Two Sticks of Dynamite

Hiking under the Sheriff’s Badge a couple weeks ago, I couldn’t believe what I found just sitting there unclimbed: a beautiful 30 degree overhang, two big sloping shelves about 1 meter apart, and a classic Squamish rounded top out…with a hideous landing.

Two Sticks of Dynamite

The landing is a big altar block with a 1.5 meter transition off its back side directly in the landing zone. There was no way getting on the thing straight away was safe without a huge stack of pads. The fresh rock could crumble. I had no idea how hard the mantle would be. It looked like about 40 pads would be needed to level out that landing.

I have never rehearsed a boulder problem on a rope before but I’ve seen the kinds problems rope rehearsal has allowed for others. I could stick to my aging ethics and never try it or I could try out the new headpoint bouldering style. It looked too good to just walk away forever.

I worked out the bottom on a rainy day with a static rope. The rope worked more like a spotter. The first move needed a bunch of slack to wind up for a dyno so I still hit the pad on the altar block but the rope kept me from falling off the landing.

A few days later, when the top was dry, I rapped in to try the lip moves. I worked out a nice sequence with one iffy sloper move. Then I did the problem from the bottom with a rope a couple times. I clipped a quickdraw at the lip the first time but forgot to clip it the second time. Oops.

Do I boulder it or not?

I scrounged the boulders for the usual stashed pads. Most of them are about as good as a stack of napkins. Tim Doyle joined me for the last trip up the hill (my fourth trip that day) with some big good pads. Those 14 pads didn’t look like much down there or do much to reduce the 1.5 meter transition in the landing.

I climbed it one more time on a rope to warm up. I pulled the rope. I did some deep breathing.

The sloper move over the lip was definitely scarier with that transition waiting for me below but I was totally alert and in the zone. Thankfully everything went just as smoothly as it had with a rope.

Two Sticks of Dynamite, April 25, 2016

I really have no clue how difficult it is. I’ve recently done V4s that are harder, V6s that are easier, and V8s that seem about the same. It will probably be quite different for someone closer to normal height.

As far as quality goes, I think this is a contender to bump another off the Top 25 Highballs list in Squamish Bouldering 3rd Edition.

Approach

The problem is just visible looking straight uphill through the trees from the top of Planet of the Apes but approaching from there or Perfect Cave is a challenge with a load of pads. Instead, approach via the Angel’s Crest trail. Cut west (right) when you’re nearing the cliff and can see the Sheriff’s Badge boulders. It’s only an 8 minute hike from the van but it is a vicious hill.

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