anywho, i've bolted two new routes that are by far some of the hardest in south eastern idaho. one out at palisades(uber unagi) and the other at the fins(the mist). yeah, the first ascensionist(sp?) is supposed to get naming privileges, but i gave them names already so i can have something to call them. i could've just called 'em uber proj 1 and 2!
so a little about the routes:
"uber unagi" is ridiculous. it starts off some crazy tufa features(they look like big worms, eels, or unagi in this case), then goes out this ridiculous roof. the moves are super powerful and tensiony, two very hard pulls on underclings, horrid feet, and after that bit, (easily V10?!?) there is a good right hand 2 finger pocket. and that is just the first 20 feet. then it links up with my broha matt's route for some insecure choss pullin' capped by what looks like a very large pull off bad holds, then 20 feet of "easier" climbing to the top. i haven't tried the top because it's always rainy out there... and the top gets soaking wet. the route very well could be 5.14, or even harder. i really do not know.
"the mist" is very different. it starts off with some easy 5.10 or 5.11 moves for the first 2 bolts, 15 feet or so, then the business starts. the marathon power-endurance crux kicks off with a full extension reach(that is, full extension for me, with my 6'4" height, and +4 or 5 inch reach) to a decent hold. it might be possible to dyno that move, but good luck with that. then, the hardest moves, micro crimps, a high step and an undercling, lunge for a shitty 2 finger side pull, then lunge for a slopey pocket(another full extension!!). a few more hard moves to gain a jug, then launch into another hard section on two sets of sidepull rails to another decent crimp, then another hard section to a big pod and the anchor. i did most of the moves on top rope first go, but linking them will be a whole different story. the route is pretty short, maybe like 50 feet, but the crux section is easily 35 to 40 feet long, and the buildup will prove a huge challenge.
(for a bigger challenge, the route may go to the top of the wall for a full-on 120 foot route. with the exception of like 10 feet in between the anchors on my route and the top, i saw a sequence of holds... and not an easy looking one! the super project for someone stronger than me???)
the route gets it's working name from a really epic day(yesterday) bolting the thing. the entire discovery wall(a humongous wall) was completely inside a cloud, and i was rappelling off the top into the fog(or, "the mist", which sounds much better than "the fog"), i couldn't see the ground, let alone anything else more than 20 feet away. my rope also didn't reach the ground, so i had to find my anchors or i was gonna get stranded, dangling from a rope 40 feet off the ground...
of the two "the mist" is higher quality stone, and a beautiful line, but "uber unagi" is far and beyond the harder route. i did most of the moves on "the mist" first go, but i couldn't do three out of four moves on "uber unagi". matt, aka the TeNgaiolator, said he was planning on bouncing back and forth from palisades and the fins all summer to work on projects, well, now so do i.
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