Back to the boulders: 10 months post surgery

Bouldering at the Usual Boulders, 10 months post-op.

The past month has been bouldering month. After a slow start on the boulders, I feel like I'm starting to pick up steam. I've done my first V3s in almost three years and I've been able to send a number of problems that I couldn't do with the botched resurfacing. I'm still not at the level I was five years ago, but the possibility is starting to look within reach.

One of the areas I've most frequented is known as the "Usual Boulders" (I've also visited the "Middle Earth", the "Mosquito Coast", the "Egg" and the "Boulders in the Bosque"). The Usual Boulders is one of the closest areas to my house: a steep half-hour walk, straight up the hill from my front gate. It has shade after 2:00 PM and tends to be cool and breezy even on hot afternoons, so it's nice for summer. And it sports a number of moderate boulder problems, most of which I hadn't done in about three years. All in all, there are almost 30 established problems, of which one is V6, two are V5 and everything else is easier. Just right for a guy trying to get back into bouldering after a couple of years of hip problems. So far I've managed to send 16 of those problems, so I guess that's good.

This traverse is one of the first boulder problems I did in the sierra, more than 16 years ago:

The old, fat guy sends a stout V2 traverse that's still good after 16 years

This V2 roof problem that has two, distinct variations. Here is variation number one:

Twist in the right toe, to make this first reach

This part is hip intensive.

I never got here with the botched resurfacing.

Variation number two of the V2 roof problem:

My revised left hip is working pretty good here

A crimpy V2 problem that often gave me a bit of trouble even before hip surgery:

Big reach

This problem is rated V1, but it´s no give-me:

The next move would be pretty hard if it wasn't for the knee lock below

The happy sender gets a V1

My 10 year old daughter has had a pretty good year bouldering outdoors, sending a variety of problems including three V2s. Here she is cruising a long, pumpy V0 traverse at the Usual Boulders: 

Ceci hanngs out on jugs, half way through a V0 traverse

Cecilia finishing up the V0 traverse with ease

The Matrix: closing in on 9 months

Tim roping up to climb in the Matrix

Like I said before, La Barrosa, the sierra behind my house, is exceptional for its bouldering. However, there are also two small areas I opened up for roped climbing. One of these areas is the Bosque, which I wrote about earlier. The other area is known as the Matrix. The Matrix is located on the cool, shady, south side of La Barrosa and makes a fine destination for sunny, low humidity days. Last summer it wound up becoming the hot spot for new, hard boulders, but it's also home to about 16 short routes ranging from 5.8 to easy 5.12.

On a beautiful Sunday, almost five weeks ago we (Martín, Analía, Rafi, Ceci, Gaby and yours truly) spent the day in the Matrix. This turned out to be sort of a breakthrough day for me. For the first time in almost three years, I began to feel like I might realistically be able to put all this hip stuff behind me and someday, in the not so distant future, return to my previous level. Since that weekend, things have only gotten better.

At the entrance to the Matrix, is a gently overhanging wall, which hosts six short routes, ranging from 5.8 to bouldery 5.10. We started out there, climbing three of the routes. One of these, perhaps the best on the wall, is a surprisingly good 5.10a  (to look at it) and I was happy to see my 10 year old daughter Ceci climb strong through the tricky crux.

Ceci approaching the crux on a tricky 10a

Pulling the 10a crux on top rope

After finishing the three warm up routes, we headed to the steep overhang of the Matrix proper. The easiset route on this little wall is a 10c called "Have a cookie" and was put up by visitng climber Mike Pleinis, from Ogden Utah.  

Still old, but not quite as fat, Tim climbs "Have a cookie"

Place the red camalot

I was curious to see how my hip would work on this move.

Place the yellow camalot

"Have a cookie" is steep

The next route we did was "There is no spoon", a 10d just to the right of "Have a cookie".

Martín on belay duty while Tim climbs "There is no spoon"

Contemplating the crux

My operated hip does the job on the 10d crux

The old, fat guy is back in action

In spite of the fact I was more than happy to send the 10c and the 10d, I should say these are two routes that I had also managed to do with the botched  hip resurfacing. My big advance came on the next two routes, a couple of stout 5.11a's that sometimes gave me trouble even when my hip was not a factor. Although I didn't get any photos climbing these routes, I want to report I sent the first one clean on my second go and the other route I managed to lead in relatively good style with one hang to rest. This is the first time I've climbed these routes in about three years, so it counts as a milestone for me.

Here's a photo of our friend Pablo from Buenos Aires sending the second hardest route in the Matrix (an 11d). The route the kids are top-roping on the left is the 11a  I sent clean.

Pablo sends "The Matrix reloaded"

It's been three weekends since our visit to the Matrix and I've been mainly focused on bouldering. I have to say it's been going pretty well. I've sent my first V3 since before the botched hipresurfacing and each weekend has given me a new breakthrough. I'll try to write a blog post about bouldering in the near future.