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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: Oct 18, 2001 | view comment >> |
Comments: Some historical tidbits: when first free climbed in the early 1970s pitch 1 was the standout crux of the route, due to the abundance of fixed pins filling up most of the finger jams. This was first led by Steve Wunsch and rated 5.10+. On the complete FFA of the route a short while later Jim Erickson, in blue suede RRs, sans chalk, stemmed the entire pitch using only a finger jam or two. Over the years the first pitch became easier and easier, as more pins fell out. By the late 1970s no fixed... more >>
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Location: CO : Estes Park Valley : Lumpy Ridge : Sundance Buttress : Whiteman (5.11c)
By: Steve Levin When: Oct 8, 2001 | view comment >> |
Comments: Thanks for adding this gem, Malcolm. Does anyone know if the bolts protecting the scratch-fest traverse have been replaced?
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Location: CO : Gunnison : Black Canyon of the Gunniso... : The Painted Wall : Southern Arete (5.10 R)
By: Steve Levin When: Oct 5, 2001 | view comment >> |
Comments: The upper 5.10 crack pitch on the Southern Arete is really good crack climbing.
It is possible to avoid this and traverse right 150 feet to a large corner system, then climb a mungy couple of pitches with some OW, runouts, and a poorly-protected 5.10 section. Did this once and do not recommend it.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Bell Buttress Massif : Bell Buttress - Main Crag : Three Minute Hero (5.11b R)
By: Steve Levin When: Sep 18, 2001 | view comment >> |
Comments: This is an overlooked route worth doing, once. A bit dangerous.
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Location: CO : Gunnison : Black Canyon of the Gunniso... : The Painted Wall : Southern Arete (5.10 R)
By: Steve Levin When: Sep 17, 2001 | view comment >> |
Comments: I should add that some climbers call this a Grade IV and not a Grade V. I'm sure none of these climbers have been forced to bivy.
There is a bit of a problem with the Grade V designation in the Black, probably more pronounced in recent years as slightly longer, slightly (or significantly) harder routes have been done. While many consider the Scenic Cruise the benchmark Grade V in the canyon, it is really one of the lesser involved routes of this grade in the Canyon, certainly now with routes ... more >>
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Location: CO : Alpine Rock : The Crestones : Kit Carson / The Prow (5.8 R)
By: Steve Levin When: Sep 5, 2001 | view comment >> |
Comments: Sean, thanks for pointing out more details about this climb and area. I last climbed in the Crestones in the late 80s while a Course Director for Outward Bound, so my memory is a bit fuzzy for details (although I still recall vividly the many excellent unclimbed lines and virgin crags). Things have probably changed since then anyhow; I'm sure the trail up Spanish Creek has improved from the vague path I remember. The Golfcourse is an Outward Bound name, and thus its usefulness is li... more >>
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Location: WY : Vedauwoo : Nautilus : Easy Jam (5.4)
By: Steve Levin When: Sep 1, 2001 | view comment >> |
Comments: Add Handjacker (5.7+) to the Intro to Wide Cracks 101 list.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : Rincon : Rincon - Center Route & R : Rincon (5.11a)
By: Steve Levin When: Aug 31, 2001 | view comment >> |
Comments: The pin at the crux has never been an A1 placement, and was not an A1 placement for the FFA way back when. As it stands now Rincon is a "safe" lead for someone able to climb 11a without falling, someone able to reverse the moves and retreat, or someone able to aid through. It is probably not a safe lead for someone pushing things and taking repeated out-of-control falls.
Eventually fixed pins will need to be replaced. If a new pin does not work in the old placement, no other gear is available,... more >>
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Location: WY : Vedauwoo : Nautilus : Baldwin's Chimney (5.4)
By: Steve Levin When: Aug 31, 2001 | view comment >> |
Comments: Anonymous Coward: This, like all wide cracks, is a buttpoint.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : The Wind Tower : Wind Tower - S Face : The Lion (5.12b X)
By: Steve Levin When: Aug 30, 2001 | view comment >> |
Comments: Climbers have died toproping, sport climbing, trad climbing, free soloing, on 4th class approaches and rappel descents, due to inexperience, simple mistakes, poor judgment, or calculated risk gone wrong. Whether one climbs well-bolted sport routes in Clear Creek, leads 5.9 trad in Eldo, free solos 5.6 in the Flatirons, climbs 5.11 in the Black, or headpoints The Lion, the imperative is to climb in control and within the limits of our abilities.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Blob Rock Area : Blob Rock : ... : The Radlands of Infinity (5.12d)
By: Steve Levin When: Aug 30, 2001 | view comment >> |
Comments: I meant to add that some have suggested doing this all in one pitch, but with good intermediate anchors and the potential for rope drag (not to mention blowing it up high), breaking it in 2 pitches makes a lot more sense. Great climb!
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : The Wind Tower : Wind Tower - SW Face : Tagger (5.10b/c)
By: Steve Levin When: Aug 27, 2001 | view comment >> |
Comments: I once followed this route at dusk and, racing to get to the top before complete darkness set in, got my hand sequence messed up and used my CHIN on the hold at the lip to let go and switch hands. Probably bad beta though.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : The Wind Tower : Wind Tower - S Face : The Lion (5.12b X)
By: Steve Levin When: Aug 27, 2001 | view comment >> |
Comments: Sure, an onsight would have been incredibly impressive. But having climbed The Lion on toprope I can assure you a rehearsed lead of The Lion is still significant.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : The Wind Tower : Wind Tower - S Face : The Lion (5.12b X)
By: Steve Levin When: Aug 23, 2001 | view comment >> |
Comments: Richard, you have a point about publicizing dangerous routes. The X rating should hopefully make climbers aware of the seriousness of the climbing.
Chad Greedy just repeated The Lion after previewing it on toprope. Matt Samet just put up a 5.13c X route in the Flatirons using a headpoint approach. Considering the bolting restrictions in Eldo and the Flatirons, I see more of this to come.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : The Wind Tower : Wind Tower - S Face : The Lion (5.12b X)
By: Steve Levin When: Aug 22, 2001 | view comment >> |
Comments: I don't see this style of climbing as self-limiting at all. Yes, these routes will never become popular. What if these routes are never repeated?
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Location: CO : Gunnison : Black Canyon of the Gunniso... : North Chasm View Wall : Leisure Climb (5.9)
By: Steve Levin When: Aug 20, 2001 | view comment >> |
Comments: If you find the "best" way the crux is 5.9-. Place a TCU in the crack to the right below the overlap, step left and surmount the overlap at a jug. Still, it has a runout flavor to it.
Just a thought, but I would recommend against simul-climbing the upper pitches. The climbing wanders, the rock is loose, many blocks waiting to go, etc. When simul-climbing the belayer (bottom climber) has little time to protect themselves if a rock is dislodged from above, and more often than not it is the ... more >>
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Location: CO : Alpine Rock : RMNP - Rock : Glacier Gorge : Spearhead : Stone Monkey (5.12a)
By: Steve Levin When: Aug 16, 2001 | view comment >> |
Comments: One may also access the crux pitch of Stone Monkey via Three Stoners. To do this just head up and left on flakes after the 5.9 corner, aiming for the spacious ledge below the crux .12a finger crack. It is also possible, and recommended, to climb the last pitch of Obviously Four Believers (same exit pitch as Three Stoners), thus avoiding the loose blocks on the Stone Monkey exit. This is the crack system R of where you end up at the top of the .12a crack. A healthy selection of small wireds (... more >>
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Location: CO : Alpine Rock : RMNP - Rock : Hallett Peak : Better than Love (5.8 R)
By: Steve Levin When: Aug 1, 2001 | view comment >> |
Comments: Good alternative to the Culp-Bossier. We went directly up the "headwall" as described in Gillett, but found harder climbing than the "5.7 finger cracks" described, and the gear wasn't very good- maybe too direct. We joined the Love Route rather than trending right into the upper 5.8 pitch on Better Than Love and thus avoided any big routefinding problems. The crux "5.9" pitch on the Love Route, up the right side of the black overhang was bone dry (Aug 1) and felt like 5.7. It's good climbing... more >>
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Bell Buttress Massif : Bell Buttress - Main Crag : Grand Inquisitor (5.12a R)
By: Steve Levin When: Jul 26, 2001 | view comment >> |
Comments: There is a right kneelock right after the dyno on GI that really helps, esp. for getting that gear in. I just did the "direct" again recently, going straight up instead of L around the corner, and it felt like 12a climbing. The "trad" Purpose is actually accessed from immediately after the crux dyno at the start (i.e. just below the bulge on GI), and moved right roughly at the level of the crystal seam to the bottom of the vertical "fin".
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : Redgarden Wall : Redgarden - Roof Routes : Evangeline (5.11b A1)
By: Steve Levin When: Jul 18, 2001 | view comment >> |
Comments: The upper pitch is really good climbing. I did it first on aid a few years before Alec freed it. There was a small toy bunny tied to a fixed RURP and left in a rather suggestive pose.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Castle Rock : Athlete's Feat (5.11a)
By: Steve Levin When: Jul 17, 2001 | view comment >> |
Comments: This route was free climbed in 1964 in Kroenhopher boots, with pitons for pro- a very impressive ascent. The first pitch mantel was a bit easier before the right hand "bucket hold" broke. There are several ways to do this mantel, the easiest (for me) is to match on the bucket hold (now a rounded pinch) before throwing your left foot up above the bulge. The mantel is certainly more difficult for shorter folks. Avoid this and all other Castle Rock routes when it is hot out, unless you like cli... 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: Jul 17, 2001 | view comment >> |
Comments: The quickest means of reaching the start of the Edge is not Touch and Go, but as follows: from the base of The Contest (left of the start of Redguard Route) climb the left-trending ramp system for about 40' until just around a short bulging corner (5.5). Now climb a short, steep hand crack (5.6) to a bit of wandering and the Lower Meadows. Scramble up this (4th class) to the "Cave Exit" (5.8) and the base of the Edge. Watch dislodging rocks in the Meadows section.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : Redgarden Wall : Redgarden - Lumpe to the to... : The Grand Course (5.11-)
By: Steve Levin When: Jul 16, 2001 | view comment >> |
Comments: This climb redlines the bird shit meter, especially mid-summer when the oozing avian excrement ferments. Required equipment: face mask and bio-hazard suit. -S.L.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Castle Rock : South Face (5.9+)
By: Steve Levin When: Jul 12, 2001 | view comment >> |
Comments: "Grade creep" has hit again! (5.9, no 5.10a, oops, it's 5.10). Whatever happened to the honorable 5.9 sandbag?
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Bell Buttress Massif : Bell Buttress - Main Crag : Gates of Eden (5.10a)
By: Steve Levin When: Jul 10, 2001 | view comment >> |
Comments: Gear up to a 4 Friend???
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