The Ghosts

South Lake Tahoe just got a new area in the game. Tired of climbing so much volcanic climbing I went out with Frank Lucido and Jay Sell to a new area that I can't disclose the location of just yet called the Ghost. It has looks of good quality granite block that are typically highball and climbable. The rock can have lots of diagonal slashes, good patina and even slopey top outs. I can't tell how big this area is just yet..but it looks big. There are already some great problems that are top value for the region. Jay Sell put up one of his hardest to date, Ghost Dreamers v?7ish is an awesome line up an overhanging bullet crack feature. The holds, the view, and the climbing position are all rad. Frank Lucido and myself have both been bouted on this thing. It is super awesome worth a try. There is also an excellent corridor full of awesome slab climbs with major highballing potential. The climb called Bodie v3 is full value. Intimidating yet safe. Frank put up a cool problem called Spectre that I haven't seen yet but supposedly is 4stars. I got to put up a neat one as well yesterday when I did the new line Ghost Story v6. Gentle overhang with cool slots and fun move for the top. This area has major potential for great bouldering. All the problems done so far are great and it seems like there's much more. By the way, if you go , don't skip the oportunity to do the problem called Is It Over Yet? v? classic. Brock trying a cool new project

Jay Sell climbing Bodie v3

Freaking Out

Noah Kaufman sent the 2 highball roof projects to the left of Jay and Don's. The prouder one has been dubbed Atomic Confusion v6. Very scary and reachy. He also did one just left of that one that is slightly less serious called Afternoon Wood v4. These are some excellent additions to the area. Noah also had an impressive session on the steep Dazed Boulder when he started out by doing the first flash ascent of Twizzler v8 and then made short work of the 3rd ascent of Morning Wood. Later he also had one more good flash in him when he dispatched Subterranean v7/8 on his first go. Noah had a great day after not getting out for the past few weeks because of work. He says that's he's found more new great projects at Erratica , which is not surprising as this is the most shit-stacked area in south shore. It's going to be an exciting fall.
Also Ben Broche has posted the link to his video on youtube of the first ascent of Freak Show. View the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pf2kir4Tb7k

Downtown Brown

Jay and Don working on the new project

Jay Sell chucking a lap on his gem Too Many Words v3

Frank Lucido on Morning Wood v7

First move of Freak Show/ Downtown Brown

Cold temps graced the tahoe area today with excellent climbing conditions. We all went to the new hot spot where a few lines got done and new projects opened up. Jay Sell and Don opened an incredibly intimidating roof highball. This looks like it will be a great new ballsy line. I did some of Jay and Frank's highballs on the Confused Boulder. Too Many Words v3 was amazing. Tall and really good. This has to be a must do for the area. Frank also added some fun tennis shoe climbs on the new 7 up boulder. I added a traverse into Twizzler that I called Red Vines v9*** . Excellent pumpy line with many steep moves and a cool problem to finish on. Also in the Basement another sick roof line went down out of nowhere. I worked the moves on this harder finish from the start holds of Freak Show. I could barely hit the hard moves one at a time and then out of nowhere , when trying from the start one random time, I got psyched and linked the whole climb together for the F.A. of Downtown Brown v12***. Another excellent roof climb. Many hard moves into Subterranean v7 made this line feel very hard. It's always a guess with the grade but for me this felt a little harder than Freak Show but not enough to warrant a crazy grade. Tomorrow I am going back to the Freaks where Noah Kaufman will be visiting for the first time since all the major developments. It will be neat to see what goes down.

New Freak Show

The Freaks are going off. Cleaning and climbing seems to be the theme. This area is already an instant classic. On Monday night I did the FA of the project that was a lower start to Freak Show and decided to make these the new start holds instead of calling it 2 different lines. Now Freak Show is v12 and more full value. This is a 20ft roof and is super bad ass. The project going right will likely be just as hard or maybe harder. Ben Broche came out and got awesome footage of the FA which will be on youtube in a few days. I'll update with the link soon. We all have Frank to thank for this awesome gift. This area is a true find, especially for people hunting for power climbing. Here is a list of many of the problems that you will find here.

Pocket Change v3 **
Black and White v1 *
Morning Wood v7 **
Twizzler v8 ***
One Hitter v5 *
Wake and Bake v1**
Freaky Not Creaky v1*
Munchies v0 *
Chubby Chaser v1*
Bong Water v6 **
Subterranean v7 **
Smoke and a Pancake v2*
Freak Show v12 ***
Lost for Words v2 **
Too Many Words v3***
and many more to come

Freak Show

Today I put up a new hard line at the Freaks. The Freaks is an area near Erratica with good steep, volcanic rock. Many good lines have already been done by Frank Lucido, Noah Kaufman, and Jay Sell. Some of the classic problems include Twizzler v8, Wake and Bake v2, and Smoke and a Pancake v6. Among these lines the newest boulder is a 20ft horizontal roof on excellent quality volcanic rock which is abundantly featured. This roof is called the Basement. I did a great line going right through the middle of the roof on good holds really far apart. I called the line Freak Show v11. Very hard I thought. It will have a lower start that will likely add a couple of hard moves. There is also another project starting this line or lower that will go rightward through intense shouldery moves. It will be cool to see what else will come from this unique area. Usually volcanic is rather chossy but this place is an exception. I'd recommend a visit, though it is still semi-secret so good luck on finding an open door. Tahoe feels like it is cooling off a little for the weekend so I'm excited to see some more good climbing.

F.A. of Freak Show v11

Can't Beat the Heat

Here in Tahoe it has been very hot. Not compared to the areas in the valley but pretty hot for us locals. However, developement is still going on at a crazy pace as new areas keep being found and the list of projects waiting to go keeps getting longer. The Burnside area is very concentrated with good rock and problems of all grades. A new area very close to Erratica has been found with good volcanic rock and steep problems, one of which is a 20 ft horizontal roof called the Basement. Recently I also went back to one of my biggest aspirations, the angora project, this 40 ft steep highball over deep water is one of the best climbs on a hot day. The project is a 10 move undercling traverse to a steep prow with thrutchy moves that lead to a big dyno to a rail , followed by a hard top out into a sparsely featured slab. When this goes it will be one of tahoe's hardest and most unique lines around. It is so hard to concentrate on one thing though when there's so much new stuff being found constantly.


the angora project

Return from the Dark Continent

Good times with my peeps
Me, Ian and Simon chasing each other on Up the Spout v4

Fragile Steps v13

My new favorite problem in the world The Amphitheatre v12

I just got back from the Rocklands in South Africa. What an amazing place. So much good rock everywhere.. There's too much to tell. The water tastes like dirt, our rental car was a piece of shit, food and wine is very cheap, and people drive like they're on speed. It was awesome. I met a lot of really cool people that I will never forget. We pretty much climbed all day and got drunk all night. Such a fun routine. My 5 and half weeks there flew by in a flash. It rained more than I thought it would and my last week there I sprained my ankle really bad falling from the top of The Hatchling. I could not walk for like 2 days and it swelled up like a baloon. It was totally worth it though. What an amazing problem. I almost sent which is rad b/c it will be first on the list when I go back. I did do a lot of problems before that though. All of which were amazingly good. Here's my ticklist from the trip.

Girl On My Mind v5 ( incredibly fun)

Poison Dwarf v7

I'm Julie v7 (flash)

John Denver v7 (flash)

Secret To Olive's Preserve Cupboard v7 (2nd try)

Minkie v8 ( 2nd try)

Petite Hueco v8 (flash)

Maniac v8 (flash)

Dirty Lies v8 (2nd try)

Sunset Arete v9 ( 4th try)

Last Day in Paradise v10 ( 4th try)

No Late Tenders v10 ( 2nd try)

Shadows of Ourselves v10

Stargate v10

Caroline v10

Nutsa v12 ( 4th try)

The Amphitheatre v12

Fragile Steps v13 ( my first 8b; so psyched)

These were all the best lines that I did. I left a lot of lines behind but that's good b/c it left me itching to go back. I was very psyched to do my first v13. It was epic but fit my body and climbing style really well. Nice one Daniel; such rad holds. Other than the climbing it was cool to make so many new awesome friends and experience a new country that is very different from the US. I loved South Africa but it did make me realize how good we have it here in the states. I think though that I am now hooked on road tripping globally. I'm already making plans for another trip in Spring. Probably Europe most likely. Now I'm psyched to be home, heal my ankle, make a little money, and see some of the great new stuff that Noah and Frank are developing in the Burnside Lake area. Also I'm psyched to check out Way Lake again in Mammoth and get back on Chumscrubber. I'm glad that Nick and Jeff got the 2nd and 3rd ascent cause now all the pressure will be off. haaha I can just take my time and try to send.

Lastly I'd like to give a shout out to all my new friends and housemates: The Germans: Tom, Stephan and Axel keep on rocking. John and Amy you guys are awesome. The Housemates: Colin, Andy, Jarrad, Petra, Jesse Brown, Simon, Walker, Kevin, Yen, Iyunde, Ian, Ryan, and Eric. You guys kick ass, you are all great climber and great people. It was a pleasure hanging with you guys for 5 weeks and I look forward to see you all again at random somewhere by a bunch of rocks.