This week's Friday Night Video is the classic bouldering film Best of the West. Set in Texas' Hueco Tanks, the film stars Chris Sharma, Boone Speed, Steve Maisch, GP Salvo, Jason Kehl, Mike Beck, Tim Kemple and more. A mixture of great bouldering footage, interviews, high V grades and some funny haircuts make this a fun, nostalgic watch.
It's good to see all those steep problems being done wearing slippers or mocs. Just like the hard problems which Fred Nicole opened. I wonder if the grades would have been higher back then, if they had the down toed shoes of today? I suppose being as strong as they were, it might not have made much difference but it's funny how nowadays you get people climbing way easier grades but in down toe shoes.
If anyone is thinking of a trip to Hueco (distant pipedream at the moment!) then I'd really recommend packing a rope as well as a pad - the trad routes there are absolutely outstanding, and seem to get very few ascents.
It's been a while since the last proper Scottish new routes round-up, so upon agreeing to do this year's Peter Herd was faced with the immense task of where to start and how to split it. As such, this will be the first of two articles, covering new...
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