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For a brief but agonizing moment, Jacob Copeland's entire 5-foot-8, 160-pound frame is being supported by the tip of his right index finger.
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Atsushi Yasuda, right, a Fresno State exchange student from Japan, extends his leg in a heel hook maneuver at the mantle of a boulder problem known as Battle of the Bulge. Friend Jacob Copeland of Clovis spots Yasuda during an excursion at Yosemite. Craig Kohlruss / The Fresno Bee |
Copeland carefully moves his left heel onto a tiny shelf, relieving some of the pressure off his finger, and finds a better hold for his left hand. Shifting his weight to the left side, he places his right toe onto the minuscule hold where his finger used to be.
Now comes the crux: With both hands pressing down atop the boulder and his right toe scraping for friction, Copeland swings his left heel to the level of his hands and pulls himself up to the 15-foot summit.
Whew!
The Clovis climber has conquered Battle of the Bulge, one of the numerous boulder "problems" in the vicinity of Camp 4, the scruffy campground that serves as the literal and figurative center of Yosemite rock climbing.
Copeland climbs here nearly every week but almost never uses a rope. He is part of a new and growing wave of climbers who ignore the towering granite walls and focus their energies on the hundreds of boulders spread throughout the valley.
"People climb boulders to try the hardest movements on rock that they can do," Copeland says. "It's about believing. If you believe you can hold the hold, you will. If you don't, you won't."
Bouldering, as the sport has become known, is perhaps the fastest-growing sport in Yosemite. Once considered a diversion between big climbs, it has evolved into its own branch of climbing.
The use of ropes while bouldering is frowned upon. Instead, climbers protect themselves from falls with spotters (friends who remain on the ground) and crash pads.
"Bouldering was always taken seriously, but it was something people did for training," says Austin Archer, a climber who works at the Yosemite Mountain Shop in Curry Village. "In the last five or six years, it's taken on a style of its own."
Just as routes on El Capitan and Half Dome have become celebrated throughout the world, so have a handful of Yosemite boulders.
Midnight Lightning, located on the massive Columbia Boulder in the center of Camp 4, is arguably the world's most famous boulder problem. It is considered a rite of passage.
"You've got people flying halfway around the world for a 20-foot boulder," says Fresno climber Kevin Friesen, who recently hosted a group of friends from Spain. "It's crazy."
Aside from the challenge of executing difficult moves on short climbs, bouldering devotees appreciate the convenience.
A typical three-pitch climb requires not only rope and protective gear but also willing partners. Then there's the matter of hauling food and water up a vertical wall.
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Yasuda stretches his chalk-covered hands and wrists before climbing. Craig Kohlruss / The Fresno Bee |
Bouldering is much less of a hassle, Friesen says: "You need climbing shoes and a chalk bag, and that's it."
Most climbers also bring foam crash pads, arranged to prevent messy landings atop sharp rocks or tree limbs that protrude from the ground.
Among the throngs of tourists who visit Yosemite, crash pads are a constant object of curiosity.
"At least once or twice a week in the shop, someone will be like, 'What's this thing for?' " Archer says.
Climbers disagree over the safety of bouldering versus roped climbing. While some insist bouldering involves less risk, the Yosemite Mountaineering School does not offer bouldering classes because falls cannot be protected.
As the number of people climbing boulders increases, so too do concerns about the damage they can do to the ecosystems that surround these rocks.
For example, a cedar tree growing beside Midnight Lightning is notched with steps cut from an axe, allowing easy access to the top. On Battle of the Bulge, someone has used a chisel to carve out a small foothold.
"Climbers who go to the mountains a lot by and large respect the environment," Archer says. "But people nowadays that strictly boulder, a lot of them come from climbing gyms in the cities. I don't think a lot of those people think about the negative impacts as much."
After a couple turns each on Battle of the Bulge, Copeland and his climbing partner, Fresno State exchange student Atsushi Yasuda, head into the woods to establish first ascents on unclimbed and more difficult boulders.
"You can train for months to do one problem," Copeland says. "During that time you've driven 3,000 miles and spent $800 on gas, and at home it's all you think about. It's addictive."
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