"Player" Profile: BJ TILDEN

When did you start climbing?
I started climbing 10 years ago, just before I moved to Lander. 

You had a pretty successful year! Congratulations on some incredible sends in Hueco.
2005 was the first time I had been to Hueco, so everything was new, and there was so much of it. I really just wanted to get a lot of mileage and not focus too much on any specific project. I think the longest I spent on anything was three days on the Full Monty. But last year [2006], I went back with some more specific goals like Slashface and Right Martini. I was willing to spend the whole month on those two problems, but they went down and I had time to do The Flame and Barefoot on Sacred Ground (with the topout), as well. All in all it was a great season. 

What was the highlight of your climbing in 2006?
The highlight for sure was Slashface. That's a problem that I have wanted to do for as long as I can remember. When I first got serious about rock climbing back in the day, that was the hardest boulder problem in the world, so it was, like, yeah I want to climb that someday. Standards have come a long way since, but it's still pretty satisfying to follow through. Plus, it's absolutely CLASSIC!!! 

Don't you live in Wyoming? What's that all about?
I was born and raised in Cody, Wyoming, and I moved to Lander with my mom when I was 15. Right about the time I started rock climbing, go figure. Lander is a great place to live, it has a few drawbacks, like lack of job options and no lift-access skiing, but we do have a ton of good limestone. In fact I'll go ahead and say that Wyoming is one of the best states to live in if you like to sport climb. Most places that are considered to be "destinations" only have one crag — even if it's a great crag it's still only one option. Lander has Sinks Canyon, Farfield Hill, Fossil Hill, the Wild Iris, the Granite Buttress, the North Country, Baldwin Creek, Super Platinum, and Suicide Point. Plus, two hours away, you have Tensleep Canyon and two lifetime's worth of undeveloped rock in the Big Horn Mountains — but it's all choss, so don't bother to visit. 

Where do you climb the most? What's the rock type? Style?
I probably climb the most at Sinks Canyon and the Wild Iris. The climbing at Sinks is longer with pockets and a lot of edges. There are all kinds of routes, from steep, long jug hauls to vertical techfests. The climbing at the Iris is short and powerful with mostly pockets. Having both areas is great because the styles of climbing and the seasons are totally different.