PhysiVantage Crushers Meetup in Lander WY!

This June, PhysiVantage athletes Jonathan “J-Star” Siegrist, Cameron and Jonathan Hörst, and Tyler Thompson converged on one of the hardest crags in the United States—Wolf Point, located about an hour outside of Lander, Wyoming.

Of the crew, only J-Star had climbed there before, having been part of the original development team in 2013 and returning a few years later. But with a surge of hard new lines and motivated locals, there was plenty for him—and everyone else—to come back for.

For Cam, Jon, and Tyler, it was uncharted territory. Despite having climbed nearly everywhere across the country, they’d never made the trek to Wolf Point.

The crag itself is a 120-foot cave peppered with pockets and demanding a rare blend of power, endurance, and all-around fitness. Its remote location—a 90-plus-minute drive/hike from Lander, including a sunny 1.5-mile approach down and back up a big valley—means it doesn’t see as much action as it deserves. Add to that a short season: snow blocks access into spring, while rapidly rising temperatures in summer limit climbing to June, despite the crag’s 7,500-foot elevation.

Still, with shared psych, the team set out in search of anchors to clip. J-Star returned to try the area’s hardest lines—several 5.14d and 5.15a routes—while Cameron eyed a few specific testpieces. Tyler and Jonathan balanced hard projecting with mileage on the classics.

Despite fickle conditions and the reality of one-day-on, one-day-off pacing, the trip was a success across the board. As always, there’s more left to do—but that’s what keeps everyone coming back.

INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCES

WITH JONATHAN SIEGRIST
“I’m cooking along here in Wyoming—it’s been an awesome summer so far. June was a great month for me. I climbed a handful of hard routes at Wolf Point, which was the main objective. Camping has been all-time, the crew was great, and the typical amazing summer vibes in Lander made it special.”

J-Star’s Ticklist:

• Hard Twisted (5.15a)

• Lion’s Share (5.14d)

• The Hunted (5.14d)

• Show Your Teeth (5.14d)

WITH JONATHAN HORST
“I’ve spent many summers climbing at Wild Iris, but I’d never ventured out to Wolf Point—between the limited season and school, it just hadn’t lined up. This year, Cam and I finally decided to check it out, and I fell in love with the place right away. It’s about as close to my style as it gets: not super steep, tons of pockets, big moves, and sustained power climbing.

Even though I wasn’t in peak shape after months of big-wall climbing and new route development, I got fired up on a bunch of incredible lines. Two of the best routes I did were Okami, Wolf It Down, and Kill ’em All (all 5.14b). I also managed a last-day send of Untwisted (5.14c).

I’m already looking forward to returning and trying some of the higher-end climbs once I’m back in top sport-climbing form.”

Photos of J-Star (top) and Jon Horst (above), courtesy of Nate Liles.

WITH CAMERON HORST
“A couple of weeks ago, I decided on a spontaneous trip to Lander to climb at Wolf Point for the first time. My brother Jon was already in town, fully psyched to siege the crag for the rest of the season. It’s wild to think we’ve been climbing in the Lander area since we were kids but had never made the effort to explore Wolf Point—until now.

When I first walked up to the cliff, Lion’s Share (5.14d) immediately caught my eye—it’s the centerpiece of the wall. After just a few sessions, I managed to ‘tickle the send,’ falling on the exit moves of the final crux. I thought I’d finish it on my next go, but had to be patient—respecting the route and waiting for better skin and conditions. But I soon thereafter closed the deal on the route! And now, as the summer heat is building, I'm making great progress on another 5.14d -- with a little luck I can clip the chains before the heat makes climbing impossible here at the Point.

It’s been super fun and inspiring to hang at the cliff with the Lander crew, along with climbers like Jonathan Siegrist and Tyler Thompson. Historically, I haven’t climbed much with either of them—our paths as pro climbers have taken us to different crags and goals.

Climbing with J-Star has been especially educational. He takes a tactical, thoughtful approach to high-end projecting, which I find fascinating to watch and learn from. I’ve already started applying a few key lessons to my own process. It’s rad to see his method in action—especially because he almost always leaves with a stacked ticklist.”

WITH TYLER THOMPSON
“I had a great time in Lander this summer, enjoying the incredible limestone. Wolf Point is packed with hard routes and has been on my list for a long time. Big thanks to BJ Tilden for all the effort to develop such a world-class wall.

I was psyched to put down one of the best lines, Lion’s Share (5.14d). It was an awesome experience to send it with Jonathan Siegrist on the other end of the rope—such a strong crew to share it with!”