Type: Trad, Sport
FA: will look it up and add later
Page Views: 1,132 total · 7/month
Shared By: Ben Mottinger on Sep 4, 2005
Admins: Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac

You & This Route


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Access Issue: Temporary Trail and Raptor Closures Details

Description

A pretty good route if you could only consider the second pitch. The first is forgettable.

P1: Start near a bowed tree below the second dihedral. Look for a fixed pin about 15' up the pitch. Ascend the surprisingly difficult corner (5.10) up to a ledge. Move left to a set of cold shuts.

P2: You'll only need QDs and a #2.5 (ideal) or #3-#3.5 Friend for a horizontal break. The moves are increasingly difficult up to the crux (between the last two bolts). The climbing is pretty nice on the face and arete.

You can rap with a 60m from the cold shuts at the top, but may have to downclimb a few feet. We had a 70m and had spare rope on the ground.

Protection

You'll need some small cams and wires for the first pitch and about 6-7 draws for the second pitch plus a #2.5 or 3.5 Friend.

Add New Photo
Photo Photo (copy)
Photos

Dihedrals - East Ridge.
Dihedrals - East Ridge.
 1
Ben higher up--the arete is a cool position
Ben higher up--the arete is a cool position
 0
John Luna on the Lightning Bolt Arete.
John Luna on the Lightning Bolt Arete.
 0
Ben on the Arete.
Ben on the Arete.
 0

5 Comments

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Ben Mottinger

  5.11b
Ben Mottinger    
  5.11b
Now that I look at the topo, the route doesn't really go over the bulge and then right. It goes right under the bulge then up the RHS of the arete. But you'll figure that out. Sep 8, 2005
John Luna
John Luna  
I think the photos of Ben are on the 5.9 arete to the right of Iron Cross. I have posted a photo of Lightning Bolt Arete. Oct 17, 2006
Tony B
Around Boulder, CO
  5.11a
Tony B   Around Boulder, CO
  5.11a
If you go directly up on the route, on the left of the arete and don't go right after the weird little roof, it is darn hard. I can't say just how hard, because I fell off with my feet on a lie-back off of a nub on the arete almost level with my right hand on the flake, while my left hand was vertical upward on a nasty crystal, At least 5.12.... I don't know, but darn hard. If you don't try to force the issue and do go right, to the right of the arete, the route is *not* so darn hard. I saw that way and actually avoided that thinking the route should be a lot harder, so I figured the right side to be "off route," but that's strange, but cause I am not a good micro-edge climber, and I usually find Demallie's routes stiff at the grade.

Anyway, if you do the route as a single pitch, which is far and away the best way, take a red Camalot for a meter below the pin, clip that, the pin, then go up to the ledge, and skip the anchor. Clip the first bolt with a 1' draw and continue. A bomber #3 Camalot fits right about where you'd want it in a line for the rope, all bolts considered, but in reality, it is only about 3 feet above the last bolt and getting to the next bolt is not hard climbing. I placed it to dump it more so than to use it. You don't need it at all.

You will want a 2' sling for that weird bolt placed way out left that could have just as easily not been way over there, then finish on the arete....
A good route if done in a single pitch. Your second has to follow, because the anchors are NOT placed for a lower-off. You can't clean on rap if you want to pull your rope in the end. Oct 29, 2006
Tony B
Around Boulder, CO
  5.11a
Tony B   Around Boulder, CO
  5.11a
Pin is getting old, and if it blows, you are screwed. You can place a blue or green Alien right above it, but you kind of need that hold for fingers.... Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Oct 11, 2015
Gregger Man
Broomfield, CO
Gregger Man   Broomfield, CO
All bolts upgraded. Didn't do anything with the pin. Oct 4, 2017