Stacked block pillar at the end of the roped climbing (the top of pitch 8).

All Locations > Colorado > Gunnison > Black Canyon of… > N Rim Routes > Aretes > Russian Arete (5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a)

Stacked block pillar at the end of the roped climbing (the top of pitch 8).

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P7 (easier climbing to the right).

Final pile (class 3-4).

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Steph Abegg

Oct 13, 2019

“Stacked block pillar at the end of the roped climbing (the top of pitch 8).”

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Nearby Photos

This is a beautiful place to climb! Looking up canyon from midway up the route.

Rock vs. Face in "The Black". Photo by Erik Wellborn.

Frosty on The Russian Arete. '87.

Erik Wellborn taking in the view up on the Russian Arete, climbed on April 29th 08. (pitch 2/3) Photo taken by Trask Bradbury.

A photo I took of Earl Wiggins minutes before he made the first free solo ascent of the Russian Arete. We shared a bite to eat and had a few chuckles, then he took off. He beat me to the top! Circa 1975.
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Photo: Larry Hazlett.

Maybe too much info for an adventurous place like the Black. But this is how we approached and climbed the Russian Arete. Belays are approximate!

Ryan Deppen looking upstream from high on the Russian Arete.

Phil Wortman Leading the crux pitch.

Another river shot.

Wyatt starts up the final wide pitch.

A route overlay of Russian Arete.

Gibney pulling through the 5.9 rail road tracks.

Annotated route.

A route overlay of Russian Arete.

Russian Arete. Bailing off of this in the rain is not fun.

The Russian Arete starts just about 20-30 feet to the right of the obvious, detached pillar.

Death cookie near belay 4.

An exposed section just below the rim. This might be the low 5th mentioned in some route descriptions.

Pitch 5.

Pitch 2. Fun stuff.

Beta photo for the approach to Russian Arete.

The arete is left of center and just right of the bright wall on the left of the photo. Despite the "The Russian Arete, you know, like Russian roulette." story, this may have been named, perhaps in part, due to the red rock.

Erik leading up the last real pitch of Russian Arete.<br>
This pitch had some wide flared sections but a great one nonetheless. Photo by Trask Bradbury.

Gunnison River.

Approach gully downstream from SOB.

SOB Gully.

Looking up P2.

Looking at the Russian from the bottom of the SOB. The route follows the corner-chimney system out near the prow of the buttress.

P3 (we linked this with 4).

Pitch 1 start.

Dreaded pegmatite.

Pitch 3/4.

Top of P6.

The upper arete. 600-800 feet of exposed 3rd/4th scrambling to the rim.

P7 (easier climbing to the right).

Stacked block pillar at the end of the roped climbing (the top of pitch 8).

Final pile (class 3-4).

Stephen on P1.

Russian Arete, from the thankfully shady belay at approximately pitch 4-5. I'm just about visible at the top of the chimney near the skyline.