Most classic boulder problem of each grade in the country

I like making lists and thinking about boulders, so I have compiled a list of what I consider to be the most classic boulder problems at each grade in the US. I would love to hear some different opinions and arguments for why certain boulders would make your list instead. [A couple disclaimers: I live in Las Vegas. I boulder V8. I have only actually touched six of the problems on the list in person.]

What problems would you change and why?

V0 - Plumber’s Crack, Red Rock NV
V1 - Heavenly Path, Bishop CA
V2 - White Rastafarian, Joshua Tree CA
V3 - Pork Chop, Red Rock NV
V4 - Iron Man Traverse, Bishop CA
V5 - Golden Shower, Rocktown GA
V6 - See Spot Run, Hueco Tanks TX
V7 - Tommy’s Arete, RMNP CO
V8 - Midnight Lightning, Yosemite CA
V9 - Worst Case Scenario, Joe’s Valley UT
V10 - Whispers of Wisdom, RMNP CO
V11 - Hell Belly, Big Bend UT
V12 - Wet Dream, Red Rock NV
V13 - Roses and Blue Jays, Great Barrington MA
V14 - Esperanza, Hueco Tanks TX
V15 - The Game, Boulder Canyon CO
V16 - The Process, Bishop CA

V3 - Slashface in JTNP or East Side Story in the Milks (porkchop is really good but it aint THAT good)
V4 - Jedi Mind Tricks or To Die For in Hueco  (Ironman is kinda lame IMO. Always gangbanged, same move over and over,.....and its a traverse)
V8 -  Impossible to argue against ML but Checkerboard is pretty damn good too....and it isnt entirely loved to death........yet.

I'll concede on Porkchop haha I think both of your suggestions would bump it off the list. And I had never heard of To Die For. That thing looks absolutely sick! 

I vote Gunsmoke for classic v3. I don’t really boulder, but that’s one I’ll take a lap on whenever I get the chance.

V4- Jedi Mind Tricks is better than Ironman imo but, have you tried Overlooked out in Pawtuckaway?

It is hard to argue with See Spot Run but V6 has so many great problems that need to be mentioned:

V6 -  Saigon in Bishop needs to be runner up. Delicate opening moves, defined power crux, super airy topout all on one of the most amazing pieces of granite perched against the Eastern Sierra background!
V6 - I'd also throw some love towards Ride the Lightning at Pawtuckaway NH.  Haven't sent this rig but I think it qualifies as one of the best in the Northeast. 

BFK wrote: V6 - I'd also throw some love towards Ride the Lightning at Pawtuckaway NH.  Haven't sent this rig but I think it qualifies as one of the best in the Northeast. 

True tings

Pinch Overhang?

I wrote this a while back

​https://www.climbing.com/places/the-classic-25-americas-best-boulder-problems/​​​

This thread got me thinking, anyone know where the last problem in this video is located (named Steppin Razor V10 in the film)?
​https://vimeo.com/39248560​​​

I remember watching this vid years ago and thinking that problem was one of the sickest lines I'd ever seen. Over the years I've never heard anything about it and google searches for the name/location/grade produce nothing. Maybe it was misnamed in the film?

Peter Beal wrote: I wrote this a while back

https://www.climbing.com/places/the-classic-25-americas-best-boulder-problems/

I read this when it was published and I loved every word of it!

I would give V5 to the Kind, and then put bumboy for V3, and the mandala for V12, and Jade for V14.  Also I would consider the process kind of the least classic V16, at least in terms of how many people have tried it

Mark Vigil wrote: I would give V5 to the Kind, and then put bumboy for V3, and the mandala for V12, and Jade for V14.  Also I would consider the process kind of the least classic V16, at least in terms of how many people have tried it

I dig the idea of bumboy for v3. Definitely classic! I am from Atlanta so I like to give the south some love - that's also why I picked Golden Shower for 5. The Kind is a great contender, and it definitely has a better view than Golden Shower haha. The Mandala is certainly more legendary than Wet Dream, that's for sure. Wet Dream is a bit more aesthetically pleasing (in my opinion). Since I have climbed neither of them, I'll leave it at that. I think Jade makes sense for V14. 

I picked The Process because it is a landmark problem in the history of american bouldering. The list of options is as follows: The Process, Sleepwalker, Creature From The Black Lagoon, Box Therapy, and maybe Hypnotized Minds. If Hypno is indeed V16, I think I will change my choice to that. Dave Graham's epic battle with that boulder will keep it forever etched in my mind. 

+1 for Overlooked at V4.

oh man.  this is too hard.  i don't see how we could ever even come up with a top three of each grade nationally.  i think it should be refined to best boulders by region, with certain states being their own zone.  

anyway, if i had to suggest some changes, off the top of my head i would say:

v0, the donkey show, horseshoe canyon ranch
v2 natasha's high ball, red rocks
v6 wills afire, joes
v7 the wind below, joes
v9 riverdance, dayton pocket
v10 full service, hueco
v11 western gold, dayton pocket

If we're interested in regional as well, here's my list for the northeast.

V0 - The Standard Route, Connors Farm, RI (A relatively backwoods area compared to the main destinations here, but this is a world-class problem for sure).
V1 - Zig-Zag Crack, Rumney
V2 - The Whip, Pawtuckaway
V3 - Hobbit Hole, Pawtuckaway
V4 - Overlooked, Pawtuckaway (Seeing a theme here?)
V5 - Sleeping Giant, Happy Valley
V6 - Ride the Lightning, Pawtuckaway (duh)
V7 - Homefront Arete, Bradley, CT
V8 - Appetite for Destruction, Farley
V9 - Pipe Dreams, Farley
V10 - Speed of Life, Farley
V11 - Pretty Bloc Swag, Pawtuckaway
V12 - Touching the Sky, Smuggler's Notch
V13 - Roses and Blue Jays, Great Barrington
V14 and up - All the downgrading and lack of clear info on the internet makes this range confusing, I'll leave it for others to chime in on.

Neil Benson wrote: If we're interested in regional as well, here's my list for the northeast.

V0 - The Standard Route, Connors Farm, RI (A relatively backwoods area compared to the main destinations here, but this is a world-class problem for sure).
V1 - Zig-Zag Crack, Rumney
V2 - The Whip, Pawtuckaway
V3 - Hobbit Hole, Pawtuckaway
V4 - Overlooked, Pawtuckaway (Seeing a theme here?)
V5 - Sleeping Giant, Happy Valley
V6 - Ride the Lightning, Pawtuckaway (duh)
V7 - Homefront Arete, Bradley, CT
V8 - Appetite for Destruction, Farley
V9 - Pipe Dreams, Farley
V10 - Speed of Life, Farley
V11 - Pretty Bloc Swag, Pawtuckaway
V12 - Touching the Sky, Smuggler's Notch
V13 - Roses and Blue Jays, Great Barrington
V14 and up - All the downgrading and lack of clear info on the internet makes this range confusing, I'll leave it for others to chime in on.

If we’re being honest, there are probably better V6s at Pway than RTL. Ride The Lightning is aesthetically pleasing and in a very popular area but doesn’t actually climb all that great and is almost always wet. Individual Medley and Universal Socket come to mind. For V11, Something From Nothing is definitely a contender and might deserve the classic status more than Pretty Bloc Swag just because of how many more ascents it has seen and the name recognition. Most people take Pipe Dreams at V10 nowadays, but I can’t argue with the classic status, and I can’t think of any V9s that are more deserving anyway. Maybe The Compactor? 

Marcus Lima wrote:

If we’re being honest, there are probably better V6s at Pway than RTL. Ride The Lightning is aesthetically pleasing and in a very popular area but doesn’t actually climb all that great and is almost always wet. Individual Medley and Universal Socket come to mind. For V11, Something From Nothing is definitely a contender and might deserve the classic status more than Pretty Bloc Swag just because of how many more ascents it has seen and the name recognition. Most people take Pipe Dreams at V10 nowadays, but I can’t argue with the classic status, and I can’t think of any V9s that are more deserving anyway. Maybe The Compactor? 

I wouldn't have a problem with any of those adjustments, though I would say for the V6's, better doesn't necessarily mean more classic. For example, those other problems might be better but how many people outside New England can name them from memory? (Whereas RtL seems to be pretty famous among people who have been to P-Way at least once). 

I was considering Halcyon and Something from Nothing for V11 as well, New England just seems to be really stacked there. Maybe the Compactor, maybe Barbed Wire for V9 (since Chemical got upgraded), but Pipe Dreams looks more classic than all of them and it's listed as V9 on NEbouldering, so I threw it in there.

V7 - Babyface @ Hueco is prob my favorite of the grade.

I'd agree with Overlooked V4 in Pawtuckaway, and suggest Deception V7 at Stonefort, and The Shield V12 at Stonefort as well. So difficult to decide! I def don't climb this hard but being a climbing nErD I'd also suggest Hypnotized Minds for V16 because of its notoriety.

Any love for High Plains Drifter and Seven Spanish Angels? FWIW these are the highest rated V7 and V6 on MP by a decent margin.