There are no shortage of contenders for worst V10 in America.
Who wouldn’t love to have their hamstring plucked right off their ass-bone on the tweaky one-move heel-hook crux of Mojo at Hueco?
Or head north to Mt Evans for airy vistas from atop the 14,000-foot mountain, only instead you head down into a claustrophobic, wet hole formed by a pile of loose erratics and begin spelunking your way back out with the lowball Unshackled.
OK, I’m only kidding. I’ve never met a boulder problem I didn’t like. Saying one boulder is worse than others is like complaining about pizza in New York.
But what is the best?
I’ll put my money on Crown Jewel (V10), discovered and established last summer in the Lake Tahoe region by local climber Kyle O’Meara. I’ll be heading that way this summer, and I recently watched this video to get me stoked about our little road trip out Californ-y way. I don’t know if Crown Jewel actually is the best V10 in the country, but you have to admit, this footage sure makes it look that way. Tip of the hat to the gents at Deep Roots Media: Dane Henry and Sean Haverstock, in particular.
That little claustrophobic wet hole was pretty nice yesterday, but Crown Jewel just shines above everything. Don’t forget the right arete line too!
Funny that it took so long for this to be found and sent. It was just sitting a few hundred yards uphill of a well-trafficked trad area Phantom Spires.