the good part of the first hold over the lip, and this isn't the crux! Oh well, I was pleased with my improvement and wiped myself out pretty good working it. It was back to Satan, Satan, Satan and Sweat Loaf, neither of which I finished but I did better than I did on Thursday. The day ended at the Dark Heart  area. Got up a fun V0 (Moonwalk) after I avoided the not-so-fun sit start (doable, with more skin and energy) and then did a Mrs. Butterworth's impression and took my sweet time with the downclimb. I replenished my sodium at dinner, with a meal of ramen and Pringles. Lest some of you think my cooking skills have not improved since college, I added broccoli and an egg to the ramen, and I did not eat it out of the pot.

Ostracizer

More Pix

We hit a new area on Sunday, the East Spur. A good mix of people, some climbing hard, some climbing in the V0-V2 range I'm in. After a warmup, it was project time, which meant V8, V5 and V1 for various members of the group. I worked the V1 (Point Blank) with another climber, trying different combinations of hands and feet until finally he found something that worked for him and I found something totally different that worked for me. And then I didn't top it out, because I am chickenshit like that. The V5 folks got their project (and at some point, I will dig out my guidebook and put the name in here) and then the guide worked Better Eat Your Wheaties and came very close. next up was a sweet V2, The Vulgarian. Unfortunately, it was in the shade and had been all day, but it was overhanging and fun to work. I am looking forward to getting on this one again. We went back to the maze area, fairly cooked, but still game to see if any of us could do anything. (The answer was, not really.) Did some moves on Black and Blue before calling it a day.

I can't wait to do it again, preferably with M, who got me started climbing in the first place. 

Thursday - East Mountain
Juvenile Offender V0 straight up
Juvenile Offender V0 end left
Tiger Beat V1
The Guillotine V2 proj
Warm Up Roof V4 proj/hop on
Ostracizer V2 proj
Satan, Satan, Satan V1 proj
Sweat Loaf V1 proj


Saturday - East Mountain

Hug-A-Jug Wall V0

Warm Up Roof V4 proj/hop on

Ostracizer V2 proj
Satan, Satan, Satan V1 proj
Sweat Loaf V1 proj
Moonwalk V0 without the sit start

Sunday Tour, East Spur
It's Not the Heat V0
Point Blank V1 minus the topout
The Vulgarian V2 proj, super fun
Black and Blue V1 proj