The Nose climbs the obvious crack through the larg...
Description
This is the obvious crack up to and through the large roof on The Nose (aka Mid-Columbine Buttress).
It starts out easy and crumbly, but then the rock gets really good. Fingers and thin hands lead to pretty good feet getting out towards the lip of the roof, then get ready for steep, painful hand jams through the roof. There were a couple fixed nuts above the roof, which I equipped with a cordelette and rap rings (maybe 7 years ago), or you can continue up the corner and cracks above to the top of the pillar. If just going up to the fixed anchor, it's about 80 feet. I guess maybe 180 feet to the top. I assume it would be bad rope drag to do it all in one pitch.
The other cracks on the pillar look ok too, but I've never climbed 'em. The rating given is somewhat old school - others might find it more like 10a/b (?).
Location
10-15 minutes up and toward the west on the Mid-Columbine Trail. The base of the buttress is basically right on the trail, and The Nose is the obvious large roof directly above you.
Protection
Standard rack. Fixed wires with rap rings above the roof. I'm not sure what's on top of the pillar for rappelling. It seems like there would be something up there, but it may be just a walk-off. If I go back, I'll go to the top, and update the description.
This is actually called "The Nose" (Same name as the formation). Harvey Carter did the first ascent of it in the 1950s on aid. Doug Snively and I did the first free ascent of it in 1971. The old pin welded in the crack was there then. We climbed all the way to the top of the buttress, but most folks lower from the pin now. Around the corner to the left is "Alabama Crack." There are two starts to it. Climb up and left from the slab below the Nose roof to a belay shelf below Alabama Crack or from the gully below the crack, climb up and right past a couple old fixed Harvey pitons (5.9) to the belay shelf. Jam the crack 50 feet to a left with a 2-bolt rappel anchor that Brian Shelton and I put in a year ago.
By Bosier Parsons From: Colorado Springs, CO May 14, 2008
Thanks for the info and corrections, Stewart! I'll update the descriptions above.
By Julian Smith From: Colorado Springs, CO May 15, 2008 rating: 5.10-
Thanks Bo and Stewart for posting the route and sharing the information; this is such a great climb. I feel like the crux is in the dihedral above the roof (i.e. 2nd pitch). Anyway, good to see that other folks may think the route's 5.9+ rating is a pretty honest grade…;-)
The Nose (aka Mid-Columbine Buttress)
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