This route has got to be one of the better hard sport climbs in the South Platte, if not the whole Front Range. While there are still some potato chip flakes that will clean up with more traffic, the route is very aesthetic and demands good fitness, creative technique, and very precise footwork on solid rock.
Start with slightly awkward, scrunchy moves off the ground to a vertical face with long moves on crimps and sidepulls. Cop a rest, and then traverse right (even climbing downward for a move). Do a powerful and highly technical boulder problem over a bulge to reach a jug and a short slab section. At the top of the slab, rest up again for the heartbreaking final boulder problem to the anchors.
It would be great to have more information about the history of the climb, especially its proper name.
Location
The right-trending climb up the middle of the steep west face of the Icebox.
Did you do this route? FA by Ian Spencer-Green. You'll have to wait for the names and grades until the new Elevenmile Canyon guidebook that Bob D'Antonio and I are doing comes out next spring....
Yes, redpointed 8/29/09 - I thought the rather detailed beta for the climb revealed as much. I left the grade as 5.13, which was deliberately vague while still giving future climbers an accurate idea of what the climb demands.
It's great there's a more comprehensive guidebook coming out for Elevenmile since there has been so much development in the last several years. As for this specific climb, I was mostly wanting to document what I thought was a very high quality route and try to give credit to those with the vision and effort to develop it. If you'd prefer to keep the name and exact letter grade as proprietary information, no worries. The climb can be enjoyed just as well either way.
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