Front Range In-a-day (IAD) challenges

WadeMwrote:

Little biking endurance for this one 

Stefan and I did starting and ending at the bridge in eldo:

Naked Edge

First &Third Flatiron

Casual Route on Longs

In about 18-19 hours

I was going to mention this one. Super cool multi-sport link-up.

Another way to structure IAD challenges is to hunt for formations, ex: Climb a route on every formation in Eldo or Lumpy or....

Another one I always wanted to try, although requires quite a bit of driving and logistics, is to complete every route in the Book: Classic Front Range Trad Climbs by Brenden Leonard and Lee Smith in under 24 hours.

Edit to add: Here's a spreadsheet of the routes if anyone is interested.

The Cathedral Spires Trifecta. Climb a route on the Petit Grepon, Saber and Sharkstooth IAD. Major bonus points if you can add Zowie, which works well with the descent from Sharks. You can climb the Petit first and rap (with some low-5th) to the ledge where SW / SE Corner begin on The Saber. Have only done the Saber -> Sharkstooth but eager to complete the trifecta next season.

There is The Gilssando Link-up is RMNP which links 8 towers along the Keyboard of the Winds. I don’t know if anyone has done it in under 24-hours car to car, or if it’s even been repeated since Dakota and Ryan did it. 

2.5 years later and now I've written a guidebook where I included many of my favorite weird challenges/link-ups in it. I just posted some of my favorites from the book, plus some never-before-seen ones here for folks to enjoy:

Wonderland Challenges/Link-Ups

Eldo Halfpipe! Sport Bastille into Sport Edge

You can do a pretty fun set of routes in Eldo,  something on the west ridge like long John or hand cracker direct, then up an over to redgarden and up rewritten or green spur, then up yellow spur, down and up ruper,  down and up anthill direct and finish with something on the Bastille. probably 25+ guidebook pitches.  I'm sure a fast party could do that pretty quickly. and hit every major formation in Eldo in a day. you could also up the ante on grade and do a harder route on each formation

Adding to the Eldo idea above, the 5.10 IAD challenge I’ve been thinking about is:

• Northcutt Start -> Outer Space
• Handcracker
• Yellow Spur (9+ but close enough)
• Tagger

Would be cool to work Rosy in there too but not sure where it would fit best…maybe at the end with an Alice in Bucketland finish. Diffraction -> Metamorphosis would also be an excellent finish but no way am I leading it at the end of the day. 

Long John Wall-Rewritten-Gambit-Handcracker-Anthill-Wind Ridge-Bastille Crack, all link up really well for 30+ guidebook pitches IAD. Anyone have some other Eldo ones? The 5.10 IAD above sounds rad

Samuel Puckettwrote:

Long John Wall-Rewritten-Gambit-Handcracker-Anthill-Wind Ridge-Bastille Crack, all link up really well for 30+ guidebook pitches IAD. Anyone have some other Eldo ones? The 5.10 IAD above sounds rad

Link up really well??? Looks more like the fledgling run of a drunk turkey than climbing. 

For those of us who just don't enjoy carrying water/food/shoes while climbing :

Climb every 5.9 line on West Ridge in Eldo (skip the R-rated and a few no-star routes). This is about 25 pitches and you conveniently leave non-climbing gear at the base of each line. Start with Morning Thunder (rough warmup!) and work your way up to Sirens of Titan. There will be very little "nonsense" hiking/scrambling/easy climbing.

Doctor Choss wrote: Adding to the Eldo idea above, the 5.10 IAD challenge I’ve been thinking about is

Here's another 5.10 day in Eldo with more climbing than hiking (and no hauling shoes and water!): Faulty Logic, Over the Hill, Five Ten Crack into Reveley-Hunter, Fading Light, Chockstone, Born under Punches into Friends in High Places, Android Tilt, Xanadu, Zap Snack, White Lightning. These 10 x 5.10 are within a 10 min stroll from each other. If you have more time/energy after those, add on Handcracker Direct, Pony Code, Positively 4th St, and two pitches of Rincon ( all on the soft side for end-of-day). 

... and for a "goofy achievement", combine Green Spur, Green Slab Direct, Green Slab, and Green Sleeves. For extra brownie (or greenie?) points, do this with only green gear on St Patrick's Day.

I'm pretty high on the "goof-scale" so here's another IAD Eldo challenge: How many pins can you clip IAD and which routes would you pick to achieve this?