The most impressive highball

What do y’all think is the most impressive/horrifying highball?

Freerider?

Ambrosia in Bishop is my vote

It's not the most impressive, hardest, tallest, or photogenic highball out there but one of my favorites is EDCL in Rumney. It's got a nice flat landing but it's a hard one, and a crux near the top. The setting while not idyllic is pretty cool, with cars occasionally buzzing by 5' away.

I have no idea what really makes a great highball, but I know this one is a really cool blend of scary and fun. I suppose with a pile of pads underneath it, it would lose some of it's bite. First time I did it, I just had my one pad so it got the heart racing a bit.

I'm dumb and can't figure out how to post a picture from my phone, but there are a few on the Rumney MP page.

I'd have to say "Too Big to Flail" 50ft. V10 in the Buttermilks. Only has 2 ascents I believe.
And for the more average climber, "White Rastafarian" V2 or "Slashface" V3 out in Joshua Tree. These 2 are still on my to-do list. 

This is the sickest, most diseased, pustulent, mind bending, adrenaline pumping, tough guy destroying high ball out there. I heard Jimmy Webb looked at the line once and immediately put on a diaper and ran away sucking his thumb.

Joe Frazer wrote: I'd have to say "Too Big to Flail" 50ft. V10 in the Buttermilks. Only has 2 ascents I believe.
And for the more average climber, "White Rastafarian" V2 or "Slashface" V3 out in Joshua Tree. These 2 are still on my to-do list. 

From I remember, there has been about 4 ascents of this route

In the Gunks, I think Habanero Balls. It can be done as a 5.12+ trad route, but the gear is so small I'm not sure it would actually save you. MP also suggests it can be done as a TR, but the route traverses more than it rises, so the TR might actually be spicier than the lead.

Too big to flail. There was just a video posted of it. The guy took a 25 foot fall.

The Thimble both for it's general lack of repeats and its historic accent by Gill back in the day... https://cdn-files.apstatic.com/climb/114502754_large_1529505608.jpg https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105714549/the-thimble 

Jan Tarculas wrote:

From I remember, there has been about 4 ascents of this route

As of December 19th, 2018, Gripped was claiming there have been 6.

David Kerkeslager wrote:

As of December 19th, 2018, Gripped was claiming there have been 6.

I know its semantics but it really hasnt been "bouldered" yet as every ascent has been rehearsed with a rope which in my opinion makes it a solo.

Mike Brady wrote:

I know its semantics but it really hasnt been "bouldered" yet as every ascent has been rehearsed with a rope which in my opinion makes it a solo.

And, just like that, I'm unsubscribing from this thread.

David Kerkeslager wrote:

And, just like that, I'm unsubscribing from this thread.

I'll alert the media. 

The one honnold just did

Mike Brady wrote:

I know its semantics but it really hasnt been "bouldered" yet as every ascent has been rehearsed with a rope which in my opinion makes it a solo.

That's pretty much with every highball then. Even in the Buttermilks, all the very high highballs there have been TRed before the 1st ascent was done. Most of the problems at that height needs to be cleaned up and worked. I'm sure even professional climbers need to save their knees from multiple falls if they just worked it ground up.

Jan Tarculas wrote:

That's pretty much with every highball then. Even in the Buttermilks, all the very high highballs there have been TRed before the 1st ascent was done. Most of the problems at that height needs to be cleaned up and worked. I'm sure even professional climbers need to save their knees from multiple falls if they just worked it ground up.

But almost all of them have been done in better style now....like from the ground up.

Giraffes have pretty high balls.

Jaren Watson wrote:

People clean hard boulder problems from the ground up? That’s news to me.

haha. welcome to California

Jaren Watson wrote:

People clean hard boulder problems from the ground up? That’s news to me.

I guess you should state what "hard" means. I know of tall-ish V12s being done from the ground. I have seen really tall 8s be done from the ground. Granite is a privilege that often gets squandered. The thought of donning a rope in pursuit of a boulder problem, regardless of height, wasn't really a thought until I moved to the moss and basalt infested NW.