The East Face of North Gateway is closed to climbers every year from around Feb 1 until early August, depending on when the birds fledge. It's not posted out there, but since the closure has been in effect for 20+ years it is incumbent on climbers to know about closures by stopping in at the visitor center and asking. The falcons always nest in a big pothole above the traverse ledge and below the Kissing Camels arch.
Mike Houston nearing the top of the Henry the Pig ...
Description
West face of the North Gateway Rock. Start just south of the Blowouts bouldering area beneath a leftward-trending flake/crack. Climb the flake (5.6) and top out on a small ledge. Follow pins to your right and then up to a weird crux move (long reach and mantle on to a large ledge). Cruise up and to your left to a ledge near a tree, protecting either by slinging potholes (scant pro) or by tossing a large cam deep into one of the potholes (psychological pro). The climbing above the crux (to reach the anchors) is fairly easy (5.8), but I recall it being difficult to protect.Not the best route in the Garden, but worth doing if you're looking for something different.
Protection
Mainly old drilled angles, supplemented with a small Alien or two and a couple of long runners for slinging potholes. A couple of fist-size cams protects the easy start in the crack.
This is a perfect route for using half ropes. The climbing after the crux gets a bit spicy. It's not hard climbing but a bit run out over less than perfect rock. I wouldn't say I slung a pothole, more like lassoed a rotten fin between gaping holes! Don't plan on "tossing a large cam deep into one of the potholes", because it's just not possible (they are too large, I was looking!). There's two good placements above the "Lassoe". In retrospect, a fun and memorable Garden climb. For the full meal deal, climb two more pitches to the top!
None of the bolts appear to be new, but I found the route (crux pitch anyway) to be well bolted with a mix of half inch bolts with cold shut hangers, and some older pins. The crux was protected by an old angle, but is also just out of reach of the next bolt. If you start on Arch Crack, rather than going up under the large flake, use long slings to avoid rope drag. If you just climb the first pitch, you will probably need 9 draws, and two cams, .75 and 3.5 BD.
What's with this Borghoff person? There was a "Borghoff's Botch" listed in an early Gunks guide (Gran? Blue Dick?). This was a variation to Tough Shift on the right side of the McCarthy Wall in the Gunks. If that's the same Borghoff, he botched in the Gunks and blundered in Garden of the Gods.
I Googled on Borghoff and Gunks and found a Mike Borghoff mentioned on John Gill's site and a listing for Mike Borghoff doing the FA of Classic in the Gunks. If you Google on "Mike Borghoff" you'll find a number of climbing-related references.
By Bosier Parsons From: Colorado Springs, CO Nov 3, 2007
Above the crux there's a great medium stopper, followed by a great 0.4 Camalot (small grey), then the lasso which was not inspiring, and finally a good #2 C4 Camalot (yellow) to protect the last move. Classic!
By Bosier Parsons From: Colorado Springs, CO Oct 22, 2008
I had the pleasure of following Mike Houston up the whole route on Sunday. Great climbing all the way to the top, but definitely Garden spice. The description below is how we climbed the upper pitches. Info is taken from Mark Rolofson's guide.
P2) Layback up the short corner above the belay to gain a big ledge behind a flake and belay on top of a pillar. (5.7, 50 feet)
P3) Climb a thin and steep face past four pitons to a slab, then run it out to a nice belay on Hollywood Ledge with two pitons. (5.9+, 70 feet) *** It might be better to combine P2 and P3, but hard to say what the rope drag would be like. If you belay atop the pillar as we did, beware that if the leader falls, you might potentially land on your belayer.
P4) The original route climbs out right here, and up the unprotected slab right of the major dihedral formation to the top of the wall (5.6 X). Instead, it is recommended to traverse left to a pin, then up and left on runout but beautiful slab climbing past four more pins to another big ledge (Vine Ledge). This pitch is known as Henry the Pig (5.8, 130 feet). Instead of belaying here, continue up the slab above past two more pins to the top. This pitch is known as the Vine Ledge Exit (5.7, 60 feet).
Descend by scrambling through a notch to the northeast, accessing a large ledge that takes you back to the south and the top of Tourist Gully. Then down-climb Tourist Gully.
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