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All Locations > Colorado > Boulder > Eldorado Canyon SP > Redgarden Wall > Redgarden - S Buttress

Backtalk

5.10c YDS 6b French 20 Ewbanks VII UIAA 20 ZA E2 5b British R


 Avg: 2.7 from 53 votes

Routes in Redgarden - S Buttress

A Breed Apart T 5.11b/c 6c+ 23 VIII- 24 E4 6a R
Anthill Direct T 5.9- 5c 17 VI 16 HVS 4c R
Anthill/Redguard Traverse aka Bozo's Traverse T 5.8- 5b 16 VI- 14 VS 4c PG13
Archer McLanahan T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b
Back in Black S 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a
Backstroke T,S 5.11c/d 7a 24 VIII 25 E4 6a R
Backtalk T,S,TR 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b R
Black Top S 5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c
Blackwalk T 5.10b/c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b R
Blunt Buttress, The T 5.11a/b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
Book of Numbers T,S 5.12c/d 7c 28 IX 28 E6 6b
Bulge Indirect T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b R
Bulge, The T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b R
C'est La Fin T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a R
C'est La Morte T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
C'est La Vie T 5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c
Chromium Shore T 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a R
Cleopatra Says Happy Birthday to Anthony T 5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b PG13
Continue-us T 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c R
Crack Variation T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b PG13
Desdichado T,S 5.13+ 8b 30 X- 31 E7 7a
Dessert T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
East Overhang TR 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b R
East Side T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b PG13
Edge of Night, The T 5.11+ 7a 24 VIII 24 E4 6a R
Exodus T 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
Flakes, The T 5.9- 5c 17 VI 16 HVS 4c
Genesis T,S 5.12+ 7c 28 IX 27 E6 6b
Genuine Risk T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b PG13
Genuine Risk Takers T 5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c PG13
High Noon T,S 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
Horizontal Beginnings T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
I Can't Copeland T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a PG13
Je T'Aime T,S 5.12b/c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b R
La Vie d' Pansey TR 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a X
Le Boomerang T,S 5.11+ 7a 24 VIII 24 E4 6a
Left Side of Roark, The T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b R
Mental Cruelty TR 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
Night T 5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c X
Noggin T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
Original Anthill T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
PA's Variation T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c PG13
Pansee Sauvage T,S 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c R
Pilgrim S 5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b
Pseudo Sidetrack T 5.4 4a 12 IV 10 VD 3c R
Pseudo Sidetrack, Direct Finish T 5.6 4c 14 V 12 S 4b PG13
Redguard T 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c R
Restless Nights T 5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b R
Semi-Wild T 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a R
Semi-Wild Slab T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a R
Shades of Gray T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a R
Slack Walk T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a PG13
Sticky Feet T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a R
To Night T 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a R
Trinity Cracks T 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a R
Vaporizer, The S 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
Variation to Lower Meadows T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b PG13
Walk the Talk T 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a R
Whistle Stop, The T 5.8+ 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
Whittle Wall, The T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b R
Whittle Whisk T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b PG13
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Type: Trad, Sport, TR Fixed Hardware (4)
FA: T Montgomery, M Brooks 1986
Page Views: 2,181 total · 11/month
Shared By: Andrew Wellman on Aug 9, 2001
Admins: Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac

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Access Issue: Subject to Seasonal Raptor Closures Details
Access Issue: Seasonal Closures Details

Description

This route is on the Bulge Wall. It has the same start as Blackwalk before splitting off to the right. This route is great fun to toprope, but I really wouldn't recommend it as a lead because of the poor bolt placements. It is of the same style as Blackwalk, thin technical face, but is more sustained and not quite as runnout.

Start up the easy corner of Blackwalk and move right at an overlap. From here, the first bolt is straight up, but to reach it climb up the left angling ramp till you can traverse onto the blank face via small holds. Your waist will be above the bolt when you can finally clip it, and the holds you are clipping from are the smallest on the route. The crux is immediately after the bolt. The route continues up on fairly decent holds past a #1 Camalot placement and a bolt to a half driven LA for the last slopey move.

Protection

The pro goes as follows: #0.75 Camalot, bolt, #0.75 or #1 Camalot, bolt, manky fixed LA. There are double bolt rap anchors at the top which can be rapped with a single 60m.

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Matt high stepping to start the real climbing.
Matt high stepping to start the real climbing.
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At the bad pin at the end of the runout. It's hard to hang out here due to bad hand holds. One more hard move, 9 or so, depending on how tired you are, leads to easy climbing.
At the bad pin at the end of the runout. It's h…
 0
Starting the crux moves at the first bolt. Angle right and then back left to the second bolt.
Starting the crux moves at the first bolt. Ang…
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The hard moves above the second bolt angle left with not much for your hands and slanting foot holds to reach a small left facing corner. A few more moves lead to the pin which is under the small ceiling a ways above Greg's head.
The hard moves above the second bolt angle left…
 0
Shaking out at the second bolt.
Shaking out at the second bolt.
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9 Comments

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jason seaver
Estes Park, CO
jason seaver   Estes Park, CO
Although I agree with this pitch's "s" rating, I would not discourage anyone from leading it. The first bolt is in a strange place, but you CAN clip it when you are directly left of it (not above it). The slot above this bolt does NOT accept a #1 camalot, a .75 or something comparable is needed. Great climbing on this pitch, I thought, with some route-finding challenges and exciting climbing. I wonder if the Lost Arrow (driven only half-way in and upward) would hold a fall. The moves past it are not the crux but are certainly thought-provoking. Feb 7, 2002
Dr. Dan
Steamboat Springs, CO
Dr. Dan   Steamboat Springs, CO
The moves off of the ramp going right are really cool. Use the finger slot jams to position yourself for a clip. It is a more challenging climb than Blackwalk, requiring more precise foot and hand work. I thought the danger level as far as a serious fall was less on this climb than Blackwalk, although the potential for loss of skin and bruising is significant. May 6, 2002
Bill Wright
Bill Wright  
I've led this climb three times and Blackwalk maybe five times. I find Blackwalk considerably harder and much scarier. I just have lots of trouble at the crux of Blackwalk. This route is much more straight forward for me. It is exciting though as you can't see the marginal fixed pin until you are eye to eye with it. It doesn't look good, but it is the only piece. Fun, exciting climbing. Both of these are good tests for your head. May 6, 2002
Peter Spindloe
North Vancouver, BC
Peter Spindloe   North Vancouver, BC
The smallest size Trango ballnut (blue I think) can be placed just right of the pin. It's about as good a placement as you can get for this piece. The next size up might work too (or perhaps even both). Oct 28, 2002
Ivan Rezucha
Fort Collins, CO
Ivan Rezucha   Fort Collins, CO
There are two good but small brass nuts down and left from the first bolt to protect the first clip. I clipped both from below, long, and then from the left, short, and from the left was much easier. The moves to that point are about 5.8. Above the first bolt I put in two cams under the overlap, a 0.5/purple Camalot and a green Alien. Then I got the #2/gold Camalot in a pocket to the right of the buckets. I felt that was the best placement, and next time I would go with just that. It's runout from the second bolt to the pin, but maybe 5.9 after the first few moves. The pin holds partial body weight. I know because I was getting blown up there and figured it would be safer to gingerly weight the pin rather than risk falling onto it from above. There is a pretty good small brass just left of the pin. Maybe use a screamer. It's angled to the right. A good trick is to run the runner from the nut through the biner on the pin to use the pin as a directional. This will only work if the runner on the pin is below the biner on the nut, else the pin would be weighted first, could pull, and that's the end of the directional. Jan 25, 2003
Joe Collins
 
Joe Collins  
 
I found this pitch to be much easier, though more sustained, than Blackwalk. It's quite reachy though, and my 5foot3 partner struggled mightily with some of the reaches that I found pretty casual (at 6feet tall). If you're looking for some kind of warm-up in the area, this would probably be the best choice. May 12, 2003
Ivan Rezucha
Fort Collins, CO
Ivan Rezucha   Fort Collins, CO
Was the pin replaced? I remember it as rusty and sticking out further. It's now gold colored, if I was seeing straight, and sticking out about an inch less than I remember. Not that that makes it good... Feb 26, 2007
Shane Zentner
Colorado
Shane Zentner   Colorado
Yes, the pin sticks out half way. I climbed 'Dessert' to get the anchor, due to the fact that the first time I tried Backtalk I had to down climb after I clipped the first bolt, which was, of course, below me. Quite the spicy lead. Jul 22, 2007
Mr. Stevens
Boulder, CO
  5.10c PG13
Mr. Stevens   Boulder, CO
  5.10c PG13
I thought this was a great pitch and a damn good lead, albeit spicy. I would not dissuade anyone from leading this if it's in your range - nearly all the gear is bomber, although you do have to climb fairly high above some of it. My gear, in order of placement, was a 0.5 and 0.4 Camalot right next to each other, a #5 RP about 5' below the bolt (pretty bomber actually), above the first bolt was a 0.75 Camalot and green Alien placed right next to each other, and then I backed up the pin with a blue Trango ballnut. The size up from that would probably work well too. Also, I'm pretty short and was able to clip the first bolt just fine from the left! May 4, 2014

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