Marathon Day at Nine Corner Lake (200 V-Points)

  Ten days ago, on Thursday November 17, 2016; Ken Murphy and I rendezvoused at the Nine Corner Lake trail head in the early afternoon to embark on what I thought was an extremely ambitious goal for a single climbing session.  We had both set our sights on trying to successfully climb 200 V-points in a single session.  In the past I had successfully hit the lofty 100 V-point session (on three separate occasions), and last December I had achieved my personal highest single day total at Nine Corner Lake with 136 V-points.  That high volume session followed an extremely successfully fall 2015 season and I was feeling extremely strong and fit at the time and was still 64 V-points away from the 200 point mark.    

  Murphy and I began climbing at 11:00 am and I did not top out my last boulder problem until around 5:00 pm.  When it was all said and done I had somehow reached the 200 V-point mark and Murphy finished the session with 103 V-points.  We were exhausted, sore, lethargic, and missing layers of skin on our aching fingers.  This was an extremely difficult personal challenge and something that I am in no rush to attempt again anytime soon.  That night I had to work the night shift at the fire dept and am very thankful that we had a quiet night at the station.

  Next May for my 33rd birthday I am planning on attempting a 300 V-point day...100 V-points at three separate Adirondack Bouldering locations.  My rough plans start with spending the night up in Lake Placid so I can begin the challenge at McKenzie Pond early the next morning.  After completing a session there, I plan on traveling down Route 30 S so I can hit Snowy Mountain in the late morning/early afternoon.  Hopefully after successfully completing the session there, the final destination will be my local Nine Corner Lake for the remaining 100 V-points.  Is this even possible?  Will the mind, body, and skin hold of long enough to complete the task?  I honestly have no idea!!!

  This insane vision was influenced by a couple of Massachusetts climbers who successfully did the same V-point challenge at three separate New England bouldering locations in one day.  Pawtuckaway, Great Barrington, and finally Farley.  Their travel/driving time was much greater than the one that I am panning but all of the guys who successfully completed the challenge are extremely strong and gifted rock climbers.  Combined they successfully climbed over 1,000 V-points in a single day!  https://vimeo.com/128832252    

Here is my tick list (200 V-points, 41 boulder problems):

G.  Lookout Boulder

• #37     Andrugen                                (V2)
• #37b   Lookout, Traverse                  (V4)
• #41     Can You See my Eyeball        (V4)
• #41b   Glass Eyeball                         (V4)
• #42     Eye Socket                             (V4)
• #44     Creeping Death                      (V3)
• #45     Mind'r Business                      (V5)
• #46     Cherokee Challenge                (V4) 

H.  Fortress Boulder 

• #53     Meat and Potatoes                  (V1)
• #56     Popadropolis                           (V5)
• #57     Pop or Drop                            (V7)                               

E.  Wall Boulder 

• #25     Spores                                     (V7)
• #27     Long Live Legos                     (V7)
• #28     Thorazine                                (V8)   
• #29      Lighter Burden                       (V8)
• #30      Heart Attack Man                   (V5)
• #32      Bearded Arnie                        (V7)    

B.  Gate Boulder 

• #4        The Gatekeeper                      (V8)
• #5        Everything In                          (V4)
• #6        The Origin                              (V5)
• #7        The Cryptologist                    (V3)     

L.  Nick Stoner Boulder 

• #90        Love Cats                              (V7)
• #92        Diatom                                   (V3)
• #94        Dave's Problem                      (V3)
• #94b       007                                        (V7)

T1.  Wave Boulder  

• #64a      Whip Tide, Stand                    (V7)
• #65a       Lifeguard Training, Stand      (V4)
• #66         Beached Whale                      (V3)

Q1.  Cave Boulder                 

• #53         Nippin Out                             (V3)
• #53b       Frost Bite                               (V5)
• #54         Chillen                                   (V4)
• #54a       The Earthling                         (V5)
• #55         Psychosomatic                       (V6)
• #57         Dry Ice                                   (V4)
• #57a       Crazy Ice                                (V6)

C1.  Saccharine Boulder

• #8          One Second Suffering             (V3)
• #9          Even Stevia                             (V5)
• #10        Diamonds are Forever             (V4) 
• #13a      Instant Yoga, Var.                     (V8)
• #15        Shape Shifter                           (V4)

B1.  Equal Boulder

• #4          Sugar Buzz                              (V4)