Climbers stuck overnight in Eldo

Ron Olsen wrote: Glad you guys are OK; chalk it up as a good learning experience. You might want to try a few less-committing multi-pitch climbs before tackling anything as ambitious as Yellow Spur. In the old days, we worked our way up through the grades, honing our skills on climbs like Breezy, Wind Ridge, Calypso, and the Bastille Crack. Some long Flatiron climbs like the First and the Third, the Matron and the Maiden. Some classics in Boulder Canyon like Disappearing Crack, the Owl, Cozyhang, Empor and North Face Center on Cob. Then onto longer Eldorado climbs like Rewritten, Great Zot, Ruper, and Anthill Direct. It was a few years before I considered myself ready to lead Yellow Spur. Things are different now, that's for sure...

What Ron said. I did what he suggests (despite getting into climbing more recently) and have never regretted it. Sure it takes a bit longer to tick the "cool" routes, but you're doing it in control the whole time which is more fun and, frankly, more responsible.

Better to get your systems/efficiency tuned and solid on easier multi-pitch routes before casting off on routes closer to your limit. Then you can focus on the climbing and not futzing with the gear/ropes/etc. Experienced climbers on these crowded classics will thank you as well. Better to climb an easier route efficiently than flounder and flail while clogging up a classic (nevermind the whole epic potential thing).

Glad everyone ended up OK though for sure. Experience does come from poor judgment afterall! :^D A tip: get a Petzl e-lite and clip it to the back of your harness and keep it there all the time.

Kevin Craig wrote:A tip: get a Petzl e-lite and clip it to the back of your harness and keep it there all the time.

Good idea, Kevin. I carry a Petzl Zipka headlamp in the zippered compartment of my Metolius Big Wall Gear Sling, so it's always with me on longer climbs.





More tips:

• Carry a watch with you on longer climbs.
• Always know when sunset is (in Denver/Boulder, it's 7:02pm MDT tonight, 3/11/08).
• Know that it gets REALLY dark a half hour after sunset; earlier on a cloudy, overcast day.
• Keep track of the time while you're climbing, and figure out if you have enough time to summit or if you're better off retreating.
• Allow an hour for the descent from long climbs to get back to the base; perhaps more if you're unfamiliar with the descent.
• Plan to be back at your packs no later than sunset. Plan to be back at your car no later than a half-hour after sunset.
• Set a turn-around time on longer climbs -- one hour before sunset (6:00pm this time of year). Either you're at the summit by then, or you're retreating off the climb.
• Retreating at a designated turn-around time is easiest on routes where you rap the route to descend, but sometimes you reach a "point of last backoff", beyond which going up is far easier than going down. If you reach the "point of last backoff", assess the daylight left, how fast you are climbing, and whether it's better to bail or proceed.
• Better still, start early on longer climbs and give yourself plenty of time to get up and down before dark.
• Sh*t happens: stuck gear, getting off route, missing the easiest descent, stuck rappel ropes. Things take longer than you think they should, especially if you're inexperienced.

Glad you guys are okay. Way to keep your cool and do the right thing. Good decision.

2pm is way late to be starting. You are much better off starting early and finishing early than vice versa.

Damn, this is something I can somewhat relate to.
I have been climbing probly 5 years now, I didn't touch the red garden wall untill this summer. First attempt was swansons as it was well within my limit. We got a late start with a team of 3 and bailed at the red ledge as we feared sleeping on the wall or finding the decent in the dark for the first time. Second time we had a mini epic as we were trailing a second 60M but instead of the leader trailing the follower trailed the rope and it got stuck below. We had to leave it and hope to get down the dirty deeds with 1 (BTW it can be done). We got the rope back and it was no big deal minus a little down climbing between raps. We went for re-written on the next trip, early start, and a 3 man team. no issues at all. My partner really wanted to get on the spur but I knew not to under estimate it so I kept telling him let's do this first (deviant and some other routes in the same grade like emerald city, blind faith and even the northcutt start on the bastile crack). Finally near the end of the summer/mid to late fall we decided to get on it. We were on route by 9 am and still touched down in the dark. The 5.10 variation deffinately ate alot of time as I almost had to pull my partner through it. We were slightly humbled even though we were never benighted as rapping at dusk with no lamps is a little nerve wracking. Luckily we already knew the rap route from climbing swansons.

Glad to hear everything turned out alright as I was scared of staying over night in a t shirt even then and it seems it is colder now then then.

Come to think of it I bailed off ruper due to timing issues and not knowing the decent before I got on the spur aswell. It is good to know when to call it off.

First, cudos for recognizing your situation and staying put. It was absolutely the right thing to do.

Several folks have reminded us above that working our way deliberately through the grades on trad routes is really important. But something which is even more critical for new trad leaders is being mentored by other more experienced trad leaders. I shudder to think what may have happened if I hadn't had some really conscientious individuals following me on routes and checking my gear placements and anchor setups and providing priceless feedback. I was a typical gym climber when I started, i.e. I could climb 5.11 indoors within six months and 5.11 sport routes outside within a year. Nonetheless, it was another three years before I felt competent and confident enough to lead Eldo 5.9 trad. Sorry to sound preachy. Find a buddy or two, this site is a great resource for that, who you trust and who will help you learn the ropes. Have fun and be safe.

Perhaps the tops of those rap anchors could have a splash of neon and /or reflective paint- invisible from the ground, obvious from above.

Rob Dillon wrote:Perhaps the tops of those rap anchors could have a splash of neon and /or reflective paint- invisible from the ground, obvious from above.

Or you can familiarize yourself with the area before committing to a big climb by climbing something easier early in the morning and finding the anchors during the day. Come back the next week and fire the route when you've got the descent wired. I found the Vertigo raps with a slight bit of wandering a few weeks ago, but now that I've done them it would be dead easy to find them again. No need to paint them.

Hope you're not serious about painting hardware to make a rap anchor more conspicuous? Even if it's invisible from the ground, the principle of self-reliance should be respected as sacrosanct in a game like climbing. Day-glow hangars?? Is that the reputation this generation of Eldo climbers wants to bring to their historically proud area?

Nandu - good on you for keeping your head and getting down safe! Good mettle. What's your next route?

Even if you didn't ask for it, there's some really good advice here - we climbers cannot resist the urge to preach. We were all clueless at some point!

Final question: what song did you have stuck in your head through the wee hours?

Dude...
you obviously are a strong beginner! When it comes to summer time, make sure to bring some water and a light rain jacket. Thunderstorms can be intense and instant in Eldo. You definitely want to get an early (7am) start during the summer months, if not for the rain, then to avoid the heat of the afternoon.

Make sure to try Outer Space if Yellow Spur was your second multi pitch ever... It will probably be too easy for you some day :(

Most of the replies were spot on positive.
But for you that thought he need more experience
Just a update on this newbie climber.
Besides many free routes on cookie with him leading in the 11s he topped off the season doing NWFHD free version in 10 hours.
Nandu won't post to blow his horn on what he has been climbing but I will.
I ask you to send him all the positive thoughts and prayers as he was called back up and being sent to Iraq

Richard S wrote:...Nandu won't post to blow his horn on what he has been climbing but I will. I ask you to send him all the positive thoughts and prayers as he was called back up and being sent to Iraq

He joins a large cadre of climbers in sandy service. My thoughts and prayers for your friend's safe return.

kg

To say climbing 11 means to some you were on an 11 and did some climbing, maybe some dogging, maybe some french. To others, climbing 10 or 12 or 14 or whatever number means climbing the rock. No aid, no french, no dogging although an occasional fall may occur. To say you climb 10 or 12 or 14 means different things to different people.

I climbed with him in this spring. He needs more experience/training to remain safe.

I do wish him the utmost safety in Iraq.