UltraViolet

I spent the Friday after Thanksgiving out bouldering at Red Springs and the Kraft Boulders. My goal was to finish UltraViolet (v8/9), which I fell off the last move of last January first. I ran into Craig and Elliot, whom I know from Black Mountain, and the three of us warmed up and charged up the hill to the striking overhung arete.

The hillside above Red Springs

Craig executing the first move of UltraViolet (v8/9)

And not quite sticking the third.

 I couldn't pull out the first try send, but got it within a handful of efforts with a little bit of a yell on the crux move.

Myself starting up "UltraViolet"

The definitive crux of the problem, a long deadpoint off of a horrible right hand crimp to a left hand edge.

The other hard, long move, which thankfully goes from and to much better holds than the first crux.

Jugs to the top. Psyched!

From UltraViolet we hiked over to the well-known crimp testpiece, Vigilante (v10?), which looks like it has broken and would be super hard in its current state, and then headed over to the Kraft boulders to finish the day on a fun easier circuit.

Craig on the dyno of "Dusty's Coffee"

 

Elliot, deep in the plumber's crack.

Many classic moderates with fantastic holds abound on the generally less than highball boulders littering the hillside below Kraft Mt, and it made for a nice finish to a memorable day. Having started bouldering here when I was a kid, these boulders will always hold a special place in my heart.

Today I'm resting, and tomorrow I'm super psyched to be heading out with friends to Black Velvet Canyon and Ethan Pringle's masterpiece boulder problem, Wet Dream. More photos soon.