Alpine, another notch harder?

Done Martha, Skywalker, Taylor glacier, Bancroft Direct (with buttress pitches), Cables twice, WI4 multi pitch. I think my profile represents what I'm solid at but I know I'm still new and could use more mileage.

Looking for more well recommended stepping stone routes, bonus for lower avy danger from now until we start to get more spring like snow.

Maybe WI3-4, M3-4 with even well protected M5 crux? Or just winter rock routes? I've scoured the database but a lot of routes are steep snow which has me gunshy from the Dreamweaver avy fiasco.

Big Mac! Lets get it, Chris!

Oh, and uh...bump!

WI3-4, M3-4 with a bit of M5...that's juicy...even mouth watering. There's been some gully things done, maybe a big step up from what you've listed, in RMNP like left and right of Zowie, in the Cathedral Spires. Main avy issues there are the approaches. Womb with a View, minus the crux pitch, with rapping off sort of a like that. Early season...AMU or Thatchtop's gully off the Sky Pond side. Skylight, one of my favorites. Tony's is a big avy risk, but you can play a long ways in the right conditions. Hully Gully for multipitch ice (do laps), but the C Sprgs folks might not be so 'appy. Haven't done one yet, but one of the Pike's Peak things in the right conditions might fit. West Gully near Black Lake (some avy potential). Early on, Mt. Evan's, The Road, might fit. There's probably bunches of stuff in the SW like 1st & 2nd Gully (but they have avy issues).

wait until the snow sets up if your planning on big mac, april or may... or bring shovels instead of ice tools!

This is mostly snow and it probably isn't much of a step up from Martha or Dreamweaver, but it looks like a great new option:

coloradomountainjournal.com…

Be sure to click through to the Pullharder blog for a good story and photos from the possible first ascent.

Dougald, there is also your route on Apache.

Deborah was just done a couple of weeks ago and is looking for a second ascent. May need a little time after all this snow we've gotten lately. In talking with Gil it sounds like a truly amazing line.

YDPL8S, you're right! The northwest face of Apache is a terrific adventure, certainly one of the best things I've done around here. It takes two full days (one to approach, one to climb and descend), and it feels super-remote and big for the Front Range.

mountainproject.com/v/color…

I can also recommend Old Dawg Chimney, near Sharkstooth: themountainworld.blogspot.c…. (For that matter, a winter/spring ascent of Sharkstooth is an excellent adventure, about the difficulty that Chris was looking for.) The route that Sievers and I did on the north face of "Andrews Tower" in the Park was also excellent, but it has a huge cornice over it in the spring.

Colorado MoJo will be posting a mini-mini-guide to another great venue for moderate mixed routes in the next week or two. Stay tuned.

Thanks for digging up the thread. I just saw Deborah and some of the others and am wanting to get out. Just need to let this snow settle I guess.

I don't know what type of slopes you'll be on due to your route selection/approach or if you ski the backcountry, but this year especially be weary avalanches

I don't know what type of slopes you'll be on due to your route selection/approach or if you ski the backcountry, but this year especially be weary avalanches

FWIW, Smear of Fear is a few notches harder.

Is smear of fear in? Was it in at all this year?

Deborah and the stuff from Dougald, excellent. Will be looking forward to the mini guide.

Come on high pressure! :) Going to get out in Eldo today while hopefully the snow sets up today and tomorrow. Getting psyched for alpine!

hey chris - f.y.i. by the time may get's here i'll be swinging my tools again and looking to get it done.

Hully Gully for laps you have got to be kidding me I suggest you stay in Denver where you belong ,We have very limited ice several guide service's,search and rescue not to mention the fire dept and tons of people to use it or the out of town aholes who show up and set up a top rope for hours at a time .Hell last time I was there trying to lead there were 4 ropes hanging .cmon

go do laps on coors lite or man up and head to the park pack yer shit
three miles in and do your fricken laps thats more like training for alpine climbing not beating up a place where locals & respectfull out of towners like to go for a lap or two .Im sick and tired of dickheads adding to an already crowded situation ie the fire dept top ropes here and tries to close the whole place down for training, the money hungry guides who don't give two shits about Hully Gully just about how many gumbys they can cram on one piece of ice Hully Gully should be a LEAD ONLY ! climb and if you want to lead it several times and rap off to clean your gear than welcome to Hully!
otherwise go some place else.

Many many old springs climbers have said this time and time again .

Chris have you been doing most of these routes with partner or solo? Solo steps things up a notch assuming you have the skills developed.

Chad, heck yea we'll get revenge on Dreamweaver. How is the wrist coming? Are you climbing yet.

Rog chill, I'm not coming down to CoSprings to do laps on Hully Gully. Besides, laps aren't a big deal for people who know how to hook. I swing far more on lead than rope soloing laps. Sounds like you're mad that it's a busy area with limited ice but there's not much you can do about that. BoCan gets hacked to pieces too and it sucks. So does CCC. Not much I can do but ask beer drinking top ropers to be gentle with the ice. In the end either climb it or don't, it's still nice to have a place to run laps after work since we all can't run up to RMNP every night.

Joesph, I've done some of this solo, some roped. I like soloing but I've got a limit on how hard of routes I'm willing to solo. My wife is respectful of my soloing but I need to be respectful of making damn sure I always come home when I do.

Once again, that's for the ideas guys. I'm excited to contribute to first ascents and exploration myself once I get a few more skills and a little more experience.

Hey Chris, Im kinda right there with ya on wanting to step up the Alpine Game. Ive been up the Dreamweaver and some of the Hourglass Couloir on Arrowhead as well as some more full on WI type stuff. That new/rediscovered route on Arrowhead sounds pretty cool (Gil and Scotty - Awesome find! The report on Pullharder is super compelling. Gil ... 'Inspiring' is all I can say.) Anyway, Im living in Eldo at the moment but will be moving up to Estes in June. If you are looking for partners, drop me a line.

Thoughts - Big Mac (sounds serious), Quicksilver on Taylor, Hourglass on Arrowhead, Dark Star or Right Chimney on Meeker (bit harder than moderate I believe).

Im open to just about anything though. Let me know if any of this interests you. Enjoy the beautiful day in Eldo!

bigwallrog wrote:Hully Gully for laps you have got to be kidding me I suggest you stay in Denver where you belong ,We have very limited ice several guide service's,search and rescue not to mention the fire dept and tons of people to use it or the out of town aholes who show up and set up a top rope for hours at a time .Hell last time I was there trying to lead there were 4 ropes hanging .cmon go do laps on coors lite or man up and head to the park pack yer shit three miles in and do your fricken laps thats more like training for alpine climbing not beating up a place where locals & respectfull out of towners like to go for a lap or two .Im sick and tired of dickheads adding to an already crowded situation ie the fire dept top ropes here and tries to close the whole place down for training, the money hungry guides who don't give two shits about Hully Gully just about how many gumbys they can cram on one piece of ice Hully Gully should be a LEAD ONLY ! climb and if you want to lead it several times and rap off to clean your gear than welcome to Hully! otherwise go some place else. Many many old springs climbers have said this time and time again .

What's the descent back down to Black Lake from McHenry's like? Is it easiest to reverse the route and then descend the shoulder of Alice?