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Location: CO : South Platte : Devil's Head : The Red Wall : Cornered Rats (5.11b)
By: Ken Leiden When: Jul 31, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: This was my first trip to Devil's Head, so perhaps there are gems like this all over this area, but this is possibly the best granite sport climb I have done. Richard's description is right on.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Garden Party Wall : Topiary (5.11d)
By: Ken Leiden When: Jul 16, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: This route is very good. The climbing from the 2nd to 6th bolt is very continuous with a variety of moves -- good holds with bad feet followed by bad holds with good feet. The rock is surprisingly clean -- as clean as anything at Sherwood Forest a whole 2 min away. I'd give it 2.5 stars. Getting the feet situated over the roof is the crux. Bob's rating is certainly in the ballpark.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Animal World : Isn't Life Strange (5.11c)
By: Ken Leiden When: Jul 11, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: Done as a single pitch, this will become the best mid-range 5.11 sport route in Boulder Canyon once the lichen on the upper headwall cleans up a bit. Great position and thought-provoking movement. Out of curiosity, I used the advanced search features of MP to list all the 5.11 sport routes in Boulder Canyon sorted by stars. Nothing on that list is better than this climb. Animal Magnetism probably has a better finale, but over the entire length this route delivers better moves.
Of the 3 separ... more >>
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Witches' Tower : War is Love (5.11b/c)
By: Ken Leiden When: Jun 27, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: Made the not-so-clever decision of top-roping this route from the anchors on Romancing the Stone, located high on the arete formed by the N and W faces. It seemed like it would be the easiest way to top rope this and the other two routes on the N face by simply moving a directional runner each time (the RTS anchors are directly above Teenage Terrorists). But there is a lot of loose, funky rock between the top of these north face routes and the anchors on RTS. Our rope dislodged a good-sized bl... more >>
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Location: Jeff Zimmerman Photography : Rock : Photo
By: Ken Leiden When: Feb 1, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: Spectacular!
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Location: CO : Golden : North Table Mountain/Golden... : Overhang Area : Photo
By: Ken Leiden When: Jan 18, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: Ken, at least with a ring (as compared to the quick link, cold shut, or piece of chain), the ring can be constantly rotated so the rope abrasion is distributed about the ring's circumference -- giving it durability many times longer than the link, which forces the rope abrasion to a confined area. Anyway, good suggestion about how to fix the anchor when the ring does get worn.
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Location: WY : Devil's Tower : South and East Faces : Walt Bailey (5.9)
By: Ken Leiden When: Nov 1, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: As good as it gets at the Tower for any grade. Also, who would have thought that you could get to the top of Devils Tower in one 5th class pitch!
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Bell Buttress Massif : Aquarium Wall : Lichen Has Feelings Too! (5.11d)
By: Ken Leiden When: Oct 26, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: Since most people will climb this route from the same ledge system that Future of Life and Huck Finn start from, bring a finger-sized cam to backup Lichen's first bolt for a belay. The real climbing is less than 20 ft long, but worth doing if you are up there anyway.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Bell Buttress Massif : Aquarium Wall : Nowhere Man (5.11b/c)
By: Ken Leiden When: Oct 26, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: Fun moves on a slab with some Tuolumne-like knobs. There is a tree that leans out over the creek that makes for an exposed backrest while belaying. Note that there is a hard move above a potential ankle-tweaking 1 ft wide ledge near the top of the route -- the only downside to this otherwise fine route.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Lower Dream Canyon : Krishna & Serenity Spire : Black Pool (5.11c)
By: Ken Leiden When: Oct 11, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: A one-pitch sport route that feels like an alpine adventure route. This is a good time of year to climb this because it starts right out of the creek and the water level is very low now. There is a 5 ft waterfall a few feet away adding to the atmosphere. Still lots of lichen on the upper slab. If you are looking for something a little different than the average Boulder Canyon route, this is it. 3 stars for the adventure factor, although the climbing itself is only 2 stars.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Tonnere Tower : Sport Land : Sidekick (5.11a/b)
By: Ken Leiden When: Jun 24, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: 65 ft of continuous moves on nicely featured rock -- this is destined to become a favorite at the grade on the Boulder Canyon sport climbing circuit. I'd say it is about as much fun as Hound Dog on Bell Buttress, but it's slightly less than vertical so working the hard sequences before committing makes it a bit easier than Hound Dog.
Great find guys.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Tonnere Tower : Sport Land : Generous Donation (5.11b/c)
By: Ken Leiden When: Jun 22, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: Bruno and Ron, thanks for the work in putting up this route, (and the tyrolean, and the trail work, etc.!) The crux moves are cool -- those incut edges are small, but very positive. I did a high-step right to get off the headwall -- was that your intention?
I did the route as a single pitch, combining it with the first pitch of Toe the Line. Just a suggestion, why not put an anchor after the headwall so the route (Toe the Line 1st pitch + the crux 11 moves) could be done as a single pitch ... more >>
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Location: CO : Alpine Rock : RMNP - Rock : The Saber : Southwest Corner (5.10a)
By: Ken Leiden When: Dec 5, 2006 | view comment >> |
Comments: I was just looking at the spectacular beta photo of the Pocketknife, which lies to the climber's left of the SW Corner. I think that the big dihedral with the wide crack on the right edge of the photo is part of the SW Corner -- if my memory is right, this is the pitch after the crux pitch. What a great angle -- too bad there were no climbers on it when the photo was taken.
| Roy Leggett and Trey North on the third pitch of The Pocketknife. The Pocketknife flake is where the belayer is sitting.
Submitted By: Roy Leggett on Jul 1, 2005
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Animal World : Free Willie (5.11a)
By: Ken Leiden When: Jun 22, 2006 | view comment >> |
Comments: I have climbed this route many times doing the beached whale mantle. Today I was short on gas so instead of the mantle I continued the hand traverse to the right where I was able to stand up casually at the right end of the ledge. Highly recommended.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Lower Dream Canyon : Plotinus Wall : ... : Sleepless in Boulder (5.11a/b)
By: Ken Leiden When: Jan 6, 2005 | view comment >> |
Comments: Are you talking about the giant flake with a yellow question mark on it in the photo above the "comments" section? I hope not.
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Location: CO : Alpine Rock : RMNP - Rock : The Saber : Southwest Corner (5.10a)
By: Ken Leiden When: Aug 16, 2004 | view comment >> |
Comments: We had a long day on this one, underestimating how much the route finding would contribute to the total time. Great position and cool views of climbers on the upper half of the Petit. Appreciated the comment from Charles about 1st pitch being out of character with the rest of the route.
Re: the Rossiter topo/description, most of the pitches are in the 100-120 ft range rather than 150 ft. Pitch 1 shows to diagnol left to the belay from the dihedral. Climbing is sketchy this way, better to cl... more >>
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : Rincon : Rincon - Center Route & R : Rincon (5.11a)
By: Ken Leiden When: May 20, 2004 | view comment >> |
Comments: I think the argument that there is a "blind" nut placement that makes this route safe is one of the most illogical comment I've read on this site. Rincon is a trad climb, which means the rating is based on an on-sight ascent without any specific beta about moves or moves to place gear. So how is the on-sight climber suppose to know where the blind nut placement is? By reading site? Yea, the center of the universe right here. So place your blind nut, but don't use this excuse to justify a cr... more >>
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Lower Dream Canyon : Wall of Winter Warmth : Angle of Repose (5.11d)
By: Ken Leiden When: May 7, 2004 | view comment >> |
Comments: Great route. Angle of Repose is an excellent descriptor for the moves on the 2nd pitch. Not many hand-holds on that pitch -- when you get a 1/4 inch edge it feels like a jug.
We did a (new?) bolted route as the approach pitch that starts at the big pine tree to the right of the 5.9 slot. Climb past 4 bolts and then traverse up and left towards the base of Angle of Repose. You can also sling a horn midway so that you can do the approach pitch with no gear.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : Redgarden Wall : Redgarden - Lumpe to the to... : The Grand Course (5.11-)
By: Ken Leiden When: Sep 23, 2003 | view comment >> |
Comments: My partner led the 5.11 right-facing dihedral on Sat, exiting the dihedral by using some holds to the right, and then climbing directly out of the dihedral onto the slab above. When I followed, I exited the dihedral at the crux around the arete to the left on to lower angle rock. A good #3 camalot placement protects this move. My partner gave me a hard time for taking the easy way out so I lowered back down and did it his way. I would say that his way was 11a and my way was 10b.Perhap... more >>
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Lower Dream Canyon : Plotinus Wall : ... : Morpheus (5.11a/b)
By: Ken Leiden When: Sep 23, 2003 | view comment >> |
Comments: The NW Corner of the Bastille has three variations in Rossiter's guide to do the crux headwall varying from 11b to 10c -- the left and center variations are just a couple feet apart. No one has a problem with that. Hopefully both variations for Morpheus will show up in the topo of the new guidebook.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : Redgarden Wall : Redgarden - Tower One : The Yellow Spur (5.9)
By: Ken Leiden When: Sep 3, 2003 | view comment >> |
Comments: Just curious if anyone has tried combining pitches 1 & 2? If you did the direct start and climbed left of the tree at the 1st belay, it seems the rope would be running pretty straight and might be less rope drag than combining pitches 2 & 3.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Lower Dream Canyon : Plotinus Wall : ... : The Daily Grind (5.10b/c)
By: Ken Leiden When: Aug 20, 2003 | view comment >> |
Comments: A very good route. 10b/c felt right to me. Pretty continuous slab climbing between the 5th and 7th bolt. Just gotta trust that nub with your right foot at the crux. Bob, just curious, why did you switch hangers?
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Location: CO : Boulder : Upper Dream Canyon : Lost Angel : Rock Odyssey (5.12b)
By: Ken Leiden When: Jul 25, 2003 | view comment >> |
Comments: The route name is very fitting. The 2nd pitch is wild and memorable.
About the loose block that Chris talks about on the last pitch, I tried to trundle this thing late Wed night when the canyon was empty of people, but it wouldn't come out. The block can be avoided completely so it shouldn't keep anyone from doing the route, but if it does come out, it most likely will fall on to the belayer.
Btw, Rossiter rates the pitches 11d, 11d, 11d, 12b although I thought the first pitch was easier.
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Lower Dream Canyon : Plotinus Wall : ... : Mr. Sandman (5.10a)
By: Ken Leiden When: Jul 9, 2003 | view comment >> |
Comments: I had been up to Plotinus Wall twice before, but skipped this route because of the one-star rating. What a mistake. It was reading Richard's comments that changed my mind and he is right on. This route is destined to become one of the most popular moderate sport routes in the Canyon given the high quality of the moves and rock combined with the tranquil setting away from the highway. Regarding the rating, I thought this route had no moves harder than Animation 5.9 (aka Jaycene's Dance 5.8) ... more >>
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Location: CO : Boulder : Boulder Canyon : Lower Dream Canyon : Plotinus Wall : ... : Sleepless in Boulder (5.11a/b)
By: Ken Leiden When: Jul 8, 2003 | view comment >> |
Comments: Climbed this a couple of weeks ago. Good jugs on steep rock down low. Upper headwall moves are pretty cool. Agree with the comment about the huge flake between bolts 1 and 2, although it *sounds* completely solid. Didn't notice the loose flake up high though so maybe its gone now. Check for loose nuts on the bolts -- two bolts (one at the anchor and one a couple of bolts from the top) had extremely loose nuts.
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