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Location: CO : Boulder : Flatirons : North : Third Flatiron : Direct West Face a/k/a West... (5.11b)
By: jack roberts When: Oct 23, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Dougald and I did this route today and we confirm the 4star quality rating. This is the best route that has been placed since the bolt ban went into effect. A climb which has tremendous exposure, exceptional rock quality and combines sustained fingery and balance climbing with the occasional thuggish move. We broke this up into two pitches. A #3 and #2 Camalot would be perfect for the belay.
Thanks to all the first ascentionists for doing such a fine job.
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Location: CO : Alpine Rock : RMNP - Rock : Glacier Gorge : Spearhead : Spear Me the Details (5.11d)
By: jack roberts When: Sep 11, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Paul Gagner and I did this route yesterday (Sept.10, 2009) and were grateful for the hard work that Eli put in replacing the crux pitons and putting in BIG new bolts. Makes the route much safer than the older bolts.
This route can easily be done in five 60m pitches. We had a 70m rope and probably, had we not forgotten most of our slings and left them at home, could have done it in four pitches. AN AWESOME ROUTE!!!
The walk off down the East Ledges descent route was very quick....
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Location: CO : CO Ice & Mixed : RMNP - Mixed/Ice : Glacier Gorge : Black Lake - West Gully (WI4)
By: jack roberts When: Nov 18, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: Went up again to All-Mixed-Up today (Nov. 18) and BOY! has it changed up there in the past two days. Lots of melting and not much freezing. A lot of the ice that was there a week ago has disappeared and not even left a wet spot it is so warm.
AMU itself is still standing but just barely. If you go up, take more rock gear than usual. We got in a few good screws but the ice on the overlaps is just about history. The approach is easier as a result of all the melting.
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Location: CO : CO Ice & Mixed : RMNP - Mixed/Ice : Odessa Gorge : Notchtop & vicinity
By: jack roberts When: Nov 16, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: Just for people's information.
A friend and I went and climbed the NE Face of Notch-Top yesterday (saturday, Nov. 15) and found it in a very climbable condition.
The lower snow basin condition seemed very stable and firm all the way down to the rock. The snow has been POUNDED by the wind so we didn't sink in further than ankle deep. It felt very safe.
The ice on the first band is for sure the crux and is interesting mixed climbing sparsely protected with medium and small cams. The middle s... more >>
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Location: CO : CO Ice & Mixed : Hoosier Pass/Lincoln Fall
By: jack roberts When: Nov 13, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: As of today (November 13, 2008) I've updated the ice report on my website, www.jackrobertsclimbing.com. Sorry it took me so long.
I'll be quicker to react from now on.
IF anyone has ideas, suggestions or updates please let me know so I can keep this report current and informative.
Thanks.
JACK
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : The West Ridge : West Ridge - Verschneidung ... : Water Line (5.11a)
By: jack roberts When: Oct 5, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: Did this route today. It looks like it needs a good scrubbing, and probably it would help the route quality by at least one star if it was a bit cleaner; however, it has some very good moves on it and the pro is very good up until the bolt after the bolt there really isn't any protection but the climbing (if you go right just after the bolt) kicks wayyyyy back to easy 5th. Maybe more like 5.10d than 5.11a. Go left and the climbing is more scruffy and harder.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : Redgarden Wall : Redgarden - Tower One : Alice in Bucketland (5.8+ R)
By: jack roberts When: Jun 14, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: Buzz,
I think you've been climbing in the gym too much. This route is no more difficult that 5.8, even by today's standards. Maybe you are making the entry move from the roof onto the face above in a difficult place but grading this climb 5.9 is way off.
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Location: CO : Proposed Mountain Bike Trai...
By: jack roberts When: Apr 22, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: I vote NO.
The newly established mountain bike trail by Doudy Draw is a total wreck.
I've been using this trail for over 15 years as a hiker and most hikers and equestrians have always backed-off from using it when it was too wet, muddy and in such a state where the erosion that would be caused outweighed the recreational fun to be had. Not so with mountain bikers.
It seems that the muddier the trail the greater the number of bikers that need to ride the trail regardless of the erosion caused.... more >>
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Location: CO : CO Ice & Mixed
By: jack roberts When: Mar 3, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: CONDITION REPORT:
For those lost souls like myself who just must climb ice until the end.
I'm in Telluride at the moment and this is what I know.
Silver Pick is IN at WI4 and looking good. We punched a trail in.
Coronet is gone, gone, gone.
Bridalveil is looking fat and there is so much snow at the bottom the first pitch is practically buried.
Ames Ice Hose is totally in shape. Again, the first pitch is really buried under snow from above but the rest of the climb is in thick shape.
Gravity... more >>
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Location: CO : CO Ice & Mixed : Vail Ice : Rigid Designator Amphitheat... : The Fang (WI5)
By: jack roberts When: Feb 10, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: For those who are interested. As of yesterday, Feb. 9, 2008 ice conditions in Vail are very good. The Fang is thick and getting climbed at solid WI5. The Seventh Tentacle is thick and totally connected from the ground up. The RD is chopped-out and beat-up. Many of the other routes such as Octopussy, Somnambulist, Resurrection are also in good shape. Booth Creek is looking good with a boot path already beaten-in.
I'll update the conditions pagge on my site later today. I know, I've been a... more >>
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Location: CO : CO Ice & Mixed
By: jack roberts When: Dec 5, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: I've just received word that the Rigid Designator has touched down. It probably will take a couple of days for it to be truly solid for leading but at least it is touching and connecting. There is also good ice to be climbed in Clear Creek. I've been out of the country this past five weeks and will continue to be gone until just around Christmas time.
I apologize for neglecting my ice conditions page but I'll try and keep it up-to-date while I'm gone.
cheers,
Jack Roberts
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : Cadillac Crag : The Untitled (5.12a)
By: jack roberts When: Oct 20, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: Funny that I have never checked out this thread before, but here is Bret's and my version of what occurred that day. Bret contacted me the previous day about coming up to Cadillac Crag to climb what has now been called either Fuzzy Dice or Untitled. I agreed. We wanted to try and drill the route on the lead, ground up. As far as Bret (or I) knew, no one else had ever been on this route before although we knew that Richard had been checking out various lines in the area. To the best of our k... more >>
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : The West Ridge : West Ridge - Pony Express t... : Chick on the Side (5.10b/c)
By: jack roberts When: Oct 19, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: I managed to do the opening moves to the first jug statically, but it was awkward and I had to stem out left and under the overlap. I agree with the sharp and crimpy hold business, but I think 10b is a fair grade. This isn't Boulder Canyon. The tree needs to be trimmed at the top! Protection is good and the moves are interesting.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : The West Ridge : West Ridge - Pony Express t... : Bloke On The Side (5.9+ R)
By: jack roberts When: Oct 19, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: I found the gear and protection to be fine on both pitches. The rock quality could be a bit better, but overall it's fine.
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Location: CO : South Platte : Buffalo Creek : Little Scraggy Dome : Two Jews Blues (5.10a)
By: jack roberts When: Sep 20, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: I did this route yesterday and it felt no harder than 5.10a/b. The climbing is mainly sustained 5.9 with one, maybe two cruxes but there are a couple of different ways to climb around those depending on the usual variables........flexibility, finger strength, height etc. Nevertheless, fine classic Platte slab climbing!!
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Tonnere Tower
By: jack roberts When: Sep 12, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: I was trolling up and down Boulder Canyon today looking at rock which has yet to be developed or probably even climbed, and it reminded me that in order to put up new trad routes around here one would have to be willing to put in a lot of work. Much of the remaining rock is dirty, the cracks may not be that great for protection, bushwacking of course to the base of the climb and maybe not climbing really hard grades. Of course, most of us put up first ascents in the first place mainly for adve... more >>
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Tonnere Tower
By: jack roberts When: Sep 12, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: Why aren't more trad lines going up? There is plenty of new rock to be climbed in Boulder Canyon but it seems that most of the new routes are sport. Is it because the majority of climbers that are getting into rock climbing these days are sport climbers and sport climbers are mainly only interested in the physical aspect of climbing, not in the mental stress that comes with placing gear? Trad climbers seem pretty complacent when it comes to first ascents in BC. I've recently done a couple o... more >>
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Location: CO : Alpine Rock : Quandary Peak : Inwood Arete (5.4 R)
By: jack roberts When: Aug 21, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: Did this route about three weeks ago with two friends and we all thought it was a "CLASSIC" alpine ridge. The 5.7 direct start is easy for its grade, and if you aren't just a punter who only clips bolts in a gym, placing pro is a snap. We didn't experience any unsafe run-outs. The positions on the ridge are pretty classic. We stayed on the crest of the ridge the entire way and got sweeping vistas along the route. Going to either side of the ridge does provide less than desireable quality ro... more >>
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Tonnere Tower
By: jack roberts When: Jul 31, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: Friends and I went by this area again today and did a few climbs. I don't know which ones we did 'cause we didn't have the guide. It seems like people are helping clean up some the area at the bottom of the routes which is a good thing. Nothing seemed amiss when viewed from across the creek.
Again, the routes we did were very enjoyable. Clean with good rock. Regarding the number of bolts that protect the routes, yep there are a lot of them but no more than at Security Risk, Animal World, Bl... more >>
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Tonnere Tower
By: jack roberts When: Jul 21, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: For what it is worth, I think the climbing is pretty darn good for Boulder Canyon. A tremendous amount of effort has been put into cleaning, flossing and in general creating a cliff which is very user-friendly with routes which are fun and interesting. In a way it is even more aesthetic than before. Sure the pitches are short and the bolts on an average of 6 feet apart but if some are skipped then the run-outs become more worthy of conversation. Yep, there are lots of bolts next to cracks bu... more >>
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Location: CO : Eldorado State Park Accide...
By: jack roberts When: May 28, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: Just to continue adding to this topic. To clarify what I meant by posting on signs. What I am suggesting is simply to post accident information on existing signs where route closures, bird sightings etc are already posted. The sign at the West Face trail junction, The sign at the Rincon trail Junction with the West Ridge Trail, the sign at the bridge. To just post information when there have been accidents might be all that is necessary to inform people about what's happened. I believe that... more >>
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Location: CO : Eldorado State Park Accide...
By: jack roberts When: May 23, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: I think a sign per Crusher's suggestion is a good start.
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Location: CO : Eldorado State Park Accide...
By: jack roberts When: May 23, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: Casey,
There was a little sarcasm in my comment, but remember a few years ago when there were several accidents that occured at the crux of Calypso, when a few leaders did not have the skill to protect the crux and took bad falls into the dihedral? Not too soon after that there was a proposal to ACE to place a bolt there for the sole purpose to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. That proposal was a reaction to the accidents. Thankfully it did get voted down but not by a lot. My p... more >>
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Location: CO : Eldorado State Park Accide...
By: jack roberts When: May 23, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: I don't know. I see this as a further "dumbing-down" of the sport. The reason people get into these situations in the first place is because they assume that the anchor is set-up for lowering on one rope, assuming their rope is long enough, etc. One tag on one anchor WILL lead to more tags on other anchors. Soon we'll need tags at the bottom telling climbers that some leads might be poorly protected etc. I'm not against getting the information out there that climbers need a 60m or 70m rope ... more >>
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Location: CO : Eldorado State Park Accide...
By: jack roberts When: May 22, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: So many accidents like this can be prevented by using common sense and sometimes that only occurs to people who have been climbing outdoors for awhile and have experienced a lot of different scenarios that could have gone wrong but for some reason or other didn't. Many has been the time when I've walked past a pair of climbers who were either belaying wrong or doing something that if the leader fell both would get hurt. In one case the leader fell on the first 30 feet of Tagger, decked and got... more >>
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