A couple updates

Levitation

So far just one new problem in the last couple months: it’s a link-up from the start of the Ro-Fo Project, through The Jam, to The Guillotine, which itself is a direct finish of Welcome to Jamrock. Or just overlay the boulder with this and follow the red line.

In all seriousness though, the line looks really nice, and who says links ups are no good?

The Sykesville Monster V8:

Keeping tabs on the place, looks like there are still 3 4 lines waiting to be done

• Ro-Fo project
• Pearls Before Swine project
• Eviction project
• Fat Man SDS

The Acre

There’s been some cool stuff here too.

and other videos at Robin’s YouTube page.

Site Stuff

The video section of the site’s gonna go soon. Google will get you a lot more than what would probably be a forever-incomplete compilation here.

If you’ve got a local area that you’ve enjoyed and want to open up to other people, rough sketches and suggestions are plenty to get the word out.

High Ridge Bouldering

Here’s a new guide featuring a little-known bouldering area!  High Ridge is in Laurel with a short approach (5ish minutes).  As you’ll see, the guide gives it a nice breakdown and describes it as a “once a season” destination with just under 20 listed problems.  You can find most stuff a Maryland boulderer would be looking for: there are great approach instructions, V0 to V5 boulder problems are listed and described, and a couple open projects mentioned if you’re looking for a challenge!

All credit for the guide goes out to Shawn Seifert, a local climber you might recognize from some of his videos that have made their way around DPM and ClimbingNarc:

And some Not-So-Maryland videos also by Shawn:

Thanks for reading! Here’s the guide:

High Ridge Bouldering

Balcony Junior

The Balcony Junior guide here!  But, before you download it and head out take a second to read the access issues; there isn’t much.

Parking here is scarce an awkward.  As the guide touches on, there’s a parking lot that serves as a school bus turnaround on the weekdays.  There is only a small area to park here,  once you find it (at the end of the small town of Sandy Hook) just remember the picture below.

Parking anywhere outside the green could get you towed on weekdays or ticketed on weekends. Access is neither restricted nor limited right now, but where resources are scarce (in this case parking) it’s easier for issues to start. Be smart and climb safe!

And the download link: Balcony Junior MDGuide

If you’re interested, the Harpers Ferry section of mountain project lists a couple other parking areas that could be useful to know in case the spots are taken at the turnaround.

The Eden Brook Boulder

For anyone making use of Murray Hill as an after-work bouldering spot, you can add the Eden Brook boulder to your local tour!  It may only be a single boulder but as Robin (the author of the guide) says, “[Its] decent variety of problems means there’s a little something for everybody.” So why not stop by?

As you’d expect with a small area, there are a few contrived problems, including a traverse that wraps the entire boulder, but don’t let that discourage you.  Some of these eliminates look pretty good!  If you’re not one to blindly believe it, maybe this video will help convince you:

And for some first hand beta:

On Tuesday I warmed up on two of the awesome arete problems, Original 19 and Hop Head, both fun but very different in terms of holds and movement.  The first uses crimps and sidepulls on a slightly slabby surface, while the second follows crystally slopers up to an enjoyable compression finish.  I also did Choriqueso, still on the easy side, though a little more intimidating due to the slab under your chin as you’re making the final move on smeary feet.  Moving back to the left side of the boulder I climbed the slightly more challenging Shotgun Boh, a line up the right arete that I had managed to send last week.  My plan at that point was to put in a couple hours of work on my project, a line that I had realized a few days beforehand was possible, starting seated and climbing up the two seams without using the right arete.  It’s only about four moves long before the topout, but they’re four sustained moves requiring a great deal of core tension.

If you decide to stop by and check it out, drop a line in the comment box to encourage other climbers to get out, let people know about new variations, or maybe even other boulders nearby!

The Eden Brook MDGuide

Murray Hill Mini Guide

There was a post about this place a while back, but it’s finally here!  If you’re in the Columbia area, this is the perfect after-work bouldering location.

Right now, there’s some tall grass under the powerlines, so if you’re not a fan of walking through a few hundred feet of grass, just wait till winter;  it’s just around the corner!

There are 8 boulders in total, some better than others, but for being a local area, it’s definitely worth checking out.

The North Boulders

Now for the climbing:  The boulders are split by a river, leaving 6 on the south side and two on the North.  Parking for the North boulders is a bit more tricky and if you’re interested, it’s not too difficult to figure out on Google maps.

The South Boulders

The South boulders are easier to get to and offer more climbing.  There are a couple projects:

One on the South Boulder

Full Value Project

And two on the Aquaman Boulder (there’s now a platform below the Platform Project)

Platform and Aquaman Projects (with the platform visible)

If you’re not out for the projects, there are plenty of problems for almost anyone.   Here’s a video from Robin’s Bouldering Page for a few moderates:

And here’s the guide: Murray Hill Mini Guide

Enjoy it!

Rocks State Park

Rocks state park is a popular area just north of Bel Air with tall trad and top-rope lines and as it turns out, some pretty decent bouldering!   There’s a video on Dead Point’s Stash of Jason Kehl revisiting the area after spending some years as a professional climber.  But if you’re not up to forking over the money for a look behind DPM’s paywall, here are a few youtube videos for the area:

If the videos peaked your interest, or you’ve been looking for a guide for a while now, here’s the link: Rocks State Park Guide (Printer Friendly Version)

Levitation Version 2!

Some serious work has gone into Levitation since the last guide went out: the three hardest problems are new, and a there’s a party-trick dyno that you’d expect  only at a comp.

Jamie Neilson working through some of the earlier moves on the Fat Man Project

Here are a few of the new problems:

Projects Sends on Levitation Proper

The Dyno

A New Jam Boulder Problem

If you end up climbing, or have climbed any problems at Levitation, drop your 2 cents on the grading page!  It should help get accurate grades established for the area.

Right now, there are 4 projects at Levitation:

• Fat Man Project on the jam boulder
• Ro-Fo project just right of the Fat Man
• The newly listed Eviction Project on Upper Levitation
• The easiest of all, The Pearls Before Swine project on Levitation Proper

If you tick any of them off, leave a comment with the grade and name; maybe even add a video link!

Click here for the download: Levitation Mini Guide Version 2

Harpers Ferry

One of the larger, if not the largest, climbing areas in Maryland is Harpers Ferry.  Known for it’s moderate, sometimes loose traditional routes, it has not developed a proper reputation.

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With two mountainsides nearly covered in boulders and riverside bouldering peppered across the banks, this is not a place to overlook if you’re trying to get some good bouldering in.  (And it’s got some good routes too, but that guide will come later)

A few local climbers have put up a range of boulder problems ranging from v-easy to near double digit problems.  A resonable number of those climbs are featured in the videos below:

For all of these bouldering problems, there’s a great, well-put-together guide from Conrad at the Harpers Ferry Blog!

Here’s the download: THE_HF_BOULDERING_GUIDE