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Location: CO : Alpine Rock : Vestal Peak : Wham Ridge (5.4 R)
By: XOG When: Jul 30, 2009 | view comment >> |
Comments: Encountered some scary rockfall on the unstable screefield at the end of the descent. It's hard to imagine not sending a lot of large, loose stuff down, no matter how careful you are.
Does anyone have any experience with hugging the base of the cliff for this part of the descent? Our afterthought was that that might be a better way to go.
Apart from this part of the descent, fantastic climb. The view from the top is extraordinary.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : The West Ridge : West Ridge - Xanadu to Pony... : Srinagar (5.7)
By: XOG When: Nov 9, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: I agree with the others but as an aside to the 'great for a new leader' comments, there is a lot of loose rock, some of it pretty big, on the 20' or so scramble to the tree that is the only real anchor possibility after exiting the dihedral.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Flatirons : Central : Skunk Canyon : ... : Angel's Way (5.2)
By: XOG When: Nov 4, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: A long time favorite, I always thought it was a little surreal, but the description of it being 100 years west of Satan's Slab sure drives the concept home! Hang a left at the 3rd star past midnight and keep going?
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : The West Ridge : West Ridge - top to Xanadu : Bushwack Crack (5.8 PG13)
By: XOG When: Oct 1, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: The cat-claw flake is the best belay-lounger in Eldo!! It needs something so you can adjust the angle though, depending on where the sun is that can be sooo annoying...
This is an underrated pitch quality-wise it is actually very good.
Agree that it is the best set-up for LATM.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Flagstaff : Tree Slab
By: XOG When: Mar 4, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: I was up there today and someone has spray painted in 1' tall green letters just to the left of tree slab traverse. One more in a long series of vandalisms at Flagstaff - this one of the more damaging I've seen.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : The West Ridge : West Ridge - Xanadu to Pony... : Kashmir (5.11b)
By: XOG When: Nov 23, 2006 | view comment >> |
Comments: Curious about the FA attribution because in my 80s guidebook (Rossiter) it says this is a Charlie Fowler route?
Big difference going straight up using only the thin cracks versus moving in from the left up higher. Although contrived, several high quality hard moves in a short length, and a good one to do if all the popular climbs you hiked up for are taken, no waiting lines on this one!
The commitment factor and exposure are high though. Make sure to bring your headlamp.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : Redgarden Wall : Redgarden - Tower One : Grand Giraffe (5.10a)
By: XOG When: Sep 4, 2006 | view comment >> |
Comments: Don't overlook upper Grand Giraffe above the Upper Ramp. The climbing is much easier but very fun, and the routefinding is complicated with funky gear. The rock is solid although covered with lichen. Also, on the last pitch it is really nice to climb up and right out of the belay in a dihedral that is much harder looking than it is, instead of up and left according to the route description. Above is one of the nicest easy pitches on hueco jugs imaginable.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Upper Dream Canyon : Dream Dome : Stained Glass (5.11c)
By: XOG When: Aug 7, 2006 | view comment >> |
Comments: Careful of loose rock at the base of the pitch 2 roof. Two toaster+ sized blocks were pulled off from here last weekend, hitting close to where I was at the pitch 1 belay and ending up near the base of Wrinkles in Time - where fortunately no one was at the time. Also, the anchor situation seems strange for routes starting from this gully - no anchors at the start of any of the routes even though ~40' off the deck, so some trad gear is helpful to anchor the belayer before the 1st bolt is clipped.... more >>
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Location: CO : Alpine Rock : Indian Peaks : Lone Eagle Peak : North Face (5.7)
By: XOG When: Jul 6, 2006 | view comment >> |
Comments: Great route. Should probably be done in Lederhosen and hob-nailed boots, if you have them. Only route I've ever been on where you get to belay in a meadow of columbines in full bloom. Apart from 3 or 4 clean pitches, climbing itself is mostly so-so, which in no way detracts from the route, which is why I give it 4 stars anyway. Just make sure you're expecting more of a mountaineering experience and less of a clean technical climbing experience and maybe you'll agree with my rating. Or not. Anywa... more >>
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : Redgarden Wall : Redgarden - Lumpe to the to... : Swanson Arete (5.5)
By: XOG When: May 8, 2006 | view comment >> |
Comments: Liked the route immensely. We did it in 3 pitches from the ground, climbing near the "ancient variation" to the left of the arete for a p2 that started at the top of G. Zot and ended 40' above the tree at a beautiful flat triangular belay seat with stunning views all around. A 70m rope probably helped although 60m might reach. Descent was fine rapping off to the NE and then wandering N. to reach the notch for descending back down U. Redgarden. Don't think it took more than 1/2 hour to get back t... 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: XOG When: Apr 17, 2006 | view comment >> |
Comments: I tried to figure out a way to statically reach the jug below the pin right at the start and couldn't figure out a way to do it other than to dyno. Apart from the battle with the tree I liked it better to climb out the dihedral the whole way instead of escaping right. Very deceptive as it certainly did not look to me like the opening sequence would be the crux. I really enjoyed this route. If linked with Handcracker would it be the longest continuous climb on the W. Ridge?
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : The West Ridge : West Ridge - Xanadu to Pony... : Terminal Velocity (5.11b/c)
By: XOG When: Apr 17, 2006 | view comment >> |
Comments: I just tried this (on tr) and in terms of pure difficulty of climbing found the upper section to be much more difficult than the lower section. I had a really hard time using the stems to gain enough reach to get to the good finger lock. Really fun climbing throughout the entire climb though.
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Location: CO : Caņon City : Shelf Road : Sand Gulch : Free Form Wall : ... : Photo
By: XOG When: Feb 24, 2006 | view comment >> |
Comments: Is it just my computer screen or is the upper person in this photo waaaay to the left of a clip on some kind of wacked out toprope?
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Location: CO : Boulder : Flatirons : Central : Skunk Canyon : ... : Mohling Arete (5.5 R)
By: XOG When: Nov 21, 2005 | view comment >> |
Comments: On the FA attribution - Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I believe it was named in honor of Franz Mohling after he died in a mountainerring accident, but he was not the first ascentionist (if, as with many of the Flatirons routes, there actually was a first ascentionist in any meaningful sense of the word).
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Location: CO : Boulder : Flatirons : Central : Skunk Canyon : ... : Satan's Slab (5.8 R)
By: XOG When: Nov 14, 2005 | view comment >> |
Comments: I agree with the comment by Shad; the trickiest move is 10' after you pull around the roof, and the pro is lacking at that point. I remember that either a pink or red tri-cam came in handy there.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Flatirons : North : Green Thumb : Green Crack (5.8+)
By: XOG When: Oct 17, 2005 | view comment >> |
Comments: I'm going to give this route 2 1/2 stars even though it is short. I also found it more difficult than the neighboring harder-rated climbs Diagonal Finger Crack and Green Corner - both of which are also excellent routes. All in all G. Thumb is an excellent spot to climb, well worth the hike in.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Flagstaff : Monkey Traverse
By: XOG When: Aug 31, 2005 | view comment >> |
Comments: Likewise, thanks Matt.
Of course it's all guessing, but I'd be more inclined to attribute this to the late night partiers that have been leaving trash and breaking beer bottles against rocks at Flagstaff for as long as I've been climbing up there, than to a frat prank.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Easter Rock : Empire of the Fenceless (5.12a)
By: XOG When: Aug 29, 2005 | view comment >> |
Comments: The glue doesn't bother me; the block in question is big enough that it would be quite a project to safely get it to the ground without going to the road and I also believe that the presence of the block makes the climb better.
Something that bothers me more, recently a fist-size pink splotch of paint appeared just below the crux that has been identified as resulting from a paintball, how totally lame.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : Peanuts Walls : Lower Peanuts : Forbidden Planet (5.11b)
By: XOG When: Aug 22, 2005 | view comment >> |
Comments: When I did it you still needed some gear for the last part of the pitch on the arete above the crux - i.e. it's a mixed route, not a pure sport climb.
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Location: CO : Alpine Rock : Indian Peaks : Devil's Thumb : Devil's Spiral (5.4)
By: XOG When: Aug 19, 2005 | view comment >> |
Comments: I did this as a solo 10 or so years ago and was so "stimulated" by the exposed traverse onto the S. face that once on the summit, I could not enjoy my time up there because all I could think about was that I was going to have to reverse what I'd just climbed... It definitely deserves stars, not so much for the climbing, but for the location...
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Location: CO : Alpine Rock : RMNP - Rock : Long's Peak : Lower East Face : Stettner's Ledges (5.8)
By: XOG When: Aug 1, 2005 | view comment >> |
Comments: ac (from previous comment): I had the exact same experience re: rockfall from Broadway on Stettner's over 10 years ago. It made the climb very scary, with rocks singing by us the whole way...
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Location: CO : Estes Park Valley : US 36 (between Estes Park &... : Buttonrock : River Wall II : Redneck Hero (5.12a)
By: XOG When: Jul 25, 2005 | view comment >> |
Comments: Excellent route. Agree with the comment about "for people struggling with 12a, it's a little runout". Probably none of the moves on it are 12a but endurance is a huge factor. The main runout for me is above bolt 5, although as Ted says the red alien does take the edge off of clipping bolt [5]. Seems like if you blow clipping bolt 6, you could fall 25' (I fell 20' from a little below the clipping hold), but as people note it's as clean as falls get and the bolts are where they should be. A couple... more >>
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Location: CO : Estes Park Valley : US 36 (between Estes Park &... : Buttonrock : River Wall II : Introducing Meteor Dad (5.10d)
By: XOG When: Jul 25, 2005 | view comment >> |
Comments: I think it's the 3rd clip that is the main one not to blow (although it wouldn't be good to miss the 2nd either). There is a committing move to get to the clipping stance for bolt 3, but the stance itself has good feet, so just making the move is the main thing. Very cool crux move (think mantle) and the easier upper section is pure fun.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Flatirons : Central : Green Mountain Pinnacle : Death and Transfiguration (5.11b)
By: XOG When: Jul 5, 2005 | view comment >> |
Comments: Cleaning Recommendation: Set a belay on the E. Face just over the lip and belay the 2nd up to clean, i.e. multi-pitch style. Don't try to lower off to clean, this climb is so steep that it is hard to do. We tried to do this and it turned into a bit of a fiasco. If you want to work the route you can lower off a piece in the exit dihedral, pull the rope, and re-lead, and then for the final burn have the leader go up to belay the second / cleaner from the E. Face belay mentioned above. Also, the u... more >>
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : Rincon : Rincon - Center Route & R : Center Route (5.11a/b)
By: XOG When: Feb 23, 2005 | view comment >> |
Comments: Took a 15 footer on this back in the mid 90's. Breathing a sigh of relief at my clean fall, I looked up and saw spaghetti rope above me. Moving at my second fastest speed ever (the fastest being falling into 34 degree water while windsurfing), I clipped a nearby pin relic at the speed of light. The rope was my (new) partner's - she told me she'd stored it in a car in Alaska for 1 year and a half. Nice.
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