Looking for an epic route near Vail
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I want to find a classic multi pitch trad route within an hour of Vail. Something easy between 5.2 and 5.7. A full day of it if possible. More than four pitches if possible. I want to take a friend who is a beginner. |
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Maybe not too epic but still super fun is royal flush sport 5.9 1500 ft or crown royal is trad 5.9 and the same length. both located in frisco wlth a mellow walk off. |
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Second royal flush. Its a 5.9 but theres only one pitch of 9 and one/twoish of 8, all of the holds are there and if you just keep working your feet up the route isn't that difficult. Did it two years ago and got stuck behind this turd ferguson trio of idiots that brought their friend who had NEVER CLIMBED BEFORE! Poor fella was scared out of his wits, I still remember his face before taking up the 5.9 pitch with this white knuckle grip on the rope before he left the belay station. Ghosts aren't that pale. |
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https://www.mountainproject.com/route/105751939/inwood-arete
Only suggesting it because It would make for a long, epic day and the climbing stays easy. I wouldn't take a beginner up it unless they're already in solid 14er shape. It's more hiking than climbing, but it's got a couple pitches of technical stuff plus a few optional 5.6ish towers..we did it ropeless though, so not sure how anchor building would go for you. Route finding is the most interesting part of the climbing. |
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There is also an upper pitch variation on royal flush that goes 5.9+ or 5.10. well worth the lower pitches just for this one! |
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5.7 5.9 close enough |
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Mike Mooney wrote: 5.7 5.9 close enough Yeah just two grades. I can climb v8 now. And also subsequently v10 because its just two grades away from that one :P I do get what you are saying though. I guess we focused on the "epic" and fun part of it and thought well the 5.9 is ok for a newish climber |
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The upper headwall on royal flush is fun, but holy shit the bottom pitches are long and awful. Its like 300 feet of good climbing and 1200 feet of bleghhhh. And then the walk off is really long. |
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Rando Calrissian wrote: I guess we focused on the "epic" and fun part of it and thought well the 5.9 is ok for a newish climber And seems that everyone forgot the OP’s range of 5.2 - 5.7, so two grades above the top end and 1500’ of climbing appears unreasonable unless the op wants to get his partner to hate climbing. |
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Marc801 C wrote: the reality is, there are only 1 or 2 pitches on royal flush that are actually at that grade. all of the climbing below the headwall is 5.5-5.6 |
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He also said "trad"... Royal Flush is a sport climb... |
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Lone eagle Peak could be the moderate adventure you seek but the drive is ~1.5 |
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Eric and Lucie wrote: He also said "trad"... Royal Flush is a sport climb... He also asked for something that doesnt exist so people gave recommendations. And there are routes to plug gear on the headwall. |
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Independence Pass has some good stuff. More like 90 minutes from Vail, but there's multi-pitch trad. https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105744331/independence-pass |
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Check out the nose route on monitor rock (near twin lakes). Goes at 5.6, 5 pitches. good for a beginner. |
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+1 for Indy Pass. Although you won't find much beyond two pitches. Take them up The Nose of Monitor Rock. Closer to Vail than most Indy Pass Crags. If they do well on the Nose you've got other climbs like Rainbow Route and Trooper Traverse as well as tons of cragging in the area. They may not qualify as Epic but they're great moderates. |