Suggested Page Improvements to Levitation 29

This route is considered by many to be the BEST route at Red Rocks. Lynn Hill calls it her favorite route of all time, hard to believe it's better than the free Nose, but to each her own.

It is located up on the Eagle wall, high above Oak Creek Canyon. The approach follows the creek bed to the back of this canyon then turns right and up a steep but walkable slab/ramp to the base of the Eagle Wall. Allow 1-3 hrs for the hike in. The route can be identified by locating the Eagle made of varnished rock, flying west about 1/4 up the wall. Levitation climbs through the tail of this big birdie. Another landmark is the crux headwall on pitch 5, with what appears to be a splitter crack in it. Aim for this.

Pitch 1: locate a nicely varnished and smooth corner system with about 4 bolts near the right side of the Eagle Wall. Climb this awesome pitch to a bolt anchor 100' 5.10

Pitch 2: step right from the belay and gain an open corner. Head up steep but juggy flakes, clipping bolts where gear would work. Aim for the big roof above. Make incredibly fun and exciting moves out this roof with bolts well above your head the whole way, to another bolted anchor. I was tempted to skip some clips exiting the roof as they are 2 ft apart, but clipping them for your 2nd is a nice gesture. 90' 5.11

Pitch 3: Follow a left-trending crack system till it ends, then face climb back right towards a left facing corner. Climb up this corner to yet another bolted anchor. there is more gear on this pitch than it looks from below. 100' 5.8

Pitch 4: Climb a line of bolts straight up from the belay passing an awkward bulge, into a crack system. Follow this to the base of the headwall with a crack in it. 110' 5.10

Pitch 5: The business. Head up the steep CRACK, with lots of BOLTS next to it. A great exposed pitch. The crux is about 20 ft off the belay, where fist jams and hand jams and finger locks gain a shallow dihedral. Fight the pump and it's on to another bolted stance. 90' 5.11 13 bolts.

Pitch 6: Continue with the same crack system but at a less extreme angle to....you guessed it a bolted anchor. 80' 5.10

Pitch 7: Follow a left facing corner to some pumpy liebacking around a bulge. 90' 5.10

From here most people rap with two ropes. There are two more pitches, I have not done them or seen them, they are 5.9 and 5.8. You can walk off from the top of the wall, but rapping is casual. I don't know the details of the walk off.

First Ascent: Jorge and Joanne Urioste, Bill Bradley 4/1981. FFA (1st 7 pitches only): John Long, Lynn Hill & Joanne Urioste 5/1981

This route is considered by many to be the BEST route at Red Rocks. Lynn Hill calls it her favorite route of all time, hard to believe it's better than the free Nose, but to each her own.

It is located up on the Eagle wall, high above Oak Creek Canyon. The approach follows the creek bed to the back of this canyon then turns right and up a steep but walkable slab/ramp to the base of the Eagle Wall. Allow 1-3 hrs for the hike in. The route can be identified by locating the Eagle made of varnished rock, flying west about 1/4 up the wall. Levitation climbs through the tail of this big birdie. Another landmark is the crux headwall on pitch 5, with what appears to be a splitter crack in it. Aim for this.

Pitch 1: locate a nicely varnished and smooth corner system with about 4 bolts near the right side of the Eagle Wall. Climb this awesome pitch to a bolt anchor 100' 5.10

Pitch 2: step right from the belay and gain an open corner. Head up steep but juggy flakes, clipping bolts where gear would work. Aim for the big roof above. Make incredibly fun and exciting moves out this roof with bolts well above your head the whole way, to another bolted anchor. I was tempted to skip some clips exiting the roof as they are 2 ft apart, but clipping them for your 2nd is a nice gesture. 90' 5.11

Pitch 3: Follow a left-trending crack system till it ends, then face climb back right towards a left facing corner. Climb up this corner to yet another bolted anchor. there is more gear on this pitch than it looks from below. 100' 5.8

Pitch 4: Climb a line of bolts straight up from the belay passing an awkward bulge, into a crack system. Follow this to the base of the headwall with a crack in it. 110' 5.10

Pitch 5: The business. Head up the steep CRACK, with lots of BOLTS next to it. A great exposed pitch. The crux is about 20 ft off the belay, where fist jams and hand jams and finger locks gain a shallow dihedral. Fight the pump and it's on to another bolted stance. 90' 5.11 13 bolts.

Pitch 6: Continue with the same crack system but at a less extreme angle to....you guessed it a bolted anchor. 80' 5.10

Pitch 7: Sustained climbing on white rock brings one into a scoop feature. Move right from the scoop into a rounded crack and follow this to the anchor. 90' 5.11a 13 bolts

From here most people rap with two ropes. There are two more pitches, I have not done them or seen them, they are 5.9 and 5.8. You can walk off from the top of the wall, but rapping is casual. I don't know the details of the walk off.