If you are looking for a new project at Flag, this might be your ticket. This rarely repeated problem involves climbing a complete loop around the Beer Barrel boulder. Start on the underclings on the south east side and traverse clockwise, finishing on a hard crux on the north east side.  It's helpful to have someone block for you as you pass the crowds on the other problems.

The Beer Barrel Loop

East Slab aka The Downclimb

South Face

West Face Traverse

No Name

Nuclear Arms SDS

Southwest Prow

Beer Belly aka Beached Whale?

Double Clutch

Poling Pebble

Nuclear Arms

This requires a keen focus on footwork, but otherwise it is not difficult.

Start just left of

Polling Pebble

, and use good edges to move straight up and over the separated "boulder" at the top. This is a good warm-up and a lot of fun, too.

This uses a crimpy sequential traverse that skirts the west face on the obvious flake system. Finish it by either going back (V4) or continuing up the southwest prow. It is a good problem, and a pad is nice for the crux.

Post break beta:

https://youtu.be/jI4133RNdm4

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Just to the right of

Double Clutch

, in the middle of the West Face, climb the nice chocolate edges into the small (really small) left-facing corner, and exit straight up. I think I did this the first time in 2001. Maybe Pat Ament did it in '67 in penny loafers. Who knows?

Just to the right is an old Chris Jones problem (that is just left of Southwest Corner). This old B2 (?) has lost a left starting edge and is now a little harder. Does anyone know the name of this problem? Maybe P.A. did it in '67 in penny loafers also. Who knows?

Nuclear Arms SDS is a variation that prepends a handful of awesome moves, including the crux of the Beer Barrel Traverse, into

Nuclear Arms

(aka Northeast Mantel). Sit start at the base of

West Face Traverse

with a good, left hand crimp and right hand razor, and climb left over a chasm. Stack a tree across the chasm for a better landing.  Cold temps help.

original beta:

https://youtu.be/exiKa1TLV4c?t=462

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Alt beta:

This is the obvious, classic, jug haul up the southwest arete of the Beer Barrel. There is a fun V0 face to the right under The Balanced Rock.

To the right of

Poling Pebble

is a V4 that starts off two slopers to a left hand sharp crimp and thruches onto the face.  Beached Whale aka Beer Belly adds extra value by sit starting in some sloping underclings and moving into this problem, a little contrived.

On the northwest corner of Beer Barrel rock. Grab the big jug rail, step your feet high, and huck for the broken/slopey jug below the lip.  A good edge for your left hand helps pull you over the top.  Doing it without a rope seems a little on the burly side.

This seemed like a cool addition to the site, especially after seeing Paul Glover do it ropeless in Front Range Freaks.  Anyone know if this has been flashed and by whom?  Also, who did the FA?

This is a really fun problem on the southeast arete of Beer Barrel Boulder.  Start with the left hand down low and the right hand on a pinch on the left-angling arete/sloper system.  Grap a sharp crimp left of the pinch (where the enigmatic pebble used to be) and make some hard thrutching moves over the bulge on slopers.

People either find this problem easy or hard,

i.e.

I've seen some very good boulderers have problems on it.

This great problems starts where the west side traverse ends. Work across several moves on the north side with so-so feet until you get to two edges on the north east lip of the slab. From here, make some big and insecure moves on slopers. It is very fun and tricky and one of my personal favorites at Flag!

Description

Protection

Routes in Beer Barrel Boulder