Routesetting Crew Joe’s Valley Trip
Things are finally starting to quiet down around here for the routesetting crew. The post-Psychedelia dust is settled and we’ve resumed our normal stripping/setting schedule after spending the past few weeks filling in around the competition climbs, replacing the novelty holds, and peeling tape art. Frankly, we’ve been exhausted. The competition season is tough and demanding on the body. For Psychedelia alone we set, stripped, and climbed for almost 36 hours in the three days leading up to the day of the comp itself. Then after a weekend off, came back for a consecutive three-day fill in. So, with the hard part of the season behind us, we decided that there was no better way to celebrate than with a Spot Routesetting crew trip to Joe’s Valley, Utah. As if our fingers weren’t beat up enough…
Routesetting is an awesome job. Creating an overlap between passion and career is something I imagine everyone searches for and we’ve all been lucky enough to find a small piece of that as routesetters. Nonethless, it’s still a job. And every now and then it’s nice to put the plastic down, head outdoors, and remind ourselves why we love this sport.
For anyone who has never been to or even heard of Joe’s Valley, it’s one of the premier bouldering destinations in the country. Textured sandstone boulders line the valley’s hillsides, most of which are a literal stone’s throw from the car. Hundreds of boulders, short approaches, and primarily flat landings make Joe’s a bouldering mecca.
The trip served as a getaway, some team building amongst ourselves, and most importantly finding inspiration in movement that nature set for us, so we could that back to our gym and our climbs!
Here are some photos of the more memorable moments of the trip.
Anders cruised the massive Buoux crack.
Jesse had other plans.
And check this out! The left-hand start to the boulder ‘Bowling Ball’ in the Buoux Area of Right Fork has an eerily similar shape to our bear claw hold from the eGrips limestone pocket series. The nature of this hold means it generally finds a home on the harder boulders in the gym. Keep your eye out for the next time you see it on the wall!
A big shout out to Anders Rasker for capturing all the awesome climbing moments. He also got a couple great shots of our humble campsite and evening fire with the beautiful desert sky backdrop.
It’s nice to have made it outside for a weekend before winter found its way to Joe’s. If you’re looking for a place for your next outdoor bouldering trip Joe’s Valley is highly recommended. There’s a slew of high-concentration boulders in every grade range with virtually no approach and easy camping. There isn’t much more an avid boulderer could ask for.
We’re happy to be home and eager to fill our walls with quality boulders to keep you in shape physically and mentally over the winter season! Between the crew, we have easily accumulated dozens if not hundreds of visits to this bouldering mecca so if you see us setting and have questions about camping beta or our favorite boulders please don’t hesitate to ask!
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