Childhood's End. This climb nearly caused me to voluntarily end my climbing career. Or maybe it was involuntarily. My partner and I found ourselves in the middle of a full blown thunderstorm 10 pitches up this thing. In a feat of amazing mind control and, well, luck, he climbed one of the upper pitches, runout almost an entire ropelength and climbing directly through a veritable river of water pouring off the slab. A pitch from the top, unsure of whether bailing could even be done from that high on the climb, we decided to anyway.
We did learn a few things though. First, nothing will take years off your life quicker than multiple double rope raps from star drives. Second, never forget to untie the knots in the ends of your rope before pulling them. Third, if you take a crap on a climb, like my partner did, it will come back to haunt you. Especially if you have to rap the route. And finally, yes, you can bail off Childhood's End, even from pitch 11. Just make sure you have plenty of spare biners.
The climb is great though, and I'll never forget it. Characterized by runout slab climbing the whole way. I felt every pitch except the 5.12 and 5.10 pitches were PG+ rated, *if* the bolts don't fail. With one exception, every single bolt is either a button-head or a star drive. That includes every belay (most of which are semi-hanging, by the way). Hanging from a pair of ancient 1/4 inch bolts high on the wall, I wondered what would happen if my partner slipped on that 5.7 R section... 100+ feet out with zero gear between him and the belay... Really, it would be a great service to replace all these bolts - at least the belays - with modern hardware. That said, the climb really is quite good. It's a definite adventure to climb such a huge piece of granite outside of RMNP. This area in the South Platte is absolutely beautiful, and chances are you'll be the only ones for miles around. Enjoy!
Double ropes are an asset on this climb as many of the pitches wander, as would be a few screamers for peace of mind.
P1 & 2: Begin a few meters right of the large boulder at the base of BRCM. Immediately right of this boulder is Fields of Dreams Running Wild - you can see a few modern bolts if you look carefully. A little further right is a very low-angle crack with a tree growing out of it. Climb this for a pitch or two all the way across the face to a two bolt anchor at the base of a short chimney (6-10" crack) at the right side of the buttress.
P3: Climb the chimney (#4 Camalot down low or #2 a bit higher), then the slab above past 5 bolts. 5.9.
P4: Step right off the belay to a crack. Up this for 20 feet, then step left onto a slab with 3 bolts (5.9). Or, for a more difficult variation, step up off the belay then sharply left past two bolts and into a water groove. Up this past another bolt to join the slab above (5.11).
P5: Clip a bolt out left, then go around the corner and up the slab past two more bolts, then run it out to the anchor. 5.8 PG13.
P6 & 7: Runout 5.9 slab climbing: Head up the arete past bolts, then veer left to a nice ledge with an anchor, belay here or continue on. Head up and right, passing two more bolts to another 2 bolt anchor (this one is not so good), continue up past another bolt and on to the anchor at the base of the 5.12 pitch. If you do this all as one it is a long pitch but a reasonable option.
P8: The crux. Climb up off the belay to a finger crack and undercling, clip a bolt and head around to the steep right side of the wall, underclinging and clipping bolts along the way. Continue straight up. All in all 11 bolts on this pitch. 5.12-something and easily aidable, but you'll still have to do 10/11 moves between bolts higher up.
P9: A great lead. Head up off the belay, clipping bolts. Peform a difficult step left into a water groove and then continue up on easier ground. Sustained 5.10 and 9 or 10 bolts.
P10, 11, & 12: Head straight up off the belay for a few pitches of easier, lower angle climbing. Unfortunately, besides a stray bolt, nilch for pro. 5.7 R.
A single double-rope rap, or two single-rope raps, down the SE Corner of the formation gets you down in a somewhat less-epic fashion, or so I've heard.
Protection
15 draws/slings. A set of Aliens is adequate but a big cam is nice to have for the pitch 3 chimney.
I'm not going to comment on the difficulty because I did not free the crux. I yarded on bolts in the mist. Some comments though: The Climbing Colorado book (Green) said that the bolts have been replaced with Modern hardware. I noticed that each belay had 1 star-drive and one button head. When was this modern? 2 of the belays did actually have a 3/8" bolt added. It would be a good idea to replace a few of the old ones with 'real' bolts before they decay to the point that you can't hang off of one to replace the other. I distinctly recall when Josh yelled down from a belay: "Tony, it would be a *really* good thing if you don't fall." Secure belays might restore this route to the classic (4*) status I'd like to give it.
Bailing off of this route seemed impossible from the second to last belay, but not from any given point. By way of example, it seemed that you can't bail from the belay above the 5.12 pitch, or at least it seems not without going into the gully (a waterfall in the rain) and even then, I dunno how long your ropes would have to be. Don't let the rap station I installed there on the way up fool you. I put that in IN CASE we were forced down, as the storm was coming in.
If you bail from up high, it is reasonable to do so with two 60m ropes. From the top of the slab, you can get to the top of the 5.10 pitch anchor. From there, 2 60m ropes will get you to the belay BELOW the 5.12 pitch, which is solid, make sure to stay left and look for it under the roof. If you stop at the 5.12 pitch, you will be too far right to continue a good descent line. The belay below that is CRAP, so from below the 5.12 pitch, you can get down 2 pitches to the good one, with 3 bolts. From there you rap again, down to the right-hand shoulder of the rock, and lastly, off to the right onto the other slab, whereupon you can touch down on terra firma. Yes, if the fecal fairy visits you on the top of P4, and you poo off of the route, although it is not part of the climb, this is in fact the best rap line. I cleaned it off, so it's gone.
"You can't bail from the belay above the 5.12 pitch." You can retreat from here, though it requires a bit of trickery. My brother and I got hit with a storm right after completing the crux pitch, and we rapped to the ground (following the route). If I remember corectly, I rappelled first, and clipped my rope into a few of the bolts on the way down (I think I may have even placed a big stopper, same one you use on the way up). Once I got to the previous belay, I just dragged my brother in as he cleaned the gear. The rest of the way down was straightforward. I'm sure we didn't have anything longer than 50 meter ropes (this was ten years ago).
The bolts on this route are now all nice new shiny fat bolts courtesy of the ASCA. Despite the upgraded pro, if you are a slab climbing punter, like myself, the route is scary, with every pitch being mentally taxing. The easier the difficulty of the pitches, the longer the runouts. Luckily, the route does allow you to warm up a bit on the slabs before you get to the scariest pitches. Walking from the main road does add some time to the approach, but not unduly so. As for quality, I think this route ranks up there with the best long routes of the state.
If you appreciate the rebolting on this route make sure to send a donation to the ASCA. The more feedback we receive on the rebolting in the Platte the easier it will be to fund further projects. To date the ASCA has provided over 200 bolts to replace the scary 1/4 inchers in the Platte. If you still think that climbing on 1/4 inchers is safe, drop me a email and I will send you some photos. I was able to pull over 30 bolts on this route with a single tug of my funkness device. The size of the rock crystals seems to be the biggest factor in the strength of these bolts, so if you are slabbing in the inner Platte ( Big Rock, Helen's Dome, Sunshine Dome, Etc) consider bringing some screamers.
Also, the approach from the front side ( crossing the river) is definitely the fastest. Also the route can be rapped from any point below the last pitch with 2 50m ropes, but 60m ropes make it a lot easier.
Did this route on 15 Jan 06. What an awesome route! Props to the FA, and the rebolters...great work. I was skeptical that such a long route would have good rock, but it does.
From the locked gate on the Western approach, it was 1 hour to the river, then with crossing the river, finishing the approach and racking up, that was another hour. We climbed the route in 3.5 hours, and it took an hour to do the descent to the river, [another] hour and 15 min back up to the car. Not at all as tiring as doing the Diamond in a day.
The descent was not clear to us. The rap (one 60m or two 30m) is located about 50 feet east-southeast from the highest point of BRCM. So, if you climb this route (on the "Gumdrop"), you must scramble over to the top of BRCM.
Oh yeah, some guidebooks say the crux is easily aided...you'll have to do at least one 5.11 move between bolts, or bring a cheater stick.
We found the route really windy. I'm curious if others have experienced this? Was it just that day, or is the BRCM always windy?
It has been my experience that Big Rock is always windy in the morning. Combine this with its east facing aspect and fall/winter ascents become quite chilly climbing for the sun affairs.
As for the descent, the 2 single raps (1 double) you describe are the only descent I know of. Once you get down it is best to head East over a small hill and pick up a jeep trail that wraps around to the south back to the river. I don't [recommend] trying to skirt Big Rock as the Hayman fire burned this area out and it is really a pain. Taking the jeep trail will save you 30+ minutes. If you leave your extra gear right as you cross the river, you will not have to go back to the base.
Thanks for the beta Kevin. I think that's a good idea to leave extra gear at the river X-ing. Nevertheless, it was only about 30 min to skirt BRCM around to the South, then another 30 to get back to the river x-ing.
The North side looked gnarly with lots of invasive shrubbery filling in after the fire.
Summited this route yesterday and, man, was it good. Very good rock quality the whole way. We approached from the west since my Subaru can't make that nasty 4WD road past Turkey Rocks. I recommend bringing a very small rack since after the 3rd or 4th pitch there is nothing for gear. Bring one of everything from .5-#4, and a set of nuts. This route is well bolted, but just because there are bolts doesn't mean you wont encounter some hair raising runouts. Once on the top of the route, head climber's left (north) to the summit, the rap anchors are on the North East corner of the formation. Either 1 double rope rap or 2 single raps will get you down. Beautiful route, but make sure you are ready for some good old South Platte slab climbing.
I just threw in a old photo for fun on this route and noticed complaints about bailing off this route. I've bailed two or three times with various friends off of this climb because of the wonderful and dramatic sound and fury of a Cheeseman Gorge storm. It's more than possible with some swinging about from pumpkin like gutter to gutter pouring with rain to get down with no problem. I will admit though the first time I did bail I thought very seriously about somehow getting over to the more welcoming rappels of Sweet C.
By Bob D'Antonio From: Superior, CO May 7, 2007 rating: 5.12-
Did Big Rock shrink?? I remember it being at least 1,200 long/high. Having done the route four times...I don't remember any R-rated pitches.
The approach from Divide (if the road is open) is a lot easier than the standard approach. After parking your car, skirt the rock on the right, climb the route and then rap back to the ground and walk the couple hundred yards to your car.
Kevin...good job on the bolt replacement.
On another note...the fly-fishing in this area is great. The pools around the rock hold some of the biggest trout in the area.
Bob, you must have forgotten the top pitch by way of example It has 1 bolt in 100+ feet. And perhaps as well to recall that at the time when Josh wrote this up, the bolts were MOSTLY 1/4" rusty bolts with rusty spinning leeper hangers- the type that were recalled due to breaking. Personally, I would not have wanted to fall on ANY of the protection bolts, and some of the belays were junk too. Many pitches would have been rated A3/A3+ as an aid climb.
To quote Kevin, who replaced the bolts: "I was able to pull over 30 bolts on this route with a single tug of my funkness device."
It sounds like our sketicism was accurate. When there is 1 bolt between you and certain injury and it is one of those, the route is R-rated. Perhaps now that the route is updated, Josh could edit the denotation, but still there are some long blank sections... then the argument is semantic. Is a 5.12- route with a 5.7 R section really R? Well, it was leading it in a downpour of rain and hail, I'll tell you that!
As for the route height, 1200' seems about right. Of course, C.E. does not start at the bottom so I would have guessed 1000' or so.
Bob, Williams and I estimated the height of the middle buttress (Fields of Dreams) to be 1,100 ft.
Also, as of my last trip down the Metberry Gulch Road (Divide side), the route was completely washed out about 1 mile in from the junction of the Cedar Mtn Rd (Turkey Rock Rd) and Metberry Gulch. I actually buried a Forest Service vehicle in there -- high centered with not a single wheel touching the earth! I know that the FS recommended closing the road after the fire, so unless the Teller County has invoked RS2477, and taken responsibility for maintanance, then it is probably no longer passable, and may not be the best route to the rock.
Unfortunately, the worst news of all is that the pools below the rock, hell, the entire stream reach from the confluence of the Tarryall downstream to Cheeseman Res., is completely devastated. You will not find the fishing to be worth a damn down there anymore.
PeteG.
By Bob D'Antonio From: Superior, CO May 7, 2007 rating: 5.12-
Peter...hope all is well? I took the road (Metberry Gulch) two times to Big Rock (the last time in 1995).
You have to come down this way to get some of the big browns out of the Rio Grande.
How is the 11 Mile Project going??
No matter what the size (Big Rock) some of the best slab climbing in the state.
Later, Bob
By Bob D'Antonio From: Superior, CO May 19, 2008 rating: 5.12-
The log crossing is gone...you have to wade the river upstream near where the trail meet the river. It still seems to me that the best approach is from the Divide area making the horrible walk out unnecessary.
Hopefully the road will get repair some time in the future.
By Rob Kepley From: Westminster,CO Jun 5, 2008 rating: 5.12- R
What an incredible route! Slab climbing at it's best. You'll have to suck it up on some sections with HUGE runouts hoping that crystal you're standing on doesn't break. The STEEP slab above the crux is some of the most continuous climbing you'll ever do that just goes on forever. The final 300ft or so is a great simul-climb. Don't expect to find many bolts. True adventurous South Platte climbing.
I was pretty sure we were off route for the first 3 pitches. I felt lost in an unprotected sea of crumbling granite. In looking at descriptions and topos, I was right on.
I'd probably have felt more confident if I'd seen a bolt on P3 and found the belay anchor for P3. It's easy to miss stuff like that and climb on past it. I guess that's part of the adventure.
Big Rock Candy Mountain
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