Home     Photos     Hiking     Writings     Contact     Copyright
Bouldering

Bouldering Championship Tour, November 2007

When the nation's best boulderers came to town, I was there with camera in hand. The lighting conditions were challenging, so don't expect great photographic art here. I shot about 270 frames, and had trouble choosing the ones that showed the most jaw-dropping athleticism. Herewith, a mere 79 of my favorites.
Click a thumbnail to see a full-size photo.
Or, View as Slide Show
you should see an image here The women went first. According to the schedule, this is Sarah Orens.
you should see an image here Second attempt on the second problem: this is the starting position
you should see an image here Just stretch a mere four or five feet,
you should see an image here Transfer your weight and bring your feet up,
you should see an image here Let go with one hand,
you should see an image here And lunge for a handhold that's behind your head.
you should see an image here Piece of cake! Now keep going all the way up the wall...
you should see an image here Natasha Barnes starts problem #2
you should see an image here Natasha Barnes at the crux of #2.
you should see an image here I think this is Kate McGinnis - I wasn't paying attention to the announcer.
you should see an image here Sydney McNair catches her breath between attempts.
you should see an image here Sasha DiGiulian.
you should see an image here Sasha DiGiulian getting both hands on the "swiss cheese hold" and a foot up.
you should see an image here DiGiulian moving upward.
you should see an image here DiGiulian approaching the top
you should see an image here Nearly there...
you should see an image here Got it!
you should see an image here Back at problem #2, Emily Harrington demonstrates strength and flexibility.
you should see an image here Another climber whose name I missed, but I remember that she's twelve years old.
you should see an image here Making short work of this problem.
you should see an image here Topping out.
you should see an image here I don't know who this guy is or why he was dressed as Rambo.
you should see an image here Francesca Metcalf confronts the "swiss cheese" hold, while behind her Sasha DiGiulian steps toward her next problem.
you should see an image here Sasha DiGiulian topping out
you should see an image here Francesca Metcalf still studying her next move.
you should see an image here Reaching for a handhold...
you should see an image here ... and bringing the left leg into a new position.
you should see an image here Sydney McNair on a nasty "bulge" problem.
you should see an image here Close-up on Francesca Metcalf's fingers.
you should see an image here Metcalf hanging out and studying the route. When the climbing's this difficult, half the battle is just seeing where you're going.
you should see an image here Emily Harrington with some accidental warpaint.
you should see an image here Sasha DiGiulian steps up to the bulge.
you should see an image here First she gets one hand around it.
you should see an image here Then she moves her feet
you should see an image here So she can step up (notice her foot is at waist height).
you should see an image here "Flagging" with the left leg to shift her balance to the right while bringing her left hand up.
you should see an image here Grabbing a slippery "hold" with the right hand
you should see an image here And stepping way up to the left.
you should see an image here She made it!
you should see an image here Another problem, another sequence:
you should see an image here Lean left to put weight on right hand,
you should see an image here reach up and out with the left hand,
you should see an image here bring the feet up,
you should see an image here put the left foot where your left hand is,
you should see an image here and reach up (the hold is about two feet above her left hand)
you should see an image here Second attempt
you should see an image here Trying a different foot placement this time
you should see an image here Francesca Metcalf takes a shot at the same problem.
you should see an image here She also makes it to the last move, but that final hold is out of reach (and out of sight)
you should see an image here Metcalf's second attempt.
you should see an image here Reigning champion Alex Puccio on the same problem.
you should see an image here Making a hand-heel match look almost easy.
you should see an image here Puccio moving up the wall.
you should see an image here Puccio confronts the bulge on a second attempt.
you should see an image here Puccio taking the fast way down.
you should see an image here Toshi Takeuchi in a no-feet move on pinch holds.
you should see an image here Alex Puccio searching for a handhold.
you should see an image here Puccio topping out.
you should see an image here Oh yeah, there were male athletes too.
you should see an image here Blue tape for the men's holds, white for the women's.
you should see an image here Moving up the roof.
you should see an image here Close-up on a handhold.
you should see an image here Almost done...
you should see an image here Making it look almost relaxing.
you should see an image here Hey, this looks easy.
you should see an image here Sure, I could do that all day
you should see an image here Paul Robinson resting his left hand before finishing a problem.
you should see an image here This problem (#5) was particularly nasty: seen here, a first attempt.
you should see an image here It starts to the right of that bulge, you have to move sideways past it.
you should see an image here Next, a no-feet traverse to this comfy spot.
you should see an image here Finally, move up to another bulge, which is about as far as anybody got.
you should see an image here Ryan Olson passing the first bulge.
you should see an image here I told you this was a nasty one!
you should see an image here Notice how the shoulders have to turn away from the wall.
you should see an image here Vasya Vorotnikov gives it a shot.
you should see an image here No feet at all for this move.
you should see an image here Voritnokov trying again.
you should see an image here He makes it all the way left, but will be stopped by the second bulge.
you should see an image here Paul Robinson after swinging both legs around. Compare #70 above.