Front Range Solo Aid Practice

I'm somewhat new to the front range, and am looking for areas where I can practice solo aid. The location isn't as important as not bothering anyone. Where are some areas with a good crack running up from the ground where I could practice my sequence. Ideally, I would like to have a backup line (TR) to cover my ass if I run outta gear or eff up.

Anything helps. Willing to hike and shiver if need be. Really, the crack running from top to bottom is the most important. Height isn't important either, I just need a good place to goof around and get dialed in.

I'm talking C0 BTW. No hooking or anything weird... yet.

Boulder Canyon.

Aid Crack is c1+ish maybe c2.
Country Club Crack c1, not advised on a nice weekend day as it is a popular free climb.
Practice rock, center line is tink c1
Upper dream canyon China Doll c2.

Cheers.

Prod.

Lumpy Ridge is all full of good cracks. Cackle Crack is a classic hand crack that you can get the systems dialed in on without worrying about placement dificulty. There are lots of easy (5.8/5.9) cracks to get vert and practice in. The Twin Owls has a good ten or so hard aid lines to expand your techniques once the method is sound. Twin Owls is steep,too, so all weather climbing goes, great for winter. The Big Thompson Canyon has a few practice routes, but the rock is softer--tread lightly. You dont want to blow out and cracks or seams on free routes (they're all free routes). Combat Rock has some solo lines. Boulder Canyon routes are less easy to solo, and more people will be real pissed (and rightfuly so) if you blow a seam with a bad nut pacement.

Weekday afternoons l would go up BTC, weekends all the way into Lumpy. Of course, ethics are paramount, and aid can do Forever damage very easily. Keep it clean! And happy aiding.

The Requiem for a Dream soundtrack and Further Down the Spiral by NIN are great albums for solo aid

Best aid practice I ever did was in Clear Creek clipping bolts. The hard part about aid climbing isn't placing gear, but being efficient and not gettting your sh** into a giant cluster. Even more so when solo aiding. On lots of routes there is decent enough spacing that you might have to step out of the aiders to bust a free move or maybe even some creative hooking in between bolts. Top stepping almost every time at the very least. Pretty fun cause there is lots of challenging terrain - traverses, roofs, etc. Probably these features are more challenging to practice cleaning via jugging. Great too cause you can bust out tons of laps in a short amount of time and really get your systems dialed.

Oh, and since you are aiding you can get on all of those less desirable clip ups so you won't be in anyone's way.

Andy: Perfect. I know where that is, and I doubt anyone would be up there this time of year.

Prod: Thanks. I've looked at all of those, and think my time is better spent elsewhere for the time being.

Stiles: Thanks, I'm on it. Maybe go scout routes soon.

ROC: Suggestions on less desirable clip ups? Did you do this solo? This WILL be a solo mission w. no intention of having a warm body belaying.

Scotty,

I did do this solo. I've aid soloed stuff on Little Eiger, High Wire, and Creekside on low traffic days. Good there too, cause there's multi-pitch routes at both crags to really get your stuff dialed in. Found good places at all crags to build ground anchors with a few cams, nuts, or the occaisonal slung boulder. I don't have recommendations on the undesirables, but the guidebook, for the canyon would be a good place to find these. Just throwing that out there in case its crowded when you go.

Solo aid up, rap, jug and clean, then run endless TR solo laps. Super fun day out by yourself.

It seems like maybe the best option is to go find 0-star and bomb rated climbs in a given area and check out the length and go to those. Should be no lines and no complaints...
I can think of dozens of candidates.

ScottyB wrote:Andy: Perfect. I know where that is, and I doubt anyone would be up there this time of year.