Auckland

Up Norf

Ω Mr Eight Days On & Still Busting Out The Opening Moves Of A Show Of Strength brings you new bouldering near Auckland:

Development!!! from Jase Whitaker on Vimeo Ω

The Good Life

Ω Tough Love star David Kopp has been spotted on the internet (by Peter Allison, who was presumably searching for porn) in this little clip:

This link arrived in my inbox while I was braving 45 knot easterlies and passing rain showers at Stony Batter, Auckland’s most scenic bouldering location. And **newsflash** I did a good problem there, called The Good Life V8. According to the guide, this problem is a sit start. According to the first ascentionist (Raygun), it’s a stand start. I did it from sitting down, which seemed like the most sensible way to start. Raygun thinks that might be a ‘first’ so, absent any naysayers and applying the ‘everyone with a new sequence is a first ascentionist’ rule (aka The White Falls Debacle Rule), I’m claiming it. And renaming it ‘Justin Bieber’ and inflating the grade by 12.5% Ω

Dirty Tricks

Ω In a shameless assault on an old warhorse’s prowess, young whippet JJG cut Ivan ‘Beast from the East’ Vostinar’s lunch at the Rak on Sunday. Fresh from spying a sneaky link up of Brassneck 7b into Vision Thing 7a+ on the Martini Roof boulder, the Vos was ‘Ready, Set, Go Danny’ for the glorious ticker tape honours, when seemingly from nowhere (perhaps standing sideways behind a flax leaf?) JJG unleashed the fury. No sooner was he on the problem, then he was off it again, having exited up Tricky 7a to create Loki The Trickster soft (according to JJG) 7c. Cheeky monkey then had the nerve to downgrade Ivan’s low start to Whip It Good, to a lowly 7b+. Ouch.

Meanwhile, at the crucible of Auckland bouldering, another strong-fingered acronym was laying the smackdown on some pure eliminate or other. GEJ (Glenn Erik Johannessen) reports thus:

“Another great pure eliminate at the hub of hard Auckland bouldering. Stand start at base of arete (right of Red Arete) no left or rights cracks/sides. Pull on and grimace your way through tiny 2 and 3 finger crimps til you get to the crux, hold nothing and crank to positive holds, top out arete (quite high and positive). Love it, short side rocks!”

Never mind that the crag is closed.

And last but not least, Mr Oliver Miller, best known for climbing 8a while pissing blood in Hampi, has been rampaging through Castle Hill with his didgeridoo. He climbed a bunch of quality lines including the Joker 7c before being evicted from the Craigeburn DOC campsite for impecuniosity.

Peace. Out Ω

Game Of Ghosts

Ω Text messages just in from Regan:

“Cliff sent the Leftism project! (NZs oldest I would think). At the location that cannot be mentioned, in the dead of night yesterday with FM and I spotting. Over 12 months and hundreds of tries with 3 days to spare before he goes back to the States. Was getting desperate there!”

“Actually just worked out he spent over 15 months working it”

“It was the totally pure version that everyone has always talked about being THE problem. No left crack all the way, no right arete including the broken ledge sloper. Just the middle of the face. ‘Ghost Face’ because it was mostly worked and sent at night, no head lamps even. Amazing effort.”

“Hi John, what are you wearing? I’m lonely”

Actually I made that last one up. Nice job Cliff. V12 is the rumour….which one of the Auckland mafia will nab the second ascent? Ω

The Good Fight

Ω Yesterday, Sam Mangai climbed his endurance project on the Roadside Boulder at Wye Creek. Fight Club V10 comprises a 16 move V7 into a 14 move V8. TVDB climbed his project there also, now known as The Expendables V8.

Meanwhile, nothing at all interesting happened in Auckland. Rumour has it, however, that Aucklanders Stoo Kurth and James Headphones-Mitchell will shortly be hitting Castle Hill Basin. Stay tuned Ω

Super Taper

Ω Bouldering at the Auckland Quarry is like super-tapered jeans: uncomfortable, unflattering and (strangely, in light of those first two points) increasingly fashionable. I even went bouldering there this weekend, and if you know me you’ll know that I’m very fussy when it comes to climbing venues. There was chalk everywhere. I blame the new Quarry bouldering guide.

I guess there are some ‘pros’ in play here. First, it’s one minute from the car. Second, there are lots of historical climbs here, some of which are really just boulder problems with easy sport climbs tacked on the end. Third, it’s quite tough, especially on your skin and your pulleys. Fourth, the local climbers are surprisingly friendly. I think those are all ‘pros’.

So, if you’re stuck in A-land and are wondering how the renovations at Mt Eden prison are coming along, why not combine that site inspection with a spot of what my friend Franny describes as ‘pebble wrestling’. Ω

Cliff Climbs Cliff

Ω According to his 8a.nu scorecard, Cliff Li has been busy bouldering at the Mt Eden Quarry. Recent ticks include Zilmerized V8, Scott’s Arete V8 and the local test piece Methodone V9. Ω