Easiest overhanging sport route in CO?

Dave Alie wrote:

Abbie: there are some really good suggestions on the thread already but I think this route is quite fun (and super convenient to Denver), though it's at the top end of your grade range: https://www.mountainproject.com/v/pretty-woman/106274771

It's mostly mellow to some steep-but-juggy climbing to the anchors. Despite seeing a decent amount of traffic, there are a couple (very well labeled) loose blocks near the start of the overhang. Nothing to be overly concerned about, but keep an eye out when you're up there. Have fun!

Thank you - I put this one on the to-do list! I'm up CCC fairly often. 

Dave Alie wrote:

Wow, you must be a badass

Abbie: there are some really good suggestions on the thread already but I think this route is quite fun (and super convenient to Denver), though it's at the top end of your grade range: https://www.mountainproject.com/v/pretty-woman/106274771

It's mostly mellow to some steep-but-juggy climbing to the anchors. Despite seeing a decent amount of traffic, there are a couple (very well labeled) loose blocks near the start of the overhang. Nothing to be overly concerned about, but keep an eye out when you're up there. Have fun!

Alone Time with my Banana is a steep 5.6 at this same wall.  The bottom is ledgy but I seem remember it gets safer after that?  Someone with a fresher memory might be able to tell you Abbie.

I think this is just sorta how the front range goes.  Analyzing a route and knowing where you can and cannot fall is part of the game once you get outside, though. 

Unfortunately, the easier climbs are almost always entirely no-fall territory. 

If you can find someone to rope gun for you and set up a TR,  I think a lot of the routes at Little Eiger would make good, safe leads once you can get comfortable on them. They'd probably push your comfort zone, grade-wise, but the bolting is generous and save the slabby starts, they're mostly vertical. 

Jim Turner wrote:

Alone Time with my Banana is a steep 5.6 at this same wall.  The bottom is ledgy but I seem remember it gets safer after that?  Someone with a fresher memory might be able to tell you Abbie.

I saw that one and made note when I was poking around the page for that wall. Thanks! 

Also, +1 for that route name, which makes me lol

I think you would find Alone Time a poor choice. It is slabby and rather run out.

Frankly, a good candidate for retrobolting IMHO.

Colin Johnston wrote:

I think this is just sorta how the front range goes.  Analyzing a route and knowing where you can and cannot fall is part of the game once you get outside, though. 

Unfortunately, the easier climbs are almost always entirely no-fall territory. 

If you can find someone to rope gun for you and set up a TR,  I think a lot of the routes at Little Eiger would make good, safe leads once you can get comfortable on them. They'd probably push your comfort zone, grade-wise, but the bolting is generous and save the slabby starts, they're mostly vertical. 

Will definitely take a look -- I think a friend recently mentioned this wall. Thank you!

And you're right about easier climbs being in no-fall territory, and about it being unfortunate! I feel like I'm in an annoying spot grade-wise -- I want to try hard outside, but most of the routes at the top of my (outside) lead limit still often have bad falls. So, I have to either try even harder routes (i.e., overhung) outside, or just climb easy outside until I can get strong enough with gym practice to safely try routes that are harder for me outside.

My favorite route at my gym right now is a jug haul on an overhanging wall. I get to practice my endurance at that angle, but basically every hold you get is totally bomber. I don't think that really exists outdoors, but I'm looking for the next best thing :)

Mark E Dixon wrote:

I think you would find Alone Time a poor choice. It is slabby and rather run out.

Frankly, a good candidate for retrobolting IMHO.

I did see someone comment about spinning bolts, but it was from ~2 years ago, so I wasn't sure if that had since been addressed. And run-out slab is my least-favorite climbing, ha! 

Paul Hutton wrote:

 The mountains are harsh, too. Prepare for a beating when you thrust yourself into wild terrain. Expecting everything to be nice isn't realistic. 

Everybody watch out, we got a badass on our hands!! Paul—I know you think being a 5.12 climber is real cool and all, but remember there was a time where you were struggling to send 5.10, and there was probably a point where you found falling a little scary. Try not being a dick about it next time. OP asked a fair question.

To OP—if you can have someone hang draws for you on Lawsuit at Wall of Justice it's a nice, short, overhanging 10- with clean falls; hanging the draws on one clip can be hard if you're short, though, which is why I recommend bringing a rope gun. I can't think of too much else real local that is like what you're looking for... 

My best suggestion is to get yourself a good belayer who gives nice soft catches, and get really comfortable taking big falls in the gym. Start small and just keep working your way up, and it'll start being fun, and then you'll stop thinking about it so much. Once you're in a really good head space with gym falls, you'll be better prepared to take that mindset to outdoor climbs.

Abram Herman wrote:

To OP—if you can have someone hang draws for you on Lawsuit at Wall of Justice it's a nice, short, overhanging 10- with clean falls; hanging the draws on one clip can be hard if you're short, though, which is why I recommend bringing a rope gun. I can't think of too much else real local that is like what you're looking for... 

My best suggestion is to get yourself a good belayer who gives nice soft catches, and get really comfortable taking big falls in the gym. Start small and just keep working your way up, and it'll start being fun, and then you'll stop thinking about it so much. Once you're in a really good head space with gym falls, you'll be better prepared to take that mindset to outdoor climbs.

Thanks -- great suggestion! I like the look of that one.

I'm actually 5'9" with a 6' wingspan ("tall for a girl!"), so I don't usually have Short People Problems, but you never know -- every climb is different.

I've been practicing falling in the gym -- for sure! The more I do it, the calmer I am about it, but it's definitely taking some time!

If you go to the wall of justice the hanging judge could be good too, it's 5.11 but it's big holds on a pretty steep wall, sounds like your gym climb. The only time the holds get small is pulling the lip but it's a totally clean fall into space! And it has fixed draws!

Abbie R wrote:

My favorite route at my gym right now is a jug haul on an overhanging wall. I get to practice my endurance at that angle, but basically every hold you get is totally bomber. I don't think that really exists outdoors, but I'm looking for the next best thing :)

Like you've discovered, climbing steep pumpy jug hauls in the gym doesn't really prepare you for the typical crimpy slabby to vertical climbing at our local crags. Instead of trying to find outdoor routes that fit your current style, another option is just to work the style of routes that are available to you. You don't always have to climb everything onsight, hanging all the draws, go all out and fall off. On routes that are hard for you or not your style, you can dog it bolt to bolt, french free the hard moves, get a rope on the anchor to TR it, use whatever options you have to work on the moves and just get mileage on that style of climbing. Once you got all the moves figured out, then go for the redpoint. People use this type of tactics all the time on routes at their limit, it doesn't matter if your limit is 5.14 or 5.10. This let you figure out the limit of what you can (and cannot do), and is a good way to acquire new skill. If you want to spend much time climbing in Clear Creek or Shelf Road, only by climbing on crimpy vertical routes (and not overhanging jug hauls) can you develop the movement skills to climbing crimpy vertical routes.

j sittler wrote:

If you go to the wall of justice the hanging judge could be good too, it's 5.11 but it's big holds on a pretty steep wall, sounds like your gym climb. The only time the holds get small is pulling the lip but it's a totally clean fall into space! And it has fixed draws!

Im going to go out on a limb and say Hanging Judge might be too big of a step up from leading 5.7

aikibujin wrote:

On routes that are hard for you or not your style, you can dog it bolt to bolt, french free the hard moves, get a rope on the anchor to TR it, use whatever options you have to work on the moves and just get mileage on that style of climbing. 

I do plenty of this, haha! You're right -- there's nothing wrong with working a route in whatever way necessary, getting practice with the moves and the style. And I do lots of that both outside and inside. I am trying to work on my "lead head," though, and I think working routes that are more within my capabilities will help me with my confidence, and with practicing smooth leads, making good use of rests, staying calm, etc.

But yes, you're right -- learning to climb in the style that's available to you is generally a good idea!

Edited to add: I'm definitely not trying to suggest that overhanging jug hauls are my preferred style, or even what I'm best at! I'm climbing them because I want practice on overhanging walls, and a jug haul is about the only thing I can get up on an overhanging wall. And, I like to take safe practice falls in the gym (and outside, for that matter, ha!).

Abbie, I'm in more or less the same boat. I'll try anything up to 12a in the gym, but outdoor 9s terrify me. Very interested to see what people suggest in this thread.

The only mostly-vertical juggy climbing I've come across in the state is The Training Grounds at Devil's Head mountainproject.com/v/10692…

Other than that all I can recommend is a trip to Red Rock NV.

Also I'd say it's worth giving slab climbing a real shot. It's started to grow on me with repeated exposure.

Abbie R wrote:

I am trying to work on my "lead head," though, and I think working routes that are more within my capabilities will help me with my confidence, and with practicing smooth leads, making good use of rests, staying calm, etc.

Ok, that's a different story. I'm the same, I'm happy to fall off overhangs all day long, but you put me on a slab and I start crying and shaking myself up a 5.7. I can't offer anything other than, best of luck!

aikibujin wrote:

Ok, that's a different story. I'm the same, I'm happy to fall off overhangs all day long, but you put me on a slab and I start crying and shaking myself up a 5.7. I can't offer anything other than, best of luck!

lol -- solidarity, for sure! Thanks for the encouragement, and same to you, haha!

I wonder if the suggestions, dialogue and side banter on this thread would be different if the OP was a dude.......

edit to add:  good luck with you search  ;)

goingUp wrote:

I wonder if the suggestions, dialogue and side banter on this thread would be different if the OP was a dude.......

edit to add:  good luck with you search  ;)

I have seen plenty of examples of similar douchebaggery directed at dudes on these forums.

https://www.mountainproject.com/v/what-if-youre-not/105748618

If the OP is a dude I would still have given him the same advice.

I looked through the routes I've done in CO and found a few that fit the keywords "juggy" and/or "overhanging".

In Clear Creek:

https://www.mountainproject.com/v/fill-in-the-blanks/109028752
My note for this says "jug hauling fun!" Probably the only one at its grade. It still has slabby sections, but the harder moves are well protected.

https://www.mountainproject.com/v/mineral-museum/105749800
This one isn't overhanging, but it's pretty juggy. None of that crimpy balancy stuff that usually spits me off. There is a big ledge by the first bolt, but the moves above it are pretty easy and on big holds.

https://www.mountainproject.com/v/mirthmobile/105748457
Probably want to stick clip the first bolt (I did), but after that, it's a jug haul to the anchors.

https://www.mountainproject.com/v/panama-red/106210200
Juggy at the bottom. Unfortunately it gets slabby near the top, but the falls should be clean.

At Shelf Road:

https://www.mountainproject.com/v/humes-horror/107041112
And the route to its left: Induction Oven. Both are pretty short, but both climb on huge pockets on a slightly overhanging wall.

https://www.mountainproject.com/v/jasonbeckercom/106169770
Not overhanging, but really, really good.