Follow the established trail straight uphill from the second and larger of the Bummingbird Boulders. The trail goes right by a huge block with a substantial 30 degree overhang that faces out over the valley below.
The name, above, is admittedly awful. I could never determine the historical name for this block. Unlike the bomber granite of the Seam Boulder, the gneiss-like stone on this one is very sharp and its smaller holds are prone to breakage, though its size and angle are compelling.
Expect the top out holds on all climbs to need cleaning. Drainage from this massive block is right down the front face where the climbing is, so dirt and debris can obscure the holds and make establishing the slab dangerous. There are no jugs to rely on. Once a climber has established on the slab, carefully scamper to the right and down jump where the hillside rises up. Very dirty and seeping features and loose rock await if you attempt to summit the next 40 feet of slab instead of escaping out right. Though not really highball, this is a bad block to session on alone if you intend to top anything out.
Because of the dirty and insecurity factors of the top out/slab, it is clear that this block has been climbed on for years but rarely topped out. In order to top out the climbs I'm listing, I had to clean everything on rappel. I would love if someone could confirm that the 'established' lines were indeed topped out in the past and not just climbed to the lip.
Getting There
187 yards uphill from the Hummingbird Blocks.
The Classics
Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Choss 30 aka 30 Rock aka Pimpin' Ain't Easy:
Problem III: start crouching with matched incut crimps, somehow stab the pockety edge and trend left to a second crux of thin, knife-blade crimps, then jugs, then an insecure mantle encounter.This line is at least V9. Most likely, it pushes the upper side of V10 (or way more if you cannot manage the bunchy beta), but TJ neglected to opine on the rating and no one else has been able to send it.The established stand start begins after the initial crux: left hand in the pockety edge at about 5 feet...[more]Browse More Classics in CO
Photos of Choss 30 aka 30 Rock aka Pimpin' Ain't Easy Slideshow
RSS Feed
31 more...
Slideshow
