Boulder over here, boulder over there

A beautiful V1 boulder problem in La Curva

For these past few weeks have I've been bouldering three to four days a week. In fact, except for one day in El Bosque of La Barrosa whn I took my niece, Lisette, and her newlywed husband, Trevor, to try a few routes, I haven't been roped climbing since the time with Martín and Analía from the last blog post.

Beautiful high V0 boulder on the face below the cave 

Reach the jug

Finishing up the same problem

A V1 problem on the face to the left of the previous problem

A delicate move out left is followed by a strong move up to a jug

Ever since I first started climbing, bouldering has been an integral part of my practice. I'm not very good at it in terms of modern day levels of difficulty, but that doesn't matter. I encounter almost every aspect that I find valuable in climbing when I go bouldering. There is challenge (both physical ands mental), fun, training, struggle, flow, meditation, concentration, adventure, peace, conflict, solitude, sociality, fellowship, competition, communion with nature, outright war against nature, joy in movement, frustration in movement, beauty, ugliness, learning, fear, confidence, sharing, ego, pride, humility, maening and release in climbing little rocks, without a rope, sometimes at the absolute limites of my ability and sometimes well within these limits. I bouldered on a regular basis without pads and often alone in Washington State, Utah and Argentina for more than 20 years, Now that I have two artificial hips, I take pads everywhere I go,

A challenging V3 problem in La Cueva

Footwork is key on this part

There are more than 600 established boulder problems an La Barrosa. We have an abundance of moderate problems but also a surprising amount (at least to me) of difficult problems. There are literally dozens of double digit problems, at least four different V12s  and one, burly V13, put up by Nicholas Pacheko and unlikely to be repeated in the near future. At any rate, given my current bouldering abilities I think it's clear to say I have more than a lifetime of boulder projects awaiting me on this little sierra, just minutes from my house.

Martin and me bouldering in La Curva

There are four cross sections of bouldering bands in La Curva. This band is the first cross section. 

Martín on a tricky start to a V3 problem on the first band of boulders in La Curva.

Mierda!

My turn

Got it!

Almost there

The top`out's over here.

This V2 problem on the third band has a funky top out. 

Martín working the heel hook to try to get the move.  

One day I went out with the local guys

Lu, Kari, Mati and Segu at the third band in La Curva

Mati climbs the beautiful V1

My second time up the V2 with the funky top out in the third band 

Lu on one of the cooler problems in La Curva. She recently sent her first V6

One move further on

Kari working a heinous sit start V5

I managed to send this thing. This kids tell me it's V4, which is pretty hard for me

You have to fight a bit not to swing off coming out of the cave

When you're a pasty old fat guy, these kinds of moves are all about footwork and tension in the body

The next move is a big one for me

Now heel hook to get the top out

Scrunch up over that hip!

Marian Vago sends a V5 roof problem

Late evening coming down from La Curva

The last one down