Type: | Trad, 60 ft (18 m) |
FA: | R. & J. Rossiter, 1986 |
Page Views: | 927 total · 4/month |
Shared By: | Tony B on Jun 21, 2003 |
Admins: | Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC |
Crags on Eldorado Mountain, such as Mickey Mouse wall and Cryptic Crags, are outside of park boundaries and may still be subject to Boulder County closures.
Previously in 2023: per M. McHugh, ECSP: the upper loop of the Rattlesnake Gulch Trail, above the Crags Hotel Ruin, & the
Continental Divide Overlook, is closed effective immediately. This included Continental Crag.
These areas are closed to all activities, including rock climbing & hiking, through 7/15 or until further notice, to protect nesting golden eagles on the S side of the canyon.
Golden Eagles are protected by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service under authority of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. A conviction of nest disturbance can carry a fine to $5,000 & one year imprisonment.
See the map in the photo section for terrain closure.
Previous years: per Dustin Bergman, CO State Parks Officer #770, ECSP:
Seasonal Raptor Closures
Check Park site for current closures:
cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/…
For more info visit:
cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/…
Double check prior to venturing there. Thanks!
Description
This climb is a definite 2* and protects well enough and has good rests to be a great on-sight attempt for people just at this grade, provided their gear-placing skills are descent. The crux is burley, but it's all there and is not sustained/mental. It is also under-climbed, so don't expect a line for it.
To get to Brevitata, climb Rincon, then climb Bat's Ass Dihedral, Kangaroo Tail, Cuban Bluegrass, or Ventura Highway to reach the next ledge up. As an option, you may also walk West from the top of P3 of Rincon, then scramble up to approach the base of this right-facing, ever-steepening dihedral, the dark pin is difficult to see from below. The rock on the climb itself is as good as it gets and STICKY. The climb overall starts as a low-angle, right-facing open book corner. In a parabolic curve, the angle of the corner goes from perhaps a 75 degree slab to a 15 or 20 degree overhang. The crux being at the steepest part of the overhang, where a fixed pin gives mental assistance and confidence to the leader.Scramble to the bottom of the corner and set a good belay off of some hand-sized cams, then climb up on stoppers and small cams if desired, to where the corner is vertical- set some tiny nuts and climb up to an under-cling and clip the pin. Back up the pin later by putting the 1.5" TCU in the under-cling in the corner just before you leave it for the crux. Do the gut-buster crux off of some small feet (smears) and a weird finger-lock to reach up and left to a great under-cling on the steep face to the left... now do the gut-buster crux on stems or smears for feet to hit the thank-god hold and easier ground and gear. Height should not be a factor, as all of the wall offers dimples/pimples for feet... none of them good enough to compromise ideal body position for. You can belay from above on a large, solid tree.
To descend, scramble down just to the West and intersect the trail as from 'Over The Hill' after a little loose rock. Alternatively, one could add an anchor of webbing rings up here and save a little excitement. Remember that there are hordes of climbers below, and try not to knock off rocks.
Protection
A set of TCUs, particularly including a 1.5" piece, and a set of stoppers including RPs, BD copper-steels or HB anchors. A "pretty good" pin is at the crux. The pin is a 1980's, 2/3-driven, Lost Arrow. It seems solid (2003).The 5.10 moves are on thin gear (tiny brass/steel)and a 1.5" HB 3-cam was placed 2' below the pin (solid) but was pretty strenuous to place and clip and difficult to arrange such that it did not effect a crux hold.
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