[Hide Comment] This route has some of the best rock in the park and its spectacular position and moves make it a classic. I guess I agree with the grade but I would recommend that the leader be confident at the .10b grade when climbing this route.

If you bring along a 3.5 or new 4 camalot you would find several places to use it.

If you climb the 5th pitch go straight up the obvious crack and then angle up and right. If you look carefully you can see the anchors from the belay. I would say this pitch is 5.8 but no R rating is necessary. As for the last pitch I would agree with the post that the rock deteriorates as you move up. I would rate it R maybe just for the rock quality and lack of good protection.

The gunsight notch walkoff is super easy and DOES NOT require rappelling unless you can't 4th class downclimb.

Mar 20, 2007

[Hide Comment] One of the best routes I've done in Red Rocks, for sure! Apr 2, 2007

[Hide Comment] Matt Ruppell and I replaced all ten old bolts on p3-4 last Thursday, except one pro bolt that had been replaced previously (it has an old JU hanger re-installed on it for historical sake - don't worry, they are actually pretty good hangers, and the next bolt is 3 feet higher). We didn't get to the p5 anchor.

The pitch 3 anchor has rap rings on the two new bolts.

We didn't mess with the original bolts left next to the newer rap anchors on top of p1, p2, p4 - so each of these anchors has 3 or 4 total bolts, but no one clips the old ones!

If you rap with a 70m, I suspect that the p2 rap wouldn't quite reach the p1 anchor (it would depend on how stretchy your rope is). Also, the first pitch is definitely over half a 70m and would require 5.5 downclimbing at the start of the first pitch.

By my measurement, p3 is more like 80-90 feet and p4 about 60-70, so you should be able to rap with a single 60 to a rope left on the nice ledge on top of p2. Watch rope ends as always. Apr 23, 2007

[Hide Comment] Thanks for all the great work Greg. Those old quarter inchers didn't inspire confidence in me. May 6, 2007

[Hide Comment] I think it is possible a #5 would be useful/safe for the p2 chimney.

Fwiw, my partner and I met and spoke with Jorge Urioste at the base directly after climbing Nightcrawler. He stated this route "has always been rated 10+" and definitely not 10b. YMMV.

One more interesting note about the route history: Jorge Urioste told us that he and Joanne named it "The Nightcrawler" because when they were putting up the route initially, they ended up sleeping overnight on top of the pillar (I believe they meant The Hourglass formation pillar).

USEFUL APPROACH BETA:

Time is approx 2 hours and kinda burly. To avoid a bunch of the boulder hopping, once you are nearing the entrance to the canyon, you will encounter some trail divisions and a sign; it will indicate that continuing back north (from whence you originally came) is the Pine Creek Trail, whereas turning left toward the canyon is the Knoll Trail (iirc). Our guidebook (and our instincts) said to go on the Knoll Trail; this leads you very soon into the gully and up the tiring boulder-scrambling for a large part of the canyon's length. While following Jorge Urioste out at the end of the day, we found a much nicer way to go. So during approach, when you hit that sign, keep going straight on the Pine Creek trail. It will "feel" wrong, but you will be happier in the long run! Not too much farther down the hill, you will encounter another trail that intersects on the left but bears no sign marking. Turn left here and it will take you up the hill above and alongside the gully for quite some ways into Juniper Canyon (before you are forced to get in there and finish up with boulder-scrambling). However, it is mainly flat and allows you to avoid around 1/3-1/2 of the gully! Nov 24, 2007

[Hide Comment] If this one is rated 10b/c, La Cierta Edad should be 9/10a in my humble opinion. 3rd pitch was hard & the 4th pitch was harder...maybe different climbing types suit different people but we really struggled on the last pitch. Beautiful climbing, rock & position though! Large cams seemed handy on 2nd pitch. Many thanks to Greg & Matt for replacing the bolts!! Apr 7, 2008

[Hide Comment] Great climb. Probably my favorite I've done in Red Rock, although there's still a lot of great climbs I have yet to do. It's a very solid 5.10b (think of a "EB of El Cap" kind of 10b), and may seem like a sandbag among Red Rock's fluffy grades. The descent gully was still full of snow and ice from that blizzard last month. Getting down took forever and required an extra rappel. I wish we had gotten an early start so we could have spent more time enjoying the summit instead of rushing to get down. If you've never topped out Brownstone Wall, it's well worth climbing the last pitch. It's an impressive ridge with a great view off the backside. Jan 21, 2009

[Hide Comment] I thought that the chimney pitch (pitch two) was pretty hard for the grade and awkward at times. The third pitch was really really cool and balancey. Jan 16, 2010

[Hide Comment] Every pitch is enjoyable involving a mix of many skills - stems, chimney, liebacks, endurance. The third and fourth are totally sustained 5.10 climbing from start to finish. Comment - although you can rap from pitch 4 to pitch 2 belay, at least have the last person stop at pitch 3 and pull the rope then rappel again - we got the knot hopelessly stuck in the crack right below the 3rd belay - not my favorite pitch to repeat on the same day even though it is spectacular. Mar 18, 2010

[Hide Comment] An absolutely gorgeous route that is unfortunately marred by the presence of bolts.

Even in 1978 protecting this route without bolts, pins, or small cams, would have been reasonable. But perhaps when the hardware was replaced in 2007, we could have taken into account that every modern climber out there today carries the gear on their harness to sew this thing up. May 11, 2010

[Hide Comment] Although this route may appear to have unnecessary bolts by today's standards, it is worth keeping a little historical perspective. At the time this route was first climbed (1978), cams were rare and small cams were non-existent. The original guidebook says:

"There are two ethical considerations which are unique to the Red Rocks: the use of pitons and the quality of bolt placement. Generally, pitons offer dubious protection and it is difficult to judge the quality of their placements in Red Rock sandstone; few will hold a long leader fall. In a matter of months, fixed pins often become loose and can be removed with the fingers. The hammer blows required to redrive pitons into the rock will quickly fracture the sandstone and, after a few placements, there may be no crack left. First-ascent parties, who are concerned with preserving the rock and who find it necessary to use a piton, would be well advised to place a bolt instead. The bolt should be placed as carefully as possible as the safety and lives of other may depend on it. Shallow drilling, bent shafts and placements on loose flakes and blocks are unacceptable; such bolts should be replaced. Since the holding power of bolts on sandstone has not been determined, first-ascent parties might be advised to place bolts at closer intervals on sandstone than on granite when other forms of protection are not available." Jul 10, 2010

[Hide Comment] i appreciate the bolt replacement very much, thanks!

NOTES: the new anchors are often too low, with the in-line equalization you need to place them a lil' higher to avoid too much force pulling OUT on the lowest anchor bolt(reasonably so if people are clipping this at waist-height and then leaning back to belay). also consider using washers between the nut and the hangars.


i think the variables mentioned above have contributed to at least one "new" bolt pulling almost halfway out already(oct. 16, 2011). this is constructive criticism and not meant to ruffle any feathers. it is especially cool that you guys left a historical piece, as time moves forward i think these will be a real treat for new climbers in a decade or two.


thanks for the hard work!


jon Oct 17, 2011

[Hide Comment] Where's the bad bolt located? Might help replacers to know what they're looking for-

There was a significant amount of "negative" discussion removed here. I still think that climbing George and Joanne's routes and then bitching about them not bolting routes in a fashion that anticipated the invention of cams that would make the bolts redundant is both insane and stupid. They put up some of the greatest routes in the Western Hemisphere, even those who claim to hate bolts are always climbing them. Get a hobby....and buy someone who puts up a route a beer before ya start slinging mud. Oct 17, 2011

[Hide Comment] Phenomenal and brilliant route. A candidate for the best route in RR. Amazing climbing. I can't see p2 as 5.9 - its so much harder than say the 5.9 pitch on Armatron. Nor can i swallow the suggestion that the two top pitches are 10b - it doesn't hold water. Handren's book gives them 10c - and that's the lowest they could be. Nov 17, 2011

[Hide Comment] Great climb all the way through the fifth pitch. Lot's of fun face climbing and stemming if you want to stay out of the chimney for most of the second pitch, although this might bump up the grade beyond 5.9. No need for anything bigger than a 4. My partner and I both thought the crux of the route was getting off the small ledge on P3--a couple of bouldery moves before the crack becomes any good. P5 is worth doing as well.

We rapped the whole thing with a 70. The P2 raps just gets you to anchor. The P1 rap requires about 20 feet of down climbing mid 5th class. Nov 28, 2011

[Hide Comment] The best route ever!!! For me P2 and 3 are both crux - one mental (R)and the other one physical (good gear+bolted). Dec 1, 2011

[Hide Comment] This is my new favorite route in Red Rocks!

The chimney pitch alone is outstanding, and I will repeat this route again just to lead the chimney pitch again, if nothing else.

The dihedral is excellent! I believe the Handren guide when it says the dihedral is the best dihedral in Red Rocks! Technical and sustained. I can't thank Jorge Urioste enough for putting up this excellent route!

The anchor at the top of the second (chimney) pitch was in good shape. I didn't have any issues clipping into it or rappelling off of it. Thanks so much for replacing these bolts!

The crux move on the third pitch is very thought provoking. You pretty much have to edge with your right foot on "not much" and completely commit to trusting it. And then bump your right foot up to another "not much" edge and completely commit to trusting it again while you gain the finger crack with your right hand. That's how I did it anyways.. The crux move felt definitely 10+ (.11- ish).

The block you are standing on before the crux move is a bit loose. I put a number one cam behind it while I climbed onto it, and when I put the cam behind it, I saw the whole block flex outwards. It's a large block! I hastily removed my #1 from behind it once I was standing on top of it.

I took a double rack to 2", and was glad to have the pro options. I took a single #3 and #4. I placed my #4 about 10 feet above the pitch 1 anchor and bumped it along the crack for about 10 more feet before it started to tip out. I left it there, and placed my #3 about 10 feet higher. There is a completely welded #3 about 10 feet above that, and I clipped it. Looked like the cam was in good shape, although the lobe rivets had a little rust on them. It wasn't coming out.

The approach trail was much more obvious on the descent, which seems typical of a lot of the climbs in Red Rocks. We managed to take 3 hours to approach the climb due to scrambling around and trying to find a trail around the wash. My partner and I turned left into the wash too early on the approach. The trail we turned into the wash on the left looked about right according to the Handren guide book approach information. Don't turn left into the wash from the approach trail! Just continue to follow the approach trail straight the entire way. The approach trail proper eventually will go down into the wash and scramble along the wash for about 200 yards. The trail portion in the wash is marked well with cairns. From the wash, the path will exit to a trail on the left, go up about 75 feet up a hill, back down the same hill, and then back into the wash for about 100 feet. The trail then exits the wash on the right and scrambles towards an outcropping that leads to a weakness in the slab that allows you to walk right up to the climb (through a bit of shrubbery). This "weakness" can be seen from the approach trail as a notable triangular rubble heap with some bushes on top, below a notable white slab section. The slab section looks much more vertical from the trail. It isn't bad once you get up to it. Maybe 15 degree slab rock; totally walkable with packs on.

The approach is well worth the climb. If you enjoy chimneys and dihedrals, this route is not to be missed! Mar 5, 2012

[Hide Comment] Climbed it yesterday, and felt the 10+ rating to be fair. Brilliant route! In the shade, so plan accordingly.... Mar 21, 2012

[Hide Comment] I'd recommend topping out. The view is amazing and then you only have to bring one rope (if you don't have an 80m but who wants to carry that). The gunsight notch is pretty unique as well. After the 5th pitch it's one more pitch of easy but fragile face climbing. Definitely worth it. Oh yeah, great route. Getting onto and then moving off of that block on the third pitch was the crux for me. Nov 30, 2012

[Hide Comment] Climbed this recently and pulled out an anchor bolt at the top of p2 with my fingers. It was a 2" wedge anchor, which I would consider to be inadequate for sandstone, and it was only in the rock about 1". Did my best to equalize the remaining bolt with an old 1/4-incher and a knot but it would be nice if the missing bolt were replaced with decent hardware. The other wedge-type anchors on the route should be viewed with suspicion if they start getting loose.

We rapped with a single 70m and the rap from the p2 anchors does not quite reach. A #4 camalot and some other gear makes getting to the p1 anchor a bit safer. Be prepared to downclimb 25 feet of 5.6 when rapping p1 as well. Dec 5, 2012

[Hide Comment] Anchor at the top of pitch 2 needs some caring for. Originally one good bolt extended via a chance part way, then continues as an old piece of cord, this is then attached via a non locker to a shackle. The shackle is equalized by a sling to an old bolt, and to a knot in a crack (originally).

I took a whipper on P3 and yanked the knot out! I've replaced the knot with a good nut, but the equalizing is not great for where it is in relation to the old bolt. It now loads the shackle a bit off vertical axis. So I've also added another beaner to connect straight to the good bolt in case shackle gets loaded wrong and blows.

The thing just needs another good bolt, else someone just bring some extra cord and equalize whats there better. Cheers! Feb 16, 2013

[Hide Comment] Roger, thanks for the updating. I'm working a bunch right now but got word from some of my crew that this will be taken care of very soon. Thanks for good description of the problem, it helps out a lot for the replacement effort. -K Feb 17, 2013

[Hide Comment] Amazing route.

The belay with the missing bolt is rigged fine for now with the remaining modern bolt and Roger's fixed nut. Thank you, Roger! We re-equalized the two with a longer chunk of cord and rapped confidently. Apr 8, 2013

[Hide Comment] I put this together from a trip a couple weeks ago:

youtube.com/watch?v=HXFklnE… Apr 15, 2013

[Hide Comment] The anchor has been restored a top of pitch 2. A 1/2" SS 5 piece ASCA bolt was installed near the previous bolt which had came out. The old hole was patched. We weren't able to get the wedged nut out, but it is somewhat hidden. Enjoy!

Also, there is now a optional rap descent off of Time's Up (Anchors replaced) if The Nightcrawler is a little busy. The route can easily be rapped with a 70m and possibly even a 60m. I'd stay on belay while traversing over to the times up anchors. Apr 22, 2013

[Hide Comment] p5 is worth doing after all the tough climbing, but if you're planning to rap bring some tat to replace what's up there. We left a biner too, but the next party to top out will probably grab it... Mar 28, 2014

[Hide Comment] Great route and nice views of the Rainbow Wall. Highly recommend topping this out. We climbed a route on the jackrabbit Buttress to get to The Nightcrawler, and then did the scenic walk off down Gunsight Notch. My toes were tired the next morning from all the stemming! May 5, 2014

[Hide Comment] Wow. Just wow. This route is a must do. We rapped after hanging out above the fourth pitch, but I almost immediately regretted skipping out on the fifth pitch. This is probably the most memorable route I did in my week long Red Rock trip. The stemming, and layback smearing is fantastic and the rock has such great friction.

When I got down from Prince of Darkness, which I enjoyed climbing, I was pretty happy to be heading back to the car. This thing though, I wish could have gone on for another mile or so. I am hardly a 5.10 trad leader. I was nervous about leading the third and fourth pitch so my partner took them.

Looking back at them, I wish I had at least tried to lead the pitch that starts with a thin crack on the right, and a wide crack on the left. (I think pitch three) which is more of a mixed line.

We opted to rap with a single seventy, and do the down climbing. Somewhere else I read there is about twenty feet of down climbing. But I think it's worth mentioning there is probably closer to forty feet of down climbing, but much of it after the first fifteen feet of down climbing felt like 5.1. Still, if you slipped you'd be very unhappy about the fall. If one of you is really nervous, one member could be lowered all the way to the ground, and the other could rap and do the down climbing if they felt more comfortable.

The approach is not short, and is in the sun for a long ways. Trails branch off in many directions from multiple points. I have no idea how we got to the correct location without making a mistake. Make good choices out there! Oct 7, 2014

[Hide Comment] Just a killer route and worth the burly approach!

It was reminiscent of granite dihedrals in terms of the overall style of the climb, and much of P2-4 were in-your-face almost the whole time, with just enough good footholds to de-pump your calves now and then.

• P1: approach pitch - fun and easy to protect
• P2: wide crack chimneying/offwidth or stemming - stiff for its 5.9 grade unless you avoid the chimneying/offwidth entirely, but then you'll be out of reach of your only pro opportunities in the large, partially flared crack. Overall as a lead, probably more like 10a+. A #5 is helpful in the first section of offwidth.
• P3: wide crack/stemming to delicate tips/fingerlock lieback on a bolted section. A #4 is helpful down low on the pitch to walk up the wide crack on the left as you stem until the lieback section.
• P4: tips/fingerlock lieback, with less stemming this time.

P2-4 are so consistent and engaging!!

We took Aerili's approach advice starting from the Pine Creek parking, and were able to reach the climb in about 2 hours with a couple 5-minute breaks.

See my approach details in the main Brownstone Wall section.

Enjoy!! Oct 22, 2015

[Hide Comment] Wow, my new favorite climb in Red Rocks! We followed approach detailed beta listed in the comments on the main Brownstone Wall page and despite following the instructions as closely as possible, ended up taking well over two hours to reach the climb and ultimately bushwhacking. We did the descent in about an hour and it was very straightforward so I'd advise others to keep it simple and follow the clearest trails and guidebook.

As for the climbing--incredible! We found every pitch to be a lot of fun (even the 5.6). I'd say the crux is definitely on the third pitch between the final two bolts and for shorter climbers, probably dials in at 5.11-. Spoiler: my partner and I (5'4" and 5'5") both back stepped onto the left face of the dihedral and jammed our knee on the right face in order to reach up the bottom of the crack above. The move was improbable and so cool!! Nov 12, 2015

[Hide Comment] I solo toproped the route today (from the top) and have some beta that may be useful for those who top out. There is a new-ish 2 bolt anchor at the top of the formation a bit to the left of the line of Nightcrawler. I haven't seen any mention of this anchor in guidebooks or online. This may be where Nightcrawler tops out if you continue past P5 but I'm not sure because it's probably 20-30 feet to the left of the P5 anchor. The anchor is at the top and just to the left of a huge left-facing flake/corner. From this anchor, you can rap 200 feet (2 60m ropes) down and climber's right directly to the top of the hourglass pillar (top of P4 of Nightcrawler). Knot your ropes because it's a full ropelength.

Using this anchor you could top out and take in the view from the top of Brownstone but avoid the time-consuming gunsight notch descent. Jan 16, 2016

[Hide Comment] We took the above posters advice and topped out on a sandy P6 that climbed around 5.6 and protected mostly with nuts in patina seams. Belayed off a slung boulder and a short scramble to the summit. If I did it again I'd link p5 and P6. The summit rap station was as described, skiers right off the top out, almost directly above the p4 ledge, dual 60s barely (but safely) make it to the p4 ledge. Apr 21, 2016

[Hide Comment] Guidebook does not show P5, so we did not do it (found out about it after the fact). We did a bit of alpine TR on P4 (there is a fixed locker on that anchor), then with 70m rope you can bypass belay on the top of wide pitch (hence also keeping the rope out of the crack). Another 50m makes it to the ground. Great route! Oct 23, 2016

[Hide Comment] Anyone know if this route gets sun in December? Dec 13, 2016

[Hide Comment] none Dec 14, 2016

[Hide Comment] I think this is one of the funnest sandstone routes I've ever done. As with many of the above comments, the route is no gimme and you should for sure be solid at 5.10 before attempting. That being said, there are lots of places on the two crux pitches with good rests if you find them, so don't be intimidated. GEAR BETA ALERT: On pitch 3, I loved having a #4 C4 that I walked all the way up the wide crack in the corner. It made me so happy and feel really secure, so I recommend it. Feb 14, 2017

[Hide Comment] Excellent route. Definitely full value.

Recommend rapping Time's Up. The raps are quick and easy to do with a 60 or 70. Feb 16, 2017

[Hide Comment] There are a few dihedrals out there in the world that I like to call "as good as it gets", meaning as far as rock climbing goes for me. After finishing pitches 3 and 4 of The Nightcrawler, I found myself saying, "okay, I didnt know it got THAT good!"

Seriously: the rock is perfect, the wall is steep, the climbing is sustained, and the positioning is awesome. If you lead at the 5.10+ grade, you must do it.

I was happy to have a new #4 camalot which I placed on pitches 2 and 3. Extra TCUs help sew up those crux seams. Mar 22, 2017

[Hide Comment] Amazing climb. All pitches are fun, but 3 and 4 really stand out.

We rapped pitches 4, 3, and 2 on a single 70 m rope. P4 and 3 go easily on a single 70, pitch 2 is almost exactly 35m from top to bottom on rappel (but longer than 35m on the way up due to the curving nature of the pitch). We left a tag line on the p1 anchor on the way up and used that to get down w/ minimal shenanigans. Seemed like a good solution.

Aerili's approach beta above is good! We made it from car to base in 1hr and 40 minutes, with about 10 minutes lost finding the homesite at the beginning. No stops. Apr 1, 2017

[Hide Comment] Would echo a-Ball's comment about the raps, wish we had fixed a tagline on P1 belay. Downclimbing is not hard, but the rock is not bomber the first 20', which makes it feel more serious.

Pitch five is definitely worth doing, wouldn't call it R, maybe PG13, I found some decent but cryptic gear placements up high. Also, the anchor atop P5 is suspect with the original 1/4" and rusting-in-place anchors, the bomber nut backup made me feel good about it, the knotted sling is probably worthless. Perhaps a single real bolt would make it safe. With all the traffic this route gets, its probably a good idea. Thanks to all who helped maintain this classic route! May 15, 2017

[Hide Comment] vimeo.com/217247739 Aug 14, 2017

[Hide Comment] This route is the bee's knees. Definitely one of the best stem/layback corners I've done. Totally worth the hype and hike. Be solid on 5.10 before leading it.

All of the rap anchors are fine to rap off of, if only a little jankity.

Save yourself the headache of a hanging belay and build a GEAR ANCHOR in the splitter atop the column to belay your second up pitch 4. Oct 26, 2017

[Hide Comment] Got on this the past weekend. You can rap this route with little to no down climbing with a single 80 m as long as you angle towards the ledge with the scrub oaks on the 1st pitch! We followed Aerili's and Nelson Day's approach beta below, they in combination were spot on from the Pine Creek Trailhead, it took us 2 hours with some navigation stops and breaks.

We brought a single rack to #4 with some doubles of smalls to thin hands and 12 alpine draws, and it seemed to work. You can find spots for the #4 on the way up the 2nd pitch. All the bolts seemed in good condition.

Definitely be solid on the grade, it felt a bit sandbagged at .10b. Jan 16, 2018

[Hide Comment] Like many have said, this is an amazing route. P2 is very good. Pitches 3 and 4 are stellar, as good as it gets.

A #4 camalot is really nice to have for walking up the wide crack at the start of P3. A #5 wasn't necessary IMO. I also found doubles of the blue alien size to be important, I used this piece a lot on this route.

We brought 2 60 m ropes. P3 and P4 can definitely be rappelled with 1 60 m rope, so you could leave your tag line at the top of P2 in this scenario. Feb 3, 2018

[Hide Comment] Just as everyone else has said - simply amazing.

P1 - 5.7
P2 - 5.9
P3 5.10+
P4 - 5.10

Gear:
1 set Stoppers
Doubles .3-1
Single .1-.2 & 2-4
10 draws/slings Feb 19, 2018

[Hide Comment] The block 2/3 of the way up pitch 3 is a bit of a hazard. Seems reasonably in place but as I was mantling up onto it I noticed I could flex it out from the rock slightly. The whole thing is detached. I would not place gear under, around, or on top of it, however tempting that might be. I slotted a bomber No. 2 RP in the corner above the block to protect the mantle move before reaching the next bolt. Mar 1, 2018

[Hide Comment] Such a great route! Pitch 5 is really good, but it would be even better if someone did the community a huge favor and replaced the manky anchor. The two quarter inch bolts and hangers are dark brown with rust/oxidation, sun bleached half inch webbing backed up with newer-ish 6 mil cord. As of last week the bolts aren't wiggly or loose, but they are concerning. Apr 12, 2018

[Hide Comment] So fun! One of the best routes I've ever done. I found a #4 and #5 to be helpful on pitches 2 and 3, and worth bringing. Used nuts on every pitch. Crux on pitch three was bouldery and tenuous, probably harder for folks under 5'10". You'll be staring at the awesome-looking Urioste bolt hanger as you try to figure the move out. Apr 16, 2018

[Hide Comment] great rt. I thought 2nd pitch was the most difficult, hands down. Pitch 3 and 4 were so much fun. My favorite rt in Red Rocks. We lost a #3 in chimney. If you two guys have it let me know. It has sentimental value. Ill pay more than value for it. Again, great sustained climb! Jan 26, 2019

[Hide Comment] Pitches 1&2 just barely link with an 80 (doing this makes for one hell of a long and varying pitch). I found the crux move to be stepping off the little pedestal about 70% of the way up pitch 3, past the old J U bolt.

Can confirm it is a fantastic route. Recommend linking up with Aquarium Wall routes. Can also confirm ease of rappel with an 80m rope. Oct 14, 2019

[Hide Comment] On 2/16/2020 I added a fresh loop of red 1-inch nylon webbing to the anchor of the 5th pitch. It is looped through seemingly solid, old bolts with superficially rusty but integral hangers, and one good fixed nut on a wire. I also left a quick link. I felt safe rappelling from it. The pitch was fun, and worth it. Big loose/hollow-sounding flake/slab on the roof. I stood on it, but wouldn't place a cam in it. A nice contrast in style to the rest of this stellar climb. Feb 19, 2020

[Hide Comment] We followed the approach beta posted by Aerili. It worked perfectly! We made it to the base of the climb in exactly 1.5hrs from the Pine Creek lot without rushing. Super casual. Oct 19, 2020

[Hide Comment] P3&4 are amazing, the hike would be worth it for P3 alone. Climbed this with doubles to 3, but if youre comfortable running out 5.9, singles in #1-3 would be fine. Rapped with a single 70, had to downclimb 15-20ft of 5.4 back to the ground on the last rap Jan 11, 2021

[Hide Comment] Amazing route, a trip highlight that left me smiling all weekend.
The map feature on the MP app made the approach straightforward, just follow the yellow line and stay above the drainage gulley until it's necessary to jump in.

Pitches 3 & 4 were the gems, but I also really enjoyed the pitch 2 chimney which adds nice variety to the climb. 5.9 seemed fair for the chimney grade, expecting the usual awkward grunting that comes with the territory. I found a #4 helpful to bump along the wider section.

My climbing partner and I both thought the move off the pitch 3 mantle ledge was the clear crux, on the cruxiest pitch. Even at very different heights (6'0 and 5'0) we both found the foot smears we used for that move committing and challenging! Mar 22, 2021

[Hide Comment] Totally awesome! I highly recommend topping it out. Why would you skip dessert? The 5.8 pitch is totally stellar, huge jugs out an improbable overhang with gut wrenching exposure. After that, we were on the top in two pitches of “path of least resistance” climbing. Adequate gear, slung chicken heads, cams, nuts, a bit creative, but never super runout, and the rock was solid. The ridge scramble to the notch was super fun, and pretty straightforward. We rapped back down off a large tree at the notch so we could get our bags at the base of the climb. 8 hrs car to car.

Double rack to 2. Single 3 and 4. Never placed the 4. Mar 27, 2021

[Hide Comment] Must do route! I found the chimney pitch to be a bit intimidating and hard to protect, but the rest of the route was stellar. I have FPV climbing videos with gear placements of Pitch 2 and 4 on my YouTube channel. Click the Beta button if you enjoyed the videos!

youtube.com/channel/UCBabb5… Jul 26, 2021

[Hide Comment] We were able to rap the upper three pitches of this route with a 70m, though the rap down the chimney pitch was close (I clipped the chains at my waist while holding the knots). We used a short tagline and some rope trickery to get down P1. Nov 22, 2021

[Hide Comment] P3 - For those with a reach of 5'2 and under, I'd say P3 goes at 5.11-/5.11, but no harder than 5.11c. Harking back to an earlier comment - I've done EB of El Cap, and this pitch, for short folks, is most definitely not .10b. P4 is notably easier than P3.

Leave anything bigger than a #3 at home - my partner and I are the type to rather have more gear than less and never found a desire let alone need to place a #4 or larger. Nov 28, 2021

[Hide Comment] 1) FWIW rappelling with a single 80m we had to downclimb about 20ft on P1.

2) For any other curious sport climbers :) None of the thin/hard climbing on P3 is bolt protected. Pretty much every time you clip a bolt you also get big holds, and when the feet get scary you are over gear. P4 looked scarier in the topo cause there are fewer bolts and I don't know how to climb trad, but is much shorter, easier and feels better protected too. My partner claimed if P3 is 10+ P4 must be 10a.

3) P5 is worth it and not even PG, there's gear in the horizontals.

4) Thin crack on P3 takes blue TCU to BD .4. You can also place a bomber #4 just before it, in case you mess up the small gear.

5) You can completely avoid the chimney on P2 on the right if you are willing to run it out. Feb 24, 2022

[Hide Comment] Great route. I agree with the previous comment. P4 is significantly easier and shorter than P3. Mar 15, 2022

[Hide Comment] The fifth pitch is awesome. It did not feel Runout to me at all. The protection in those horizontal slots looks solid enough. If you've made it this far, you're not going to blow any of the moves. Apr 13, 2022

[Hide Comment] We rapped "Time's up" per a few recommendations above and regretted it. Hanging belays, lots of rope eating cracks and flakes to snag. We almost had to climb the 5.12 pitch to free the rope, lol. Assuming no one is on the route, definitely rap Nightcrawler and do the downclimb. Nov 20, 2022

[Hide Comment] Phenomenal route and one of my new favorites in Red Rock, a must climb. A few observations, the chimney on Pitch 2 would be a challenging squeeze if you climbed it straight in. That being said, it's pretty easy to stem/face climb just out of it and then move into it to place gear if you want. On P3, we bumped a #4 up the left crack at the start and felt this helped protect it well. While P3 definitely goes at the grade, there are a number of no hands stem rests during the pitch which helps ya recover between moves (coming from someone who definitely is NOT a .10d leader). The route crux on this pitch is protected by two bolts 3ft apart (one old and new), and you would likely be able to pull through it on a draw if it really stopped ya. We did P5 and thought it was a great mellow finish to the climb. Great stemming and liebacking that protects very well, I would encourage anyone thinking of getting on this to go for it. Apr 27, 2023

[Hide Comment] The anchor on top of P5 still sucks. 2 old 1/4 inchers and a nut. I wouldn’t be psyched to rap on that anchor. Oct 7, 2023

[Hide Comment] 1. The anchor atop pitch 3 is equipped ok for rappelling. 2. The anchor atop pitch 5 held, but I didn’t think the climbing of that pitch was worth it. 3. We rapped the route w a single 70m. Had 20 ft of downclimbing pitch 1; fine but scarier than expected. Dec 18, 2023

[Hide Comment] Way too many comments for a single route but here's some info that might help some folks. If not, sorry for wasting the space.
Rappel: easy with a 70m and you'll have to downclimb about 12' of 5.5 at the base of the route. It's chill.
Crux P3 & P4 feel similar in difficulty but P4 is shorter although has worse rests. It's more sequence dependent at its crux. P3 crux is damn thin and balancey. These pitches protect amazingly well.
Gear: tips to 4". The 4" is only useful on P2. Could do without but the "thinner" placements on the lower section tend to be in flakes are they're suspect. Nuts are somewhat optional if you have a double rack of cams. Most of the placements are in splitters. You can find nuts, but why? You could lead the P3 pitch on gear and it would be safe but you would need maybe another 6-7 tiny to tips sizes.
If you regularly climb in the 10+/11- range in RR this route will be challenging but amazing. Do P5. It's only dirty because people don't climb it. The anchor isn't amazing but maybe it'll get updated if more people climb that pitch Feb 29, 2024

[Hide Comment] First time climbing in RR so maybe this is common but it felt sketchy.. Around the 4th bolt, there's a flake of rock on the left side, its got great crimps but when I grabbed it I felt it shift very slightly. It was about the size of a 50" tv so I just let go and ended up bailing off the bolt May 13, 2024

[Hide Comment] 70m rap barely makes from P2-P1. You'll need to clip in to the top bolt, unknot your ropes hoping not to have it bounce back up before tying knots back in for the second (or you're the second and having it unreachable for the pull, and down climb 6 feet.

Take an 80m and have no shenanigans. Nov 12, 2024

[Hide Comment] I would not recommend climbing P5 unless you bring a hand drill and bolts. The P5 anchor nuts shifted and the rock flex/cracked several times while my husband was repelling. The rusted SMC bolts probably would have held if the nuts blew... Also, I think the pitch could be extended for a nicer top out. As is, it is super short and ends at a random spot 30 ft up from P4. Dec 25, 2024

[Hide Comment] The p5 anchors are probably fine for all users under 800 lbs... if you bring an 80m and tie knots, you can link p4&5 rappel and do the others safely. 70m probably won't cut it for p2. Jan 17, 2025

[Hide Comment] If you're doing this on all gear for the full experience I recommend bringing 4x #0.3s if you have them. I thought P3 was 10+ Rish with the gear I had on me (contrary to what Josh Janes said) but would feel safe with a couple more .3s! And brass nuts/nuts are key. Placing the gear is definitely more awkward/strenuous and one of the best placements might be blind. I thought linking 3, 4, and 5 together made for a nice long ~72m pitch Mar 3, 2025