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Minnesota: Best Boulders by Grade
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V0-V14, what is the best boulder per grade in MN? Note: Scale ends at V14 because that's the hardest boulder in the state. In addition, there are no V13s in the state, so leave that category blank. |
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v0 - into the sky blue, sawmill runner up: all four v4 (sandstone), pitfall (v6), foster the people (v6), dead leaves (v7), counselor (v7), cave traverse (v8), invisible touch (v8), zombie season sit (v8), foreplay (v9), the wheel (v10), aretha Frankenstein (v11) |
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I really liked Slicksides, V1+, Taylor’s Falls. |
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Amateur is not a boulder, it's an arbitrary stand start to a harder boulder |
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@Tony, I see what you did there! Clever, son. But, yes, there is but one boulder there, L'etoile. Now I will go cry as your acerbic whit has mortally wounded my soul! Going to the Blood Bath boulder, we are comparing apples and oranges. Blood Bath would be like climbing the Am but traversing two feet to the left at the top out and calling it a new boulder. Or it would be like taking a boulder like Full Service and doing it from the stand and calling it a new boulder. Am was put up before L'etoile. This is because people did not see the bottom going as a boulder. No one was strong enough at that time. Then after a few years Jim got stronger and realized a low-start existed. As such, they are two boulders. @Tony, get on up here. We roll out the red carpet for ya. |
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Just poking a little fun Randy, and I agree we don't need to have the blood bath conversation here, though I do think a separate discussion about when stand starts are legitimate would also be fun and interesting. |
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Minnesota climbers, where you at? Help me fill out my to do list! |
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Not to mince hairs, but isn’t big boy technically in Wisconsin? Also Warmup wall is listed as V2 on MP. |
tobias bundlewrote: Taylors is ours! :) Warm up is not V2. That's crazy. |
Tony Brengoszwrote: Why are you asking climbers about boulders? ;) |
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+1 for Slickslides over the warm up boulder at sandstone. I hadn't heard of mad and rich, looks like a fun one from the video I found. Is it pretty easy to find at two step falls? |
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List so far: v0- Dank Nugs v1- Boneyard Slab v2-Bee Hive Sit Start v3-Three Finger Fitness v4- Cream Masheen (Alternator and Nutrigrain runner ups) v5- Best v5 v6-v14 No IdeA |
James Lanikwrote: I feel like this is a controversial list, which I like. In the spirit of that controversy: Beehive sit isn't even the best V2 on the swamp boulder! That would be Honeycomb, since it gathers all the best parts the west face in one climb. Also, I hate that slab. Is the crack on? Is the foot on? And greasy as hell. Makes me always feel weak. Also, where's cream masheen? |
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Here's a list of my favorites from Quarantine v0 - Lucious Lip, Sawmill v1 - Into the Sky Blue, Sawmill v2 - Mike's Lunge, Sandstone v3 - Riverside, Sandstone v4 - Poppycock, Sawmill v5 - Digitalis Prow, Taylors v6 - That Girl's a B*tch, Sandstone v7 - Mike's Left, Taylors v8 - First Born Traverse, Sandstone v9+ - ? |
tobias bundlewrote: I can't really say what is the best when I haven't climbed on a lot of boulders. These are just what I have climbed and what I thought was the best so far. I never went on Honeycomb when I was there. Cream Masheen is at Sandstone. |
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Digitalis Prow is definitely really good and gives a run to Best Boulder for best v5 but I think Best Boulder wins in my book - perfect landing and really fun movement. I'm curious about First Born Traverse. I've been on it and some people give it v6 some people give it v8. Is the V6 an earlier exit by the massive flat jug and the v8 goes further to the end of the boulder? These lists are complicated by all the downgrading in the new book. Is That Girl v5 or v6? Definitely one of the best boulders in the state at that grade. Is Raven Stand V7 or V4? Depends on if you start with your hands crossed or not? That's pretty goofy. Just got back from my first trip to Sawmill and I'll probably be adjusting my own best of list as I get more comfortable up there. Into the Sky Blue is an incredible boulder in an incredible location. Death by Stereo and Payback were my 2 favorites but does Payback get v5 or v9? I know it gets 6 in the book but sounds to be really condition dependent. Do you grade boulders that are highly condition dependent based on the ideal conditions for that boulder? I really like Alternator at V4 (but I know some people give it V5) - not sure if Twinkletoes is quite as good in my book (although that one is awesome) but does Twinkletoes get V3 or V4? Not that any of this matters but it's fun to talk about boulders. I'm a reformed rope climber and am psyched that I have had so much new stuff to get on now that I've been mostly bouldering instead. |
Bryanwrote: I would say in ideal conditions, I totally agree that the Best Boulder gets the top spot, because it only ends up being climbable for 4 non-consecutive weeks in a calendar year, its grown a bit old for me. Yes, I think First Born is V8 with the full line, and V6 with the early exit. Most of the Grades on the list here were my personal grades, as that seemed more consistent between MP and the guidebook. Getting out of Minnesota climbing makes you realize how contrived most of our lines are....A couple good runner ups for me are andy's arete in Sawmill (rated V4 on MP and the guidebook, but I felt more like V2-3), and Chaiman Meow in Sandstone (especially if you like slappy dabby nonsense). |
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Bump for snowed in fantasies when weather is better. Why does nothing in Blue Mounds never ends up on these lists? Is it just that if you're 3.5 hours from the cities you might as well drive to Sawmill, or the Lake? Also, Why does Minnesota have an overrepresentation of excellent V2 and V5 climbs? There' arguably a few 4star for both those grades. Whereas, V1, V3, V4, V6... not so much. V2 has Big Boy, Mike's Lunge, Double Rainbow, Slicksides (sorta, no one really does the V2 start), and personally Honeycomb. V5 has a couple. I always struggle to think of classics at the other grades. |
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This was tough. When this thread first came out I started a list for each individual area with the intention of picking 1 at each grade and posting mine, but forgot. This bump reminded me to go through that list again. I couldn't get down to one at a few. V0 - Arm Pit Crack Variation (Everything is on) (Taylors) V1 - Warm Up Boulder (SS) V2 - Big Boy(Taylors)/Mentor Overhang (SS) V3 - Squeeze Job (SS)/The Prow (Sawmill)/Tomcat (Taylors) V4 - Big Little (SS)/B2 Bomber (Taylors) V5 - Best Boulder (SS) V6 - Shot Down in Flames Right (Taylors) V7 - Liquid Swords (Taylors)/Mikes Left (Taylors) Blue mounds has some fun boulders. You are likely right that those of us from the cities don't spend enough time there for them to make the list, just a bit too far when there are other options closer. Eventually I'd like to spend more days there to do some of the harder boulders there. Knife Fight (V0), Sexual Healing (V2) and Sweat and Slide (V3) were all ones I really liked. I'm not sure I agree about the overrepresentation of excellent V5's, and underrepresentation of V3's and V4's. Other than Best Boulder, I think MN lacks at V5 and there are a bunch of V3's and V4's around that are really good. I agree with you about V6 though. |
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v0 - High Anxiety Right Edit: This is the list for strictly MN boulders. The wisco side of TF is, ya know, in Wisconsin... |
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Anyone done any bouldering at the bottom of palisade head? Looks like a whole universe of decent bouldering. |
