More Hard Ascents at Lincoln Lake

9/7/10 — As the summer alpine season draws to a close, hard boulder problems continue to be climbed at Colorado’s latest hotspot: Lincoln Lake (aka Woverineland) below the road to Mt. Evans. Daniel Woods, Dave Graham, and numerous other climbers have stormed this alpine boulderfield, with an elevation above 11,600 feet, working swiftly to dispatch 12 V13 or harder problems during Lincoln Lake’s short climbing season. (Snow has already fallen on nearby peaks.)

UPDATED 9/21/10: On September 16, We Can Build You went up. Graham grabbed the FA, with Woods' second ascent not far behind. "A very difficult roof section leads to a serious lip encounter, and a strange traverse on slopers and odd grips brings you to the summit. Very cool rock climb," Graham says on 8a.nu.

UPDATED 9/13/10: On September 10, Graham put up To Your Scattered Bodies Go (V13), which he called on his 8a.nu scorecard "by far one of the most aesthetic lines in Mt. Evans wilderness." The problem adds a sit start to Take it to the Grave (V12), which Jon Glassberg established in July. "A very finicky boulder problem filled with subtle toe-hooks, crazy, semi-dynamic movements, and very tense, static moves. Eleven moves total, and an engaged topout," Graham says. "For the grade, feels harder than any 8b (V13) I have ever done." A day later, Woods repeated the problem.

UPDATED 9/5/10: On September 4, Daniel Woods and Dave Graham climbed Warrior Up, which they are calling V15 (Woods FA). This is Woods' fourth boulder problem V15 or harder, following The Game (V16) in Boulder Canyon, Colorado, and Terremer and Desperanza, both V15s in Hueco Tanks, Texas. According to Graham's 8a.nu scorecard, Warrior Up is "Definately [sic] the hardest up in the area, and the first boulder I have done in this level in some time now."

On August 25, Woods climbed Let the Right One In (V14), and Graham quickly repeated it on August 30.

The area first saw climbers about a decade ago, but its potential was masked by the substantial amount of cleaning that had to be done. Recently, however, climbers like Kevin Jorgeson, with his June 2010 ascent of Unshackled (V10/11), shed more light on Lincoln Lake, resulting in the area’s explosion.

A short list of Woods' and Graham's hardest Lincoln Lake problems:

• Warrior Up (V15, FA Woods)
• We Can Build You (V14, FA Graham)
• Let the Right One In (V14, Woods)
• The Mote in God’s Eye (V14, Graham)
• Death Trout (V14, Woods)
• Evil Backwards (V14, Woods)
• To Your Scattered Bodies Go (V13, Graham)
• Clan of the Cave Bears (V13, Graham)
• The Exfoliator (V13, Woods)
• Stuntin’ Season (V13, Woods)
• The Great War for Civilization (V13, Woods)
• Little House on the Prairie (V13, Graham)

Below is a video of Woods' Warrior Up ascent.

8c in Wolverine Land from Courtney Sanders on Vimeo.

Sources: 8a.nu, Andy Mann