BETA PHOTO: Avalon, showing most of the major features.
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Description
The Third Tier of Avalon is high and remote; few climbers venture up here. But those that do will be rewarded with great views, and a wilder, "adventure climbing" feel away from the crowds down below.
The first route up here was Black Tiger, established in 1989. However, most of the routes are fairly new. Richard Rossiter has been active up here recently, putting up a number of new routes in 2005 and 2006. Some of the new routes are sport routes, but some are trad crack climbs. Bring a full trad rack with hand, fist, and wider pro if you want to do the crack routes.
Be prepared for some moss and lichen on many of these new routes, since the rock faces more to the north and the routes haven't seen much traffic. If you want to perform a community service, bring a wire brush along and help clean up the routes.
A decent trail traverses the entire Third Tier, starting from the Southwest Buttress on the right, going all the way over to Crack Land on the left.
The areas of the Third Tier, from R->L:
Southwest Buttress - Called the Summit Pyramid in Rossiter's Boulder Canyon guidebook. The first area you get to on the Third Tier. A smooth wall on the right side of the Third Tier, home to The Solution (10c), Black Tiger (11c) and Jaguar (11c).
Wall of the Goddess - Several hundred feet left of the Southwest Buttress. A short wall with two bolted anchors and several trad crack climbs: Isis (9+), Yoni (8), and Amrita (10c).
West Gully - just beyond the Wall of the Goddess and up a gully to the right. Five new routes: Merlin's Enigma (11d), Charon's Boat (9), Knight of Swords (10c), Dragon Direct (9), and Sorcerer's Apprentice (8).
Wall of the Dragon - the remote area above the West Gully. Two new sport routes: Dragon Fly (9) and Dragon Slayer (10b).
Crack Land - starts just left of the West Gully. Mystery Ship (10c) is just beyond the gully. Farther to the left lie Ancient Light (10c), Ancient Fright (10c), and Resurrection (9). The latter route takes you to the summit of Avalon, a wild but peaceful place with superb views.
New routes in Crack Land in 2006 include The Art of War (10c), Thus Us (9), The Enemy Within (9), War Horse (10d), Crack Love (10a), Crack Love II (9), Crack Love III (10c), Ghost Ship (10a), Ship of Fools (10b), Mystery Tour (9), and Blade (11a). The Art of War is a sport climb; all the others are trad crack climbs.
Getting There
From the Wall of the Dead on the Second Tier, take a trail around to the right and up the hill. The trail meets the Third Tier at the right side, and cuts back left underneath the Southwest Buttress. The trail continues downstream, staying fairly level most of the way, all the way over to Crack Land.
Continuing on the trail beyond Crack Land takes you to Wizard Rock.
The Classics
Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Third Tier:
Blade ascends the blatant, overhanging, right-facing dihedral just left of Dragon Slayer and is a link between the second pitch of Ancient Light and the final corner of Dragon Slayer. Good jams on the left with the opportunity for daring stems all the way up. The crux is the last 20 feet before joining Dragon Slayer. Good rock and good pro all the way. Blade makes an interesting circuit. Begin with th...[more]Browse More Classics in CO
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