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sungam
May 23, 2014, 5:52 PM
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Okay guys, first off I want to let you all know my project is sick as F***. Seriously. This is like the illest unclimbed (developing a new area) overhanging prow thing I've seen, and I've seen close to all of them.
Check this rad s*** out:
And it's even more gnar then it seems - the ground actually goes down closer to the boulder so standing at the actual bottom of the problem your head is only level with my feet in that pic, if not lower. I'm 6'3" so it's a pretty long problem.
It's steep, high and the only thing worse then the holds is the LANDING. It's bad. I mean, like, we're talking serious shit here, big uneven and sometimes sharp blocks - all ripe to f*** my legs up worse then Anderson Silva's.
I don't want my legs to get f***ed up.
SO WE ARRIVE AT THE PART I NEED HELP WITH.
Should I make the landing safe? I could take a 12lb sledge up there along with a shovel and just level off the landing. A bit of miracle-gro (haha loljk, moss in Scotland doesn't need that) and it'll be covered in moss and blending right in by next season.
If not completely levelling it, what is acceptable? Can I move blocks light enough to pick up? Toss away sharp stones smaller then a softball? Does it lose a Numerical Vermin Bouldering Grade with each block I move?
I guess I could just bring up 8 or 9 triple pads and be done with it, but I actually only have a single 2/3 pad right now 
Help me out, guys!
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sungam
May 23, 2014, 5:55 PM
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Also, just to the right of the big boulder you can see is a sharp vertical shard that is about 5 feet tall and 11 feet long, and is COMPLETELY blocking a really great looking problem. I guess it's not blocking it, you just mantle the shard as the first move, but it does make it WAY easier.
Also, around the side is another cool problem that is actually blocked somewhat by small deer sized blocks, is moving those considered shitty? I just want to do the really sick looking overhanging pinchy gnar crushfest that their cockblocking.
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granite_grrl
May 23, 2014, 7:29 PM
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What kind of land are these boulders on? Private or public? Conservation, or just simply crown land?
And how much damage will you do by flatening out the landing? Or more so, how obvious will it be and how many people will get their panties in a knot about it. Remember, if people can't really tell that you've terrascaped the area, they probably won't care. If you plan to bring in a backhoe you might ruffle some feathers.
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sungam
May 23, 2014, 7:34 PM
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No one would know, because only about 5 people have been there, and there are flat spots dotted around the boulderfield/forest. Good question on the land ownership, I'll look into it, but it's certainly not used for anything. There's really nothing nearby.
There is, however, a wildcat (super rare over here) den in the area (I seen the fluffy wee bugger dashing about) so we want to keep the area quiet and I'll check under/around any boulder I move to check it's not the den (htough I'm pretty sure I know where it is). Both because of conservation and also because of my aforementioned desire to not get f***ed up, which a cat would do if you smooshed it's den.
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dagibbs
May 24, 2014, 2:27 AM
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Make the landing safe! Just don't chip any holds on the problem. :)
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Gmburns2000
May 24, 2014, 11:19 AM
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I don't think there's any problem with making the landing safe, but I'd be pretty selective about how I moved things about, especially if you're potentially affecting wildlife. I'd first try to move whatever rocks you want moved without actually hammering them.
Leave the 11-foot piece. Too big without really changing things.
But still, just because there's a den somewhere else that doesn't mean they don't use that area for hunting or other protection.
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marc801
May 24, 2014, 10:51 PM
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The other option of course is to just leave things as they are and decide if you still want to try the problem(s) on their terms. If not, move on or get better. Not every single rock and boulder needs to be climbed.
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Evandoyer
May 25, 2014, 3:59 AM
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Another option is to bring a friend and do it as a trad lead. Any good pro on it?
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sungam
May 25, 2014, 9:24 AM
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marc801 wrote: The other option of course is to just leave things as they are and decide if you still want to try the problem(s) on their terms. If not, move on or get better. Not every single rock and boulder needs to be climbed.
If I have ~6 triple pads I could likely do it without modification.
Though another thing that would make it safe would be temporarily making the landing flat under the pads by filling in the holes between the blocks with rucksacks or something?
Evandoyer wrote: Another option is to bring a friend and do it as a trad lead. Any good pro on it?
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marc801
May 25, 2014, 4:02 PM
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sungam wrote: Evandoyer wrote: Another option is to bring a friend and do it as a trad lead. Any good pro on it? Unfortunately there isn't.
You could also find a way to top rope it.
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sungam
May 25, 2014, 7:05 PM
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marc801 wrote: sungam wrote: Evandoyer wrote: Another option is to bring a friend and do it as a trad lead. Any good pro on it? Unfortunately there isn't. You could also find a way to top rope it.
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sungam
May 26, 2014, 10:36 AM
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marc801 wrote: sungam wrote: I have top rope solo'ed a few of them, but that isn't going to get me sponsored, is it? If that's your goal, maybe start with getting out of Elvenwood? 
I prefer obscure corners of Mirkwood, wading to the dizzying light of stardom through esoterica and shitposting.
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sungam
Jun 4, 2014, 1:17 PM
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Holy f***ing s*** I just had the worst weekend ever at this place.
I have never, EVER seen so many goddamn midges in one place. I literally felt short of breath because they were blocking the air vent in my fucking bivibag. Grim as fuuuuuuuuuuuuck.
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granite_grrl
Jun 4, 2014, 1:25 PM
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sungam wrote: Holy f***ing s*** I just had the worst weekend ever at this place. I have never, EVER seen so many goddamn midges in one place. I literally felt short of breath because they were blocking the air vent in my fucking bivibag. Grim as fuuuuuuuuuuuuck.
there are so many name for biting little bugs, I looked midges up to make sure I knew what I was talking about. I've always called them no-see-ums, but I have never been any place in Canada where they're that bad.
In West Virginia on the other hand, I've been eaten alive by them and have found that I have a very bad reaction to their bites. Looks like I have a terrible rash after a trip to the NRG in the spring if I don't lay on the deet pretty thick. I don't even bother with bug spray anymore for black flies or mosquitoes.
Hopefully they have a shortish season there and you'll be able to get back to the area in not too long.
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Gmburns2000
Jun 4, 2014, 3:03 PM
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sungam wrote: Holy f***ing s*** I just had the worst weekend ever at this place. I have never, EVER seen so many goddamn midges in one place. I literally felt short of breath because they were blocking the air vent in my fucking bivibag. Grim as fuuuuuuuuuuuuck.
wait, you mean they took my money and...
those fuckers are dead now.
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sungam
Jun 4, 2014, 4:47 PM
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Yeah, I get a kinda bad reaction but not absolutely horrible.
I have like 20+ bites on my face, it sucks. Also got a couple ticks. all for like 2 hours of bouldering. Never had full on type 2 fun on a bouldering trip, but I got maybe 2 hours of sleep each night in horrible shiver/midge bivis. it was a strange trip.
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dagibbs
Jun 4, 2014, 6:11 PM
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I'm lucky -- I never hit a really bad midge day when I was climbing in Scotland and England last year.
Don't they have midge forecasts or something like that, so you can avoid the worst of them?
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sungam
Jun 5, 2014, 12:56 PM
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dagibbs wrote: I'm lucky -- I never hit a really bad midge day when I was climbing in Scotland and England last year. Don't they have midge forecasts or something like that, so you can avoid the worst of them?
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jumpingrock
Jun 5, 2014, 3:51 PM
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sungam wrote: Holy f***ing s*** I just had the worst weekend ever at this place. I have never, EVER seen so many goddamn midges in one place. I literally felt short of breath because they were blocking the air vent in my fucking bivibag. Grim as fuuuuuuuuuuuuck.
I've heard of this thing called DDT... might be able to help with the midges problem. Wouldn't want nature to get in the way of your obvious ascent (see what I did there) into stardom and sponsorship!
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