Alex Johnson sends Diaphanous Sea!

On a short (5 day) trip to Hueco Alex Johnson made the first female ascent of Diaphanous Sea. Alex did the famous v12 in only two days of effort, and may have done it on her first day if she'd had better beta. She also made short work of Power of Silence (a notoriously difficult v10), and Dirty Martini on the Rocks (V12/10), climbed New Religion (v7) second go after a stupid foot move on the first, and flashed two classic and scary highball v6s--See Spot Run and Mettle Detector.

 

 

In other Hueco news, Jackie Hueftle made the second female ascent of The Butterpumper on East Mountain. The Butterpumper was originally given V12, but since the kneebar was discovered it has generally been considered to be easier (though a consensus has not yet been reached as to the grade). With excellent beta from Hueco strong woman Melissa Strong, Jackie climbed it in a little over an hour. Three days later she went back and repeated it from a slightly lower start, putting the knee in after she pulled off the ground, instead of before. Jackie also put up a new problem in the Maiden Gully on East Mountain called Consuela that is probably v5-v7. 

 

	Thomasina Pidgeon hucking another lap on Barefoot. Photo courtesy of Jackie Hueftle

The Butterpumper was first climbed by a woman last season by Thomasina Pidgeon, who is still climbing strong, having repeated Barefoot on Sacred Ground more than 6 times in a bid to top it out (but down climbing every time) (according to the guidebook you can drop off after the jug). Thomasina is a perfectionist, and her repeated sends of Barefoot look effortless. This season she has also done Chablanke (v11) and Big Iron on His Hip (v7).

 

 

On several short trips Flagstaff local Jill Church continued her bid to climb every problem in Hueco, with a flash of Assisted Living (v8), and ticks of 5 other v8s as well as sends of Glas Roof, PFOS, and Kim with a Bathtub in her Head (all v9) and Swiss Crisp Mix, Burden of the Beast, and Eckstein (all v10).

 

In early December Kasia Pietras climbed a small handful of v7s and v8s and finished off Black Mamba (v9/10). Her traveling partner, young Chicagoan Isabelle Faus, climbed many problems as well including a flash of Daily Dick Dose (v7), and sends of Mr. Serious (v8), Better Eat Your Wheaties (v8/9), Purple Flowers (v10) and Chablanke (v11).

 

Abbey Smith also had a nice season, with, among other sends, FFA's of several new classics including Jason Kehl's Bloodline (v7-9?)(Video HERE), Dark Sillhouette (v8), No Quarter (v8) and the committing Whispers of Mortality (v10) (videos HERE).

Visiting Slovenian World Cup climber Katja Vidmar has done Dragonfly low (v9), The Egg (hard v8), Choir Boys Light (v7), Daily Dick Dose(v7), and No Wonder (v7), and flashed See Spot Run (v6).

 

 

And finally, despite a lingering early season finger injury that severely limits what she can try, Vanessa Compton has climbed quite well and has managed to climb many classic v7 and v8 boulders, including Babyface, Speedbump, Sex After Death, Stegasaur, Assisted Living, The Long Haul and Je Suis Wedge (the last two of which she did on the same day).