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Shadow

5.8, Trad, 70 ft (21 m),  Avg: 0.3 from 3 votes
FA: M. Brooks, L. Smith, 1982
Colorado > Boulder > Eldorado Canyon SP > Redgarden Wall > Redgarden - Below Low…
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Description

The route as described in the Eldorado Guidebook do not exist, or at least the significant locating features do not. Particularly, there is no "large, left-facing, obtuse dihedral" anywhere near this area. All of them are right-facing... The topo appears to be more or less correct though, so the route as described below is as per the topo, and is as nearly as we could figure this route goes.

Go up the Redgarden Wall trail from the Streamside trail until a metal ladder takes you up just beside the large boulder against the wall. Backtrack perhaps 30 feet to where a 12 foot juniper tree grows up nearly against the wall near a small overhang just above the ground. About 35' up you will see another conifer just aside of an inset through a bulge/roof.

Climb up through the overhang just off the ground, to either side of the Juniper; either side can be made 5.8 or so. Climb up and toward the inset of the roof just left of the pine above, and into the little cove. The moves up and left through this roof are harder than they appear fromt he ground, but it seems that no matter where you go they will not be 5.10. More like 5.7 or 5.8. Perhaps the 5.10 version on the right was a result of dodging all the good holds for fear of suspect rock?

Continue to the top of the wall on easy moves, zig-zagging a bit though 5.5 territory, and then belay from the ledge above. The route is boring overall, with the only real excitement coming from trying to avid dropping head-sized loose rocks on your belayer as you climb.

To get back the the base, you can walk to the climber's left (N/NE) along the ledge until it merges with the trail below Rewritten, then down to near the metal ladder again.

Protection

A set of nuts and a set of cams from 0.5-3". A helmet and pads for your belayer.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Peter Gram
Jackson, WY
[Hide Comment] I think that I may have found the 5.10 variation. The cove mentioned in the description is the biggest weakness in the roof and probably only 5.7. The 10 is about 5 feet right going up a dirty crack with vertical pinches for holds. This variation also deserves 0 stars - extremely dirty, loose, and discontinuous because of the huge ledge. Jul 13, 2003