Another Platte classic. There are 3 ways to start this climb.
Option A: Starting left of the roof; scramble up 5.6 knobs up and right to a bolted belay at the base of the giant roof. Easy, and gives you an extra pitch traversing under the roof.
Option B: I have not done, it looks scary and run out. Start by clipping 2 1/4 inchers then follow a right arching crack until you can go straight up to the roof. 5.10x????
Option C: The best if you want less crack and more knobs, do the first pitch of Lady Slipper following bolts to a bolted belay about half way thru the roof.
P2. 5.7 up the beautiful, clean, corner under the roof 180ft to a bolted belay.
P3. 5.10 get your mental game ready and tip toe up the knobs. The crux pitch is short (50ft), and it can be linked up with the next pitch for a 100ft pitch. If you link the 2, bring some mid sized gear to build an anchor. (Note, the bolts on the crux pitch have been replaced but not the bolts after the crux pitch. Slightly run out on 1/4's)
P4. 5.7 follow the easy, left-arching dihederal to a 1/4" bolted belay.
P5. either step left then straight up from the belay, or keep going left until you want to go up, 5.8?
P6. depending on your 5 pitch, take easy ground to the summit.
Location
To find the route look for the giant roof. Traverse beneath this roof until it dies. Go straight up on slap (crux) aiming for a left trending dihederal.
Protection
Standard Platte rack, slings, nothing bigger than a #3 Camalot.
I forgot this route is so stellar it's not even funny. Another "GEM" of the South Platte....
I've climbed it twice and each pitch is remarkable....
GET ON IT >>>>>
Like most of the Platte there won't be a crowd....
By John McNamee Administrator From: Littleton, CO Oct 1, 2007
Exceptional route with great climbing and features. The crux is well protected. Take a camera.
The pitch after the crux (5.7) on knobs seemed more like 5.8 to me and the runout is spicy. The bolts are old 1/4 inchers and difficult to see before you get to them. Go straight up.
This was the first route with bolts in the area. The long, leaning, corner is surely one of the most fun "easy" cracks in Colorado. From the bleay at the end on the corner, a double rope rappel reaches safe ground, so the 5.10 face is not mandatory. It would be good to put in another anchor so two single rope raps would be more easily done to escape.
11/15/07: Kirk Miller was part of the FA and named the route. Erik Winkleman led the more direct finish soon after the FA. Hand drilling these long routes was a slow, painful, process that could last several weekends and ultimatley involve many climbers.
The "5.7 runout" pitch after the crux pitch is marked as 5.9 in both the Hubbel and Trout guides. So we felt better about bailing from the top of the 10 pitch. We had all three of us just finished John Long's new edition of Climbing Anchors which said that 1/4" bolts are essentially useless.
We started via the alleged "5.6 knobs", but couldn't find any. We instead climbed bushy cracks as for Hill's Route and then scrambled down and right to the left edge of the roof. The 2 roof pitches make a great moderate route with huge big wall feeling. The first pitch felt about 5.5 or 5.6, and the second pitch about 5.7. You can rap from the right end of the roof to the ground with one rope with two raps or two ropes with one rap (likewise from the top of the 10a pitch).
The 10a pitch was pretty hard for me. I put in gear out right between the 1st and 2nd bolts. I traversed slightly down from the 1st bolt then up to an overlap for the gear. I put in 2 small nuts at the base of the right facing corner before the last bolt.
Definitely an excellent route. Climbed it the first time in June of '96. My friend Bill and I stopped at the Wild Horse saloon enroute to the campsite and partook of a few beers the night before. The next day, Bill was feeling the effects of one too many bud lights on the approach and the first few pitches. As I reached the end of the arch, anchored in, and hollered "On Belay!" to Bill below, I was answered by the sound of his violent retching. When he finally reached me at the anchors, he was feeling much better and was able to fully enjoy the rest of the route. He was even conscientious enough to traverse off route for his purge.
I returned this past summer to take a friend up the first three pitches to introduce him to multi-pitch climbing. Was pleased to see the new bolted anchors at the first 2 belays. Disappointed to see the old Star-dryven remained at the third. I left the #7 stopper there to back up the anchor as we rapped off. I expected the next party would be happy to score the booty. Amazing route, amazing exposure, amazing scenery...and no crowds!
Wigwam Dome
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