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Laid Back (a.k.a. NE Ridge)

Name: Laid Back (a.k.a. NE Ridge)
Rating: 1.0

5.8 YDS 5b French 16 Ewbanks VI- UIAA 15 ZA HVS 4c British

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Routes in Notchtop

L › R R › L A › Z

	Direct South Ridge T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Finding Religion on the Spiral T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b R
	Instant Clarification (AKA Rap Route) T 5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a
	Laid Back (a.k.a. NE Ridge) T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
	Mornin' T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
	Optimismus T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
	Relief Train T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b
	Religion T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c R
	Spiral Route T 5.4 4a 12 IV 10 VD 3c
	Topnotch T 5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a
	White Room T 5.11 6c+ 23 VIII- 23 E4 5c X
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Type:	Trad, Alpine, 300 ft (91 m), 3 pitches, Grade II
GPS:	40.3186, -105.694
FA:	Larry Hamilton and Dakers Gowans, August 1974
Page Views:	1,106 total · 4/month
Shared By:	L. Hamilton on Apr 9, 2003
Admins:	Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC Page Updates (admin only)

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Access Issue: Closures Details

Seasonal closures Feb. 15-July 31. Per the Denver Post:, the Cathedral Wall and all areas above the Loch Vale-Sky Pond Trail are closed to off-trail travel! Per this RMNP website, "Initial closures now occur in Feb. 15 and April, when raptors return to the region and scout for nesting sites. Areas containing general habitat preferred by raptors are closed during this time. Once raptors have selected nesting spots, the initial closures are lifted or adjusted. The specific areas which raptors choose for nesting sites are closed."

For additional information about raptor closures, please visit the Rocky Mountain National Parks area closures website.

General NPS climbing regulations for RMNP posted here.

Description

This route ascends the semi-detached pinnacle that forms the lower half of Notchtop's NE corner, a few hundred feet to the right of White Room. The clean summit dihedral, on the pinnacle's NE corner, is the climb's most distinctive feature.

Begin with several hundred feet of interesting third class, in the prominent chimney-gully on the pinnacle's E face. Below the top of the gully some rippled slabs appear to the left.

P1) Get up onto these slabs, and diagonal up left across them. After a final overhang, a good stance is reached below a headwall. 5.6.

P2) Steep moves lead out left onto the 20-foot wall, and up cracks to its top. Continue up easier cracks and ramps above to a very nice ledge below the smooth vertical summit wall of the pinnacle. 5.7.

P3) Magical Mystery Pitch. Climb the dihedral in the center of the E-facing wall above until it ends at an overhang. Make an exposed 20-foot traverse right to the base of the bottomless summit dihedral. Jam and lieback up this perfect corner to its top. Rotten climbing then leads to the summit shoulder. 5.8.

The name "Laid Back" was suggested by first ascentionist Dakers Gowans, as he basked in the sun after laybacking up the final corner. This ought to replace the less imaginative "NE Ridge" name that has been applied over the years.