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Arkansas Patriot (aka Wonderin' Where the Lions Are)
5.10a,
Trad, Sport, 75 ft (23 m),
Avg: 2.4 from 50
votes
FA: Criag Luebben and John Shireman
Colorado
> Estes Park Valley
> Big Thompson Ca…
> Combat Rock
Access Issue: Access issue - Monastery, Cedar Park, Combat Rock, etc. - open since 2023
Details
Per JF M: as of May 2022, there is no signage on-site, nor information on the USFS webpage for the Cameron Peak Fire (nor on their published map of closures) that indicates the area is closed.
Per Bruce Hildenbrand: it appears that the Forest Service has closed access to all the climbing areas accessed via Storm Mountain Road (Monastery, Cedar Park, Combat Rock, etc.) until they can clear all the dangerous dead trees from the Cameron Peak fire.
I worked this issue with Eric Murdock at the AF, and it looks like the Forest Service picked Devil's Gulch Road as the southern boundary even though all the climbing areas on MP.com were not burned.
Description
This used to be the furthest left route on the crag. Now it is just to the left of Rambo Santa with one bolted line left of this line. Hike up left just past a large knocked down and burnt tree. This is a steep friction/slab climb and in my opinion it's sandbagged. I would give it at least a .10a/b. (note: I've seen another name given to this route in other guides, not sure what it is though). [Apparently, this is also known as "Wonderin' Where the Lions Are."]
There's a diagonal crack and slab going out to the right, follow this about 15 feet to your first bolt on the face. The first crux is getting the second bolt on a thin face. After the second bolt, you have good holds through some choppy rock (place extra pro here). At the third bolt, move through another crux on the thin face again and finish at the chained anchor (75 feet).
This route is also a good toprope setup if someone has lead it first. You only need a single 50m rope.
Protection
There are 3 bolts for quickdraws, but a small runout between the second and third bolt requires some pro. I found the perfect spot for the blue Alien, otherwise bring stoppers. A two-bolt chained anchor.
[Hide Photo] Paul casually hiking past the second bolt.
[Hide Photo] Thin but positive foot and handholds get you past the first bolt. Photo by Paul Rezucha.
[Hide Photo] Looking for gear above some gear above the first two bolts. Photo by Paul Rezucha.
[Hide Photo] The first bolt is visible directly above my hips. Hike up this ramp until right of the bolt, clip, then step up and left. Photo by Paul Rezucha.
[Hide Photo] Chuck Graves gathers his thoughts at the first bolt, where the climbing starts to challenge. The second bolt is below the horizontal band (about head level in this photo) where you probably want so…
[Hide Comment] Nice little route here. Mostly friction climbing. Very much worth doing. Both times I've climbed it, I got caught in late afternoon storms, though. I don't recommend this.
Apr 10, 2002
[Hide Comment] Strongly recommend a piece or two -- cam or nuts -- in the size range of yellow-blue or green Alien for the horizontal band between second and third bolts. Although climbing is easy, it's a long way from 2nd to 3rd bolt on a short route so if you have nothing in between and blew the 3rd clip or a move in that vicinity, the consequences would be serious.
Apr 30, 2006
[Hide Comment] Answering question posted under the photo: When I was writing my 1993 guide to Estes Park, I contacted Craig Luebben (FA of this route), and he sent me a topo of Combat Rock (which I still have in my files). At that time, he had named the route Wonderin' Where the Lions Are. I see that I wrote in the '93 guide "Also known as Arkansas Patriot," so I must have been aware of that name before going to print -- perhaps I got it from Peter Hubbel's Front Range Crags? I'm not seeing a copyright date in my copy of his guide, so I'm not sure when it came out, but sounds about right. I'm pretty sure I didn't get it from Craig. In any case, Wonderin' Where the Lions Are was the original name for the route per Craig's topo.
By the time my 2001 guide came out, I was still acting under the assumption that everyone else who was using the name Arkansas Patriot was incorrect, so I used Wonderin' Where the Lions Are. Since then, I believe I have talked to Craig (I have a faint recollection of a conversation with him in the past 5 years), and he told me he had re-named it many years ago (or maybe I'm dreaming). My desk copy of the 2001 guide has "Wonderin'" scratched out, to be replaced with Arkansas Patriot, so if I ever do a third edition to the EP guide, I'll use Arkansas Patriot.
If Craig reads this, he can verify (or set straight) my recollection of the names (shoot, might as well kill two birds with one stone and tell me what the correct name for "Unfinished Business" is, its rating, etc. -- that was a route that I became aware of very close to press time, and just threw it in there without finishing the research on it).
May 7, 2006
[Hide Comment] Did I miss something on this route?? Somehow, I found it easiest to clip Bolt #1, then veer up and left. You can actually place a #1 Camalot here if you wanted, and skip Bolt #2, but I ended up clipping Bolt #2 after downclimbing and traversing back right. However, if you go straight up to Bolt #2, it's significantly harder. The confusion here took something away from the route for me *shrug*. Either way, definitely bring small gear for the long runout between Bolt #2 and Bolt #3.
Feb 19, 2007
[Hide Comment] Hey Hey, mcmilly here. Don't get this route mixed up with the one just right, stay left and you'll enjoy a 5.10 - . technical face, don't forget to place pro in horizontal crack between 2+3 the only place for gear, or like Clarke said consequences are serous.
Aug 1, 2008
[Hide Comment] ON March 6, 2010, we saw very fresh, very large Mt. Lion tracks in the snow below this climb. Ironic, given the original name. Be careful with dogs or on the hike back to the car. After the fun, technical face sequence, relax at the chains and survey the valley for Puma Concolor.
Mar 9, 2010
[Hide Comment] This is an excellent, short friction route. The bolts are well spaced but safe (so long as you place gear between bolts 2 and 3).
Nov 18, 2019
Avg: 2.4 from 50
votes
Access Issue: Access issue - Monastery, Cedar Park, Combat Rock, etc. - open since 2023
Details
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By the time my 2001 guide came out, I was still acting under the assumption that everyone else who was using the name Arkansas Patriot was incorrect, so I used Wonderin' Where the Lions Are. Since then, I believe I have talked to Craig (I have a faint recollection of a conversation with him in the past 5 years), and he told me he had re-named it many years ago (or maybe I'm dreaming). My desk copy of the 2001 guide has "Wonderin'" scratched out, to be replaced with Arkansas Patriot, so if I ever do a third edition to the EP guide, I'll use Arkansas Patriot.
If Craig reads this, he can verify (or set straight) my recollection of the names (shoot, might as well kill two birds with one stone and tell me what the correct name for "Unfinished Business" is, its rating, etc. -- that was a route that I became aware of very close to press time, and just threw it in there without finishing the research on it). May 7, 2006
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