FrictionLabs Athlete Nick Chavis climbs Daniel Woods' Dark Waters, V13/8B.

FrictionLabs Athlete Nick Chavis climbs Daniel Woods’ Dark Waters, V13/8B drops you into Clear Creek Canyon for a quick, punchy look at one of Colorado’s most talked-about granite testpieces. In under three minutes, you’ll see Chavis settle into the process—dialing movement, building confidence, and chasing the kind of precision bouldering that made Dark Waters a benchmark line in the first place. What makes this worth your time is how much story is packed into such a short film: the route’s history, the lingering grade debates, and the simple truth that the climb still demands commitment no matter what number you put on it. It’s a satisfying watch for anyone who loves hard bouldering—real attempts, real effort, and the payoff of a clean send on a modern classic.

FrictionLabs · 2:56

Years ago (circa 2005), a young Daniel Woods established the Clear Creek granite test-piece Dark Waters giving it a solid V13/8B. A few ascents, ego battles, and questionable starts later, the boulder was abruptly declared V12/8A+. Thanks to time and the maturing of said egos, etc, consensus has once again brought DW back to V13/8B. In the end, the grade is irrelevant and Dark Waters still stands as an impressive tick for any boulderer looking to trav their way to the redpoint-crux-glory-dyno. Here FrictionLabs Athlete, Nick Chavis puts in the work and gets it done. Strong work Nick! Video: Nick Chavis and pup. Nick's go-to FL Blend? Secret Stuff + Gorilla Grip (med chunk) #chalkupless #climbmore #frictionlabs