Mellow place out of the way to practice big wall skills?

A friend and I were looking to practice some big wall skills (sleeping on the portaledge, hauling, jugging, aiding, ect) and were looking for some places in Colorado where this might be ok. I found one similar thread, but wanted to see if anyone had any other ideas.

This is what we're looking for (I know it's a tall order)…

Short (or at least, not too exposed) approach since we'll be carrying a lot of gear.
A route that isn't super popular (so we don't get in other people's way).
4-6 pitches.
5.7 C2 or easier.
Overnight parking.
Allowed to portaledge.
Bolted belay stations would be nice, but not required.
Easy walk off or decent with all the gear.

Any suggestions?

P.S. If you're the guy who would suggest something like Bastille just to be funny, please don't.

I'm interested in this as well, though not worried about the portaledge.

Look into the Black Canyon. There are likely some obscure short (relative to the area) routes that meet most of your criteria. The approach may not be easy, but the walk off makes up for it. Probably not many bolted belays either, but that depends on the route. You may be able to aid the harder free sections, but not always...

These guides found a good place to take clients.

denverpost.com/business/ci_…

"First there was finding a location. Kent, with 20 years of guiding experience, knew he'd need a big wall. Something easily accessible, maybe within a 30-minute hike from the car. Phone service would be key. The steep cliff would require quality rock, not a face filled with loose flakes that become missiles when inadvertently loosed from the wall by a climber.

Kent didn't have to look far from his adventure center headquarters on the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park. Across the valley, above the venerable Cheley Colorado Camp, is an isolated, overlooked granite crag known as Deville III. It was first explored by the legendary climber Layton Kor in the 1950s and pretty much left alone since. It's steep, close and part of the Roosevelt National Forest, where Kent has had a permit for many years."

The approach to Deville 3 crosses private property - The Cheley Camp. You need to obtain permission to park there and access the rock.

Kangaru Rat wrote:Look into the Black Canyon. There are likely some obscure short (relative to the area) routes that meet most of your criteria. The approach may not be easy, but the walk off makes up for it. Probably not many bolted belays either, but that depends on the route. You may be able to aid the harder free sections, but not always...

I haven't been to the Black before, but have been eyeing it up for some time. I read somewhere the best approach is to rap in? Kind of a newb question, but what if you rap in, pull your ropes to climb, and can't finish the route for some reason? How do you get out? Is there a section of the canyon (maybe outside of the park) that's a little shorter, but has a 3rd-4th class approach that we could hike out of if we didn't top out?

Someone mentioned China Doll, but a buddy of mine in Boulder said that the route sees a lot of traffic (so I imagine people would get annoyed about the ledge).

How about Tan Buttress on Mt. Evens? Approach description says to descend a ramp. Anyone been on this ramp before? Would it be a tricky descent with a heavy haul bag on you're back?

I was also looking at Sundance Buttress at Lumpy, but I heard the approach is a hike. I've climbed on Batman Pinicle, but never hiked out to Sundance.

I think Yosemite is good training for the Black Canyon - that would be the last place I would send someone looking to learn big wall skills.

You don't need long routes to practice this stuff - you are better off practicing everything on single pitch routes until you get it dialed. Put a fixed line on a slab, and jug it 50 times. Put a fixed line on a vertical route and jug it 50 times. Put a fixed line on an overhang and jug it 50 times. Lead a C1 traverse and clean it a bunch of times. Haul a slab, an overhang, a roof, and a traverse a bunch of times. Practice lowering out the bag. Practice setting up a portaledge from a hanging belay a bunch of times, and make sure to practice that with a full belay clusterf*ck from hauling, cleaning, etc. Doing this practice on a longish route would be pretty counterproductive - you'd be too busy climbing and trying to cover ground to really practice methodically.

After you dial everything in on single pitch routes, go climb a few desert towers. You can learn a lot trying to move quick without all of the hauling complications. The trade routes in the Fisher Towers, Zenyatta Entrada, routes on the Tombstones near Moab are really good for that.

After that, you'll be 10x as prepared as most people who go to Yosemite or Zion and flail on their first wall. That legwork on single pitch routes for practice and firing some towers should make your first grade V walls go pretty easily.

Sundance is a long approach and you will need a backcountry permit to stay overnight. I think the only places you are allowed to overnight are in established campsites or bivy sites. I would call the backcountry office first.

When I was getting back into walls I went to North Table Mountain. Plenty of cracks that people don't climb and if you walk 15 minutes you can get away from the trade routes.

Great place for practicing systems, hauling, setting up the ledge, etc. No need to spend overnight in a ledge. You can practice a lot of systems when you are 10 feet off the ground.

Don't be surprised if things take a lot longer than you think... It takes time to get efficient.

Andrew and John are right. You don't need a large multipitch objective to train for a large multipitch objective. Even something half a rope length is fine. Before a trip up the Captain, my buddy practiced setting up his ledge while standing in aiders in his garage. If you can find a short objective without beating yourself up, fine. But remember, you're getting your system dialed, not flagelating yourself needlessly.

Raptor Closures/2016 RMNP
(taken from the nps.gov site)

News Release Date: February 29, 2016
Contact: Kyle Patterson, (970) 586-1363

Each year to protect raptor nesting sites, Rocky Mountain National Park officials initiate temporary closures in the Lumpy Ridge and Sheep Mountain areas of the park. To ensure that these birds of prey can nest undisturbed, specific areas within the park are closed temporarily to public use during nesting season and monitored by wildlife managers. All closures begin on March 1 and will continue through July 31, if appropriate. These closures may be extended longer or rescinded at an earlier date depending on nesting activity.

Closures include Checkerboard Rock, Lightning Rock, Batman Rock, Batman Pinnacle, Sundance, Thunder Buttress, The Parish, Alligator Rock, Sheep Mountain, and Twin Owls, Rock One. These closures include the named formations. Closures include all climbing routes, outcroppings, cliffs, faces, ascent and descent routes and climber access trails to the named rock formations. Check the park's website at nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/… for updated information on raptor closures.

The idea of sleeping overnight in the portaledge seems a bit superfluous, I don't know what that really gives you as far as preparation. Why not just set everything up, crawl into your sleeping bad, wait 5 minutes (pretending it was a full night) then crawl out and go about your "morning routine" then pack the ledge up. I don't see the need for practicing an activity you do while unconscious. Especially as the whole overnight thing seems to be a hand-up for all of the other poster's recommended areas.

Still a noob but I agree with the not necessary to spend a night on a ledge, set up yes, overnight no. Some things require getting used to so I've been shitting in a bag on the couch next to a friend on occasion... I'm running out of friends so if anyone want to come by and hang out let me know.

I like the initial suggestion to go to The black canyon.....that's like having someone who just learned to kayak jump a 75' waterfall. I know a sick spot to practice.3 pitches,bolted belay,100% from a road,little known,granite with pegmatite,I can show you for a beer or two. I am thinking of going up there too for an overnight..... Yosemite seems to be the best place to break your cherry:) HEY Laramide, we should go climb the wall I am suggesting. We can take shits next to each other:)