Desert Bouldering in Colorado (Hardwear Sessions)

By Ben Clark

High in the desert southwest tucked away like a forgotten postcard is a place few travelers wander. Off Highway 141 southeast of Naturita, Colorado, is a remote and untrodden valley. Only a few dirt roads split from the asphalt that darts through the valley floor. In the dead heat of mid day tarantulas crawl across this road. Only one mountain is visible from here, Lone Cone---the westernmost peak in the Colorado Rockies.

The northwest rim of this valley is unassuming to the naked eye--barren undeveloped acreage. Over the last three years climbers from the surrounding regions have slowly laid footprints into sandy washouts leading to adventure. These explorers have discovered caves in slickrock flatirons and climbed on the boulders that calve from the ridgelines. It is a unique experience, unassuming from the road and reinforced by it's blankness on maps yet contradicted by the nomenclature that deters many travelers from entering at all; Disappointment Valley.

Ben Clark working for the 1st ascent of "The Beast Within," V5, Disappointment Valley, Colorado
Photographer Damon Johnston, spotter Joel Coniglio

The tactics and strategies of the climbers in this area are simple; go, find and do. There are few established lines, there are fewer names for climbs and there are rarely more than a handful of attempts at moving over the stone before a classic boulder problem is sent and soon forgotten. With a team of a few people a problem be cleaned and pushed higher hold by hold until it is sent. The FA is a culmination of everyone's efforts. This is an area unlike many others in the lower 48 states today. There is no parking, there are no toilets or trail signs, yet the access is easy. Just pick a direction and head there, adventure will guide you. This is why we climb here, this is why continue to climb here, it feeds and fuels the passion for climbing with the unknown as a constant driving force.

Before I go too far and tell you more about this landscape, I want to clarify that I don't intend to give it all away. I don't mean to be selfish; the land belongs to everyone and isn't very easy to get to anyway. That is part of its draw, the solitude is as outstanding as the climbing which varies from easy highballs to hard problems that spank even the most experienced climbers. I've just been having too much fun here recently to not let others know; there is plenty of unclimbed rock left in the US, PLENTY! As a globetrotting Alpinist I feel very lucky that my local friends even let me come with them to this place at all. Shhhhhhh...they've bouldered from Hueco to Bishop, Joes to Font and even hung out on the side of the Eiger and K2...but you won't hear that from them either.

Inspiration strikes at different times for different reasons and the last 2 weeks have been incredible out here. Saturday, fifty five degree temperatures were feeding a severe urge to hop on rock. Unstoppable. My typical climbing partners were reeled in to a ski swap that devoured their imagination for sandstone and instead filled them gleefully with the thought of turns and hucks. I can't blame them, but I was looking to stomp a different landing...onto stacked pads from high above. Only one partner can always understand this, local adventure climber and prolific first ascentionist Damon Johnston. We packed up my truck and began the 2 hour drive early Sunday morning with fresh tips and no agenda set. Go, find and do.

After an hour and a half, a small swamp and a rut that forces a tire off the ground we parked in a nondescript sandy wash bottom in between 2 trees. This was the end of a very primitive road, my cooling catalytic converters stroked the tops of sage sprouting in the middle of the road and filled the air with a smooth natural aroma. We were nowhere but surrounded by everything we could want. Like children navigating the aisles of Toys R' Us, it is hard to know which valley to pick, there are so many full of hundreds of unclimbed boulders.

We hiked for about 45 minutes before the arcing wall of a 22' high boulder came into view, the sunlight was filtering into the alcove where it sat illuminating the pockets that dimpled it's steep south face. Up we went, through gnarled branches filling in tight spaces between many smaller boulders. We arrived at an amphitheater filled with problems from a long V1 traverse, highballs with sketchy topouts and a V7 that is still unclimbed There was one problem that had to be done---an obvious line on a steep and clean face, we called it The Beast Within. An undeniable classic that were it in Hueco, Joes or Bishop would be on everyone's must do tick list. This was the second time I had seen it.

We stacked the pads and moved a tree branch from the exit slab on the rounded top 20' above the ground. We put the first marks of chalk on the line by 1PM and had the beta down by 2. Nine moves over solid sandstone streaked with huecos, crimps and a thank you god jug lead to the crux; a sloping rail that was extremely committing and then a desperate slap to the top 2 moves that did not go. I felt like vomiting or as if I was passing a kidney stone reaching for the rail, barely getting a pad on the V5 crux high off the deck. I wanted the 1st ascent, look at the photo. Damn.

Everything was just right, the rock was solid, not a single hold broke and yet the sequence was incredibly straining. None of us had it. We had warmed up on this problem...oops. It was sooo good, how could we resist? An enormous physical adventure packed into only 12 moves over 20'. What a classic, after burning through 8 attempts and a little brushing we realized that we wouldn't be getting on the Beast again until next week or maybe even next year, it didn't really matter. It will always be there...waiting in silence in an undisclosed location that anyone can visit. We moved on to several other problems in the immediate area, cleaning and climbing. A little chalk here a little there. Occasionally we leave a brush to mark our way back. I love climbing here as much as the high mountains, a day in my backyard is every bit as adventurous as the Himalayan dream climbs I pursue every year.

There could be any number of factors between now and when I go back that determine the fate of the FA of The Beast Within, most importantly any of the other unclimbed portions of the boulders across the valley that we have yet to even hike to. Maybe you'll go and nab the FA before we do. Maybe you'll go and nab a bunch of FAs while we work the other side of the valley, there is that much potential. I hope you do (we left you a brush). I hope that we all do (we will need more brushes). There is so much there and yet so little. If adventure is what you are looking for, here is where you will find it. Of course, just like the accomplishments of the very pioneers who have developed this tiny little area...well I can't tell you much, but if you're really looking it will find you like it found me.