Crag Profile: Morrison.

So a few weeks ago I was approached to write a crag profile on a crag of my choice.  Choosing the crag was easy, I would write about the crag that has shaped me as a climber, the contrived boulders of the Black Hole, and the boulders surrounding it in Morrison Colorado.  Most front range climbers tip their noses at the bouldering in Morrison for any number of reasons, I've heard people complain about it being too busy, or having a lot of contrivances, or that they don't like the setting, being right above the road.  However, I got my first taste of bouldering in Morrison, and really fell in love with the bouldering there.

The most notable sector in Morrison (excluding Matthew Winters Park) is the Black Hole.  The Black Hole is also where most of the hate for Morrison stems.  Its a huge cave that was painted black from people having bonfires under it and has every style of climbing all right next to each other.  The main problem, there's only like three open lines there, and then countless contrivances.  The three open lines are the warm-up, Breashears Crack, a notoriously hard V1, Center Route, a line straight up the center of the cave rated at V10, and Helicopter, rated at V5, but I just can't seem to be motivated enough to actually climb it.  Just left of the cave is an uphill trending spine with a smaller cave.  The main line here is the pumpfest Upper Wisdom, an awesome V3 with some old school techy climbing.  Those are the open lines, and they are all super fun (except Helicopter, Helicopter is polished).  However, if you can look past the locals screaming "Those feet aren't on for Cyto" mid burn, the contrived lines are some of the most fun climbing I've ever done.

Morrison holds a special place in my heart.  I had my first long term project at Morrison.  I've climbed my hardest at Morrison.  I've met some amazing locals, like a 70 year old dude who warms up on a V8 circuit. If you're in the area, definitely take the five minute hike up to the boulders and check em out.  With an approach like that, there really is no reason not to, and if the boulders don't fit you then make the fifty foot hike from your car to Willys Wings, or the bomb ice cream shop and grab some local grub.  If you stop by late afternoon on a warm December day, I'm sure you will meet some rad people that I guarantee you wouldn't find anywhere else.

Now for pictures, because I hate writing.

The center of the black hole, poor picture but it shows Center Route(V10) and Cytogrinder(V8) as well as part of the warm-up, Breashears(V1). 

Me working out the beta on Center Cyto (V10). 

Sean Field playing around on the Tendonitis Traverse (V5). 

The past month.

The past month has been nuts.  I haven't been able to train at all. It's been hell to say the least. I have a pesky little tendon injury that just won't leave me be.  The worst part? Its the middle of my very first season competing in the American Bouldering Series.  I can't climb during the week just so that I can fight through the competitions on the weekends.  Every comp is a fight to finish five climbs before my tendon feels like its ready to explode.  I haven't climbed outside, I haven't trained, I just sit at home and watch TV. It sucks. Ibuprofen and ice packs have become my best friends.

Enough complaining though.  Two weeks ago I competed at Rock N' Jammin in Thornton, a super rad gym.  Injured or not I was able to just barely scrape into the OPEN category, a small victory.  Last weekend I competed at my home gym and things didn't go so well, I wasn't able to finish five climbs due to the pain in my wrist but I still managed a flash of OPEN 1, again, a small victory.  I was able to get one weekend in on real rock and was able to fight the pain and send a route that seemed impossible just a year ago, Kahuna Roof (V6) at Carter Lake as well as flash Fromunda (V6) and flash Seaming Traverse (V5).  I was also able to get out the next day with my wonderful Evolv rep, Bobbie Bensman, and some of her friends to try out the 90 move boulder Bitch Slap (V7).  Unfortunately, with the combo of having absolutely no endurance and a real pain in the ass injury there was no send, not even close... No one was counting but I would say I would be lucky if I made it 30 moves before I was pumped... Anyways, Psychedelia is this weekend. By far the most interesting competition of the season and I'm holding out all hope that the massive amount of Ibuprofen and icing that has been happening will pay off and I will be able to compete. After that I get a few weeks off to finally rest and hopefully heal.  Then if all goes well it'll be off to Joes for my first trip ever! :D

I also got the chance to set for the Top Klaw Competition at the University of Northern Colorado, a small, but amazing, event that we hold every fall semester.  This year we got some amazing sponsors and the turn out was HUGE.  Our gym was built in an old racquetball court and needless to say its tiny. Well we managed to cram somewhere around 25 competitors in there for three hours.  Sean and I set all the OPEN's and helped some other people set some easier routes.  All in all the routes were a blast and I think the competitors really enjoyed them.  Woman's finals were dominated by UNC climbing team athletes, the team that I "coach" and the Men's category was won by a UNC climbing team athlete, which was spectacular for the team, the athletes, and for me to see that my hard work is paying off.

I'm sure this was rambly... I'm tired and I've been writing code all night.  But thanks for reading anyways! Be on the lookout for some more interesting articles!