HOBBLE COBBLE BOULDER: a great little block for castlewood standards... just beyond the parking for the Font Area, there is a trail that cuts up to the cliffline marked "Cave Trail". Park opposite the trailhead and take it uphill to the cliffline, always trending up at any split-offs. once at the cliff line, turn left and walk about 40 yards, passing under Tunnel Block in the process. Save for the margins of the well-trodden, established trail, this is an ivy-free approach and good for a quick session.
All variations on the Hobble Cobble boulder start sitting on an obvoius hueco. Over the winter of 2006, runoff removed additional dirt from the landing allowing a lower, but awkward start from a lower hueco. Adding this lower start to the problems adds a bit of difficulty but not a grade.
1. Hobble Direct*** v6ish - from the sit, bust to the lip of the arete, then tension directly up on sloping holds.
2. Hobble Cobble*** v7ish - the original. from the sit, gain the lip of the arete then follow it through poor left hand slaps until gaining the right corner, switch directions and top out.
3. Early and Often*** v9ish - sit start and bust out through the steep roof to the far side of the boulder, slap that arete until you can gain the lip of the slab, then top out directly. there are a few edges that can break on this one, but they resisted marcelo montalva on the FA and remain yet.
4. Hobble Extension* v8/9ish? - do hobble cobble but continue around the upper corner with funky high tension, top out as for Early and Often.
TUNNEL BLOCK
1. Willis* v5ish? - start in the center of the main slab with crazy awkward, Will Lemaire-like, highstepping action to climb up and slightly right to exit.
2. The Slither Fox Method** v5ish? - start somewhat matched on the right arete just over head height, tension to dualing sloping sidepulls and up... don't dab on cliff behind you or smash your head! [this one was named after a Lemaire-coined term of climbing smooth and sketchy, though i believe the full term is slither-fox-cobra-strike-method, where one lurks and eases up part of a balancy desparate move, then strikes dynamically right before the shoes or fingers pop off].
