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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : Peanuts Walls : Lower Peanuts : Star Wars (5.8)
By: kevin donald When: Apr 30, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: When we first climbed this lovely, atypical (for Eldorado) crack in '77, it was the location (high above the river) and the curved geometry of the crack and dihedral that intrigued us. At first glance, we felt it would be somewhat more difficult than 5.8; however, the jams were secure and by Yosemite standards it is quite short. We had no camming devices, but it accepted nuts easily. The students were stoked to do a first and Paul Sibley confirmed the 5.8 rating the next day.
I still f... more >>
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Location: CO : CO Ice & Mixed : Ouray (Ice/Mixed) : Camp Bird Road : Choppo's Chimney (WI4-5)
By: kevin donald When: Nov 15, 2004 | view comment >> |
Comments: This route was first climbed in '75 or '76 and was named for Choppo (my nick name for Charlie Fowler) who was just learning to ice climb at the time. He learned really fast ! This was one of his first leads if I remember correctly. Best Kevin Donald
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : The Bastille : The Bastille - N Face : Wide Country (5.11a R)
By: kevin donald When: Nov 15, 2004 | view comment >> |
Comments: I agree with the comment that "the traverse to the left off the XM belay is the crux of the climb" rarely is this interesting little piece of climbing even attempted. In all my years around Eldo I've never seen anyone even try it. It's a mystifying no-hands high step onto a nubbin. When one puts it into the context of Duncan Ferguson and Don Peterson in EBs onsighting it ... it's really quite impressive. Try it and see for yourself. It's a bit of a dry throat!
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Location: CO : CO Ice & Mixed : Ouray (Ice/Mixed) : Camp Bird Road : Slippery When Wet (WI4)
By: kevin donald When: Nov 15, 2004 | view comment >> |
Comments: I believe the first ascent of this fine little climb was around 1975. Kevin Donald and Duncan Ferguson while looking for routes to climb with International Alpine School Students. However Rusty Bailley (sp) was living in Montrose at the time and he had an appetite for ice as well so who knows?
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Location: CO : CO Ice & Mixed : Ouray (Ice/Mixed) : Camp Bird Road : Slip Sliding Away (WI4-)
By: kevin donald When: Nov 15, 2004 | view comment >> |
Comments: I believe Jeff Lowe and Kevin Donald did the first ascent of this short little climb in the winter of 1974 -75 while scouting the Ouray area for locations to run our Intenational Alpine School classes. We discovered the School Room on this trip as well. Kevin
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Location: CO : CO Ice & Mixed : Ouray (Ice/Mixed) : US Highway 550 : Gravity's Rainbow (WI5 M3+)
By: kevin donald When: Nov 15, 2004 | view comment >> |
Comments: When Jeff and I lead the first ascent of these pitches around 1975 the ice was very thin and tenuous by the standards of the day. During the first ascent the temperatures warmed steadily throughout the day and when we looked up to check out the route after rappelling down Abraxus, our new route was completely gone. It had fallen off in a matter of 1 hour during our descent. Kevin
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Location: CO : CO Ice & Mixed : Ouray (Ice/Mixed) : Camp Bird Road : Skylight (WI4+ M4-5)
By: kevin donald When: Nov 15, 2004 | view comment >> |
Comments: I believe the first ascent of this lovely moderate route was by Kevin Donald, Jeff Lowe and David Breashears in '75. We were in Ouray scouting for routes for our International Alpine School Students. We climbed a number of short routes on the Camp Bird road as well as Gravity's Rainbow on the Engineer Pass road. On the first ascent the ice on the first pitch (Kevin's pitch) was so thick you could not even detect the large boulder at the top. We called the belay cave half-way up the chim... more >>
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : The Wind Tower : Wind Tower - SW Face : Tigger (5.5)
By: kevin donald When: Nov 15, 2004 | view comment >> |
Comments: After reading the comments I felt I should clarify that the route does step RIGHT above the roof and continue up the short finger crack to the slabs above. This route was born of necessity, because it is for the most part protected from rock fall. During the 70s Wind Tower had more rubble than now-a-days. Duncan (Ferguson) and I used to spend lots of time on this route with International Alpine School students. A long runner can be threaded through a slot at the lip of the roof. Key word is "lo... more >>
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Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : The Wind Tower : Wind Tower - SW Face : Reggae (5.8)
By: kevin donald When: Nov 15, 2004 | view comment >> |
Comments: When I first did this route I felt that 5.8 was a fair rating because: the crux is well protected, relatively short and climbers of average height will be able to stem most of the route. Also it is my opinion that in 1980 the ratings in Eldo were just a smidgin stiffer (or out of sync with the rest of the country) than they might be today. This really is a protectable adventure pitch for the trad climber with 5.8-5.9 skills. The rock quality is superb. Kevin Donald
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Location: CO : CO Ice & Mixed : Ouray (Ice/Mixed) : Camp Bird Road : Skylight (WI4+ M4-5)
By: kevin donald When: Feb 8, 2004 | view comment >> |
Comments: FA was Kevin Donald, Jeff Lowe, David Breashears. winter 74/75 We were testing early prototypes of Humming Bird ice tools that Greg Lowe had made for us and a new fabric called Gortex that Greg and Mike Lowe were sewing-up. We really enjoyed the climb and figured it to be an easier classic. Best Kevin Donald
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Location: CO : CO Ice & Mixed : Ouray (Ice/Mixed) : Camp Bird Road : Slip Sliding Away (WI4-)
By: kevin donald When: Feb 8, 2004 | view comment >> |
Comments: Greetings, I'm fairly certain that the FA of "Slip Sliding Away" was Kevin Donald, Duncan Ferguson and International Alpine School students the winter of 75/76. I do not remember seeing it in shape when Jeff Lowe, Kevin Donald and David Brashears did "The Skylight" in 74/75, anyway I named it after hearing the song while sitting in the Outlaw restaurant later that evening.Best wishes Kevin Donald
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