[Hide Comment] Super fun route. The 8+ rating seems right on. Both pitches are great, though the second is very short. If you use long runners to reduce drag, I think you could do it in one pitch with a 60 meter rope.

Josh Hemann Jun 8, 2001

[Hide Comment] This is a great climb! The first move is the hardest part of the climb, but the entire thing eats up pro. The second pitch might look difficult but it too eats up pro (up to a #2 camalot) and has huge holds. Climbable all year-round. Feb 5, 2002

[Hide Comment] Excellent route. Follwed it on 4/13/02. We did it as one pitch with a 60m rope and had about 10ft to spare. My partner set up a gear anchor left of the bolts on top, so that probably allowed for the little extra rope we had. If you wanted to ensure that you had enough rope you could scrabble up together and belay from the ledge directly below where the business really starts instead of from the ground (I belayed from the ground). Apr 15, 2002

[Hide Comment] Do the second pitch! I looks gnarly from the ground, and even a little bit from the belay. However, the route opens up for you and you can get gear in everywhere. One gear beta idea: about a #4-5 stopper goes in the seam on the right end of the flake above the small tree. Basically you're still standing on easy ground, but you stretch up and place it. This is your pro until you get the bomber finger lock to place a .75 up in the crack. May 8, 2002

[Hide Comment] Nice route-- a cruiser with positive holds throughout. I'm curious what the hell the bolted climb is below the 2-bolt rap anchor. It's positioned directly above Washington Irving, about 7 bolts. Seems like solid 5.12...(?) I got pumped quick on top rope. It follows a nice handcrack up to the left past the first bolt, briefly onto a ledge, then out right again onto the face. There are some decent side-pull holds for both hands, but purchase for the feets peters out... Anybody know it? thanks. Jul 10, 2002

[Hide Comment] Tobias,I believe your asking about Atom Smasher .12d on the face above W/I. Used those anchors you described recently to rap off P2 of Chianti. They're placed very close to the edge, and I was concerned about slipping & shocking the bolts as I gingerly stepped out onto the face. Cool rap though. Sep 16, 2002

[Hide Comment] You can do this as a single pitch route with a 70M, and probably with a 60M if you start the belay from up on the ledge. I did it with a party of 3 with a 70M and the 3rd on a 60M from the ledge this weekend. Watch for rope drag though- I arranged my rope carefully and was OK, my second back-clipped a second rope for the 3rd and did not run it right- she claimed to have "40 pounds of drag."

I like the climb, but I think I've done many better climbs near this grade. Gambit, Long John, Ruper, Yellow Spur, etc...

5.8+ seems right. Oct 22, 2002

[Hide Comment] I agree. A great route. Not too long and any easy rap descent. Could be done at the end of the day, or as a "warm-up" for other climbs in the area. I thought the first few moves of the first pitch were thought-provoking but the whole pitch was pretty straightforward. The second pitch looks pretty henious from the belay, but isn't so bad once you get up to it. The crux is pretty short and well protected... I placed a nut at the bottom and a cam (#1 friend maybe??) in the great finger crack. You could get a bigger piece near the top, but I couldn't find a good rest, so I just topped out. Apr 15, 2003

[Hide Comment] I saw the two tape Xs for proposed bolts at the top of Pitch 1. Has this been decided and someone needs to clean up the tape?

1. Seems like wrong place for belaying a 2nd.2. *May* turn the first pitch into *another* top rope in this area.3. Plenty of good pro just above the little tree, which made for a great belay anchor.4. If the goal is to save the tree from people using it to rap...then they need their head examined...it is 90% dead already.5. If one really needs to bail, use the other dying tree on Break On Through...at least that one has slings.

Seems like a bad placement that would change the climb greatly.

What's the Link again to the bolting Committee?

L8R May 23, 2004

[Hide Comment] The tree is a lost cause, bolt anchor should be in the correct position if anywhere. This climb could be made much safer. Like the moves off the ledge, etc. But then it wouldn't be this climb? I don't see a need to rap from that position but we topped out. Probably would be a bad toprope, with all the drag on the slab, but it would be done. May 23, 2004

[Hide Comment] I call total bullshit on adding bolts to the top of P1. "Saving a life" shouldn't even enter into this discussion. About a yr. or so ago, I was doing P1 of BoT as a warm-down pitch, thinking the tree was still slung. It wasn't and I realized why. I sucked it-up and left 2 bomber nuts off to the left on BoT. The moral of the story is that if you're in danger, you can leave gear and if you're not, you can finish the climb. May 23, 2004

[Hide Comment] Looks like it is time to clean up the tape on Chianti:

April 22, 1997 MeetingHeld at Boulder Rock Club Baseline, 7pm.

#65 Route: new anchors above Chianti 5.8+ 1st pitch, West RidgeHardware: 2 bolts to save treeApplicant: ACEFHRC: not recommended Reason: natural anchors present, most do not use tree May 24, 2004

[Hide Comment] I too am glad to see that the FHRC removed the application to bolt an anchor on P1. Save the tree by belaying ten feet higher at a much larger tree with a nice ledge. Not sure if you can rap to the ground from this tree, but the second pitch is worth doing anyway. Rap from the top of P2 off the Atom Smasher anchors down to the Washington Irving anchors. Aug 23, 2004

[Hide Comment] Wow, what a climb. I am a new 5.8 leader and this is easily one of the best climbs I have ever done! Larry and I did this climb last saturday. The cruxes take some thought, but all the moves are there, and the difficulty is not sustained. This very vertical route offers excellent protection and hand holds along with a variety of terrain. The route was an Alien sucker, it sucked the Aliens right off my rack and into bomber placements. I felt the crux was getting onto the repel bolts after the second pitch. I don't know what it was, but I was really creeped out trying to go over the edge and weight the bolted anchors. The anchors are in good shape, I just couldn't weight the anchors until I stepped over the edge. Seriously though, one of the best climbs I have ever done, I highly recommend it! Oct 18, 2004

[Hide Comment] A worthy route. Sep 11, 2006

[Hide Comment] Super fun climb. This is the route where me and Jimmy M saw Garrett and let him "play through" because he wasn't dressed warm enough for the morning...ask Boulos. Dec 25, 2006

[Hide Comment] Along with others here, I found the bottom to be the crux of the entire route. P2 was short and fun, and I could get gear above my head the whole way. Great route! Mar 12, 2008

[Hide Comment] Did this last weekend as a warmup, and what an excellent route! I think you will find the crux depends on your strength - if you excel at more gymnastic movement, then the beginning of the second pitch which requires some crack technique will be it; if you cruise crack, then the bottom of the first pitch will probably make you think. The first pitch is nice and long - about 35 m to the tree shared with Break on Through. The second pitch is no longer than 20 m.

There is an alternate descent if you find the anchors off of Atom Smasher to be a little spooky - you can down climb off the back of the ridge to a nice cleared area and then walk about 20' south to a horn just a ways uphill. Although difficult to see, the horn is slung with webbing and a steel cable replete with rap rings. From here you have a quick rap to the top of Washington Irving.

If you are using the anchors above Atom Smasher, I would suggest bringing some extra cord - the webbing was looking a bit threadbare with at least one of the cords showing the core. Apr 28, 2008

[Hide Comment] Tons of fun. Great for the grade. May 17, 2010

[Hide Comment] Due to traffic on the final pitch, we ended up finishing Chianti via the final pitch of Rocks to Climb Routes To. It's the next crack to the right. Fun pitch (.10b or so) with a spicy start but good climbing...until the day that giant flake at the crux comes flying off. Seems imminent. Jan 22, 2012

[Hide Comment] If the rappel at the top makes you nervous about stepping off the edge, take a look to the west/climber's left if you have your back to the edge, and you'll find a great step down that will put you into position to weight your rappel and swing just a bit to the right to be under the anchors. P.S. my BD nut tool jumped ship off the second pitch of Break On Through and went sailing down Chianti. Happy booty day to whomever finds it! Jun 6, 2015

[Hide Comment] Improved rap anchor:
Aug 7, 2015

[Hide Comment] This goes easily in 1 pitch with judicious runner use. We rapped with a 70 from the Atom Smasher anchor, rapped off the ends with about 10' of downclimbing from where The Unsaid gets steep - not hard but exposed. Best to use doubles, an 80, or stop at the Washington Irving anchor on the descent. Oct 2, 2016

[Hide Comment] It felt plenty hard getting the gear in on the low crux on P1. I downclimbed back to the ledge after placing it (pumped), but the move itself wasn't that bad once I had the gear.

A fun route with multiple interesting spots. Aug 28, 2017

[Hide Comment] This is the most overhyped, disappointing route I've done in Eldo. Jul 30, 2020

[Hide Comment] You must not have climbed very many routes in Eldo! Bwahhaahhahaaaa!!!! Jul 30, 2020