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Location: CO : Caņon City : Shelf Road : The Gym : The Example (5.13a)
By: Joe Collins When: Sep 21, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: I'm floored by some of the comments above. Why in the world would you traverse to avoid the crux? And sharp? Welcome to Shelf. Just because this route seems to occasionally bout 5.14 climbers does not mean it is lacking in quality.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Flatirons : Central : Dinosaur Rock : Milk Bone (5.13a)
By: Joe Collins When: Sep 18, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Thanks for taking those draws down. I take my dog on a hike through here about twice a week, and those draws have been up for about a month and a half. This is an extrememly popular trail and a bunch of draws along with huge tickmarks does not show that we as climbers are a respectful user group.
I'm really thankful for all the new routes that Matt, Chris, and Ted have had a hand in up there. Turning this cliff into a Rifle-like crag in a location as public as this could get the crag closed ... more >>
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Location: CO : San Luis Valley : Penitente Canyon : Penitente - Inner Canyon : Bullet the Blue Sky (5.12c/d)
By: Joe Collins When: Mar 20, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: I agree the bolt placements on the meat of this climb are pretty high, but I think the vast majority of people will pre-hang draws by climbing the Hueco'd 5.10 to the right. As for the 2nd bolt, you are looking at either a serious groundfall if you blow the dyno, or at the very least a bad swinging fall into the arete. Unless you walk this grade in your sleep, you will most certainly want to have that one preclipped.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Mountain : Ridge 4 : Occupied Territory (5.13a)
By: Joe Collins When: Mar 2, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: A friend of mine broke the key horn that is used to clip the 5th bolt recently. The 13a grade is probably a bit more accurate now. Amazingly, I think it has actually made the route better by extending the crux section and adding a bit of excitement in getting that bolt clipped (you now have to climb past it a bit).
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Location: NM : The Tunnel : Sunny Side : Sunny Side (Right End)
By: Joe Collins When: Jan 11, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Does anybody know if Melanoma, the awesome 12d on the right has broken or not? When I last visited this crag in 2001, this high-quality route was well chalked. On a recent visit, there was no chalk and I noticed some rock scars.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Mountain : Ridge 1 : Real Men of Genius (5.11c)
By: Joe Collins When: Nov 22, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: This route feels really forced. It's too close to the far superior Fornicator, and the bolts on the crumbly finish guide you on a pretty contrived path. The block at the crux is an accident waiting to happen. You have to yard on it pretty hard, and it was noticibly shifting/flexing. The developers may want to consider removing the bolts through this section so that it follows the crux part of Fornicator.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Bell Buttress Massif : Bell Buttress - Main Crag : Freak on a Leash (5.12d)
By: Joe Collins When: Jul 29, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: Not only is this harder than many Boulder Canyon 13a's, it is most likely harder than EVERY Boulder Canyon 13a. I have heard that one local, who has sent several 5.14s, thought it was mid-5.13. Given its difficulty and severely sandbagged grade, I really wonder how many redpoints this route has actually seen. Excellent climbing though.
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Location: CO : Gunnison : Skyland Boulders : The Joint Boulder : Longshot (V8)
By: Joe Collins When: Jul 5, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: It would be great if someone could clarify the group of problems on the awesome left arete of Joint Rock. This description of "Longshot" is very different from what is described in Phil's guidebook and from the bits and pieces I've learned from folks bouldering here.
It seems to me that there are several (at least 4) obvious variations. The easiest starts from the sloping dish hold and pulls onto the left slab at the midway point... probably V3ish. Continuing up the full arete from that poin... more >>
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Location: CO : Gunnison : Skyland Boulders : Portrait of an Artist : Portrait of an Artist (V4)
By: Joe Collins When: Jul 4, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: Great problem. Glad to finally know the name. Thanks for posting. I thought V4 was right on... not sandbagged at all. As for Skyland grades being sandbagged, certainly the grades being posted on this site are sandbagged, but I've always thought the published grades or the ones told to me by locals were pretty soft.
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Location: CO : Carbondale
By: Joe Collins When: May 21, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: SKI FOUND IN CRYSTAL CHUTE, MOUNT SOPRIS
I located your ski in the upper part of the Crystal Chute the other day. Dynafit ski with an AT binding. Unfortunately, there was no way I was carrying it out with the impending mammoth bushwack back to the trailhead. I planted it straight out of the slope at the bottom of the hourglass. You should be able to see it with a good pair of binocs from HWY 133 south of Carbondale.
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Location: TX : Hueco Tanks : North Mountain : Trac II : Baby Face (V7)
By: Joe Collins When: Nov 23, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: Sure seems a shame that so many classic Hueco problems have such lame postings. No offense intended of course.
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Location: TX : Hueco Tanks : North Mountain : Trac II : Baby Face (V7)
By: Joe Collins When: Nov 22, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: Are you insane? How can this be anything but 4 stars? A Hueco Tanks top 5.
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Location: TX : Hueco Tanks : North Mountain : Mushroom Boulder : Center El Murray (V6)
By: Joe Collins When: Nov 22, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: The original poster gave this 2 stars? Ridiculous. This is another contender for best boulder problem on the planet.
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Location: TX : Hueco Tanks : East Mountain : Dragon's Den : Dragon Fly (V5)
By: Joe Collins When: Nov 22, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: 2 stars??? C'mon, this is one of the best boulder problems on the planet.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : Rincon : Rincon - L of Center Route : Freeline (5.13)
By: Joe Collins When: Oct 26, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: Free line does the boulder problem start of Surf's Up, continues up the seam of Fraid line, then traverses right at the old bolt into the crux finish of the Evictor. Have heard the grade reported as 13a or 13b. I think it was sent several years ago if I'm not mistaken.
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Location: CO : Caņon City : Shelf Road : The Gym : Pulley Mammoth (5.11+)
By: Joe Collins When: Oct 15, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: Dirty, chossy, and caked in mud. The upper half, however, is quite good and redeems this from "bomb" status.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Flatirons : South : Fern Canyon : ... : Fluorescent Gray (5.11c R)
By: Joe Collins When: Oct 10, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: This is one of the best face climbs in the Boulder area. Reminiscent of the Eldo classic Aerospace.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Flatirons : South : Overhang Rock : Snake Watching (5.13a)
By: Joe Collins When: Aug 23, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: A 70m rope will get you down with some shenanigans, but it's very close. Best to use the midway anchors.
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Location: CO : Rifle : Rifle Mountain Park : The Wasteland : The Beast (5.12d)
By: Joe Collins When: Jun 29, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: Leave the anchor as is. The Beast has existed for far too long as a route that ends at the roof to change things now.
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Location: CO : Alpine Rock : RMNP - Rock : Fern Canyon Rocks : Rock Of Ages : The Wasp (5.13a)
By: Joe Collins When: Jun 29, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: A classic and memorable pitch of "hard" trad. Well-protected throughout, but the gear at the crux requires a bit of tinkering to get it right. Comparing to another local testpiece of similar grade, it is not as hard as The Evictor, but YMMV.
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Location: CO : Rifle : Rifle Mountain Park : Project Wall : MC 900 FT Jesus (5.13a)
By: Joe Collins When: Jun 29, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: Ahh, The Eighth Day. A little belay beta: unless you don't mind backcleaning draws up to the arete crux at bolt 4, and climbing that crux with only 1 draw clipped (scary!), you will want to use double ropes. Clip in with the 1st rope with a locker and climb through the first crux belayed on that one. After that crux leave the first rope clipped to the 6th bolt, and continue belayed on the 2nd rope (preferably a 70m rope so that you can get down by lowering twice).
I disagree with Matt Samet... more >>
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Location: CO : Estes Park Valley : US 36 (between Estes Park &... : Buttonrock : Old Yellar Dome : Old Yellar (5.13a)
By: Joe Collins When: Jun 11, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: This route has 4-star climbing with 2-star rock quality. Several key holds may not stand the test of time, particularly the key crimp where you move back left near the 2nd to last bolt.
Steepest route in the Front Range? The crux may be in figuring out how get a warm up for it.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Upper Dream Canyon : Oceanic Wall : Challenges of Leisure (5.13b)
By: Joe Collins When: Apr 7, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: Without question a one-move wonder. Excluding the crux, good low-5.12 climbing.
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Location: NM : The Tunnel
By: Joe Collins When: Mar 28, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: Nearly all FAs at the Tunnel are courtesy of John Hymer. Some of the harder routes are courtesy of Chris Grijalva and Lance Hadfield.
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Location: CO : Caņon City : Shelf Road : The Gym : Deeper Shade Of Soul (5.13)
By: Joe Collins When: Oct 31, 2006 | view comment >> |
Comments: Although this isn't a one-move wonder, it definitely favors the boulderer. The meat is a 6 or 7 move V6ish sequence just after the big cross through. Definitely more power than power endurance. To illustrate, I have heard some say that they think this is easier than The Example. Totally different style climb, but this is definitely way more powerful and less endurancey than The Example, which I consider a power-endurance problem. Nevertheless, this is certainly one of the classics of the gr... more >>
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