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Round the Corner

WI4-5, Trad, Ice, 300 ft (91 m), 2 pitches, Grade II,  Avg: 3 from 11 votes
FA: unknown
Colorado > CO Ice & Mixed > Tenmile Canyon aka Of…

Description

This is a climb located 2 gullies west of The Shroud up another long gully. There are a number of ice bits that form here. This is probably the most reliable of the bits. Please, beware of avalanche conditions. Expect an aerobic approach.

Ascend this gully to a fork above. At the Y is a thin mixed climb, that often doesn't touch down. To the left is an easier WI3 pitch, name Unnamed Gully on this website. Round The Corner is up and right.

P1. A nice pillar, sometimes with funky, funky ice. Snapped off a pick in cold, cold conditions. 70 feet or so. 2 bolt anchors at the top of the 1st pitch, although they can be buried in the ice/snow.

P2. Above this 1st pitch lies another WI3 pitch. You can walk off left for the 2nd pitch back to the top of P1.

Aesthetic setting though you still see/hear I-70.

Note, at least one good climber has been taken on this climb from an avalanche.

Protection

Ice screws, consider an Abalakov-like hook & spare sling.

Approach

Probably an hour. Expect 1000' of gain.

ATES (Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale) Rating

As determined by Climb Avy Aware:

  • ATES 3: Complex

ATES Scale:

Non-Avalanche: 0 (Routes with no exposure to avalanches except small sluffs and spindrift.)

Simple: 1 (Routes with brief exposure to very low frequency avalanches starting from above or crossing occasional short slopes.)

Challenging: 2 (Routes with long exposure to low frequency avalanches or brief exposure to high frequency avalanches starting from above or crossing a few short slopes.Options to reduce exposure.)

Complex: 3 (Routes with long exposure to high frequency avalanches starting from above or crossing steep slopes with terrain traps below. Minimal options to reduce exposure.)

Extreme: 4 (Routes with long and sustained exposure to very high frequency avalanches starting from above and crossing multiple steep slopes with terrain traps below. No options to reduce exposure.)

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Ledges leading RTC 11/14/03.
[Hide Photo] Ledges leading RTC 11/14/03.
Aerial shot of Round the Corner and Right Around the Corner.
[Hide Photo] Aerial shot of Round the Corner and Right Around the Corner.
Gordo Bro gettin' off the couch.
[Hide Photo] Gordo Bro gettin' off the couch.
Excellent conditions on 11-24-13.
[Hide Photo] Excellent conditions on 11-24-13.
Round the Corner, Jan. 2, 2007.
[Hide Photo] Round the Corner, Jan. 2, 2007.
Nick making the approach to RTC look hard - 11/14/03.
[Hide Photo] Nick making the approach to RTC look hard - 11/14/03.
Tom Dickey leading Round the Corner in brittle WI5 conditions on 12/13/1.
[Hide Photo] Tom Dickey leading Round the Corner in brittle WI5 conditions on 12/13/1.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Leo Paik
Westminster, Colorado
  WI4-5
[Hide Comment] 12/30/01. From the road, it really didn't look like that much snow up there, never more than knee deep. Round the Corner looked pretty fat, but coldness and dryness created really honeycombed, chandeliered ice. There is good ice for a screw before you start the vertical, but then TD didn't find good enough ice for a screw until 1/2 way up. It did get better from that point. However, the coldness made the picks way brittle and I snapped one off. Definite WI5. Anchors are hidden. That little thing to the right was good but funky. Went up R of the slab with a small cam. Ice - stubbies only until you are past the steep bit. Fun. Felt WI4. You can belay on this very nice ice shelf 2' wide or go right to the root/angle/knot/link anchor. Full 100' to the base. TD TR'ed verglas to the Plumb Line. M6++ WI4+ perhaps. The curtain at the base of the Y was fat down to the overhanging rock start. Dec 31, 2001
ClimbandMine
[Hide Comment] Round the Corner is in nicely but brittle and chandeliered. Right of Round the Corner is nice and thin - WI4ish, but the upper "good" ice didn't take screws too well. Anyone know what the curtain at the Y is called? Looked good, with a tough mixed topout. The overhanging rock start could be avoided with thin ice on the left. "Unnamed Gully" to the left looked good. Watch out for slab avalanches - the top foot of snow beneath the approach gully to Round the Corner slid right before we got up there. Jan 15, 2002
Aiden Nova
Denver
[Hide Comment] Just a heads up, the approach pitch can be WI3-, and there’s no bolts above it. Bring some smallish rock pro to help lower someone if they’re not comfortable downsoloing. Nov 22, 2023