Neptune's Bible  5.8 PG13

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Type:  Trad, 2 pitches, 230 feet Consensus:  5.8 [details] FA:  Gary Neptune, roped solo, 1970s Season:  Faces West Submitted By:  Tony B on Jun 25, 2011 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (2) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

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2013 Raptor Nesting Closure in effect - NOW LIFTED MORE INFO >>> As of Feb. 1, 2013, a seasonal wildlife closure is in effect on Redgarden Wall in Eldorado Canyon State Park to protect nesting and roosting sites of the canyon’s falcons. The closure starts Feb. 1 through July 31, or until further notice and includes the following climbing routes: The Naked Edge (last 3 pitches only), The Diving Board, Centaur, Redguard (last 3 pitches only), Red Ant, Semi-Wild, Anthill Direct (last 3 pitches only), and The Sidetrack. For more info, visit dnr.state.co.us/newsapp/press.asp?PressId=8152 From an Eldorado Canyon tweet, the Redgarden Wall closures were lifted May 6, 2013. This information is a public crowdsourcing effort between the Access Fund, and Mountain Project. You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates. Keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment Action Committee for Eldorado

Description 

This is an interesting route with a considerable amount of adventure for a "mere 5.8." Start on an unconventional start, climbing a tree, which is mostly stripped of the branches you'd like to have. Sling a few branches with girth-hitched slings for protection. As you near the rock, a small cam placement and then a fist-sized piece present themselves just before pulling onto the rock, while tip-toeing from the treetop onto the rock. This is probably the crux. One can head sharply left from there to a stance as a small evergreen and belay on gear, or continue onward (continue...). Climb up on mostly good, incut holds with occasional gear and long slings to keep the rope direct and drag low. You should be below a hanging, right-facing corner. Climb up into this and through it.

Upon finishing the right-facing corner, you can traverse hard left (West) for 50+ feet on a jumbled ledge to a belay on a tree near a 2-rope rap (160') over Apple Strudel/The Untouchables.

A solid belay on the ledge at a tree just before that rap can be reached from the ground on a 70m rope, but the rope will not get you to the ground. 5.1 climbing behind that tree and left will take you to the Dirt Deed raps, where a single 70m will get you just to the ground, or where a short rope will get you there in 2 raps.

If you wanted to keep going above the dihedral, you can continue (with a 70m) up and right as for the final pitch of Rocky Raccoon. This splits up and right at the top to intersect the top of the upper ramp (and Vertigo raps) or up and left to the Red Ledge, escaping via a finish on a route above (Yellow Spur or Icarus, etc...) or down and left to the raps on the Dirty Deed Chminey.

Location 

This route starts as for Rocky Raccoon and branches left from that route where the tree meets the wall and climbs up and left to a stance an optional belay from there before continuing up and below a large, hanging, right-facing dihedral, and through that to a rotten band (another optional belay).

From that area, head up and right to the top of the upper ramp (left edge) or right edge of the Red Ledge.

Protection 

A standard rack with 1 of everything to 4"... or 2 of everything if you want to run it all into a single pitch.