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| A mellow day of climbing with family and friends last December in the Matrix |
After having my hip resurfaced on February 4th, and then waiting about four months post-op to get back on the boulders, I'm happy to say that 2014 turned out to be one of my funnest years ever bouldering on La Barrosa. All and all I sent about 110 different problems, including a number of things I haven't been able to climb in a decade or more. One example is Techo Clásico, an entry-level V4, that I first climbed 18 years ago (soon after we moved to Balcarce) and haven't been able to do for a long time. Gaby managed to film me in December, on my second send for the year:
Climbing Techo Clásico in December
In terms of the bouldering areas on La Barrosa, the breakdown of my sends (and some of the more accessible projects on my "to do" list) goes like this:
The Middle Earth (an extensive bouldering area near the top of the north end of the sierra located beside a feature on the skyline locally known as El Mordisco). In this area I managed to send 21 problems, the highlight being a stout V3 traverse that I haven't been able in maybe 10 years or more. There are still gobs of accesible problems that I haven't done here, including five V3s and a couple of V4s. Below is a video where I'm climbing a V2 in the Middle Earth about 4 months post-op, on one of my first bouldering excursions after surgery.
A V2 boulder problem in the Middle Earth
four months after surgery
The Usual Boulders (an area of small roofs and faces just below the cross on top of the north end of the sierra). In this area I also did 21 boulder problems. The highlight was a 17 problem day on the fourth of January that included two V3s which I hadn't done in a long time and the third recent send of a scary V2 arete. Oustanding projects include Not For My Body (V3) and Scrunch Girl (V4). Here is a video of me and Gaby doing Not For My Body some years ago (before the real hip problems set in).
Climbing Not For My Body back in the day
Techos de Mierda (a small roofy area just below the Usual Boulders). Six problems sent including a very stout V3 from my distant past and a cool new V2 which mainly involved figuring out the tricky sit start (it turns out there is a nice and not too hard solution). There are still three V4s, a V3 and a couple of V2s waiting for me to do.
El Huevo (a nice blocky area on the lower north end of the sierra situated about a third of the way up to the top). 20 problems climbed including a stout V3/V4 roof and a stretchy V2/V3 face traverse on a smaller block below the main area. Projects include El Huevo (V4) which I did in two parts and El Techo de La Morsa (V3).
Aracnofobia (a roofy area on the wooded west slope of La Barrosa). I did 11 problems in this area. The highlights include my first solo send (and second overall send) of a long V3 roof traverse (if someone is spotting they can move the pads along so there was a psychological factor for me on the solo send) and the completion, in two parts, of a long, hard V4 traverse (one of the hardest V4s on La Barrosa). Below is a video of me doing (for the first time) the second half of the V4 traverse. In order to get the send, I still need to link about 10 initial moves to the stuff I am climbing in the video. Linking this V4 traverse and getting the sit start to a short V3 problem are my immediate outstanding projects.
The second half of a V4 traverse near Aracnofobia
Boulder in the Bosque (up the hill from Aracnofobia). 10 problems completed. This is where Techo Clásico is. Another highlight was a V2 roof problem that has a hip intensive sit start (something else I haven't done in years). Projects include a couple of V3/V4 problems on a small boulder across from the Boulder in the Bosque and then stepping up my game to do a V5 roof problem that crosses Techo Clásico.
La Cabezona (about 150 meters up and north of the Boulder in the Bosque). 11 problems sent. A highlight was figuring out how to do a stout V3 traverse/face problem, which I still need to send in one go. Projects include the direct highball finish to a roof problem (V4) and a new face problem (V4?).
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| Gaby alongside the big boulder in the Costa Mosquito |
The Mosquito Coast (a small area of boulders on the southwest base of the sierra). 7 boulders climbed. The highlight was climbing all seven problems in a day. Projects include a scary V4/V5 face (needs some cleaning on top) and a couple of V3/V4 traverses.
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| Gaby and Ceci hiking into the Matrix |
Besides all the bouldering, I did a little bit of roped climbing, sending maybe 50 or so routes, up to 11c in difficulty (I worked an 11d one day and managed the route with one hang, but no cigar). I suppose my weakest point was I climbed almost exclusively on La Barrosa. I made two trips to La Vigilancia (twelve routes climbed, up to 10d in difficulty) one trip to Alpa Corral in Córdoba (five routes climbed up to 10a and a few boulders in a nearby town) and I climbed a few boulders in Sierra de Los Padres at the annual festival before I pulled a muscle in my lower back. Besides that I climbed 34 routes on La Barrosa (up to 11c in difficulty). Not bad for the first eleven months after resurfacing surgery, especially considering it came from an old fat guy who's already had revision sugery on his other hip.
