Aurora 

FA:  Lawrence Stuemke Type:  Sport Consensus:  5.12d [details] Length:  1 pitch, 30 feet Season:  Spring, Summer, Fall Views: 307 page views Submitted By: chris deulen on May 23, 2006 Add Photo  Add Comment

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Description 

Gillet’s RMNP guidebook puts this at 5.12a R. I will politely disagree. Unless a hold has broken off since Stuemke’s F.A., Aurora is considerably above this rating (though one could divide it into two boulder problems, roughly V4 followed by a V6/7 respectively). The protection feels fine, and must have had a bolt added since then as well.

An aesthetic bouldery start pulls past two bolts and deposits you in front of the third and onto a standing rest. From here, reach up, clip the fourth, and begin the bulgy crux which includes heel-hooking, slapping, crimping, and a desperate final toss before one can secure the fifth clip. Short but sweet.

Location 

Aurora is basically the first climb the trail leads to. After going downhill, the trail flattens out, placing you in front of this flat wall. The left of two routes (Thunderbolt is to the right) on the uphill side of the Guardian, it is a great climb to gain your bearings for the rest of the Monastery, and is just before the downhill entrance to the Vestibule.

Protection 

5 bolts to 2 chain anchors.