Aid climbing practice Boulder

Does anyone know of a good crack to practice clean aid on? Also a good area to set up a jumars line and just hike up and down...somewhere with an overhang? I'm thinking a not so popular climb, but easy to get to. Thanks.

Try Supremacy crack in Eldo, or the crack on practice rock in boulder canyon.

Over the years I've come across climbers practicing aid on Country Club Crack at Castle Rock. It would be a good line to practice "jugging" on since it overhangs a bit.

Do the aid roof on Castle Rock. It's a twin crack system with a bolt on the route and a two bolt anchor above the roof. I know of only one guy trying to free climb the route, so it shouldn't be crowded. I'd be interested to hear your time to lead, rap, and clean. Mine was quite horrible.

Paul,

I second the practice rock recommendation. The regular route works well. It's not overhanging or dead dead-vertical, but a nice crack with variety -- even has options for hooking. Other routes there are doable, too. You may want an add'l rope at the top to set an anchor, if doing more than one lap (not the best anchors, but there are trees further back). Bonus: it's a very short walk from the car.

Aid crack on Cob Rock is also good, and a bit 'interesting' near the middle. Bring some hooks.

I'll throw out a little treat -- a list I began to compile of potential practice aid routes in the front range. I've done only a few, and all these are subject to verification and feedback. I'm sure it could grow substantially if adding the S Platte and Garden of the Gods. It would be great to have folks add to this.

Of course, more commonly climbed lines are best done off-peak-hours.

Cheers,
Avery

• ** A1/C1 – A2/C2 ***

Front Range North:
Boulder Canyon, 4th Elephant Buttress, South Face Roof, 5.7 C2
Boulder Canyon, Rock Island II, Candelaria’s Crack, 12a (aid rating?)
Boulder Canyon, Rock Island II, Old Practice Aid Climb, (aid rating?)
Boulder Canyon, Cob Rock, Aid Crack, 10d (aid rating?)
Boulder Canyon, Practice Rock, Thin Crack, 9+ (aid rating?)
Boulder Canyon, Practice Rock, Regular Route, 11b (aid rating?)
Boulder Canyon, Nip & Tuck, Capital Punishment, C2
Boulder Canyon, Castle Rock, Country Club Crack, 11c (aid rating?)
Boulder Canyon, Castle Rock, Aid Roof, A2-A4 (clean now?)
Boulder Canyon, Castle Rock, Nuclear Winter, C2
Boulder Canyon, Castle Rock, Ground Zero/Moffat Route, C2
Boulder Canyon, Castle Rock, Tourist Extravaganza, C2+
Lumpy Ridge, Twin Owls, King Cobra, C2
Lumpy Ridge, Twin Owls, Hang Left, A2
Lumpy Ridge, Twin Owls, Autumn Mist, C2
Lumpy Ridge, Twin Owls, Vegetarians Love Granite, C2+
Lumpy Ridge, Twin Owls, Anaconda, 5.13c/A2
Lumpy Ridge, Batman Rock, Coors Roof, 5.8 C1
Lumpy Ridge, Sundance Buttress, Curve Grande, 5.7 C1+

Front Range South:
Garden of the Gods, North Gateway Rock, Anaconda 5.11c (aid rating?)
Garden of the Gods, North Gateway Rock, Triple Exposure, 5.12c/d (aid rating?)
South Platte, Parachute Rock, A2 Route, A2
South Platte, Bucksnort Slab
South Platte, Sunshine Wall
CLOSED: South Platte, Sphinx Rock Sphinx Crack/Fate Crack, 5.13b or C2 (was A3)

• ** A3/C3 ***

Boulder Canyon, Practice Rock, Dark Magic, C3
Boulder Canyon, Castle Rock, Knight with a Shining Stick, A3
Lumpy Ridge, Twin Owls, Copperhead, C3
Lumpy Ridge, Twin Owls, Rattler, C3
Lumpy Ridge, Twin Owls, Viper, C3-
St. Vrain Canyon, Dead Raccoon Crack, 5.4 A3
Garden of the Gods, North Gateway Rock, The Inferno, 5.8 C3

Tim Stich wrote:Do the aid roof on Castle Rock. It's a twin crack system with a bolt on the route and a two bolt anchor above the roof. I know of only one guy trying to free climb the route, so it shouldn't be crowded. I'd be interested to hear your time to lead, rap, and clean. Mine was quite horrible.

Tim, what's the time to beat?

Avery Nelson wrote: Tim, what's the time to beat?

Memory fails me, thankfully, but it was at least two hours. I had just bought the Soloist. Lots of fustercluck. Thankfully, some strangers invited me over to free climb some stuff, so I ditched the aid crap.

Second the Country Club recomendation....it has about everything you need to practice for aiding. Bring offsets for the first pitch, or free climb the 5.9 dihedral.

You guys don't think I will get flak for aiding a popular free line? I'm all into first come, first serve, but not everyone is...? Thanks for all the input.

Triple Exposure in GoG is good, as is the bolt ladder on montezuma's tower(though the bolts sucked last time i was there). Both are easy.

Better yet, head to Moab and get on some towers. Do these for easy aid:

1. Mexican Hat - very steep but a short bolt ladder. flail away. do laps to get efficient.
2. Devils's Golfball. Bring a truck to step on or a long stick clip for the first bolt. Short bolt ladder.
3. Disappearing Angel near Moab. A step up, but still easy bad bolts, easy clean aid, and easy funky free climbing.
4. Ancient Art. If you free 5.9, give it a whirl pulling on a few bolts.
5. Maverick on the Hindu. Mostly easy clean aid with a couple interesting placements and a traverse, and one standard desert funky 5.9 bulge. Nothing hard, but just enough weirdness to get you in tune with a real desert route.
6. Kingfisher, Fisher Towers. Clip more bolts than on any route in France. A few funky placements and free moves above gear on interesting rock. Definitely not a hard route and easy to bail off of at any point if the funk gets to you, but a perfect starter grade IV if you aren't a pussy.

After this, you graduate to making your own decisions. If you go to Zion before doing this much, Ron O will shoot you off the wall.

Don't forget about North Table Mtn in Golden, it has many great clean aid lines using thin cracks. Just wonder along and choose one.

Jump on Country CLub in the middle of the day when it is too hot to free climb. You can also do a sick hook traverse a few feet above the ground starting left of Athletes Feat....

Paul Hunnicutt wrote:You guys don't think I will get flak for aiding a popular free line? I'm all into first come, first serve, but not everyone is...? Thanks for all the input.

IMO routes considered 'classic' by the local community should only be done 'off-peak or off-season hours' (e.g. Bastille Crack, Country Club Crack, etc). IMO#2, any line not meeting these criteria is fair game any time, provided there are not people planning to get on it when you arrive.

Andrew Gram wrote: 2. Devils's Golfball. Bring a truck to step on or a long stick clip for the first bolt. Short bolt ladder.

I think you forgot to mention the beer (oops, I meant gear) requirement. If I recall correctly, not many draws were needed, but your belayer will most certainly need a lounger with a beer holder -- as demonstrated by Andrew.

If you click on that photo, it is hard to beat as a bored belayer shot.

The state patrol did not like this aid practice in 1969:

Does anyone wish to go aid/free climb with me on Country Club Crack this Monday morning? I would also appreciate any advice in setting up a haul line. I've done it before, but it has been several years.