"It's been pretty mellow around these parts. Valley got snowed out but then came back into season which has been a nice surprise, but probably not so good for mother Earth. I finally climbed Kumba which I reckon to be one of the best slabs in the country (certainly one of the best hard slabs). I'd fallen at the top for years, but finally found my beta which turned it from impossible to readily doable. Crazy how that works. The big hit though was this beautiful arete I cleaned and climbed (picture attached but of course doesn't really do it justice). Certainly one of the best problems I've put up yet.

Beautiful, perfect rock, amazing, movement, technical and spicy. A real gem. While cleaning it, I found a bolt buried under the moss; so I guess it's an old top rope problem from days gone by. I've been on the hunt trying to find out some information, but the people I've contacted know very little about it. Shocking that such a gem didn't get passed down. I'm guessing though that I probably have the first bouldering ascent, and it certainly felt that way, venturing higher and higher, taking bigger and bigger ground falls. Anyway, I had a huge small on my face at the end:) Put up another handful of gems as well. The valley keeps on producing, and I have a list of projects a mile long. P$yched for the spring. Hoping to get down to Hueco a bit as well this winter." -Randy Puro