Millennium Crag  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Page Views:  1,417. Good page?    Administrators:  Ben Mottinger, Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monomaniac, Tom Erickson Submitted By:  Tony B on Jun 30, 2003 Make this area a Favorite What's New   Print a Mini-Guide with routes Add Route  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event  Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed 72° | 43° 64° | 39° 59° | 39° 64° | 37° 70° | 43°

Description 

Millennium Crag lies at the South End of Eldo, almost squarely between Lower Peanuts Wall and the Petite Bastille. This crag is referred to as Millennium Crag by this party who have done some of the existing routes on it. This was due to the initial thought of doing routes on it, which we discussed late in Y2K, before deciding to go for new lines on Sobo and Diamond Head first, and forgetting this crag for a while. In June 2003, we returned to climb on it after being rained out from an alpine day.

The rock on Millennium Crag is most like the rock on Lower Peanuts wall, it is good sandstone in most places, and is given to exfoliating in large, thin sheets in places, so keep your eyes open for signs of this. Like most less-traveled Eldo stone, some cleaning was done, and some remains to be done. The rock is chewing-gum sticky, but still licheny in most areas, so again, some brushing would benefit this crag. When it came to lichen, only minor cleaning was done, as it did not seem worthwhile or necessary to clean the routes for a single passage of them. We doubted that this crag will see frequent traffic in the future. Millennium Crag faces NW, but is slightly low angle, so it gets sun in the summer just after noon, although probably MUCH later in the winter, if at all on the shortest of days.

There are presently 6 [submitted] routes on the crag, [all these] thought to be FA'd by Bubb/Spindloe with reasonable evidence and certainty. All [six] of these are somewhat moderate in grade and at least moderately runout, a few severely so. None are "must do" routes at all, let alone classics. The real reason to seek this crag would be for the adventure and for some new route work, or to simply be alone.

To descend from any route, walk SE down from the top to the lower end of the crag to the base (does not look the best) or up to the NE toward the top of the crag to a reasonable scramble down (3rd class) and then walk back to the base of any climb. Two rap anchors, (black 9/16" super tape sling on a solid, large tree) were on put and left on the cliff as well, from which a 60M rope will easily touch down. These are as follows: down and left below the top of "Throwing the Baby" (scramble down to it) and one at the shared belay above "Carpet Bombing" and "B-52." These should probably be re-enforced with a second sling and quality Rapid-link.

Getting There 

Approach as for Peanuts wall, walking up the Rattlesnake Gulch/Fowler trail (preferred), or from the Bastille West-side trail (not preferred). This crag lies perhaps 200 yards West of the Petite Bastille and 300 Yards East of lower Peanuts. After locating it from the access road (Fowler trail), scramble up Talus to reach the lower left end (NE end). From there most route locations will be given. Total approach time was 10-15 min, including the talus scramble of about 5 minutes. To go from climb to climb along the base, walk closely to the cliff line whenever possible and follow in the deep footprints in the soft earth- it is doubtful that any real trail here will ever exist.

The Classics