Northern Arizona

Cobra Commander from John Cooper on Vimeo.

Insomnia from John Cooper on Vimeo.

Mono Problem from John Cooper on Vimeo.

  Cold temperatures have finally descended on Northern Arizona.  The posse has been climbing a lot, and crushing boulder problems.  Matt Gentile put up a new climb on the Moss Roof called Insmomnia.  Insomnia starts Garden Heist, and climbs right on cool pinches to a crux move to a sidepull, and finishes on jugs.  I managed to get the second ascent.  I  did the second ascent of one of the longer lines at Choss Roof called Cobra Commander.  Cobra Commander is 45 hand moves in a roof.  It takes me over 5 minutes to do the climb.  I repeated the mono problem, which is a short and fun climb on the left side of the cave. 

  I returned to Cougarland in the New World after a two year absence.  I climbed on the BLIMP Roof project in a snow storm with Matt.  This project feels easier than the last time I climbed in the area.  This king line could potentially go before the roads are closed for winter. 

BLIMP Roof Project.

Chossy Posse

Chossy Posse from John Cooper on Vimeo.


Choss Dyno from John Cooper on Vimeo.


Warm-Up Blobs from John Cooper on Vimeo.


Choss Arete from John Cooper on Vimeo.

Choss Dyno

 

This post is for the Chossy Posse and everyone who said there are no warm-ups or easy climbs at Choss Roof.

 



Choss Roof



I've been climbing almost exclusively at Choss Roof lately in the Hinterlands.  I did the second ascent of Garden Heist yesterday.  Garden Heist starts under a small roof, climbs slopers out a bulge to a mono on the face, and finishes on jugs.  The climbing is reminiscent of limestone bulges in the ATX.  I finished a project I have been working for over a year called Choss Roof.  Choss Roof is the original testpiece on the roof and climbs a slopey fridge block to double toe hooks, and finishes with a large throw at the end.  I started working on the far right links into some of the existing climbs.  These climbs utilize straight up route climbing techniques.  The week prior I did the second ascent of the Kraken.  The Kraken climbs Choss Origins to the diving board rest, then proceeds left through the Hydra crux to the Choss Roof finish. 



 



 

 

Bat hang rest on Cobra Triangle.

 

 

 2nd Ascent of Garden Heist.

 

2nd Ascent of the Kraken. 

 

 

Chris Hluchan on Floor Pie.



 



 

Choss Roof from John Cooper on Vimeo.

 

Last week a multi-state crew descended on Flagtown to sample the prime limestone.  Pat Fitts returned with Chris Bair from Colorado (read Chossoradbro) for a week.  They revisited Cougarland in the New World.  Matt Gentile did the second ascent of Elk Graveyard and third ascent of Remnants of the Acid in the Bobcat's Den.  Fellow Texan Limestoner Chris Hluchan drove up from his new home in Southern California over the weekend.  He finished Anorexic at Priest Draw in addition to visiting Choss Roof and Renegade Roof.   

Bobcat's Den

Cougarland - The Bobcat's Den from Patrick Fitts on Vimeo.


First Ascent of Five Lines on the Bobcat Den Roof by John Cooper. Correction: FA of Hijacked Herd done by Pat Fitts from Justin Bowen on Vimeo.

Matt Gentile did the second ascent of the Elk Graveyard this past week.  The line remained unrepeated in the remote New World for two years.  The first video is Matt doing the third ascent of Remnants of the Acid, and then the Elk Graveyard at night by headlamp.  The second video is from a few years back.  It is a video of all the existing climbs in the Bobcat's Den. 

Choss Origins

Choss Origins from John Cooper on Vimeo.

Choss Origins

 





Escape From The Blobs

 

Yesterday I did the second ascent of Choss Origins.  Choss Origins is the original line not completed on Choss Roof.  It was a drop off problem that ended on the diving board feature of the Cashin Out exit.  Sorry old timers, but the line tops out.  Choss Origins is an ultra classic, and a contender for one of the best problems in the state.  I have been working on Escape From The Blobs (exit #2) and The Kraken as well.  It's October which means that it is climbing season.  Hopefully fall temps will arrive soon.  I started climbing a decade ago in October 2002, and I'm still as psyched (possibly more) than when I started climbing in the gym back in Dallas. 



Northern Arizona

Treasure Map

Blimp Roof

Renegade Roof

 Matt on Hydra at Choss Roof

 Super BVB Roof at BVB Roof

 

 

Receptionist at Mars Roof

 

 

I think this is a good place to live.

Choss Roof

  My fitness is beginning to return. I have been climbing nearly exclusively at the Choss Roof in the Hinterlands. This massive cave is amazing. Full on route tactics are employed on the roof. There are a few bats that fly around at night fall as well.  I did the second ascent of Hydra today.  I did the third ascent of the Dirty Cash a few sessions previously.  Today I repeated Dirty Cash for your video viewing pleasure.

  The only other zone I have been climbing at is Mars Roof to build power. Mars roof also serves as a good circuit to see how I am feeling and progressing towards where I was at pre-injury. I sessioned the Mars Roof Tuesday night after the second of three days doing clinicals in the Tuba City ER. Any time I go to a clinical I have to wake up at 3:30 am to account for the hour time difference, as well as the hour and a half commute. This taken into account I did a night sesh with Jake. I was able to complete one of the lines on the roof, Lolita. I progressed on the other lines and fell on either the last move or end of each climb.

 Here are two videos from Choss Roof called Hydra and Dirty Cash.
Hydra from John Cooper on Vimeo.


Dirty Cash from John Cooper on Vimeo.

Matt on Hydra.

Receptionist.  Photo from last winter.

The Girl From Ipanema. Photo from last winter.

Fall Begins

According to my calendar fall officially began today.  I have been climbing at the massive Choss Roof lately. Today I was able to knock out some ascents at the place.  I finished off the Dirty Cash, but Murphy's law was in effect so there is no video...yet.  I got video of Attack of the Blobs, which is the first blobs exit.  I did the second ascent of a cool warm-up on the Moss Roof called Rain Closet.

Attack Of The Blobs from John Cooper on Vimeo.

Rain Closet from John Cooper on Vimeo.

More From The Draw

Rgod Is Neither from John Cooper on Vimeo.

Cosmic Bicycle from John Cooper on Vimeo.

Badass from John Cooper on Vimeo.

The rehab circuit continues. I feel like I'm ready for a mars roof sesh soon. I have been able to capture footage of many boulder problems that either have not been filmed previously, or the existing videos were climbed in poor style. Rgod is Neither and Cosmic Bicycle are on the Puzzlebox Roof. Badass is located down the Howard's draw.

Anorexic Roof

Meat Eater from John Cooper on Vimeo.

Anorexic Nerve Dance from John Cooper on Vimeo.