What did your Eldo progression to 5.10 look like?

I've gotten pretty stoked on trad this past year and some of my medium term goals are Yellow Spur, Outer Space, and long term goals of Casual Route and Naked Edge (so basically every CO trad climber ever). 

Painting a picture of my trad resume: I climbed Bastille Crack and Rewritten with the Zot start in the last couple weeks and both felt pretty chill, and in the past few years I've also done Icarus and Wind Ridge in the park. Also done Sharkstooth and Ellingwood Arete with all the harder variations which also felt chill. I have a pretty solid lead head on gear, as long as I'm not pushing my grade physically. I've been pretty conservative with my route choice on trad generally - I generally try to push grade or gear placements but not both at the same time. I haven't fallen on gear yet. I almost always onsight sport 10s if that's relevant at all.

However from my research it does seem like a bit of a gap between the routes I've done and Yellow Spur. What did your Eldo progression look like from the easy classics to the harder classics?

In no particular order, I'm thinking I should tick off Long John, Ruper, Gambit, and Werk Supp before even thinking of Yellow Spur. I've also heard Handcracker and Green Spur are potential in-between climbs. But I'm curious to hear from people who have ticked off some of my goal climbs. 

Hey Shay, 

We sound quite similar. My goal for this season was to break into the 10s on gear. It's been...humbling. I've gotten on a few in Eldo that have spanked me pretty good. I've done Gambit, Rewritten w/ Zot start, a bunch of stuff on Wind Tower, Heavy Weather, a handful of moderates in the park, and thought I was ready. This year, I went back and cleaned up my climbing on Handcracker, did Long John Wall, Ignominity, some other stuff in the 5.9+ range in the early season. Then, Blind Faith, Darkness til Dawn, and Chockstone knocked me around. I don't know if it's a mental thing (climbing above gear certainly feels harder to me...), or that Eldo 10s are just that much harder and/ or different style compared to other things. 

Best recommendation from your explanation is be really sure your gear is solid. Part of why I climbed moderate stuff was because I could be confident in finding and placing good gear without being cruxing out. But that also means you haven't had to test your placements. I've done a bit of fake aid climbing to help me test placements, and I've taken on gear more since I've been trying harder things. I also took a good whipper on Blind Faith. 

Either way, good luck. What's your schedule like? Happy to get out and work on stuff together!

Mileage.  Repeat moderates until you have them wired, continue to strive to climb them in better style than the last time. For me, soloing in flatties helped get more comfortable “soloing with a rope on” which is i think is necessary to progress in eldo.  

Blind faith, white lightning, posi 4th st, , handcracker, chockstone are good well pro’d and approachable 10s/9+s. 

For me, its been really hard to progress to the 10+, 11- level in eldo.  Tagger/chick on the side dont count!  

Best of luck in your journey, have fun B safe hmu if u wanna climb!

P.S.  Be patient, not the place to rush the progression.  Give every route respect regardless of grade!

Breaking into Eldo 10's is a blast!  Levin's book (at least the 2nd edition) has a section on 10's to break into the grade. White lighting and Blind Faith are good options for first 10's, both are relatively short and have great gear. 

If those go well get after the Spur, as with most trade routes, it's better protected than what the Mountain Project comments suggest (Side note, maybe take the middle start described in Levin's book if you're worried -- it is supposed to be the easiest/best protected)

Best advice I ever got on routes that I thought were above my ability -- Just go try it, because you may not get the chance later. 

Sidebar: 

I am making my second trip to Eldo next month - previously did Calypso, Wind Ridge, and Bastille and none felt really challenging.  Looking at something longer and more difficult (i.e. Redgarden).  Thoughts on Rewritten, Ruper, Yellow Spur...?

THANKS!!!

My first day in Eldo the guy I was with pointed out two 5.11’s we should do, so we did. 

I stayed in 5.8 a long time before progressing into 5.9 territory in Eldo.  Part of me just wanted to feel dialed, comfortable and able to quickly climb at the grade before trying to lead 5.9.  I also top roped and followed harder climbs, like Grandma's challenge, Outer Space, Northcutt Bastille start, and March of Dimes.  I started leading some 5.9s last year and 10s this year and so far it's gone well. First 9s I led were Pony Express and Positively 4th St (after top-roping first) and then Heavy Weather, which I thought was a great intro to the grade.  First 10 I led was White Lightning, then Handcracker Direct, and recently Blind Faith.  If you're good in straight up Indian Creek style hand cracks, I'd recommend those.

I led Yellow Spur and thought it's a lot of 5.8 except for the start and perhaps the bolt ladder.  It wasn't something I'd jump on right away without either following first or with a lot of 5.8-9 Eldo mileage.  Your list is decently adequate depending on how hard those climbs feel to you.  I guess the takeaway from this is that I think a slow progression and climbing a lot in there helped out for me.      

Sport climbing was just as important for me in terms of getting better at climbing physically, and getting better at climbing physically is mandatory for getting better at trad climbing, too. I was sport climbing (a lot) (badly), gym climbing (a lot) (badly), climbing (a lot) (badly), generally just so stoked and spending all my free time climbing (still) (badly). I just exported my Eldo tick list if you want to see my actual Eldo progression (your post is a nice distraction from work :). I was also following a ton of routes that I haven't ticked everything from. 

But just as importantly, look at everything else I was climbing that wasn't in Eldo during those years (2016 - 2018ish). I didn't hold back on trying 5.10 in Eldo, I had an experienced partner who was like 'you'd be good at these routes, try them'...and they happened to be 5.10-. I wasn't very focused on grades. Onsighting Xanadu was really, really memorable for me. I was more into single pitch than multipitch. 

highaltitudeflatulentexpulsionwrote:

My first day in Eldo the guy I was with pointed out two 5.11’s we should do, so we did. 

This is the best advice so far IMO. ;) I've made the mistake of thinking I have to work up to each grade, which I think is a mindset that can hold you back a lot eventually. The only reason you won't climb 5.10 in Eldo, is if you don't climb 5.10 in Eldo. ;) 

+1 for blind faith, white lightning and handcracker. March of dimes linked with werk supp is also really good. If you feel good on those and the spur I think outer space will be surprisingly approachable even though it gets an R on this site. The runouts are well below 5.10 and secure, just bring some smaller stuff. 

It's hard to get better at Eldo climbing if you're spending all day climbing 3 to 4 pitches (not saying that you are). For me it was about getting lots of mileage at lower grades and working my way up the grades simultaneously. I would do days where I would go the Wind Tower and try to climb all the 5.4 to 5.8 in 3 to 4 hours. I would have other days I would go the the West Ridge so I could push grades a little without much commitment. 

IMO Handcracker is less of an undertaking than YS.

Eldo has a style for the climbing and for the gear. Go there often and get used to the style. Then just keep climbing harder.  Go ahead and fall if you have good gear and a clean fall. 

My two cents…1) lots of mileage on routes within your realm of comfort, get efficient and confident with your route reading and gear (seems like this is a common sentiment amongst posters above). 2) follow stronger leaders on routes above your current pay grade, mentorship can’t be understated in a place like Eldo.

Dave MacLeod makes the point in one of his videos that mileage on routes within your comfort zone can actually detrain your boldness and shrink your comfort zone.

In an area like Eldo, where there are lots of R and X rated climbs, I think that getting used to runouts and their consequences is essential. That's why I practice falling, and decking, every time I go to eldo. You should be decking on some easier X rated climbs once or twice a session, so that when you eventually deck on a 5.10 it won't be such a big deal.

Victor Creazziwrote:

Dave MacLeod makes the point in one of his videos that mileage on routes within your comfort zone can actually detrain your boldness and shrink your comfort zone.

This is a good point, which I neglected to be clearer about in my original posting. Mileage days and days of pushing yourself are both important, in balance :) I definitely get a lot weaker and less confident if I am mostly simuling moderate terrain. It’s fun and you can collect a lot of booty, but it doesn’t get you climbing 5.11s

The key to Eldo 5.10 is all in one single route. It is a single-pitch 5.9 and only 40 ft long: Morning Thunder.
Play a game of "Eliminate". Lead this line three times without reusing any of your gear placements.
After this, you're ready to jump on just about any 5.10- in Eldo.

highaltitudeflatulentexpulsionwrote:

My first day in Eldo the guy I was with pointed out two 5.11’s we should do, so we did. 

Sounds familiar. We did Vertigo on my first trip to Eldo. Not at all a big deal coming from Carolina...

nbrownwrote:

Sounds familiar. We did Vertigo on my first trip to Eldo. Not at all a big deal coming from Carolina...

At least we have some people spraying on here. Gotta love that.

Climbing 5.11 in Eldo is not a big deal if you climb 5.11 elsewhere. But I don’t think that’s what this thread is about. Spray on!

That’s pretty impressive with what you’ve done this year! Eldo is the best place to learn trad, getting comfortable climbing above gear is crucial there. You’re ready to do the spur if those routes aren’t posing any challenge to you, I don’t think it’s much more difficult than the Bastille crack tbh. The start is the crux and it’s easier than the start of Touch ‘N’ Go which is a fantastic climb in itself and will get you stoked on the edge.  

My advice, don’t get stuck doing things you’re comfortable with. It’s not exactly mastering those grades, especially if you’ve never taken a fall.. spend a lot of time cragging at the west ridge this fall/winter. Start taking small practice falls (a piece your not as comfortable with above an extended bomber piece) and really get to know what gear is truly marginal or not. You might be surprised w what micro cams can do! Then try to up your onsight level into the 9s and 10s. A few great test pieces right off the trail are emerald city(9), five-ten crack (soft 10a), 1st pitch of rincon (solid 9). Handcracker is a great goal as well. 

Aiden Novawrote:

You’re ready to do the spur if those routes aren’t posing any challenge to you, I don’t think it’s much more difficult than the Bastille crack tbh. 

Did we climb the same routes?