Hardest mantle in the USA?

Discussion Topic

Return to Forum List

This thread has been locked

Messages 1 - 20 of total 171 in this topic

<< First | < Previous | Show All | Next > | Last >>

bachar

Trad climber

Mammoth Lakes, CA

Topic Author's Original Post - Feb 22, 2007 - 01:27am PT

I know you're gonna think I've lost my mind but doesn't anybody mantle anymore?

What ever happened to the "mantle specialist"? You remember those guys - they couldn't climb worth beans but damn could they mantle...

Is it a lost art?

Post some pics if any exist!

Russ Walling

Social climber

Out on the sand.... man.....

Feb 22, 2007 - 01:30am PT

Shawn Curtis.... mantle king....

I have seen pics... Tarbuster I think has them.

Hardest Mantle: hmmmmm...... one of them camp 4 things just off the trail... no idea on the name. Or was it Swan Slab.....? seen tons of shiit hot climbers flail on the Stem Gem mantle.

bvb

Social climber

flagstaff arizona

Feb 22, 2007 - 01:37am PT

"death vomit", f.a. rick allenby, mt.woodson.

uNrepeated.

wooDSon B1++.

climber

East of Seattle

Feb 22, 2007 - 01:40am PT

Mountain Room Bar - "hood" thingy? More yoga for me...

bachar

Trad climber

Mammoth Lakes, CA

Topic Author's Reply - Feb 22, 2007 - 01:42am PT

Yeah, I haven't seen any of the newest testpieces out there but the "Stem Gem" mantle has to be up there - even though it's only 12a old school.

"Purple Barrel" near Curry Village is pretty stout as well (12a).

That one below the "Wineglass Traverse" is pretty stout as well (Camp 4, 12a).

Kauk's old buddy, Tony, used to crank those things. He was like the Bay Area's version of Shawn Curtis (multiple one arm mantles = no sweat).

Death Vomit ??? hmmm..when was that one done? Didn't Shawn Curtis have some badass mantles down at Woodson?

bvb

Social climber

flagstaff arizona

Feb 22, 2007 - 01:48am PT

john -- woodson has a whole slew of sick mantles from the mid-80's.

rick allenby --semi-pro arm wrestler -- did the sickest of 'em.

"death vomit" -- his opus -- is still unrepeated, 20 years later.

dude was SWOLE.

Russ Walling

Social climber

Out on the sand.... man.....

Feb 22, 2007 - 01:49am PT

hahaha! I've done the Mt. Room bar hood mantle.... trick is to find those two little divots and then spit on your forearm, to make it extra sticky or clean or whatever.... then claw on up there.... Mucho hard. Back when the Cliff Room was that whole area you could work on it without security getting on your case.

Done the Purple Barrel, but have never done the Stem Gem mantle, but I've only tried it 2000 times. Used to watch Lechlinski do it like 4 or five times in a row while coaching me... damn, he could press it out!

The Nicopress (or was it Smoke Detector?) out at Josh is pretty darn hard too.....

Press it out edit: Isn't "pebble without a cause" some sort of jingus mantle too???

Bruce Morris

Social climber

Belmont, California

Feb 22, 2007 - 01:52am PT

"Butterfly Mantle" (V7), the Beak, Castle Rock State Park? FA: Rick Reider, late 70s.

"Planet Caravan", original way, V9, back side of Goat Rock, Castle Rock SP. FA: Jeremy Meigs, middle 90s.

Ed Hartouni

Trad climber

Livermore, CA

Feb 22, 2007 - 01:53am PT

when I looked up "swole" I found this picture...

climber

East of Seattle

Feb 22, 2007 - 01:56am PT

Creepy. Why mantle when you can crush the rock and walk over it.

WBraun

climber

Feb 22, 2007 - 01:58am PT

There is one here in the Valley behind C4. Dale bard is the only ascent ever. This mantle has no name.

Mighty Hiker

Social climber

Vancouver, B.C.

Feb 22, 2007 - 02:05am PT

Squamish is known for its slopers, so there's probably some horrible mantles amongst its boulders. I don't boulder much, so can't say more. Of course, it isn't in the U.S.A....

Dick Cilley had the fireplace mantle wired, pre-bar days.

Someone authoritative once commented about the bouldering near Camp 4 as being almost entirely mantles, most of which were of little relevance to training for Valley climbs.

bachar

Trad climber

Mammoth Lakes, CA

Topic Author's Reply - Feb 22, 2007 - 02:09am PT

All right, we'll include Canada....and Mexico too, what the hell.

Loomis

climber

Blava nie, ty kokot!

Feb 22, 2007 - 02:51am PT

Have done the "Stem Gem" mantle over 20 times, way hard press!
This thing I found on a trip to the wind rivers ( around 19 years old ) seemed much harder.
"Butterfly" mantles place strange forces on the body, felt like my shoulders would pop out of socket after placing my arms straight to finish the problem.

Edit: The secret to the Mt. room bar mantle. Wash your hands with cold water before and wipe the edge with a bar napkin. But that was long ago...

Edit2: Perhaps the hardest mantle in the US is to do the "Stem Gem" mantle " Meg Mets" style? ( for those who know )

HighDesertDJ

Trad climber

Arid-zona

Feb 22, 2007 - 03:12am PT

Which aspect of the Stem Gem does one mantle? I'm assuming we aren't talking about the actual Stem Gem problem but some contrivance of it?

Lambone

Ice climber

Ashland, Or

Feb 22, 2007 - 03:14am PT

whoa! WTF!?

Loomis

climber

Blava nie, ty kokot!

Feb 22, 2007 - 03:18am PT

High Desert: One mantles the sloping dish to the right, that you finish the "Stem Gem" from.

James

climber

A tent in the redwoods

Feb 22, 2007 - 03:19am PT

The hardest mantle ain't in Squamish though Tim's Sloper problem is kinda burly. I'd have to say that some of the US's hardest mantle problems are out in Castle Rock. There's a couple that even Joe- a Castle Rock king who can invert his elbows- hasn't managed to send. Think double digit mantles.