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Location: CO : Boulder : Flatirons : Central : Tangen Towers : In Focus (5.10)
By: Steve Levin When: Jan 16, 2003 | view comment >> |
Comments: Good job Warren and George on the first ascent - it's nice to see that adventure and exploration are still alive in the Flatirons!
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : The West Ridge : West Ridge - part E - top t... : Red House (5.11b R)
By: Steve Levin When: Jan 15, 2003 | view comment >> |
Comments: A classic Hendrix tune (like its neighbor Purple Haze), the name reflects the cluelessness of the new owners of the residence west of the Visitor Center, who tastefully painted their house fire-engine red.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : Rincon : Rincon - Center Route & R : Counterstroke (5.11+ R)
By: Steve Levin When: Jan 9, 2003 | view comment >> |
Comments: Rich- In this case all gear was placed on the lead (both Andy and I led it).
A "headpoint" lead is the culmination of toprope rehearsal, cleaning (if necessary), and gear inspection, using clean gear only (in my definition). Matt Samet does a good job presenting headpointing in the Current Features section of this site under Hound Dog Flaming- if you can stomach the thread discussion; and both Matt and Steve Dieckhoff raise some interesting justifications for using the headpoint appr... more >>
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : Redgarden Wall : Redgarden - Tower Two : The Naked Edge (5.11a/b)
By: Steve Levin When: Dec 17, 2002 | view comment >> |
Comments: The Right Side of the Folly has been shut down from rock fall for years.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : Rincon : Rincon - Center Route & R : Counterstroke (5.11+ R)
By: Steve Levin When: Dec 9, 2002 | view comment >> |
Comments: The flex flake under the roof is now gone.
After a repeat of this climb yesterday (12-8-02) I think the .12a grade may be soft.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : Rincon : Rincon - Center Route & R : Counterstroke (5.11+ R)
By: Steve Levin When: Dec 4, 2002 | view comment >> |
Comments: Andy lost the coin toss so I got to lead this first, placing all the gear, then I cleaned it and Andy led it in similar fashion.
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Location: CO : Grand Junction area : Colorado National Monument : Independence Monument : Otto's Route (5.8+) : Photo
By: Steve Levin When: Oct 11, 2002 | view comment >> |
Comments: Go Zane Go!
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : The Sport Park : Recovery Room : Blackout (5.12b)
By: Steve Levin When: Oct 11, 2002 | view comment >> |
Comments: Jim, the beta is actually Right, Left, Right, Left, Right, Left, Right, Left.
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Location: CO : Gunnison : Black Canyon of the Gunniso...
By: Steve Levin When: Sep 30, 2002 | view comment >> |
Comments: Using data from the Wilderness Use Permits the NPS tracks statistics for all inner canyon use (hiking, fishing, climbing, failing to climb). Besides being the law, filling out these permits allows the NPS to accurately count climber use in the inner canyon (we are by far the heaviest user group) which in turn helps our voice be heard by the Park managers.
I suspect climbers who protest the system are lazy, or consider it some vague affront to the "wild and free" Black Canyon experience of yes... more >>
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Location: CO : Gunnison : Black Canyon of the Gunniso... : North Chasm View Wall : Journey Home (5.10-)
By: Steve Levin When: Sep 25, 2002 | view comment >> |
Comments: OK Charles, am I that obvious? You see, my manager here at the blood works is catching on that I frig away a lot of time on this site instead of working, so he's started to monitor how often I comment....
I've led the first pitch 2 distinct ways- if memory serves me, first by going up and right after the overlap, into a peg flake/corner system (5.9 R), and second, trending up and slightly left, then following a shallow groove/corner straight up, avoiding the big corner on the right entirely (5... more >>
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Castle Rock : Englishman's Home (5.11+)
By: Steve Levin When: Sep 19, 2002 | view comment >> |
Comments: If you lead this in one pitch from the ground, make sure to use long slings at the start. One idea is to clip the fixed pin and bolt on the Athlete's Feat mantle, then downclimb and unclip from the pin. Once above the mantle reach down and change the QD on the bolt to a long runner. Also, consider using long slings on the gear at the start of the crux section (added excitement), and don't protect right under the CC Crack roof. I did all this and still had some rope drag on the CC Crack crux ... more >>
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : Cadillac Crag : The Untitled (5.12a)
By: Steve Levin When: Sep 18, 2002 | view comment >> |
Comments: Sorry for the misinformation Richard. The story I heard (which you state is incorrect) is that Jack and Bret were the first to free climb (i.e. redpoint) this line, and had named it Fuzzy Dice.
"Fuzzy Dice" is a clever and fitting name for a route on this crag. However, the name "The Untitled" should probably be reinstated now that you have clarified the route's history.
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Location: CO : Gunnison : Black Canyon of the Gunniso...
By: Steve Levin When: Sep 18, 2002 | view comment >> |
Comments: Just a reminder that you must sign out for ALL inner-canyon travel. It only takes a minute to go down to the North Rim ranger station and fill out a "Wilderness Use Permit" located in a box outside the building and available 24 hours a day (on the South Rim, the permit box is located outside the Visitor Center). Also, fill out the white board outside the building with your name, date and climb- this helps inform others where you will be, and allows fellow climbers to see where heavy traffic mig... more >>
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : The Dome : Gorilla's Delight (5.9+)
By: Steve Levin When: Sep 13, 2002 | view comment >> |
Comments: As I'm sure many of you know, "Hot Henry" Barber on-sight free soloed this in the mid-1970s and, according to his account, came closer to taking the big one on it than on any of his other solos. When climbing GD this is easy to understand- a difficult start into thin, insecure climbing, and a bit of routefinding on the slab. Henry stated that, in retrospect, it was a poor choice for a free solo, but his approach at that time was pretty much to "do it and ask questions later", so to speak. I al... more >>
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Location: CO : Gunnison : Black Canyon of the Gunniso... : South Rim Routes
By: Steve Levin When: Sep 10, 2002 | view comment >> |
Comments: Nice that published guides have not eliminated adventure in the Black.
It would probably be wise to take anything ever written about the Black- whether in a guidebook, magazine article, or on this website- with a big grain of salt.
This applies in particular to anything I have written.
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Location: WY : Vedauwoo : Fall Wall : Fall Wall (*the route) (5.10a)
By: Steve Levin When: Sep 6, 2002 | view comment >> |
Comments: I agree with Skip, this is a classic route. I also agree with Darin, it has the feel of an "s" route, although the crux climbing is well-protected. A #1 or 2 Camalot can be used at the shaky flake down low in addition to the #3 Camalot. Have a #0.75 Camalot in your teeth, ready to plug into the overlap after the crux face climbing. The chain anchor really should be replaced- it's one of those jobbies with the chain links over the stud, held in place with a nest of washers. ... more >>
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Location: CO : Gunnison : Black Canyon of the Gunniso... : South Rim Routes
By: Steve Levin When: Sep 5, 2002 | view comment >> |
Comments: [Eds. this comment has been edited at the request of the commenter] For routes on the main SCVW a viable access is via the "Astro Slog" raps (see the topo under the Astro Dog route description). The start is upriver a few feet from the overlook, at a boulder. Two ropes are required. This has cleaned up a bit, the anchors are good, and most are easy to locate. Try to trend more climbers-right at the bottom, lest you stray into the super-munge to the left. Plan on 2-3 hours. A second option is t... more >>
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Location: CO : Gunnison : Black Canyon of the Gunniso... : South Rim Routes : Astro Dog (5.11+)
By: Steve Levin When: Sep 5, 2002 | view comment >> |
Comments: For those of you with a copy of Jeff Achey, Dudley Chelton and Bob Godfrey's revised "CLIMB! The History of Colorado Rock Climbing", the crux pitch of Astrodog is pictured on the cover.
The name derives from the FA party's discovery at the base of the climb of a decaying poodle carcass- the remnants of a poor little pooch who had taken the big dive from the rim.
Astro Dog belongs to the "Astro" series of routes (all must-do routes) including Astroman in Yosemite, Astro Hulk in the Sierras... more >>
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Location: WY : Vedauwoo : Coke Bottle : Bell Crack (5.11b)
By: Steve Levin When: Sep 3, 2002 | view comment >> |
Comments: Alternative gear list: Camalots #.75, #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, Big Bro #2, long slings. Plan on sliding the #4 and #5 Camalots along in places. As of 09-01-02 there is a fixed wire at the crux roof that is easy to clip your aider into. It would be unwise to climb this with any skin exposed below neck level. Regarding the moves, if you are able to lock off on a painful hand jam, let both feet dangle, and then rock onto a tenuous toe jam while s... more >>
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Location: WY : Vedauwoo : Reynolds Hill : I'd Rather Be In Philadelph... (5.12)
By: Steve Levin When: Aug 30, 2002 | view comment >> |
Comments: The rock quality is marginal on parts of this route, but the climbing is excellent. The crux bulge is difficult and rather continuous, and placing gear is challenging. Desperately lunging for the anchor slings with a full pump is not uncommon. A noble community service would be for someone to replace this anchor with a modern arrangement (sans wad-o-slings), but if you drill be particularly wary of the rock quality. The original line did not stop at the present-day anchors but was purported t... more >>
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Location: CO : Estes Park Valley : Lumpy Ridge : Twin Owls : Wolf's Tooth (5.8)
By: Steve Levin When: Jul 30, 2002 | view comment >> |
Comments: 5.7 would not be an unreasonable grade for this climb- if it were in Yosemite or Vedauwoo.
Seems to me that wide cracks have always been touted as "hard for the grade" since they aren't the main course in most climber's diets, and they generally require a lot more energy (and technique) to succeed on.
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Location: CO : Alpine Rock : RMNP - Rock : Long's Peak : Upper East Face : Kiener's Route (5.3 Easy Snow)
By: Steve Levin When: Jul 30, 2002 | view comment >> |
Comments: I recently watched in horror as a climber parked himself at the base of Lamb's Slide to put crampons on (stopping every minute or so to crouch behind a boulder to hide from flying rocks)- and then proceeded to solo it, dodging rocks big enough to take him out the whole way up! A definite candidate for the 2002 Darwin Awards. Best to stay away from this one until it starts freezing solid at night again, then catch it at first light.
Being anywhere near the base of Lamb's Slide, North Chimney, ... more >>
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Castle Rock : Boot Lead (5.11d X)
By: Steve Levin When: Jul 23, 2002 | view comment >> |
Comments: I agree, Close to the Edge is certainly much much harder than the Boot Lead. The stiff rating may reflect a bit of hesitation on part of the FA party to assign a harder grade, although if I recall the crux contains a severe leg-press move, something that the first ascentionist is particularly gifted at. Closer to .12d in my book. The 3rd clip is hard. Some climbers use a longer QD, pre-placed, to facilitate this clip.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Bell Buttress Massif : The Patio : For Whom the Bell Tolls (5.11b)
By: Steve Levin When: Jul 16, 2002 | view comment >> |
Comments: Bob, real life is what happens between sessions on climbingboulder.com, or is it the other way around?
And I agree, it's nice to have Fred's input.
One person's 5.9 is another's .10c, so as long as we're all having a good time, who cares?
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Castle Rock : Athlete's Feat (5.11a)
By: Steve Levin When: Jul 16, 2002 | view comment >> |
Comments: Bill, I was being generous by calling your well-described "lousey pinch" the bucket hold. That's what I match on before getting my feet up. If one can't reach the pinch from the undercling, it is necessary to match on a tiny crimp on the lip, then reach with the right. I'm glad I have it hideously wired.
If one can climb both Athlete's Feat and Country Club Crack in direct sun this time of year, I'd think you'd be ready to solo Astroman...
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