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Location: NM : Photo
By: kevinnlong When: Oct 17, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Although a picture like this one can always be improved, it is obviously the ideal image for a state's main page. It would be nice if administrators could replace each state's main image with one such as this.
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Location: CO : Alpine Rock : RMNP - Rock : Glacier Gorge : Spearhead : North Ridge (5.6)
By: kevinnlong When: Aug 22, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: That alternate dihedral start (left of the normal route) felt pretty sandbagged at 5.8! However, the pro was excellent...I would highly recommend it.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : Secret Circle : Photo
By: kevinnlong When: Jul 12, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Is this a clandestine bivy spot? It looks like a fun place to watch the stars!
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Location: CA : Tahoe Vicinity : Lover's Leap : Lower Buttress : Farce (5.5)
By: kevinnlong When: May 25, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: The direct start felt solid at 5.8--5.8+. The foot work is a bit tricky and the jams are poor while laying-back makes the footwork even more difficult.
On the other hand, the pro is excellent. The direct start adds ~20 feet of stellar climbing. Go for it!
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : Redgarden Wall : Redgarden - Lumpe to the to... : The Great Zot (5.8+)
By: kevinnlong When: Apr 30, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: I highly recommend the 5.8 dihedral formed by Rebaffet's Arete to finish Pitch 5. It looks burly, and is solid 5.8 for about 15 feet in the middle, but eases considerably afterwords. If the off-width is too intimidating on the last part, one may leave the dihedral and fire straight up the face along thin, but well-protected cracks.
The position and exposure on those final moves is stellar!
This deserves its status as an Eldo Classic! The 4th pitch traverse...need I say more?!
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : The Dome : East Slab East (5.6)
By: kevinnlong When: Mar 29, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: I typically attempt to refrain from providing such comments, but, beware, if one follows the line shown in Rossiter's book, this climb is VERY run-out above the crack which peters out. It's not difficult climbing, but it is technical. I would not recommend it as a beginner lead.
East Slab is much more protected on the slab than East Slab East.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : The Dome : East Slab East (5.6) : Photo
By: kevinnlong When: Mar 29, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: This photo indicates how run-out this pitch can be. She could have placed a piece at the bottom of the photo, but to follow the line in Rossiter's Guide, one would have to run it out on technical 5.5 slab climbing for ~20 feet.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : Cadillac Crag : Gonzo (5.8)
By: kevinnlong When: Mar 23, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Gonzo is an excellent, sustained crack climbing route. Next to other 5.8 classics in Eldorado, such as the Long John Wall, Regguae, and Gambit, it easily holds its own and is actually 5.8 for more than just 5-10 feet.
To squeeze even more crack climbing out of the route, one should crawl through the hole at the base of the climb (under the block between V3 and Gonzo, and start from inside. This will add ~10 feet more of beautiful laybacks.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Cob Rock : Empor (5.7+) : Photo
By: kevinnlong When: Nov 29, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: The crux is before this in my opinion.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Vampire Rock : That's Weak (5.10a)
By: kevinnlong When: Oct 19, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: Agreed, if one follows the bolt line directly, as paralleling the bolt line on the right, this route is harder than 10a, perhaps 5.10 or 5.10c.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Flatirons : North : Gregory Canyon (including T... : ... : Siberian North Face (5.10b)
By: kevinnlong When: Sep 10, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: There is a much more difficult (perhaps 5.11) variation which heads straight upward early from the diagonal flake. Highly recommended if this is done as a toprope.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Tonnere Tower : Sport Land : Toe The Line (5.10b)
By: kevinnlong When: Aug 20, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: We stitched the two pitches together to make one, long wonderful sport climb at near 60 meters. It's worth doing only if you don't mind the full weight of the rope at the top as well as have ~20 QDs in your possession.
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Location: CO : Alpine Rock : RMNP - Rock : Glacier Gorge : Pagoda Mountain : North Buttress (5.7)
By: kevinnlong When: Aug 13, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: BEWARE, this route receives little to no sun in the morning. Even with many layers on top and bottom, gloves, and hats, we shivered the charm away out of much of this climb. There was snow/ice on most of the belay ledges, and it was August 12!!! It was all because of the high winds.
Make sure you have plenty of warm clothes if there is any chance of wind, which, then, is almost always.
Also, we were off route twice, and the difficulty of the climb substantially increased in both cases. Our var... more >>
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Location: CO : Alpine Rock : RMNP - Rock : Glacier Gorge : Pagoda Mountain : ... : Photo
By: kevinnlong When: Aug 13, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: I thought this dihedral (the green line) was harder than 5.7, perhaps 5.8 or harder given that there is so much slippery lichen. It is also difficult to protect between 1/2 way up the dihedral and the next crack system.
A MUCH easier alternative (better protected anyway) pitch would be to climb the dihedral to the left of the green line (not in the photo) and either continue with it or traversing back to join the routes shown (above the green line dihedral).
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Avalon : Second Tier : ... : Disinclination (5.7)
By: kevinnlong When: Aug 13, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: This climb can be lead on trad and makes for excellent practice protecting thin slabs with potential runouts (depending on how good your gear placement technique is).
It certainly increased my interest in the route.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Tonnere Tower : Treasure Wall : Fields of Gold (5.10a)
By: kevinnlong When: Aug 8, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: This makes for an excellent toprope route (and its neighbors) with a 60 meter rope. The rock quality here is particularly high. Also, it can be well led on trad along, but the placements at the end of the dihedral/corner systems are thin.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Tonnere Tower : Treasure Wall : Buried Treasure (5.9)
By: kevinnlong When: Aug 8, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: If put to a vote, I would support chopping all but two bolts on this route. Leave the anchors; that is fine, but the bolts next to the cracks should be removed.
With that said, this is an excellent route. I really enjoyed my experiences today at the tower. Thank you FA folk.
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Location: CO : Estes Park Valley : Devil's Gulch and Dry Gulch...
By: kevinnlong When: Aug 5, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: ACCESS ISSUES to EAGLE ROCK AND CROSSIER DOME:
We were told by a resident of the Eagle Rock School Road that all access from that road to Eagle rock and Crossier Dome has been revoked due to liability issues. If climbers want access, they need to speak with the McGregor Ranch People who own the land on which the domes sit. Unfortunately, this may not allow access from the road....
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Location: CO : Estes Park Valley : Lumpy Ridge : Lightning Rock : Short Circuit (5.9 R)
By: kevinnlong When: Aug 4, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: It's straightforward to avoid the 9 (s) first pitch to the left of the official start if desired though it make for a rather uneventful first pitch (one star only).
The second and third pitches can be combined. We climbed the whole route in two pitches.
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Location: CO : Alpine Rock : RMNP - Rock : Photo
By: kevinnlong When: Aug 1, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: These look like the Ptarmigan Towers.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : The Wind Tower : Wind Tower - SW Face : Reggae (5.8)
By: kevinnlong When: Jul 29, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: Swallows are nesting 5 feet below the crux. They did not like the presence of my fingers as evidence by their loud calls and pecking actions against my left hand digits.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : The Wind Tower : Wind Tower - SW Face : Calypso (5.6)
By: kevinnlong When: Jul 29, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: There are Swallows nesting just below the crux of the Reggae finish. I may be best to let them be. I traversed right an then followed a crack back to the finishing jug of Reggae.
I am putting this comment here as the Reggae finish is a very common choice from Calypso.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : Peanuts Walls : Lower Peanuts
By: kevinnlong When: Jul 23, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: WASPS are in the area near the base of STAR WARS and YOUR BASIC LAYBACK. We had problems with them by 9:30 AM. If you want to climb WASP free for sure, start earlier!!!
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : Peanuts Walls : Lower Peanuts : Star Wars (5.8)
By: kevinnlong When: Jul 23, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: WASPS in the area. We started climbing at 9 AM this morning with the intent of doing Star Wars in 1 pitch. However, at the first belay ledge area, my wife called up that there were 10-20 wasps around her, so I brought her up. By the time I was near the top of the climb, she was being swarmed again, and they were up by me at the top as well.
Fortunately, we made it off the climb quickly by 10:15 AM before the sun really warmed them up.
Upon return to the base, I could not spot the nest, but we ... more >>
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Location: CO : Estes Park Valley : Lumpy Ridge : Left Book : White Whale (5.7)
By: kevinnlong When: Jul 21, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: Excellent! I would highly recommend carrying a set of DMM double tapered nuts (are these called Wallnuts?). In any event, they are suitable nuts for flared cracks, and there are plenty of locations on this climb where they protected MUCH better than my standard set of Metolius nuts.
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