Redgarden - Roof Routes

Raptor Nesting Closure Info MORE INFO >>> To protect nesting and roosting sites of falcons, Redgarden Wall from the Naked Edge (pitch 3 – top) through Sidetrack is closed from February 1st – July 31st or until further notice. Occasionally, these closures are lifted earlier. This includes the following routes: • The Naked Edge (last 3 pitches only) • The Diving Board • Centaur • Redguard (last three pitches) • Semi-Wild • Anthill Direct (last three pitches) • The Sidetrack Keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment Action Committee for Eldorado

Description 

This section of Redgarden Wall will cover routes starting below the obvious S-facing roof at the base of Redgarden Wall starting L of Jules Verne and beginning with Clever Lever and extending to Le Toit and Rosy Toit. For those wondering, routes starting here but continuing on will be included in this section.

The Roof Routes probably contain the most sport-like climbing in all of Eldorado Canyon. The first 40 to 60 feet of these routes involve delicate face climbing on mostly bullet-proof, fine grained, Fountain Formation sandstone. The next section involves a roof bit anywhere from about 8 to 15 feet in length. Then above, there is wonderful face climbing characterized by exposure and spartan protection options. Interestingly, this lower section is probably one of the few places in the area that can be climbed during precipitation, if it is not blowing sideways.

Perhaps, one of the most famous stories for this section of the cliff is that on Layton Kor's Kloeberdanz. A fascinating section in Climb! describes Steve Wunsch's story of the freeing of Kloeberdanz, which is accompanied by images of hot Henry Barber dynamically flying for the lip of the roof and the story. Here, the teenage David Breashears, a.k.a. the Kloeberdanz kid, strolled up to the Briggs brothers working the route and statically walked the 1st pitch 2nd try! as described in Climb! and continued in the oral tradition.

Where do you start with classics? You could probably almost call each and every route here a classic. Some do. Every route here is probably someone's favorite. So, please, take no offense with any inclusion or exclusion.

Some of the classics here include: the verve-requiring Temporary Like Achilles, 5.10d s; Le Toit, 5.10d s; Le Verne, 5.10d s; the classic Guenese, 5.11a; the nervy Evangeline, 5.11b/c A1; the reachy Fire and Ice, 5.12a; 5.12a; Hands in the Clouds, 5.12a; the intimidating route, The Wisdom, 5.12a s; Downpressor Man, 5.12b; Scary Canary, 5.12b s; Wasabe, 5.12c; the impressive Psycho, 5.12c (possibly CO's 1st 5.12); Kloeberdeath, 5.13b; The Undertaker, 5.13d (by visiting Ben Moon), probably Eldo's hardest (perhaps with the exception of Matt Segal's Iron Monkey?), .

The lower end climber will find nothing to climb here. Probably, you need to be climbing solid 5.11 to find much joy here, except to watch.

Getting There 

To approach this section of the Redgarden Wall, you park at the E end of the park. Hike to the bridge, cross the bridge, hike W along the base of Whale's Tail. Continue across the concrete pad, follow the trail. At the fork, go R. Continue up the switchbacks and you will be close to the start of T2. Head uphill and L to the obvious section under the long roof and find you routes.

The Classics

Featured Route For Redgarden - Roof Routes

Fire and Ice (to the roof) 5.12a  CO : Eldorado Canyon SP : ... : Redgarden - Roof Routes

Originally, a scary aid line in the 60s, Fire and Ice became an awesome technical face climbing test-piece for the 80s to today. Three modern bolts protect three uniquely different "crux" sections. As with other "Roof Routes", F+I is rather height-dependent, and it's interesting to see how different people decipher the moves. I will tell you that you better fine tune your high stepping, mantling and crimping skills...The route does continue thr...[more]   Browse More Classics in CO