Tuolumne Bouldering

While my trip to Tuolumne was primarily for Trad-climbing it is impossible to take me anywhere without the smaller rocks getting some attention.  Initially I was hoping to spend the latter part of most days bouldering but we were confronted with daily showers that threw a monkey-wrench in my plans.  Despite the weather I still managed a couple half-days of bouldering and one "dryish" evening.  With the sub-par conditions I stuck mostly to moderate "star-chasing" and tried to see as many areas as possible, never giving more than a few attempts per problem.  Here is my take on Tuolumne bouldering and a few pictures................

People have known about bouldering in Tuolumne since the days of the original stone-masters but it wasn't until recently that it started getting the attention it deserves.  For years the bouldering in Tuolumne had the reputation for consisting of mostly technical knob climbing and "pure boulderers" tended to snub the area.  Fortunately there was a small dedicated crew of folks that didn't buy the lies and spent their summers wandering around developing boulders.

Three of the primary developers happen to be friends (Creg Phares, Charlie Barrett, and Matt Arnold) and for years I've been hearing about a wonderland of granite boulders with little spray and no scenesters.  My friends practically had the boulders all to themselves but after years of development and sharing with friends people started to realize Tuolumne offered more than just granite domes and pulling on knobs.  With bouldering this good it was only a matter of time before the throngs of "dude-bros" that pummel the boulders of Yosemite Valley started to venture up to the cooler air of Tuolumne Meadows.

Now it is safe to say that the secret (not that it was ever a secret) is out as the publication of Charlie's new guidebook has brought more boulderers than ever to the Meadows.  There was a fair amount of deliberation about publishing the guide but even with the fresh influx Tuolumne remains a pretty laid-back place (especially when compared to the chaotic shit-show that can be Yosemite Valley).  It is surprising easy to escape the crowds as the bouldering consists mostly of small areas separated by short drives; just choose your location appropriately.  And for those seeking solitude you only have to wander a little further and not only will you be all alone but you'll find plenty of untouched granite boulders ripe for the taking.

Perhaps it was the roadside "Knobs" area that gave Tuolumne a bad rap but even if pulling on knobs isn't your thing The Scoop is not to be missed.  Do it on a warm sunny day to add a little extra spice.  Awesome problem and impressive to think it was put up before crashpads. 

A closer look at The Scoop.  Blake loves the knobs

Kitty Dome is one of the area you can walk to from the Tuolumne Meadows campground and offers a good array of problems, including another technical highball that is not to be missed (no knobs on this one).  Blake gets it done on Tombstone. 

Parker on another Kitty Dome classic, Golden Rastafarian. 

The Gunks is another old school area that gets a lot of traffic.  While not my favorite it did have a few gems.  Here Blake fires Cellulite Eliminator.

Blake on the best problem at the Gunks (my opinion), Mean Green.

The Giving Tree is a new school classic and one of the many problems put up by Charlie Barrett.

Reach for a Peach is an old test piece put up by Jon Bachar and not to be missed.  Fortunately it's roadside so you shouldn't have a problem finding it.

White Stuff is a nice Matt Arnold addition to Tuolumne and well worth the short hike.  Here Creg sticks the crux dyno. 

Creg on his problem Prince of Thieves.  Another new school classic. 

Creg jumping on Friar Huck

Rocking some Domes: Climbing in Tuolumne

It has been a good number of years since I was in the USA during the summer as I generally opt to visit during the winter to escape the darkness of Scandinavia.  While the winter trips are great there are limitations to where I can climb so you can imagine my excitement when a short trip to the USA in late June fell in my lap.  I only got a week but it served as a perfect opportunity to explore the high Sierras and I arranged to meet my sister in Tuolumne Meadows for some trad-climbing and a bit of bouldering.  

Tuolumne is located in the eastern part of Yosemite National Park and offers a welcome respite from the crowds and the heat of Yosemite Valley during the summer months.  A seemingly endless granite playground, Tuolumne offers something for climbers of all abilities and disciplines.  While I'm generally a boulderer I decided this trip would be primarily for traditional-climbing on the plethora of granite domes in the area.  My sister has spent a couple seasons in Tuolumne and she served as my guide, lining up what routes we should do and providing the necessary equipment.  It was an awesome trip.

Here are a few pictures...

There is lots of granite in Tuolumne.  So much climbing, so little time.

Tools of the trade. 

Fairview is a fine example of the granite domes that draw climbers from around the world.  Unfortunately I didn't get around to climbing it on this trip.  Next time. 

Hiking toward Matthes Crest, which follows the sharp ridge on the horizon.

Matty on Matthes Crest.  The views are stunning.

Cathedral Peak is one of Tuolumne's most popular climbs and one my favorites from the trip.

The view from on top of Cathedral Peak

OZ is an amazing climb that tackles the beautiful dihedral for the 3rd pitch.  If you look closely you can see a couple climbers on the wall.

This trip would not have been possible without Prairie and Matty to show me the ropes.  Despite a week of bad weather (it rained every day) we still managed to get quite a bit done.  Here is an obligatory summit shot after climbing OZ.

North Wales: Llanbris and Ogwen Valley

When describing an area as a "destination" there are some considerations.  Yosemite and Fontainebleau are climbing destinations for climbers all over the world while Monster Island and Hönö might serve as a "weekend destination" (If you don't know where those are you probably don't live very close).  Well, one of the primary perks of the relocation to England is having an abundance of new weekend destinations to explore and a few weekends ago we decided to tick one off the list with a visit to North Wales.

North Wales is a large region with lots of rock and a rich climbing history.  One of the trickiest parts of planning the trip was filtering through the spray and deciding which areas to check out.  We opted for the Llanberis and Ogwen Valleys which are peppered with small areas, some of which are heavily trafficked.  So here is my take on what I saw.....

The mountainous region of Snowdonia National Park attracts over 6 million visitor annually and it seems that climbers make up a noticeable percentage as there were plenty around.  We of course went for the bouldering which is fairly extensive but pretty spread out.  To be honest I was expecting more as I'd have a hard time spending a whole day at even the largest areas and it seems you'd have to move around quite a bit to fill your days.  It seems to cater to cherry picking which is less than optimal when you're got two small kids.

The rock itself (rhyolite and/or a similar igneous rock) is very climbable and can lend itself to some steep climbing but in general it is sharp and ugly.  That said, there are some beautiful lines and some friendly rock if you know where to look and/or are willing to search.

While overall I was less-than-impressed with the bouldering I was only there 3 days and had kids in-tow.  North Wales might not be a bouldering mecca but if it's only a few hours away it's certainly worth a visit or two.  And despite my less than glowing review I am more than willing to go back for a long weekend for a bit more cherry picking.

Here are some photos

Lina bouldering at one of the largest and most popular area in Llanberis .  The amount of traffic probably has a lot to do with the 30 second approach as the rock here was sharp and ugly.  On the plus side it was pretty solid.

Jerry's Roof was the one problem everyone said I should try.  With a "no commitment" approach it is certainly worth checking out and while it might not be much to look at it climbs really well and the rock is pretty friendly on the skin.   

If you're not into the climbing you can always just appreciate the area for it's scenery. 

Are there any boulders down there?

A pretty sweet problem within eye-site of the road

Lina on a sweet problem on the backside of the Caseg boulder.  This lone boulder was my favorite of the trip as it had a nice setting, good rock and good lines all around it.  I wish there where more boulders like this one.

Chris fires The Gimp on the Caseg boulder.

The Sheep Pen in the Ogwen Valley had a few gems on good rock and was well worth the steep 15 minute hike.  The Pinch my favorite problem there and one of the the most photogenic I saw the entire trip.  Fun climbing and a nice setting.

North Wales Bouldering Video

Here is a little video from one of our days in North Wales.  I'll post a little write-up from the trip in a couple days.  Until then.......


Ogwen Valley Bouldering: North Wales from Walker Kearney on Vimeo.

Glendalough Video

Here's a little video of the bouldering I did in Ireland.  I spent a few hours running around in the sun trying to tick as many classics as I could.  These are the ones that I took footage of.  Hope you enjoy.


Ireland Bouldering: A Sunny Afternoon in Glendalough from Walker Kearney on Vimeo.

Bouldering in Ireland: Glendalough

When the Kearney family decided to do Ireland I looked into what kind of bouldering the area had to offer.  The bad news was that the castle we were staying in for the week was roughly 2 hours to the closest climbing but the good news was that the area is ground zero for Irish bouldering.  Do to logistics I only managed to arrange two half-days of climbing but got a decent feel for what the area had to offer.

The Wicklow Mountains are just south from Dublin offer a plethora of climbing on some pretty sweet granite.  Wicklow is fairly extensive with a multitude of small bouldering areas scattered among the peaks and valleys with the smallest areas consisting of single boulders and the largest offering several days worth of climbing (there is a fair amount of trad-climbing as well).  In order to optimize what little time I had I opted not to ferry around between the smaller areas but instead spend both my half-days at the largest offering, Glendalough.

Glendalough is actually a popular tourist spot that attracts people not only for it's natural beauty but for it's rich history and archaeology.  Back in the 6th century a man known as Saint Kevin started a monastic settlement in the area and there has been people there ever since.  The structures that remain today "only" date to between the 10th and 12th centuries but they are pretty awesome and well worth checking out whether you're a climber or a tourist.

An awesome little church with interesting stone roof and the impressive watchtower in the background.

The bouldering in Glendalough is located at the end of a glacially carved valley on hundreds of boulders littering the slopes on either side.  The good news is that the rock is fantastic for climbing,  awesome features on high-quality granite.  The bad news is that the vast majority of the boulders are on the smaller side, making for lots of 3 move sit-start problems.  But regardless of the diminutive nature of the boulders, there are some gems to be had and a few boulders that are big enough to provide some spice.

The view looking back toward the parking from the boulders in Glendalough

A quick note to those visiting the area,  you'll need to pay 2 euros (cash only) to park at the closest parking and the hike to the boulders is an easy 20 minutes on a flat road/trail.  The parking is also locked at nights so I reckon a night session will require a different parking area.  Here are some pictures of the area.

Lots of boulders.

Trying Wonderland.  The photo doesn't do it justice as this was the best looking problem I saw in Glendalough

 Andy's Arete

Karl on The Groove.  Many thanks to Karl for the awesome tour my first day in Glendalough

Some awesome vein features. 

The view of the boulders on the approach

The watchtower provides a great vantage point to scope for boulders or spot marauding vikings.

The Kearneys do Ireland

A few weeks ago 15 memebers of the Kearney clan rendezvoused in Ireland to drink Guinness, visit castles and get in touch with our Irish heritage.  It was primarily a family vacation but you can't take me anywhere without expecting a little climbing to be squeezed in.

The family had rented a castle which seems a little over the top but if you're going to do Ireland you mind as well go big.  Complete with a suit of armor, our spacious accommodation had us feeling like medieval lords and I half expected a mob of angry peasants to storm the castle in protest of our decadence.  Fortunately society has come a long way since the dark-ages and we enjoyed our week of luxury without a single uprising.

The Lisheen Castle was our home in Ireland.  Pretty awesome.

I went to Ireland without doing much research (very uncommon for me) so the few expectation I had were solely the product of long held stereotypes.  I figured if I got lucky I might meet a Leprechaun that would take me to his pot of gold, or at the very least share some of his lucky charms.  But seriously, I wasn't quite sure what to expect as I figured I'd be hanging with my family and doing some touristy stuff.  So here are a few of the things I observed while in Ireland.

Castles:  The fact that we stayed in a castle only added emphasis to the ubiquitousness of them.  Everywhere we went there would be some kind of impressive ruin of sorts.  And I'm not talking about the castles that will inevitably be included in the tour of every city/town you visit, I'm talking about driving your car in the middle of nowhere and seeing a dilapidated 3 story stone structure in the middle of a field.  Maybe not all these ruins weren't technically the remains of castles but they where impressive none-the-less and the only ones that seemed to appreciate them were the tourists taking an unscheduled stop and the cattle grazing in their shadows.

Just some random ruins off the side of the road.  Things like this were everywhere.

Guinness:  We've been told that "Foster's is Australian for beer" but I've never met an Australian that actually drinks it, and I imagine that a foreigner visiting the USA might wonder why everyone isn't drinking Budweiser (maybe it's because it's a horrible beer...).  Well the stereotype that Guinness flows like water and is the national drink of Ireland seems fairly accurate.  Guinness accounts for over a quarter of all beer consumed in Ireland and was once famously recommended to  Irish women during pregnancy.  So it's not just the tourists that are slamming back pints of the dark brew and we certainly did our part to fit in by consuming at least one Guinness a day.

Björke getting in touch with his Irish roots and halfway through his quota of Guinness for the day

Accent:  I'm pretty well traveled and I've been living in England for the last couple months so I thought the Irish accent would be just another little twist on the English language that I could attempt to duplicate to the annoyance of the locals.  I wasn't quite prepared for how difficult it would be for me to understand and my standard response in any conversation became a blank stare and a polite request to repeat what they said.  It didn't help that people are very friendly and you'll find yourself having conversations with everyone (or trying to have conversations). Toward the end of the week I got better at inferring meaning from the situation but it was still a struggle.  Just another note, my favorite word in an Irish accent is "turdy"  (that would be the number 30) and I found myself asking people what time it was on the half-hours just to hear them say it.  Good times.

There is so much more to say about Ireland but I'll leave it at that.  As for my take on the bouldering I did in Ireland..........I'll comment on that in the next day or two.  Here are a few photos from the trip

Autumn defacing an ancient structure with a disappointed father looking on.  We can't take her anywhere.

Autumn and Heather do their best Leprechaun jumps. 

Another Guinness?  Yes please. 

The Kearney clan at our humble abode in Ireland.  What an awesome trip!