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All Locations > Colorado > S Platte > Elevenmile Canyon > Arch Rock > Arch Rock Route (5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c)
Arch Rock route follows the crack shown with the blue line. The first belay station is labeled with a "B" and is wide and comfortable. For the top belay after the second pitch, recommend belaying on the ledge just above the chimney so you can communicate with your second.
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Victor get ready to start the first pitch.
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Rich F.
Aug 22, 2009
“Arch Rock route follows the crack shown with the blue line. The first belay station is labeled with a "B" and is wide and comfortable. For the top belay after the second pitch, recommend belaying on the ledge just above the chimney so you can communicate with your second.”  

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The vertical crack in the middle (behind and just left of the dog) is the "direct start" to the Arch Rock route. It is a tough 5.9+ start to reach the nice ledge with the small bush, but it protects okay. The much easier "regular" start is about 12 feet to the left of this crack (see other picture). The regular start angles up and left (5.5?) until it reaches this lower ledge, then you traverse (walk) back right along the ledge until you get to the small bush in this picture. The rest of pitch one goes up the crack behind the small bush.
Pitch two. <br> <br> B1 is the belay ledge above pitch one. You can see the 10 feet of face climbing at the top of the P1 crack to get to the belay ledge.<br> <br> B2 is the belay ledge near the summit for the second pitch. You can see the dark chimney near the top. Belay on the ledge just at the top of the chimney.
Arch Rock route follows the crack shown with the blue line. The first belay station is labeled with a "B" and is wide and comfortable. For the top belay after the second pitch, recommend belaying on the ledge just above the chimney so you can communicate with your second.
Victor get ready to start the first pitch.
Looking down from the top of pitch two. At the top of pitch two is a squeeze chimney, shown here on the left. It can't really be protected, but it would be hard to fall out of. Near the top of the chimney you will move left out onto the face for an easy six feet of (5.6?) face climbing -- also not protectable (but easy). That tops out on this ledge which is the best place to belay your second if you want to be able to communicate. The actual summit is about 10 feet behind you and through a small "hole" in the rock. If you belayed from there, communication with your second would be really difficult.<br>
The first pitch. After you reach the ledge with the small bush shown in the foreground (by either the direct start or the regular start) the rest of the first pitch follows the crack above the small bush. The last 10 feet below the belay ledge the crack ends and you have a short exposed face climb -- which is probably the crux of the pitch. The belay ledge above is wide and has ample ways to set up a trad anchor.
The regular start follows the easy crack to the right of the red backpack. It angles up and left about 15 feet to a small ledge, then you walk right along the ledge until you get to the crack for pitch one. (See the other photo of the direct 5.9+ start).
Getting ready to start the 2nd pitch.
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