Nearing the end of the difficulties. This may be t...
Description
Alloy Madness is the fourth bolted route from the left. It is comprised of a short 50' pitch and a longer crux pitch, or a single route. The first pitch is also good just by itself.
Fire up through a bouldery overhang past 2 bolts 5.9 continue over a small lid to the anchors. Belay or continue...
Follow a thin seam 5.9 until the bolts veer right. Traverse right under a small roof with a long reach (10d) leave a long sling, and regain the seam. Climb balancy moves (5.10) up until the angle eases off. Belay at the anchors.
Rap 90' to the mid anchors, or use 2 ropes and go to the ground.
Protection
17 bolts (including the mid anchor). Nuts or small cams are optional.
I thought this was really good for a sport climb. So, 3 stars compared with other sport climbs. Long, varied, and sustained. Starting about 10' above the midway anchors, it's hard until just before the top. The first time I tried this I flailed all over but got it clean with a strugggle this time. The crux move right is not the crux for me. There's a trick low 10 way to do that move if you have a decent reach. The climbing below and above that seemed much harder. I placed a yellow Alien soon after regaining the crack on the upper section. The bolts are pretty far apart there. A 70m rope gets you to the ground. A 60m should get you to a ledge from which you can scramble down.
This is a great climb to do in one pitch (where else in the Estes Valley can you find a route with 17 clips?) This was definitely the most sustained of the 5.10s on the cliff, though the cruxes of all 3 seemed about the same difficulty. The crux traverse may involve the most powerful moves, but I feel was easier to solve than the slab moves above. The route is bolted very well, no need for additional protection. One of those anchor bolts at the top could use a tightening!
I climbed this route today, it's a fantastic route, awesome movement on solid rock and it's fairly consistent throughout. A 70m rope should get you back to the ground if you do it in one pitch but just barely and about half the nuts on the bolts were loose, including both anchors, unfortunately I did not have a wrench w/ me... and my fingers aren't that strong.