Wednesday, November 4, 2009

THE LIST

Lists.

We love them. Creating them, debating them, perfecting them.

Several of my friends and colleagues have created lists of the hardest boulder problems in specific areas such as Colorado, North Carolina and even the entire US. While these lists are fascinating in their own right, they cannot functionally be appreciated by 99.9% of climbing community. After all, unless you've done these problems, debating which of five V14s is hardest is little more than moot speculation.

Without trying to sound cliche, my personal mission in climbing has always been to climb the BEST problems wherever i went. I am a self-professed rock snob. Friends have often jeered me for my extreme position:

"Come on, get on it. It's actually a pretty fun problem!"

"Lincoln Woods isn't that bad...there's lots of great boulders!"

"Does climbing get any better than European Human Being?"

Though Andre probably no longer agrees with that last sentiment, the point as that most climbers are not as discerning as me. Don't get me wrong, I've climbed my fair share of 1 and 2 star boulders (we'll get to that in a minute), but i predominantly stick to the mega classics; instead of trying to "climb an area out", I have climbed the best problems in a boulder field and then moved on to other areas.

A potential 5 star problem?

So how does one decide which problems are BEST? which deserve more "stars" than others? Earlier this year, Jaime wrote a nice article presenting his version of "the Star System". While our views on what standards should be used for deciding how many stars a problem warrants are pretty similar, I will go a little further and rank those standards as I see them, from most to least important:

  1. THE LINE - The cardinal standard by which I judge a climb is the line itself. A pure, beautiful, and not contrived line immediately stands out amongst others. I truly believe that some peoples' brains are wired to appreciate aesthetic perfection; if climbing is our ART, than the rocks we climb on are the CANVAS. Ideally, there are just enough features for your hands and feet to get you to the top, nothing more, nothing less. This explains why there seem to be a lot more difficult 4/5 star problems than easy ones; it's much more common for hard problems to have just the right amount of features than for easy problems. The difference between a gem such as Speed of Life and a turd such as this, should be obvious to even the most casual climber.
  2. ROCK QUALITY - This comes is a very close second and is measured on a lot of levels. What sort of rock is it? Sandstone and certain types of granite or gneiss are, arguably, more beautiful and lend themselves to having features that are more pleasant to climb on than, say, limestone. A great boulder problem needs to have bullet hard rock that doesn't flake or crumble; choss is UNACCEPTABLE. Sharpness of holds detracts from rock quality; the nicer the holds are, the more fun you have when you're climbing! Duh.
  3. HEIGHT - It would be hard to argue that a proud pure line of 20 feet is not superior to a similar one of 12 feet. Height adds everything: grandiosity, an intimidation factor, consequences, and you get to climb for longer (sweet!).
  4. AN OBVIOUS START - An obvious place for your hands to start, coupled with an obvious top out jug or mantle, can be compared to the dramatic action seen in a play: an obvious jug begins the exposition, a series of acts leads to the climax (the crux), and finally eases down to the dénouement (Jugs), or alternately, a dramatic finale (a spicy mantle!). This goes along with a good line; chances are a quality line has an obvious start.
  5. SETTING - Though not as important as the other factors, the setting for a boulder can certainly add or detract greatly from the overall experience of the climb itself. Few would deny that Area D in Mt. Evans, CO, one of the most tranquil, sublime, and divine bouldering locales out there, is vastly superior to Lincoln Woods, RI, a polluted park full of discarded hypodermic needles, condoms, and the occasional pickler.
  6. LANDING - Perhaps the least essential factor, though one that cannot be completely discounted, is the boulder problem's landing. More often than not, a few pads is sufficient enough to allow for a relatively safe experience. Occasionally though, things can get a little hairy.
What about MOVEMENT? Certainly, rad moves are a huge part of a problem's overall experience. But I agree with Jaime, adding movement into the mix introduces a subjective element. After all, the other 6 elements are undeniable and seldom change. On the other hand, there may be 15 different iterations of beta that get one to the top of a problem. In the end, whichever method is "most fun" cannot really be weighed when assigning stars to problem. Sure, some will say that judging a line as beautiful is also subjective; the difference is that we all see the same line, while movement can be interpreted and played out in thousands of different ways. For example, while a deep euro drop knee can be really fun for some, Adam Strong's MCL might disagree. Besides, there is a strong correlation between how good a problem looks and how well it climbs (of course there are exceptions to this).

Point/Counterpoint: Jeremy Walton on a beautiful project at LRC that unfortunately does not climb half as well as it looks...check out the weird bird like splotch that mimics the climber's body position! LARK.


These six criteria can be assigned between 0.0 and 1.0 points, and then added together to give a problem its star rating. For example, the aforementioned Speed of Life would have the following stats:

Line - 1.0; pretty much a perfect line of comfortable, positive edges five feet apart, up a 28 foot face.
Rock Quality - 0.9; close to perfect, one hold has broken and one is reinforced so not quite, but otherwise all the holds are positive and comfortable.
Height - 0.9; if not for the tiered boulder behind it, this would be perfectly terrifying at the top.
Obvious Start - 0.7; though the sit start on the arete is very obvious, some might argue that starting there is less natural than starting on the massive jug at head height.
Setting - 0.8; this is one of two boulder problems that I've ever walked up to and had my jaw drop. You literally cannot believe your eyes when you come over the hill and it's sitting in front of you. The Farley forest is a serene gneiss paradise.
Landing - 0.8; again, without the multi-tiered landing behind it, the problem would be unbelievably committing. As it sits now, your spotters can pluck you out of the air on the last move and you'd only fall about 6 feet.

This means that a 5 star problem can indeed exist (5.1 stars in Speed of Life's case) as long as it meets all 6 criteria sufficiently, but it does not necessarily have to be perfect in every sense. In my opinion there might be 6 or 7 of them in the US, and perhaps 25 worldwide (that we know of). I propose that the ambitious figure of 6 stars be assigned to the BEST PROBLEM IN THE WORLD, one that was perfect by these measures, if ever such an hypothetical consensus was to be reached.

So what's the point of all this conjecture? Just this. I'm going to create the LIST of America's best boulder problems at every grade and eventually at every area. But I need your help. Below I'm enumerating every 4 and 5 star problem that I can think of in each grade. Perhaps the list will be narrowed down to the 5 best in each grade, perhaps it will have to be expanded. You may vote for the climbs that I've listed or you can write in your own. ALL suggestions/critiques/corrections are welcome.

Why should this list exist? Simple. This will be the Holy Grail of bouldering.

Get out there, and SEND THEM ALL.
































That's it. I'm sure there's a few i forgot about, and certainly some that I'm not aware of; add them! Eventually I hope to consolidate the LIST and have stats and pictures for every problem. Thanks in advance for all the input!

48 comments:

  1. I'm just going to suggest a few:

    Autobot v5, RMNP
    See Spot Run v6, Hueco
    Man with the Slow Hand v4, HP40
    The Crown v3, HP40
    Incredarete v2, LRC
    Super Mario v4, LRC
    The Wave v6, LRC
    Millipede v6, HP40
    Kaya v7, LRC
    New Religion v7, Hueco
    Daily Dick Dose v7, Hueco
    Babyface v7, Hueco
    Celestial Mechanics v7, LRC
    Roughage v7, Hueco
    The Flame v7, Boone
    Ultra Mega v8, Hueco
    Matt's Prow v8, boone
    Seurat v8, Mt. Evans
    Slider v9, HP40
    River Dance, V8 Laurel
    Temporal Analogues of Paradise v9, boone
    Odyssey v9, LRC
    Space v8, LRC
    The White Face, LRC
    The Mouse Trap v2, LRC
    Twice upon a time v10, Boone
    Balls Deep v11, Laurel
    Le Beak v4, Arkansas/Fontain Red

    That's a shit ton of good boulders to think about.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Agree that awarding points based on the quality of movement doesn't really work, but I would definitely say that awkwardness is a qualifying/disqualifying factor. Tri-star, consider yourself disqualified. There's a v4 in Three sisters, CO called Wisdom that should definitely be on this list. I'd also at least consider Planet of the Apes in Joes (v6), Bedwetters in LRC (v9), Skipper D in RMNP(V8), and Potato Chip in RMNP (v7).

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  3. A timeless climbing debate that I'll happily contribute to when I have a little more time. I just want to add that the problem "Primates Memoir" (v8) should be listed as "A Primate's Memoir" named after one of my favorite books.

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  4. A few more to consider, off the top of my head:

    Initial Friction, V1, Yosemite
    Shiver Me Timbers, V6, Yosemite
    Bruce Lee, V8, Yosemite
    Pride, V9, Yosemite
    Kauk Face, V8, Yosemite (don't know anyone who's climbed on it, but it looks amazing!)
    Seurat, V8, Mt. Evans, CO
    Simple, V7, Poudre Canyon, CO
    The Sleeping Lady, V2, Leavenworth, WA
    Left El Murray, V6, Hueco
    Sex After Death, V8, Hueco
    See Spot Run, V6, Hueco
    Babyface, V7, Hueco
    Fly Boy Low, V8, Buttermilks, CA
    High Plains Drifter, V7, Buttermilks, CA
    Iron Man Traverse, V4, Buttermilks, CA
    Buttermilk Stem, V1, Buttermilks, CA
    Robinson's Rubber Tester, V0, Buttermilks, CA
    Ruckus, V6, Buttermilks, CA
    The Hulk, V6, Happy Boulders, CA
    Atari, V6, Happy Boulders, CA
    Black Magic Slab, V3, Happy Boulders, CA
    Heavenly Path (or Light on the Path?), V1, Happy Boulders, CA

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  5. A few others I forgot while voting

    Orion v8 Yosemite
    Blue Flowers v6 Ibex
    Leary Bard Arete v5 Buttermilks
    Green Hornet v3 Buttermilks (dales camp)
    Leo the Lion v10 Yosemite
    Wave Catcher v11 Way Lake
    Nerve Damage v6 Joe's Valley
    Maxipad v6 Joe's Valley
    Splash back v6 Rocktown
    Rescue 911 v7 Rocktown
    Island of Beautiful Women v3 Rocktown

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  6. I have no ability to pick favorites.... I think many agree.... I mean look at these comments they are just lists of absloute plums... brilliant deconstruction on the star system!!!

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  7. FUCK I LOVE BOULDERING.

    Nobody Gets Out Of Here Alive, V2, Hueco

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  8. i know the polls do not lend themselves to this, but i think it would be interesting to see everyone assign stars to each of the lines you and others have listed rather than to just pick one. certainly interesting, though.

    castlewood canyon climbs own all this shitty shit, though.

    and finally: the first time i saw speed of life was on the uncommon ground video... or whatever that east coast deal was... i had never heard a peep about it. i immediatly put it on my lifetime must have gollum list.

    it's interesting to me that it does not seem to pop up on the thousands of internet videos or blog sites or whatever. why?

    the speed boulder looks really really good and fun, but holy shit if i had the ability to send those rigs, i'd still put em aside to go do speed of life first, spray about it for five years, then go mop up that other junk.

    yes i realize that these are different areas/states, but it's the east... short drives in comparison to the average denver to hueco weekend blitz.

    go send speed in an immobilization boot and send me the video. soloing is for tards. you are now free to reach enlightment: boot of doom sending! it's the new black.

    do this and i will have your babies*








    * wait, no.

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  9. ps: dihedrals should never be allowed to be five star problems, except for power of silence which has always seemed more like a misunderstood arete to me, though i have never seen it.

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  10. What Jaeger said.

    Hell Belly v11, Big Bend (UT) duh.

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  11. By the way, I think it's "The Beautiful and Damned," like the book.

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  12. the only one I added to "other" was Sunspot V11 RMNP, CO
    :)

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  13. so ill // guns & roses
    so ill // brown recluse
    so ill // twin eagles
    so ill // baby's breath
    so ill // turkey jerky
    so ill // michael jordan

    hcr // full package

    jtree // iron resolution

    pway // child of the storm

    bmtn // bang on

    boat rock // paint can

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  14. WHere the hell did Wave Catcher and Beowolf come from? They cannot even come close to anything else on that list.

    I think that those boulder problems make the list look silly.

    2 maybe 3 people have done beowolf? Can it really make the list?

    And Wave catcher is a pile (In my opinion) Compared to Wills' Seem.

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  15. Regarding the climbs in Josh, Planet X is cool but the rock is chossy; Dark Matter is also good but not one of the best in the world, just one of the best in josh. White Rastafarian is amazing, and I haven't done slashface yet.

    Beowulf is on par with the other climbs on the list, it's better than Xavier's Roof in my opinion.

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  16. Sorry that i'm late getting back to everyone! So far the response has been overwhelming and the input has been invaluable...keep it coming!

    @Brion: I added the mousetrap, space, odyssey, and twice upon a time...I think the rest of your list is about 3.5 stars on my scale with the problems coming closest being:
    Slider - the hardest to leave off (its contrived since beta boy is easier and the landing is dabby/not fun)
    Kaya - still might add it; didn't that giant block break off? and does it not top out? can't remember.
    See Spot - would like to see this one get a couple more votes of confidence...

    Also, i am unfamiliar with the rest of those Boone problems and the one arkansas problem...any pics/other opionions?

    @Dev: Tri-star is off. any pics of that V4 in CO? is that the same one that's in box canyon? The others are high 3 star problems IMHO.

    @Jackie: thanks! added the ones i know for sure...any pics of the lesser known stuff?

    @Justin: thanks for commenting, i added blue flowers, not sure about the other ones....

    @kaleigh: i'll add NGOOHA just for you!

    @JJ: Speed of Life is easily the best problem i have done. get up there! you don't the Prestige is a worthy dihedral? or the futuristic stem project between barndoor2000 and deception at LRC....that shit is crazy!

    @AJ: unfortunately Sun Spot is a bit contrived...going left early is easier. very close though!

    @Anon: thanks for reminding me of Iron Resolution! I do not think the so ill stuff warrants 4 stars...full package is close. CHotS is unfortunately exfoliating after a fire underneath it, and the crimps' sharpness kind of ruins the problem. Bang On is listed. Paint Can i am adding...good one.

    @Anon: i am adding problems that to see what people think...i personally have not seen all of the problems so your input helps me determine whether they are worthy. I am taking wave catcher off. thanks.

    @Alex: thanks for the input!

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  17. Also, JJ, i would like to consolidate the list before putting the problems up for actual star rating votes...but yes, it should happen!

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  18. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2450556&id=686116585#/photo.php?pid=2450556&id=686116585&fbid=110721876585

    Whole series of Wisdom pics starting here in Annie's album, the ones of David really accentuate the color of the rock. Problem finishes with a 30 foot class 4 scramble with an amazing view.

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  19. I clearly need to get out more. Aside from not being able to climb most of your list, I've not attempted some of your nominated classics at LRC or HP40. I do agree that Autobot in RMNP should be in contention based on your criteria.

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  20. @Dev: i will look at them as soon as she accepts my friendship into her facebook life...

    Has anyone seen Rocky Mountain Highball? any of those qualify? Firstborn? Fish out of Water?

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  21. Many classic problems left off from the Boone/ NC area...but that's fine....there's no good bouldering in NC....move along....

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  22. I agree that See Spot should be on there. Also I would argue for Dragonfly V5. Just out of curiousity.. why no Evilution to the Lip for V10? I know it doesn't top out.. but that's got to be the only thing wrong with it. I still think it could be up there with some of the others.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I have only been bouldering a year, and haven't been out of WA state. I noticed none NW areas like Leavenworth or Squamish are mentioned, but have some really sick rocks. Are the problems here not up to snuff with the other places you are mentioning, or is it more of a geogrphical thing?? (ie, you don't get up here much)

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  24. i just want to state that while all the problems from the south, and west are all good and fine, i find it appalling that youve put 1 problem from NY on the list, 1 from CT, 3 from MA, and 4 from NH. You LIVED IN NEW ENGLAND FOR 3 YEARS and have failed to properly showcase the heaps of problems at all levels that are worthy of 4 stars for this list. as far as i can tell, you hate the northeast.

    also appetite is V8 and ideas is V10.

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  25. Gunks Bouldering ?
    The buddha v7

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  26. rage v5 lrc,
    super mario v5 lrc,
    fusion v6 soill
    face in the crowd sit v7- lrc

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  27. @matt christie: i would be very happy to add problems from boone! i am trying to be very discerning with problems that i have not seen myself...i would love to hear about/see pictures of more 4/5 star problems from the area!

    @philip: i will add See Spot Run, ass multiple people have mentioned it. Dragon fly does not quite add up to 4 stars on my scale, again i am trying to be very objective...and Evilution/lip cannot be considered a real boulder problem in my opinion as there is a possible top out (like Mojo, in hueco...originally done as a drop off, but now in my opinion dropping off is invalid since the top out is very manageable.)

    @Kirk: my knowledge of the pacific northwest is very limited, any input will be very helpful! pics/video if you have anything specific in mind....

    @TR4L: I actually love bouldering in the North East! For New Hampshire, Rumney has 3 on the list, a lot for a small area. The rock in P-way is mostly not that great and lends itself to being sharp and brittle. Nothing outside of Speed of Life and SFN that i have seen in Massachusetts (even appetite for destruction, which i respectfully thought was V9 compared with others around, is questionable) has been anywhere near 4 stars. Any suggestions? I have not climbed anywhere in CT outside of Bradley/Owl's Lair, am i missing something? As for NY, i have not climbed there, but most people that i have talked to say the rock quality in the Gunks region takes away from some of the lines there. For instance, A Second Before Awakening, though is brilliant line, has purportedly very sub par rock. If there are boulder problems that fit the criteria though, by all means, let me know! And Ideas seems to have been downrated on subsequent ascents.

    @Anon: The Buddha would get 3 stars.

    @Anon: Those would all get 3 stars. Mostly not high enough.

    KEEP IT COMING GOOD PEOPLE! i hope to get started on my second big idea this week.

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  28. i could name a large number of climbs at the gunks that are of full 4 star quality, but you have heard of them not being that great due to "poor" rock quality, i think you should reconsider. if youve never been to the gunks, you really couldnt tell what is good or bad without actually climbing some of the lines. while there is some choss (like at pretty much all other areas) i would like to think that the majority of the rock here is of superb quality. suzy a is one of the best v1's ever. the buddha is one of the best v6's ever. venus in scorpio (V10/11)has a reputation of being called "the ivory tower' due to its impeccable rock quality. simply writing off an entire area because you have not personally climbed there and just because youve heard that its not that great is an incredibly poor judgement call. a second before awakening does not have chossy rock. it has a flat landing, and is one of the most impressive lines the gunks has to offer (for sure at its grade). when (and if) you come back to new england, i would strongly suggest you coming to the gunks with an open mind. hearsay is often one of the biggest detractors to an area. and i think for you and your list, you should steer clear of it.

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  29. also, if you think there are only 2 good lines in western mass, again... you are sorely mistaken. lets talk about the following:
    big
    press your luck
    la puna
    pipedreams
    something from nothing
    big big love
    scary mantilow

    i mean... theres a lot. western mass is not choss by any means...

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  30. uh oh. there goes the Gunks contingent spewing about how great the rock is, how proud the lines are, etc. I mean, how good can it be if people have only been developing for three years?!? GET OVER YOURSELVES.

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  31. I have been to the Gunks at least 10 - 15 times and have seen every problem on the Carriage Road and in Peter's Kill. The climbing there is fun but nothing there is 4 stars.. or even that close to 4 stars in my opinion. Maybe The Art of Nothing?

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  32. Boone problems that are worthy...
    M1: one of the best v3s in the country, 221
    West Texas: V3, 221
    Hot Rod: V8 Grandmother
    Mighty Mouse:V5 Grandmother
    Requiem for a tree: V7 Rumbling Bald
    Matt's Prow V8, Lost Cove
    Zen Master: V8 Grandmother
    Twice Upon a time, V10

    Just the tip of the iceberg!

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  33. @TR4L: While i have not seen every problem that is on the list or that others propose, i am using pictures and video of each problem to help me decide. Suzy does indeed meet the criteria from the looks of it, thanks for that one! I'm pretty sure that most people would agree the Buddha would receive 2 or 3 stars...here are pictures of other V6's on the list to give you a sense of what its up against...

    http://kyleduba.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/wills.jpg
    http://www.b3bouldering.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/img_27631-1024x682.jpg
    http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3625/3367325868_54ea88e238.jpg?v=0

    Venus in Scorpio, after talking to people would probably receive between 3.6 and 3.9 stars. The line is not super obvious, neither is the start which is also very low (maybe a .6 and .5). The rock quality does appear very high, maybe a .8. I think most of the Gunks in general would probably receive a .3 or .4 in the setting category (Lincoln Woods or Central Park are 0.0 while Area D or alpine swiss areas are 1.0) The landing does not seem perfect, maybe .7? Height, maybe .6 or .7.

    .6+.8+.7+.5+.3+.7 = 3.6 stars.

    I certainly had planned on getting to the Gunks this season until my recent injury and I think it will be one of the first areas I visit when i am back up to full speed.

    All the problems in western mass that you mentioned are certainly not 4 stars except Something from Nothing which is already listed. Again, these are all very good boulder problems but we are talking about THE BEST PROBLEMS IN THE COUNTRY. We have to be extremely discerning.

    @Anon: the Art of Nothing does not top out in the video that i watched.

    @Matt Christie: M1 and West Texas qualify, TUAT is on the list, and the rest i believe are 3 stars. Thanks!

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  34. one of the best in boone. throttle v5...

    http://imgur.com/DvJWR.jpg

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  35. THis shit is BANANAS!!!!!!!! ALL MY PROBLEMS ARE THE BREAST@!@@@! I LOVE MMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!

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  36. Here are some from the NW:

    Pimpsqueak v9 in this movie at about 1:45 www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgMGW-QxlFY

    Lighten Up v9 in this movie
    War of God v8 in this movie
    www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtNMCIvgheI

    Premium Coffee v7 in this movie at about 1:30
    www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvvoOLsmlMY

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  37. Those are great! added the first three...anything else?

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  38. More from the NW if you can find some media

    Road to Zion v5, Gold Bar WA
    Five Star Arete v6, Gold Bar WA
    The Shield v7, Leavenworth WA
    The Sail v9, Leavenworth WA
    Leggo My Ego v6, Index WA
    Boxcar Arete v8, Index WA

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  39. oh great, a way to quantify aesthetic appeal. Some people have to grade everything and then put it all into a neat little package for consumption. Cool, I can go to sleep now knowing that all those boulders out there that I rock climbed for their aesthetics have a cute little number telling me that my aesthetic nose wasn't that far off. Eat my ass...

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  40. While I sort of agree with the gist of the last anonymous poster's comment (certainly not the pathetic tone), I have to admit to a bit of snobbery in my climbing. What's the harm in talking about this subject so long as you don't take it to seriously and get your panties all in a bunch because your favorite problem doesn't make this SUPER OFFICIAL list.

    Its been a while since I saw video of it, but I remember thinking Child of the Storm looked pretty incredible. Never had the pleasure of checking it out myself. Also, since you said "America's" best and not the USA's best I think it would be remiss not to include 'The Singularity' in Squamish.

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  41. V5 - Germ Free Adolescence - Eldo - CO
    v5 - Mavericks - CCC - CO
    V5 - Star Crossed Lovers - Red Cliff - CO
    V0 - Gill Dihedral - Gill Boulder - Eldo -CO
    V5 - Streaked Corner - Eldo Block - CO
    V8 - Small Axe - Poudre - CO

    to name a few off the top of the head...

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  42. i like that you don't actually have to climb a boulder problem in order to place your vote. i don't think the shield has seen 25 ascents, which isn't important, because even a nonclimber could attest the beauty of the rock.
    i would however like to argue that the 6 people who voted for lost in the hood haven't actually seen it. that cliffline looks like crap. i wouldn't put that problem on my scorecard even if i flashed it for v15 points.

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  43. i am the living example "sharpness" is a subjective factor!!!

    i am very lucky with skin and maybe i have slightly lower pain perception than usual, or i am a tad masochist.

    this means that i have quite a taste for razor-sharp small crimpers, sharp pockets, etc...

    so, in my own personal quality scale, any problem on smaller holds is better if it "bites" my skin a bit, rather than being totally skin-friendly.

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  44. I like the concept of this list. It is too bad that many of us have not climbed at all the major or the minor climbing areas around this country, which can make picking the best of the best difficult. This causes the voting to be biased by popularity. A good example at V0 is Melon Patch getting more votes than The Maiden. Melon Patch is like the little brother of The Maiden and I would consider it clearly superior in quality. However Melon Patch is likely more popular because it is easier to access and a bit less intimidating.

    I have a few more suggestions. Some may not be up to 4 stars

    V0 Tower of Power, Nine Corners Lake, Adirondacks (NY)
    Nine Corners is small and much of the rock is sharp, but the Tower of Power has friendly holds and a nice easy line up a 25 ft. pillar with the hardest move about 3/4 of the way up.

    V3 The Crystal Problem, Great Barrington, MA
    At V3 this is one of my favorites, nice rock, cool quartz band, distinct line with a tall top out

    V3 Splash It On and Be Selfless, Hueco Tanks (TX)Starts on fun juggy overhanging rock that rounds out to a face and finishes up a water groove, maybe 25-30ft tall. It don't think it gets enough attention becuase it is in the wellsite area of West Mtn

    V4 Vintage, Pawtuckaway (NH)
    V5 Snooze Button, Great Barrington (MA)
    V7 A New Pair of Glasses, Gunks (NY)
    V11 Giant Steps, Gunks (NY)

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  45. The Pheonix v5 (MO)earthquake hollow yes we have some bouldering super classic if you driving through columbia mo via hwy 70

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  46. Get real kid. Don't let your tight pants get in the way of your climbing.

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