Traditionally summer is the season for hotness and poor conditions and sunburns, and excessive whinging about hotness, poor conditions and sunburns. I’m a definite recidivist, especially for the last one. So over the past few months my sporadic trips to Froggatt have involved working one problem in particular: The Dugout ss. Or more specifically, the re-send, post break, of the Dugout. The lip of the right hand start hold’s clearly been broken off, delineated from the rest of the hold by a dark patch of new rock. Could’ve been the shooter from the grassy knoll, mostly likely a fatty with a fat hoof. Makes the first half really quite tough, and tougher each session I tried it.

Suffice it to say I eventually did it, after several solo sessions, on a day when the wind was up and the temps were slightly below scorching. It had rained a bit, making the humidity soar so much it felt as though we were all being hit repeatedly by a giant wet mattress. That was also on fire.

Had an awesome crew, joined by Wiz, Liam, Pnut, Lesh, Carmilla and the Baron. Second day Carmilla ascended an unnamed V6 in main cliff area, and we all retired to the BTL wall for a few efforts before the rains set in. After vowing never to touch the wall again after doing BTL, I broke the oath and tried Maddog Hine. Got to the lip, slipped and banged my knee and fell off. Then it rained and we all went home. The end. Oh, and I also manage to do Mossy Menopause, after my first try over ten years ago. Drought conditions made the topout just doable. Still spoogy as hell, though a great problem.

Reckon the Dugout ss might even be V11, but it’s always difficult to say. Currently, Froggatt’s hard list is as follows, but feel free to add any I might have missed.

Paper Tiger (aka Col’s Traverse lowstart) V11
Dugout ss V10/11
Architexture ss V10
Muscle Tribe of Danger and Excellence V10
Stubble V10 (although I have no idea what this is or where)
Dr Greenthumb V9
De Flow V9
Chewing Neurofen V9
Vagabond King V8
Duck Fat 2.0 V8
The Mission V8 (dubious about this one)
Seeing the Light V8
Statement of Proof V8
Mr. Meaner V8
Power On V8
Ouch ss V8
Mossy Menopause V8

Current projects:
Gaskins Project V14?
Hanging Arete left of Architexture (looks like V8)
Compression bulge thing in Animal Kingdom
Two lines on tall vert face behind compression bulge

Do we really want climbing in the Olympics? What would really happen if our beautiful, ego-free, competition-free, nature defined hippy eco-loving past-time became a mainstream attraction like, say, skiing or water polo? Yes, this would happen. A market saturated with climbing related merchandise straight out of the deepest darkest sweatshops of deepest darkest china…

I’ve already ordered two sets. Great for entertaining.

Video features heaps of famous climbers! Dave Graham Jnr! Nalle Hukkataival Jnr and Killian Fishburger Jnr!

JRE #319 – Alex Honnold, Brian Redban from JoeRogan on Vimeo.

From Chase’s own mouth or, rather, fingers, he’s got this to say:
hey man,
Some news from Hueco tanks, I sent Alma Blanca V13 today. The boulder problem is super cool, big hard moves on really nice holds that are really soft on the skin. most of the holds are big or flat and there is only one crimp so its not painful like some of the other lines at hueco. I had a go on it in my first week at Hueco in December and couldn’t do the moves. I tried it again a few days ago and managed to pull the crux which is a deadpoint from a heel hook foot-hand match on a jug with the left hand and a right hand crimp. Was excited to try and finish it, so took two rest days and then waited for the temperature to go down a bit later in the day. sent it in a few hours.

hope summers going well for you

It isn’t, but thanks for asking! If you’ve climbed with Chase you’ll already know how bloody strong he is, and if you haven’t, then he’s really bloody strong. Expect more epic sendage from him as well as that other cheeky little bastard currently sifting about El Paso this season. You know the one I mean, Fiz, or Jiz, or whatever his name is. Chase went on to say he’s compiling footage for a video of the trip, so keep a weather eye out for that one, savvy?

UPDATE: here’s some pics, courtesy of Elena.

Previously, Tom Thumath mentioned the presence of another route project down the arse end of Animal Biscuit Valley, on the acute wedge overhang above the De Flow cave. Vaguely aware of it, that there were bolts, and that it might be the last unclimbed route in the area, I followed Tom’s lead and gave it a stab. That was two weeks ago. It’s really just a boulder problem at the end of a short slab, too high for pads, but not long enough to be classed as a proper route. Still, I gave it a crack, and came up with a sequence through the blank overhang, using it’s two holdable features to gain a slopey lip below the anchors. I’m still somewhat dubious about the line, where it goes and what’s not in and so forth, but I went from the ground to the top, so there. Last weekend I figured I had only a limited window before the sun came out to play, and was able to climb it on the first attempt. It has a rad toe-hook move in it, and the difficulty boils down to two moves. Hardly a route, so I’m more inclined to give it a V number, if I’m going to grade it at all. I’m also unaware of the history, who bolted it, who’s tried it and, if at all, it’s been done before. Anyone willing to shed some light on it? So far, I’ve called it Mighty Odin’s Raven, unless it’s already been done. Harder than Direct Threat, but not quite as staunch as Greyskull… Maybe V9 still.