3 year project damaged by unknown climbers

My son Sam has been working a project for over three years at the DEKD boulders in Killington VT.

Today we headed out to work the project....he has just one move left on to link the two pieces. The problem is a sit start in a cave out a 7 foot nearly horizontal roof to a lip with almost no holds. After 3 years he was super excited to get this rig done.

When he felt the start today he found grit and small chips of rock on the left hand starting hold. This hold is on a horizontal roof...nothing could have fallen on it. The hold also felt significantly better...

On his second try the entire hold broke off! Our conclusion is that someone decided to try to make the hold "better" and cracked it. The problem was in the V11/12 range...now it's in the V14-impossible range. 3 years of work down the drain...he was super bummed.

It's extremely disappointing that someone would chip or "comfortize" a hold in an area that we have worked hard to establish and where we only clean the holds we need and don't change holds to make things easier.

I've posted three new bouldering areas in central VT this year...I like to share and welcome others to climb in them. Any more incidents like this and we'll just take down the areas and keep them to ourselves...very disappointed.

That definately sucks big time. Get strong and send it! That'll show em.

Sorry to hear this. Bad form indeed.

"who the fuck brings a chisel with them when they go bouldering?"

^ Ivan Greene, that's who

Def Ivan Greene

Don't know Ivan Greene, do know of him...don't think he wandered into central VT but you never know

It's definitely a bummer...we are super open and share our stuff. Most of it's on NFS lands and we feel like it should be there for everyone. Makes me have second thoughts that's for sure.

We've never glued a hold at this area...our dilemma now is do we glue it to bring the problem back to it's original state since it was artificially altered? We stuck the two big chunks in a hole under a tree. Thoughts?

If you glue it you potentially open up the ethic of the area to more artificial alteration. Although since your son has been working it for three years I would be pretty tempted to glue it too.

If it was a previously established problem you guys were just projecting I say leave it or at least talk to the first ascentionist, but if your son was going for the FA it is entirely up to you.

FA project cleaned and worked by him for 3 years and 3 months. He was super close and the weather the next two weeks is perfect.

We've had other holds just break on numerous problems and we let them be as it's part of the natural process. I'm torn on this one since the hold broke due to some idiot trying to alter it...and he is so close and super bummed now.

super tough call, man. I am inclined to say leave it be... but you guys have put in so much effort to just let it go...

Is it really just completely out of his range now?

I think so...It went from a hard sit start with a right hand crimp and small left hand incut point to a right hand crimp and a hard left hand edge.

You used to pull on and use the incut left to keep you stable while you adjusted feet and moved the right hand to the lip. Without the incut you can't stabilize to adjust feet and there's no way you can take your right off the crimp and move it to the lip.

There is nothing left to really pull down on when he's adjusting feet and moving to the lip.

don't glue it. unfortunate as it is. things change, time doesn't stop for anyone. don't live in the past. find a new problem or come back when he can send the new rig. it will be a lesson in life. things don't always work out as you hope and you have to find a positive way to move forward.

also not to burst your bubble, but isn't this essentially a one move wonder? there have to be other, better problems out there to focus on. just saying...

^Good points and we do have plenty more problems.

It's about a 14 move problem, takes 8 moves to pull the roof, 3 cruxes

This was our first stop today but we moved to another boulder I had just cleaned and did 5 new problems there...keep on truckin

Bummer. hate to say it but I have done a complete 180 and am pretty much opposed to putting free topos on these kinds of sites. When its free people don't respect it. My new area I only give the hard copy of the topo to close friends and the occasional climber who has shown themselfs to be motovated, good company and honest.

Sounds like your kid is climbing hard. You guys should send The Bat for the FFA It was one hung by Chris Bordenko BINTD but never a true redpoint that I am aware of.

Good advice Nick...Some of the new stuff I've been posting but not posting directions until we are done.

Would love to chat with you some time on some stuff I know I won't get to but I know you would have fun on.

Jason- so bummed to hear the bad news about Sam's project. As unfortunate as the hold break is (and I truly hope that it was mother nature taking her course and not someone with a bad idea in mind), I would advise you against trying to glue the hold back on. It could lead to further manufacturing/altering in the area if that were the case initially. Did you guys notice any markings on the hold or the boulder from tools? Super bummed either way, trust me I know the pain of seeing a crucial hold break off of a personal project, but maybe it will be possible for someone else, sometime in the future to send the line as it is now, post breakage.

Hope you are having a great fall, this weather has been unreal! I have a ton of new bouldering areas we are working on here in the Adirondacks for the guidebook I am putting together and would love to show off some of the gems this coming spring.

Cheers buddy,

Thanks Jut - We are pretty sure someone messed with it...scrape marks and rock dust and loose pieces on the incut edge which is on the underside of a roof...

We are having an amazing fall...you need to come visit. I've got about 500 unclimbed lines that we are slowly ticking off the list. 60 new FA's since August!

Yup - three years ago...you were working Arthritis and Dirty Crack and Mazie wandered off into the woods and came back begging to bring us to another boulder...Maritime...

Joe Comeau - The Maritimer