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Location: CO : Alpine Rock : Indian Peaks : Arapahoe Peaks : Skywalker Couloir
By: Joseph Proulx When: Jun 21, 2005 | view comment >> |
Comments: Leia's in fine shape (as of 6/16/2005) as long as you stick to the left. There's better snow and protection from the disintigrating cornice which is invisible from below. I saw some folks get hit by ice (no injuries) because they were too far to the right.
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Location: UT : Moab Area : Valley of the Gods/Mexican ... : Mexican Hat : Bandito Route (C1)
By: Joseph Proulx When: Nov 17, 2004 | view comment >> |
Comments: Class 3 A0. Maybe the only one in the world of the grade. Does that make it 3 stars?
Don't have the second reclimb it - just leave the etrier on the SECOND bolt so the second can get the weight off the first bolt. Note the angle of the quickdraw in my photo. I had to just haul on the draw to unclip the rope, and then (after some swinging) grab the bolt to unclip the qd. That sucked.
I led this route the next year (last March; 2004) and left the etrier on bolt 2, and the second (Chris... more >>
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : Rincon : Rincon - L of Center Route : Over and Out (5.8)
By: Joseph Proulx When: Nov 8, 2004 | view comment >> |
Comments: The dihedral left of P2 of OtH is a stellar pitch. I get the feeling it's underrated because of its proximity to the OtH finger crack. If leading Eldo 5.9s is a bit beyong you (as for me), then be sure to continue on up this pitch. It is either blemished or enhanced by a slightly spooky bit near the end above a small roof, where the crack become more of a seam. Almost the entire route is good fun climbing on really solid rock with great views.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Bitty Buttress : Bitty Buttress (5.8+)
By: Joseph Proulx When: Oct 26, 2004 | view comment >> |
Comments: No consensus? Well, then I'll cast my vote. I'm glad the bolts are gone, though it doesn't make up for them being there in the first place. After all, the holes remain, no matter how anyone tries to camouflage them. I was annoyed when I saw them last spring. I don't think I even clipped them because they are in a lousy location - they'd just have added drag for belaying up my partner.
This route has everything you could want in a moderate trad climb -- great position, fun moves, solid rock, bea... more >>
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Bell Buttress Massif : Bell Buttress - Main Crag : Cosmosis (5.9+)
By: Joseph Proulx When: Jun 25, 2004 | view comment >> |
Comments: Gumbies beware: Pitch 2 (assuming 3 pitches) is really run-out 5.6.
I tried the old "I'll lead the easy pitch" routine, and got scared walking up the easy 5.6 after flailing up the P1 dihedral on TR. Perhaps I was off route, but I went left on the face as noted in this description and shown in Rossiter's photo. I got in a #1 Trango cam (1-1.5cm) about 30'+ above my first placement, which was right off the belay. It felt similar to the First Flatiron P1 run-out.
Regardless, a good fun cli... more >>
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : The Bihedral Area : The Bihedral (Upper Tier) : Bihedral Arete (5.10a)
By: Joseph Proulx When: Jun 16, 2004 | view comment >> |
Comments: I didn't think it was harder than 5.9, but I wasn't on lead. My partner didn't think it was harder than 5.9 either.
Just a note: You should place some gear in the crack above the third bolt, even if the climbing to the next bolt is easy. If you don't place any gear, a fall by the second from the crux (at the third bolt) will result in a swing over the arete. This probably wouldn't be dangerous, but it would suck. You might have to lower down to get back on route.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Cob Rock : Empor (5.7+)
By: Joseph Proulx When: Jun 11, 2004 | view comment >> |
Comments: I belayed a beginner leader on this yesterday (not his first lead, but close). He did the whole route in one pitch on a 60m rope, taking the easy version of pitch 3. He avoided rope drag by putting a piece off to the right where the route heads left up the slot.
Actually, Will just didn't know where he was supposed to belay, and kept going up to a few feet below the top. I made him come back down so I could lead the 5.7+ pitch 3. Not having a sufficently large cam made it feel a lot harder than... more >>
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : The Wind Tower : Wind Tower - SW Face : West Overhang (5.7)
By: Joseph Proulx When: Jun 1, 2004 | view comment >> |
Comments: Good route for a beginner leader - I belayed a friend of mine on his second trad lead. There is good gear at the (early) crux on each pitch, and practically no danger of falling after that.
Watch for falling ropes: Ropes thrown from the rap anchors will fall where you want to belay for the second pitch.
The tree just up and right of the big detached block has fallen down into the line of the route on pitch 1, making it a bit unpleasant.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : The Wind Tower : Wind Tower - SW Face : Wind Ridge (5.8)
By: Joseph Proulx When: Jun 1, 2004 | view comment >> |
Comments: Pitch 1 is quite fun. The start seems easier than 5.8 to me; the face above it seems hard for a 5.6. Pitch 2 has some pretty good climbing, but a lot of scrambing. I didn't do the third pitch. It's possible my impression of the route was diminished by the wind on Sunday.
I left behind a nut on pitch 2. I was too lazy to sling the fixed tricam near it, and I thought the placement would come out with no trouble. I suppose could have gotten wedged as the rock cooled (or the nut warmed?) ... more >>
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Bitty Buttress : Bitty Buttress (5.8+)
By: Joseph Proulx When: May 21, 2004 | view comment >> |
Comments: You can protect the opening moves with a small cam (1-1.5cm). I had my belayer hand it up to me after I got another piece in.
Did anyone else find pitch 3 ambiguous? I've done it twice, the "wrong way" both times. The first time I headed left. It couldn't have been more than 5.7, considering it did it at night with a headlamp (we were delayed by my diabetic partner's hypoglycemia). The second time (yesterday) I headed right because I'd used the cams that would have protected the crux. It felt a... more >>
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Location: CO : Boulder : Flatirons : North : First Flatiron : Direct Route (5.6 R)
By: Joseph Proulx When: May 10, 2004 | view comment >> |
Comments: I finally climbed this last Friday. The climbing, position, and views are all fantastic. I did seven long roped pitches including some simul climbing. It never got tedious. I belayed off to the right at the top of pitch three because I saw a nice ledge (with a tree - see the beta photo) and wasn't too worried about keeping on route. Pitch 4 went up the arete leading up and left to the big ledge. This was easy and licheny, but lots of fun and it had great position.
I found all of the belays rath... more >>
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Location: CO : Alpine Rock : Torrey's Peak : Kelso Ridge
By: Joseph Proulx When: Dec 11, 2003 | view comment >> |
Comments: Calling this route 4th class is a disservice to people who don't do much or any technical climbing, but like a good scramble. The only part which may be 4th class -- the little arete just below the knife edge -- is short, solid, and avoidable (albeit, as I recall, by traversing a rotten gully to the right -- hey, that's Colorado). This is a great route with nice position, easy trail access, and low commitment factor.
I thought the crux was getting my Ford Tempo up the road.
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Location: CO : Alpine Rock : Capitol Peak : Northeast Ridge (Knife-Edge...
By: Joseph Proulx When: Dec 9, 2003 | view comment >> |
Comments: I did this route alone last July. Here's my take:
Approach: Roach's approach description for Cap. Cr. trailhead is very accurate. The Capitol Creek trail is excellent. I hiked out on the alternate trail (contouring along the west slope of the valley) and found it tiresome. It's perhaps more scenic and avoids the 500' rise to get to the trailhead; but it's also longer, has ups and downs, and the portion near the trailhead is rather muddy and ugly.
Getting to K2: The trail from Capitol... more >>
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Location: CO : Boulder : Flatirons : South : Fatiron : East Face/Fatiron (5.4)
By: Joseph Proulx When: Nov 24, 2003 | view comment >> |
Comments: This climb has great views, great position, and (mostly) great protection. The line up the eastern piece is very aesthetically direct. I think it's fun to stay on the crack from the very bottom to the where it ends near the summit instead of looking for easier climbing on the face. We didn't climb the western piece. The approach is a bit of a thrash, but it's mostly on trail and through open forest.
You can belay the pitch 1 leader from a natural anchor around a small but solid arch of rock at ... more >>
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Location: CO : Boulder : Flatirons : South : Fatiron
By: Joseph Proulx When: Nov 24, 2003 | view comment >> |
Comments: I recommend scrambling up the east face of the "fatironette" as an approach to the standard east face route. It's aesthetically direct (with great views of the route above), it adds some fun, secure 4th class climbing, and it's probably just as fast as going around up the north side. The only remotely tough move is getting off the ground. From the top of the "fatironette" you need to scramble up a bit of the Fatiron proper to get to the top of the left-leaning strata and the base of the crack. N... more >>
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Location: CO : Boulder : Flatirons : North : Gregory Canyon (including T... : ... : Red Wall aka Raptors in Cel... (5.9+)
By: Joseph Proulx When: Nov 19, 2003 | view comment >> |
Comments: Good #11 BD stopper before the first bolt, too - there's plenty of pro available to protect the 5.7+ish start.
However the first 2 bolts are crappy - homemade hangers beginning to rust. I bailed at the first clip because of visions of a 15' whipper at the second clip (made worse my recent unpleasant first lead fall, so cut me some slack for being a wuss). The anchor on top (did the TR again) isn't so hot either. The bolt hanger on the right (again homemade) BENT about 1/2" when I rapped o... more >>
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : The Bihedral Area : The Riviera : Lease Agreement (5.10a)
By: Joseph Proulx When: Nov 17, 2003 | view comment >> |
Comments: I thought this route was harder than 5.9, perhaps because I am more comfortable with footwork than hands. While the finger locks in the crack are great, the move that gets you to the first bolt is quite tough, as there are no decent footholds and the crack peters out a bit. Maybe I was just off when I was there, but I did it on TR after leading it (with some aid), and still though it was a good deal tougher than other Boulder Canyon 5.9's.
Definitely a worthwhile climb. It's ridiculously easy t... more >>
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : The Boulderado : Qs (5.9+)
By: Joseph Proulx When: Oct 29, 2003 | view comment >> |
Comments: Like "Smaller Fish" I started to the left of the bolt line, flagrantly ignoring the route description given above and avoiding any "tiny side-pulls and crimpers from the bottom." I'm hardly a confident 5.9 leader (more of a 5.8 leader) and I get pumped pretty fast, but starting to the left made this climb feel very secure, if rather tough.
-Joe
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : The Bihedral Area : The Riviera : Devin's Dihedral (5.9+ R)
By: Joseph Proulx When: Oct 26, 2003 | view comment >> |
Comments: This is a great climb on great rock. It's too short, but it's far from being a one-move wonder. The moves, like the gear placements, require some thought. Also, both the moves and the gear can feel a little insecure. However the stances are good enough that you have plenty of time to think through your gear placements and moves, so it feels pretty safe.
I used only small stoppers through the crux, as I didn't see anywhere to get in a cam. Maybe a micro cam in the dihedral - but I don't have any... more >>
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Location: CO : Boulder : Flatirons : North : Gregory Canyon (including T... : ... : Siberian North Face (5.10b)
By: Joseph Proulx When: Oct 20, 2003 | view comment >> |
Comments: This is also a pleasant little toprope route, and easy to set up with a long sling and some large stoppers to back it up. While the route is basiaclly a one move wonder, you can have fun with some more difficult variations at the bottom. Tossing a toprope on this and the Red Wall makes a nice morning of moderately difficult climbing. The crux is a bit more tricky and awkward than the Red Wall, but it's less pumpy and sustained.
-Joe
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