My Thoughts...



Risk is essential.
There is no growth or inspiration in staying within what is safe and comfortable.

Not all who wander are lost

Sunday, September 25, 2011

The Amethyst Project

The Amethyst Project started mid winter of last year.  I remember wanted to find some new boulders in an area that would provide some seclusion and a real feeling of being way up in the mountains.  I had read some brief descriptions of some bouldering under the Sheep's Nose formation.  The first day I went out was pretty snowy albeit still warm enough to not want to die.  I only climbed 1 problem that day which was called "This Thing," a sandbagged v3 that was a lot of fun.  Immiately following I found something with no chalk on it that I couldn't find record of in the shitty Colorado Bouldering guidebook...go figure.  It seemed pretty hard right from the start.  The first move is a big 3 points off move to a nice sloper.  That alone took me probably five tries.  By the end of the day I had my beta figured out and thought that maybe the next time I came when I was fresh I could send it.  Now here I sit 10 months later.  Each day I went to try it I found more and more frustrating.  I would get there, refine my beta, try some more, and fail.  This process repeated each and every trip.  My beta changed so many times that Amethyst actually has evolved into two different lines on the boulder.  The direct line is the one that I intially was trying all those months ago.  The right angled line came from beta that Matt came up with on his trip out here.  It is yet to be sent but maybe someday.  It may be a v grade or two harder than Amethyst direct. 

 About two weekends ago I woke up on a Saturday morning with the goal of finishing the Amethyst Project.  I felt really strong and had a few days prior with no climbing.  This did not matter.  I don't know if I had too much pressure on myself of what the case was however I was awful.  Just terrible.  Couldn't get as close as I did the time prior at the end of the day when I was pumped.  It was a sad day under the Sheep's Nose but I can only stay away for so long.  Yesterday I woke up in a great mood.  It was a long week at work and was really excited to have the day off.  I started out with coffee as I hung out with Lauren as she got ready for work.  In the back of my mind all week I had thought about another day working on Amethyst.  I was consciously thinking about a day working on it as opposed to a day trying to send.  Who knows if this helped.

Either way it was an awesome day.  A little cooler weather which always is nice.  I headed West right after Lauren headed to the Broadmore.  The first try felt pretty much like every try has in the past 8 months.  Seemed close but not any closer than before.  The second try something different happened.  Before I knew it I had cut my feet and had actually gotten to the next move.  Unforunately the swinging didn't help this.  I fell before I could get my feet back on.  The next bunch of tries were all different.  They ranged from not going to the first hold in the right spot and just kind of toppling over backwards, to shooting off of the pinch with little to no warning which placed me promptly on half ground/half crash pad.  And obviously everything in between.  The day ended well though. I decided at some point that I would give it one more go.  I retaped everything because this boulder problem just seems to either poke holes through the tape, or rip it completely off each try, and sat to collect myself to the degree I am able when I'm sitting under that boulder.  The next thing I knew I was pulling up into the last move. Keeping in mind that I had never even seen this spot before I took it quite slow.  The good/bad news is that as I started to use a foothold it broke.  This did not send me off the boulder which is good.  It does seem to me that it could be more evidence that it is a first ascent.  Maybe not but I haven't been proven wrong yet.  I called it "Wasted on You" and gave it a grade of V6.  The Amethyst gemstones were thought to prevent intoxication by the Greeks.  That as well as having a lot to do with Lauren made it what it is.  Who knows if I will find out otherwise or if someone will come along and say it is easier than that.  Either way I was so stoked and relieved I could move on.

Here is the final video of Wasted On You...V6