The middle of the Surreal Estate Wall hosts a striking line that fires up to a wide crack system at 60 ft, this is Unusual Weather, and for what it is worth, a better line in my mind than its harder cousin to the left. Very continuous climbing on pockets and edges takes you up to a horrizontal break. A traverse left gets you to a spot below the crack. Moderate climbing with some unexpected exposure (for the Shelf) gets you up the crack. I ususally find that if anything is cruxy on this route, it comes in the first 40 or 50 feet when the climbing picks up thin pockets and a few thin, flat inclusions. No single move is really 11c, so it may gain a notch or two for continuity to hit 11c. Don't be put off by the opening moves, big reaches for reasonable finger pockets will get you to a good jug pocket just below clip two, however, the opening feet are really marginal. For my style, I find that the best part of the climb lies in the first half dozen bolts. I wish that this excellent line were closer to home since Unusual Weather is well worth doing if you are in the neighborhood.
Protection
Nine to ten draws and a rope.
Per Bob D'Antonio: The route was climbed with just three bolts and some tricams in pockets on the FA.
This climb deserves three stars, it is excellent. The opening move is a hard mantle then it is Shelf climbing at its best with great pockets, and fun edging. There seems to be a mini-crux at the upper crack that is thin and powerful.
This is one of the best routes, regardless of the grade, at Shelf Road. For whats is worth, I felt this to be a much better route than its close neighbor Back to the Future. The climbing on Unsual Weather allows for fluid movement up pockets and crimps with a variety of places to shake out. There is also about 15 feet of run-out 5.9 crack climbing to the anchors thrown in for good measure. Additionally, the Surreal Estate Wall has to be one of the most aesthetically pleasing cliffs out here and stays shady until around lunch.
The name comes from a heavy snowstorm (over 20 inches) that hit the Springs and we were climbing in tank tops three days later in sunny and 60 degree weather.
By Rob Kepley From: Westminster,CO Dec 31, 2007 rating: 5.11c
High quality route on nice wall. Continuous movement up an ever steepening wall with a couple rests. One of the best routes at the bank. Would be a good warm-up for Heavy Weather.
The Bank
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