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Child Prodigy

V6+, Boulder,  Avg: 3.2 from 60 votes
FA: unknown
New Hampshire > Rumney > Rumney Bouldering > Black Jack Boul… > Moat Boulders > Moat Boulder

Description

Both Firestarter and Child Prodigy can be found on the road-facing side of the Moat Boulder. Firestarter climbs the right side of the face on big holds and Child Prodigy starts as per Firestarter and breaks left.

Start on big holds that mark the start of Firestarter. Rather than going to a flake with your left hand, grab the crimp right below it and head left into an ill-defined inside corner. The crimps continue, some facing the wrong direction, until the lip where a hero-jug awaits. Topout up and right.

Protection

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Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

John Meager sending child prodigy in perfect light.
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Photo: Suzannah Buzzell
[Hide Photo] John Meager sending child prodigy in perfect light. Photo: Suzannah Buzzell
Following crimps up Child Prodigy.
[Hide Photo] Following crimps up Child Prodigy.
Rachel on Child Prodigy - Arlin Goss photo
[Hide Photo] Rachel on Child Prodigy - Arlin Goss photo
Alan Baryudin styling the first crux
[Hide Photo] Alan Baryudin styling the first crux
Tim on the very extended part of the route. Tim is 6 foot 1.
[Hide Photo] Tim on the very extended part of the route. Tim is 6 foot 1.
Tim on the terrible right hand side-pull/crimp/small pinch. (we can decide what it is best described as haha)
[Hide Photo] Tim on the terrible right hand side-pull/crimp/small pinch. (we can decide what it is best described as haha)
Just before the big move.
[Hide Photo] Just before the big move.
Mr. Armstrong crushin'.
[Hide Photo] Mr. Armstrong crushin'.
Charlie on the upper section.
[Hide Photo] Charlie on the upper section.
Seth on Child Prodigy. Photo by Caroline Raymond
[Hide Photo] Seth on Child Prodigy. Photo by Caroline Raymond

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Lanky
Tired
 
[Hide Comment] I really like this problem. Didn't find the rumored hero jug, though...

Also, it looks like there's a more intuitive start using low sidepul in the inside corner. Would make more sense than starting to the right. Oct 16, 2008
Jesse Coburn
Manchester, NH
[Hide Comment] where does this route end? up the arete seems super tough, but i havent felt the holds. out right to the jug? Dec 2, 2008
Lanky
Tired
 
[Hide Comment] Pretty sure you top out to the right (above Firestarter). Dec 3, 2008
[Hide Comment] I agree with the more intuitive and direct start. Seems very obvious to me, where as starting Firestarter and moving up and left seems a bit contrived.
Overall great problem with hard finish! Apr 8, 2012
Jamie Re
Providence, RI
 
[Hide Comment] Yea the direct start seems to be the way to go. A bit reachy for the tyrannosaur folk ( like me ) Can't wait to get back there. Apr 9, 2012
Christian Prellwitz
Telluride, CO
  V6+
[Hide Comment] Julian's suggested direct start is by far the more logical starting place. Otherwise, this route is quite contrived. It doesn't make any difference in the difficulty either, since the crux (IMO) is the last couple of moves at the top.

The top out is fairly strange as well, as it's not entirely clear what is 'acceptable' and what's not. Too bad because it does climb quite well with great long-ish moves on cool holds. Jun 20, 2012
MattWallace
Center Harbor, NH
  V6+
[Hide Comment] I Finally sent this rig today! This route has taken me several years of trying to actually send. By far the longest I have worked on any particular boulder problem. It is an awesome route would be 4 stars if it didn't have to cut right into Firestarter. Nov 23, 2013
Emerson Takahashi
Casper, WY
  V5
[Hide Comment] Tricky beta made this feel fairly easy(compared to nearby v6's).

  • ***beta alert****

went left into undercling, tricky foot swap to gain far left foot on good edge, and I was able to bring my foot high into a scoop feature(almost drop knee) to make the last move an easy, but precise, deadpoint. Oct 18, 2015
Ian McAfee
Hooksett, NH
 
[Hide Comment] I'd say either starting on Firestarter or starting just sitting to the left is fine Eli, wouldn't change the difficulty, I worked up to the position in this photo, right hand on sidepull: mountainproject.com/photo/1… then did a big left hand cross over to a good but hard to see edge above and between the climber's hands. After that move out right to top out.

I completely agree with you, always thought this felt super hard and never knew what to do to make it feel reasonable. It does go, and has good movement. Mar 2, 2018
MattWallace
Center Harbor, NH
  V6+
[Hide Comment] Eli, I am with you, this has always seemed hard in the V6 grade. I wouldn't argue an upgrade. (I feel this is significantly harder than Metallic, which gets the V7 grade) Mar 4, 2018
Shaun Davies
Windham, ME
  V6+
[Hide Comment] Really great movement, I didn't do the top the way that I've seen others climb it, but it was more direct and definitely not any easier.
Video of this starts at 0:00
youtube.com/watch?v=2PB_0LK… Oct 16, 2020
Parker Caswell
Sandwich, NH
 
[Hide Comment] Anyone else feel like this problem is objectively harder than both three speed on vinyl and Bobby’s problem? Not arguing an upgrade... maybe my beta’s just bad Jan 10, 2021
Alec O
Norwich, VT
 
[Hide Comment] I’m new to Rumney bouldering (and I don't boulder much generally), but this thing felt nails hard for the grade. Conditions were terrible, so it’s tough to judge, but just adding my vote.

Also, there seems to be at least 15 equally hard ways to do this.

Fun problem, though! Aug 26, 2021