The Island-Banner 1,000

A wild off-trail Boulder scampering adventure on Wednesday July 7th, 2021.

This is the top, the proving ground of the professional Boulder Scampering world. Only the elites get to test their mettle on this high alpine, high octane course where lake meets rock meets sky meets the universe! I have been doing really well on the scampering circuit this season, so I was very lucky to be invited. Which is great because the big show happens right around my birthday every year (great timing).

It really is something out of a madman’s Mario Kart 64 dreamland, set with the backdrop of the incredible island seascape of the aptly named “1,000 island lake.”

You will really get a tropical feel up here in the mountains, almost like a beach day cruise - buckle up I hope you packed your aloha shirt. 1,000 islands they say! Back in the old days, when Johnny Muir and the white pioneers first scrambled around up here there were only 999 islands, but rising temps caused rising tides and we are blessed with ever more rocky landforms.

The water is still cool but we are all here for the 1,000 boulders.

I have been doing really well on the scampering circuit this season, so I was very lucky to be invited. Which is great because the big show happens right around my birthday every year (great timing).

This is a challenging course right out of the gate because of the aforementioned island lake. One might not realize but the rocky islands dotting the Caribbean blue waters don’t just stay in their water beachside locale, but they grow and continue their way up the mountainside, forming far more islands of rock to jump and scamper to. A true “scamper paradise”, but as it stands the lower lakeside starting zone is fairly separated by lush grassy vegetation, a real challenge to come through hopping and leaping for extended Boulder jumps.

It’s fun because it forces you to follow the path of the rocks from the lake, which is really erosion, which is like going backwards in time, to where they all came from. Like actually waking back in time with the water, following the flow back up to the source, the rocks showing a trace of where it was and where it will be again. There is no stopping the water (aside from the aforementioned pending climate catastrophe).

My strategy to follow the trail to the very end and start there with a bit of a jump into the course proved to be not necessarily the most solid, and did in fact involve a good bit of “jumping”.

Some tough and questionable moves, but I think the IBSF (International Boulder Scampering Federation) would allow stepping on some small gravel spots between larger boulders in order to progress to the bigger guys up the hill. It’s just very important to the official rules to stay on track and really leave no footprints down there, you’re really disqualified if you manage to crush or mangle a delicate red Indian paintbrush or maybe accidentally tackle a blue lupin bush. Maybe on the way down I will hang a bit higher to the left on the rocky hill before dropping back down into camp.

A message from the IBSF:

Importantly, if you are trying out scampering for the first time and want to make sure you are doing this right, please take the time to get the education and proper training. A guide can be the best way to learn the right way to scamper, and can really bring you to some of the best and otherwise inaccessible terrain.

If you are asking yourself “am I really leaving no trace here?” Or “this is starting to feel scary, should I be roped up in a harness?!” Then you might be entering some terrain that is too high consequence. Remember, safety is our highest priority here at IBSF, and we only recommend lines that limit exposure and risk, please take a course before going out there after the pros! This really is a sport for everyone, but don’t get in over your head.

The focus here is on finding out of this world boulders and answering age-old questions such as “how the heck did that massive thing get all the way down here!?” Or “what even? Is that really one half-rock smooshed deep into the side that other one somehow sticking out of that cliff wall?”

An Boulder Scamp is more like an artist, and asks “where can you get if you remove the objectives?”

If you get too attached to your objective, that’s where the danger can arise out here. Weather conditions can suddenly change, or time can get away from you, or your group could have a change of heart. It’s good to have a free-flowing idea of what could happen, and be prepared to be flexible!

Another disclaimer:

But seriously folks, breaking the 4th wall for a moment, with all due respect this is serious terrain I find myself scampering around in. I do not mean to make light of the inherent dangers and conditions of high alpine travel. There is a good deal of risk analysis and conservative tolerance that goes into my decision making to keep it mellow, meaning relatively low angle, not too loose, and avoid any exposure to falls over 12ft. I do have 10 years of experience in mountain travel specifically in the Sierra in all seasons, with my wilderness first aid course and AIARE 2 avalanche training. I have been in the best and absolute worst of conditions and the weather up here should not be take lightly! That being said, overconfidence and over-extending oneself are the biggest danger out here! Keep it humble and make sure you are educated to understand the risk you are actually taking and still build in a tolerance. In the summer, lightning or rockfall can happen without much warning, and it’s easy to get lost without enough water or supplies.

Getting in over your head can be immediately disastrous.

I also want to give respect to real climbers, it’s a difficult and intense but rewarding sport!

I saved my favorite Pano’s for last, right up until my phone finally died:

And if you’re still here, it really was my Birthday July 8th! (or I chose to celebrate here on the Day before). Every year that Burning Man lady Crimson Rose reaches out on Facebook wishing me to “Have a Flamin’ Hot Birthday!” Well I might’ve gone a bit nuts but this year I really truly did! (thanks in part to my recent flamin’ hot Cheeto addiction)