Red Rocks Continues

Wednesday 23 February 2011

Threw a toprope down over a 12b called 'Fear This Sport' because I had no-one to climb with today.  I did meet a few people at this particular crag, but they were all busy doing their rescue practice so I didn't ask for a belay.  The first few moves were beyond me, but the rest of the route was fun.

Thursday 24 February 2011

Climbed with Nick the Alaskan, and Joanne Urioste (Red Rocks FA phenomenon from the old days) and another friend of her's. Led a great route called 'Sandstone Overcaste' (5.8) 535 feet.  best bit was a well-protected slab before a roof, which got my gear leading head back in the game after some time off before the trip!  Did a 450 foot 5.9 called 'Arch Enemy' which introduced my to the fine art of the narrow chimney.  Had dinner at Joanne's house.  It was great to talk to her and her husband about all the fantastic climbing here in Red Rocks.  They have put up a phenomenal amount of quality long routes here!

Friday 25 February 2011

Nick and I planned an epic day - up at dawn, then 2 routes totalling over 2000 feet in one day.  We almost made it, but 2 hard pitches on the last route, chill winds, approaching darkness and snow beat us.  We made it back to the car at about 8.30pm.  the routes were 'Beulah's Book' (5.9) 550 feet, 'Sundog' (5.9+) 730 feet, and 'Eagle Dance' (5.10c A0) 1060 feet.  We simul-climbed a lot of the easy ground in the first pitch of each route to save time, and strung shorter pitches together in single leads also to save time.  The aid part of the final route was an easy bolt ladder, but the crux pitches where the 2 following that.  Nick had to pull on gear to get up it, and I fell on second.  Blew the onsight!  He couldn't get up the last pitch so we bailed in the dark.  the walk back to the car was hampered by getting lost a couple of times.  Sure was good to get home to the van!


Sunday 27 February 2011

Sport climbing with Nick and some other climbers.  Nick ticked his project 'Fear and Loathing' (12a) on the 12th shot of his trip, and I had 3 goes but couldn't link it.  Very steep and pumpy.  Ewbanks 25?  Could be, although I thought the other routes I climbed here were soft compared to the grade conversion table I've been using (on chockstone.org)  Did a few other easier routes, and had a bit of barefoot fun on toperope on 'One Eyed Jacks' (11a).  Also fell off the top of a long route with perma-draws on the Stratocaster wall (not in the guide).  It shares a 12b start with 'Stratocaster Direct', but the rest of the route is 5.9 or 10 save for the hard to clip finish.  It looks like most people pre-clip the 3rd draw then jump off a nearby mound to the jug at that clip, thus avoiding the hard start.  We did this wild jump, which was great fun!  The whole route was easy and fun all the way up after that, but clipping the chains was too much for me.  Bad feet, stretched right out and hanging onto a finger rail, and trying to pull through all the ropedrag to clip above the rail.  Fell twice before clipping.

Monday 28 February 2011

Hiked through snow up to Brownstone Wall after a much-needed sleep-in to do the uber-classic 645 foot, 5 pitch, 5.9 trad route 'Armatron'.  Fantastic rock which ate nuts so easily.  We decided to go back the next day and stay overnight, and hammer out as many routes on the wall as possible.

Tuesday 1 March 2011

Another dawn start to get up to the Brownstone Wall.  The walk takes about an hour or so, and much the higher steppes are still snowed under.  We did most of the routes on the North Brownstone Wall on the first day, and after a nice night camping out at the cliff by a fire we went to do uber-classic route 'The Nightcrawler' (5.10c).  Nick linked the first 2 pitches together and I linked the second two to make the route in 2 long pitches instead of the bolted 4 pitches.  The top 2 are the 10c pitches, although I had enough trouble seconding the 3rd pitch - a chimney!  Awkward and perilous, I was secretly glad to start simul-climbing when Nick said he would tie the first two pitches together.  The two pitches I led were sustained laybacks with smears for the feet and a great crack to stick the fingers in.  There weren't many rests, but luckily most of the line was bolted at this section so I was able to power through without pause.  Had I needed to place pro, i think I would have run out of gas before the belay!  I questioned Nick about the bolting ethics, and he said that while the crack could take gear, the rock is very soft and some placements had blown in the past (as could be seen from some fracturing in the crack) so the FAs decided to just bolt it.  A magnificent 50m of climbing!

We played around on a few more routes before heading home for a decent meal and better beds!

I am NOT trusting my life on this rap station!