Wagon Wheel Bouldering
Picture by Jo
Climb Review:
I bouldered dozens of routes in the Wagon Wheel Bouldering area.
There were lots of dirt bikes, ATVs, and side-by-sides on the near by trails, but no one came close to bothering me or Jo on the routes.
There are hundreds of boulders here, so it’s safe to say that there are thousands of bouldering routes available in this area.
The highball rocks here were a bit too scary for me, so I ended up not doing them, as I didn’t have rock climbing gear to rappel down.
The rock is all granite, so the quality of rock is fantastic. Lots of grip, but it also means lots of scratches and the rocks cutting into the fingers.
I ended up bouldering two or so dozen routes in two hours as I scampered up various boulders. I would say it ranged from V-easy to V1. I stopped as my fingers were hurting and my arms/legs were all scratched up.
Simon Barsinister Says Freeze (V1; Barsinister Boulder)—This was the first boulder I attempted. I climbed up half way (to the crack), but then I just didn’t feel good about the prospect of down climbing once I got up, or trying a sketchy 5.9 route. I know I can do this boulder problem, but I want to come back with rope and a heavy friend, so that I can rappel down this route.
Slasher Homie (VB; Slasher Boulders)—When I wanted a small break, I drove my car to the Slasher Boulders and attempted this route. My hands made it to the top of the rock, but I decided to not top out, as the route was really easy, and I didn’t think the completion of the route was worth it. The down climb was as easy as going up (super bomber holds).
Pictures above by Jo
What I Learned:
I really need to wear long pants when climbing granite. My legs were scratched up badly at the end of the session—it looked like I had stepped on a cat’s tail and it took revenge on my inner thighs.
Friends:
Jo bouldered and spotted me on a bunch of routes. She was scared of topping out on the tall-ish boulders, but she did well considering that this was her first time bouldering outside on granite. Actually, I think this was my first time bouldering on granite too!
What Happened?
This was the main reason I had come to the Ridgecrest Area, and my-oh-my, it was worth it. I had seen a few boulders driving in, but once the morning came and I looked around, I saw that I was surrounded by dozens of boulders. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning as I skipped breakfast to head straight to bouldering. After attempting Simon Barsinister Says Freeze, I decided to boulder all the smaller boulders to build confidence. I must has bouldered every boulder within 50 or 100 yards around my car (dozens of them) and it was really fun creating routes and problems for myself and Jo.
When my hands felt shot and I was nearing the end of the climbing, I drove up to the Slasher Boulders and attempted 5 or 6 more routes. It was really fun as I even got to do a finger crack climb to finish the day off. I can’t wait to come back as I stood near Slasher Boulders I saw thousands of boulders near by. Maybe I should come back and start naming my own routes! How fun would that be?