Autumn Mist  5.13a C2

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Type:  Aid, 3 pitches Consensus:  5.12d A1-2 [details] FA:  Bill Todd, 1980 Submitted By:  paco on Dec 1, 2003 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (3) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

BETA PHOTO: The Owls West Face Routes.

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Season raptor closures MORE INFO >>> The following areas are closed from March 1-July 31 or until further notice: Twin Owls, Rock One, Batman Rock, Batman Pinnacle, Sheep Mountain, Thunder Buttress, The Parish, Lightning Rock and Checkerboard Rock are currently closed. The closures include the named rock formations and the areas extending 100 yards surrounding the base of the formation. This includes all climbing routes, outcroppings, cliffs, faces, ascent and descent routes and climber's access trails to the formation. Alligator Rock is also closed. www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/area_closures.htm Keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment

Description 

Perhaps not as well known as Anaconda or Viper. Autumn Mist is a fine outing including an airy roof on P2.

NOTE: some crazy hard climber is working (or may have already freed) the FFA on P1 of this climb. So, you should know.... The anchors have been moved to facilitate a more convenient TR anchor. However... for lazy aid climbers such as myself, it is now more challenging to reach the start of P2. without a stickclip. More info below.

P1. C1+, some people end up aiding the rotten crack out right. However, if you're looking to climb the three star route, make sure you aid the thin cracks on the face just left of this rotten crack. So, scramble up the spike of rock just to the right of Central Chimney, and climb up thin cracks on great rock until forced into the rotten crack (which isn't too rotten at this point). Continue up to the new anchors. 90 feet.

P2. C2+/C3-, from the new anchor, you need to get up and right to an old bolt which leads to the roof, but the old bolt is now a little way away. One way to do it is with a large hook and a long runner. Swing the runner with the hook on the end at the hanger. This may take a while, but it's better than rapping. Otherwise, bring a stick clip. Anyway, once you've gained the single bolt, aid out the roof using your smallest TCUs and RPs until better (more secure) gear is reached. Climbers with belay slaves may want to belay shortly after the roof due to rope drag. 30 feet. Rope soloers may easily continue onward.

P3. 5.7 C2, pitch three is a mystery to me. The guide books show to go straight up keeping to the left of Viper but it looks mighty unlikely. I went up and right joining Viper at its old A4 crux. After finishing, I even rapped back down to scope out this supposed finish to Autumn Mist, and it looked pretty dang bleak. If someone has actually done this, I'd love to hear about it. So, correct me if I'm wrong, but I would finish on Viper (see Viper C3-). It seemed like the only choice to me.

Protection 

Standard clean aid rack with some extra thin stuff for the roof on P2. Doubles from #00 TCUs (and/or Aliens) to #3 Camalots, one #4 Camalot, two sets stoppers, tricams, two #1 Lowe balls, RPs, HBs. Also, because of an anchor movement on P1 you may want a stick clip or a large hook.

Free Version 

Per Eli Helmuth: Autumn Mist as a 60’ free climb starts on the right edge of the Central Chimney on top of a couple of blocks which can be easily 3rd classed to the top of from the left. It is recommended to maximize the amount of rope in the system by placing the belayer at the bottom of the 30’ high slab, down and right of the route so that there is as much rope as possible in the system to make for a more dynamic catch if necessary. The route consists of multiple thin cruxes in the first 25’ of varnished brown rock, which are protected at first by medium cams, then very thin nuts which are difficult to find on lead. The route trends left until reaching a decent rest at the edge of the chimney, before a 10’ traverse right takes one into the obvious lighter colored flared crack which starts at the bottom of the buttress. One of the cruxes is getting established into this flared crack. I used superglue on my right pinkie to keep from ripping it off in the initial thin jam, as tape made the fingers too large to fit. Medium nuts and cams protect the remaining 40’ to the anchor which require a bit of endurance and 5.12 crack climbing skills. The 13a rating reflects the endurance and onsight skills required to lead this sustained pitch that seems significantly harder than any of the 12+ or 13a routes in the Estes Valley, including El Camino Real, Renaissance Wall, Heavenly Daze or The Wasp. A bolted anchor at the top with quick links makes for an easy lower or TR.