Fast Draw 

In my opinion, this is 2 star climb, and would be a bad choice to do in winter, as it is completely north facing (i.e. no sun) and starts out of a windy, exposed notch. You would have to catch it on an unseasonably warm winter day to not freeze your ass off. Maintain a low profile on the rim with your fixed rope- this is a very popular tourist hangout.

Very Fun route! And, can be done as two, or three pitches (combination of first two pitches, or belay just before the traverse left). Doing it as two pitches adds to the excitement. I thought the hardest part, next to the first pitchs crux crack, was the step into the chimney system after traversing left. Takes a minute to figure out what to do. The best way to approach is by rappelling from the cliffs just below the parking lot. Leave the rope fixed, go climb the route, and then come back and ascend your rope. Obviously use ascenders if you e lucky, or, use a gri-gri and a prusik, or two prusiks...whatever. Just inspect your rope again before ascending, cause tourists can come mess with it. You can approach using the trail to Independance Monument, but, this would be a longer walk, maybe a couple miles? Good route to hit on your way to Ouray for ice climbing, this climb is usually good in winter, and is a desert-type climb...going from this to Ouray, or other Western slope ice in one day is totally wild!!!

Change that to 2 stars....even in my description I mention crappy bolts, crappy belays, crappy raps.....the climbing is fun but totally north facing and only good in summer.

Steve is absolutely right. This is a wee bit cold even in March. There is a big loose block that shifted on the straight up variation (instead of the traverse) on the 2nd pitch that could alter one's anatomy (put your stomach in your mouth) if you pull on it. Don't!

This is a traditional climb, Please stop putting in new bolts. Camalots through #4 is all you need. This is the perfect summer route since it is in the shade and summers in this area are extremely hot.

Good Route! My wife and I climbed it in August. All the belays are fixed, and sport three bomber angles. There is also new chain on the belay. We did the webster-norden variation (straight up). I would suggest to avoid climbing that way and stick to the original traverse left. All the bolts next to the perfect "3 crack are new also! I understand the historic reason for these bolts, but retro-fixing them isn't needed. People should leave the original Kor bolts there, and place bomber cams next to them. -tda

Great route! Doing this as two pitches makes for a sustained and strenuous first pitch; but recommended. The guide books call the route .10a, but I thought it felt harder. We did the traverse and getting into the squeeze *is* tricky. The bolting on this climb is superfluous, though I clipped them all due to a serious pump (wasn't complaining at the time). For only two pitches of climbing, this was a fun little adventure.

I rapped this route the other day and found that it had many bolts that clearly should have never been placed. The first pitch could be safely lead by a 5.10 climber without clipping a single bolt. The first couple of bolts were fairly new. These bolts are a disgrace to the area. A bolt should never be placed next to a splitter crack. Also you can get down with one rope

Nice that you could give this route a grade while "on rappel". While the bolts do seem extraneous (sp?,sry) with modern gear, maybe you should just give Layton a little jingle on the phone and tell him how light he is. Different eras, different tactics.

A fun climb, not overly classic, but a cool summit. Have done it both ways on first pitch, prefer to traverse left.

Judging a routes quality w/o having climbed it or knowing it's history is the dumbest thing I have ever heard.

In case you haven't noticed the Desert Rock III guide by Bjornstad gives a quite different route description for Fast Draw. The crux is right off the ground. The book says the crux is the 2nd pitch finger crack. No finger crack on the route except for the one finger jam at the start move. The Colorado guide book by Stewart Green is much more accurate. There are some new bolts where there shouldn't be any, (1st pitch), C'mon bolting a crack? Was this before the invention of cams or what? Anyway it was a good climb. I need more practice on squeeze chimneys cause that was a hard ass looking 5.8. I backed off and went straight up instead. Not recommended. Smile often and climb well. CP

Good for a quick half day, One pitch with a seventy if you have the runners, make things easy on yourself and rap it in two. Without two ropes, you will have trouble getting off if you are even a hair short. Both variations are of quality, I prefer to go straight up I don't think that things are that loose or maybe that big block has been trundled. If doing things in two, keep going till you hit the big ledge with the triple chains. I wouldn't hang my hat off those ancient ring angles below the roof. But they're good for history sake so reminisce and keep moving. Three fixed angles on the upper part, these moves are aquard (sic) so I don't even bother to bring any gear I just clip and go, a bit run out, but you're in there, right?.

All of the main anchors and a few other mystery bolts have been replaced/added since the first memo on this page, though I do think they did get a little carried away is a perfectly good/solid crack system there.

Just climbed Fast Draw this weekend. All bolts except for 1 on first pitch have been replaced. Most bolts not neccessary anyway as crack is easily protectable. The anchors on summit and at beginning of final pitch are bomber. I climbed straight up from the piton into the large crack/chimney to make it a 2 pitch climb, and found it to be pretty worthwhile. Watch for loose rocks in that section.