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Walking With A Ghost

5.11b/c, Sport, 55 ft (17 m),  Avg: 3.5 from 663 votes
FA: Kirk Miller
Colorado > Golden > Clear Creek Canyon > Canal Zone
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Description

Thin sustained crimps, cool movement, and intricate footwork lead up a steep line. Avoid the bailout left and stay on course through the last clip for full value.
A two bolt variation to start adds to the fun; Snake Eyes comes in from the left, starting just right of Turkey Jerky, and pulls through two amazing huecos to clip the second bolt on Ghost.

Protection

8 bolts to anchors, 9 bolts with Snake Eyes start.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Adam Schrader cruising to the last protection bolt.
[Hide Photo] Adam Schrader cruising to the last protection bolt.
At the 6th (I think) bolt. Thin feet through the middle section.
[Hide Photo] At the 6th (I think) bolt. Thin feet through the middle section.
Small crimpin'....
[Hide Photo] Small crimpin'....
Moving through the crimpy crux of Walking with a Ghost.
[Hide Photo] Moving through the crimpy crux of Walking with a Ghost.
Clipping the 3rd bolt.
[Hide Photo] Clipping the 3rd bolt.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Alison Conrad
Evergreen, CO
[Hide Comment] The crux of the climb comes halfway through the route where the crimps are bit smaller and the feet become more smeary. Jul 25, 2008
Matt Bolt
Lakewood
  5.11c
[Hide Comment] Awesome route; however, there may now be a second crux around the second to last bolt. A fairly crucial foot hold broke off last Saturday (8/9/08). Should still go 11+ though. Aug 13, 2008
Wiled Horse
  5.11
[Hide Comment] Excellent work, Kirk. 4 stars. Unique sustained Eldo-esque face climbing. Tricky read. Sep 2, 2008
AOSR
Green Mnt
  5.11c
[Hide Comment] Best route on the wall in my opinion. Awesome Kirk. Sep 17, 2008
Chad M
Castle Rock, CO
  5.11c
[Hide Comment] Great Route! Very thin and tricky. Another small crimp pulled off near the last bolt, still goes at 11+. Nov 3, 2008
AOSR
Green Mnt
  5.11c
[Hide Comment] Sent it clean today and it def carries a stiff 11 rating with the current holds (which are all really solid). May 1, 2009
Bjorn
WNC
  5.11a/b
[Hide Comment] Definitely one of the better routes at the CZ in general. Excellent thin, demanding edge-work. As to the above caption, I don't think the phrase "runs it out" applies to this or any routes on this wall. Very closely spaced protection. May 19, 2009
Bruce Pech
Boulder, CO
  5.11c
[Hide Comment] Snakes Eyes is the start to do. Small tips are an asset in the thin crack and tiny pocket at the crux. Excellent route. Jun 30, 2009
Jack C Swift
Evergreen, CO
  5.11b/c
[Hide Comment] Very fun crimpy route with some tricky feet. Felt pretty sustained after the 2nd bolt. Warmed up on Ivy League, then hung draws and did Walking With A Ghost. Best route in the Canal Zone. Aug 13, 2009
Brett Bauer
  5.11b/c
[Hide Comment] Solid 10 to 10+ face climbing with (2) 11+ cruxes and some spicy clips lands this an awesome route! Aug 20, 2009
Luke Childers
  5.11a
[Hide Comment] I really liked the line. I agree with some others that there are better, maybe not as hard, routes at the CZ. I tell you this thought... if you go left too early just after the high (R) flake get ready for some crazy thin biz!! The whole wall is way cool and I plan to go back this Monday for so more I hope. Great wall and great addition to C.C.C.. Still it seems crowed no matter what time or day of the week it is!!! Cool Wall. Sep 20, 2009
[Hide Comment] The crux is where it gets a litle harder.... No matter how many holds break it will still be 11+, right...? Jun 2, 2010
Sara Jayne
Asheville, NC
[Hide Comment] Awesome crimpfest. Sep 28, 2010
Fred C
Eagle, CO
  5.11b/c
[Hide Comment] One of my favorites. If you love crimps, you'll love this one. The moves definitely keep your full attention throughout. Definitely one on which to completely trust your feet. Apr 29, 2011
Jon Zucco
Denver, CO
  5.11
[Hide Comment] Super classic! Solid 11 face, not for the faint of heart, fingers or toes. Micro-edge-fest! The business starts just after the fourth bolt and won't let up until just before the last. You are fore-warned. May 7, 2011
Kirk Miller
Catalina, AZ and Ilwaco, WA
  5.11
[Hide Comment] Sent this again last Friday from the Snake Eyes start... cool throws into huecos to fun, thin biz! Not sure which holds broke off; every time I get on it, I've been using (or falling off) the same holds I used on the FA. May 8, 2011
[Hide Comment] Beautiful line. Perhaps my favorite in the Canyon. Funny, Kirk always takes the same path, but I climb it a different way pretty much every time! Sometimes just for variety, sometimes the line calls to me differently that day. They all seem about the same difficulty, too. It's like a new on-sight every time. May 31, 2011
koreo
Denver, CO
[Hide Comment] Awesome Line. Crimpy moves and it makes sense, no bullshit awkward moves. Well done, sir. Jun 17, 2011
Curt Hokanson
  5.11b/c
[Hide Comment] Wonderful, thin face climb. Give it 11c on a hot and slimy day, well protected, too! Jul 6, 2011
Hoag Hoag
Littleton, CO
  5.11c
[Hide Comment] A great line to practice footwork on thin holds. Jul 18, 2011
slim

  5.11b
[Hide Comment] Really good route. The only detraction was trying to figure out how to clip the last bolt. This seemed like the crux, the actual climbing wasn't too bad. I got kind of hammered here. Went pretty easily 2nd go with the draws hung. Aug 9, 2011
Dwight Jugornot
Arvada, Co.
  5.11c
[Hide Comment] IMHO best 11 route in CCC. Two super thin cruxes. Body position, foot technique, this route taught me more than any other route. Took me many tries to finally lead it clean- learning all the way. LOVE it! Oct 3, 2011
Jessica Pemble
Yosemite, CA
 
[Hide Comment] Incredible crimpfest! A few thin clips or two...damn! This is a rad route! Mar 6, 2012
jmeizis
Colorado Springs, CO
  5.11b
[Hide Comment] Excellent and increasingly sustained crimping. Definitely fit my style of climbing. Plenty of bolts to keep you busy (almost makes it harder). Lots of technical foot and hand sequences. Really excellent. Everything seemed really solid. May 13, 2012
Kipp F
Los Angeles, CA
  5.11b/c
[Hide Comment] "Avoid the bailout left and stay on course through the last clip for full value"

Below that bolt there are 3 pretty good crimps...but no chalk on the direct line above. Everyone seems to go slightly left. Is this the bailout'? Or is the bailout going way left? Jul 23, 2012
Kirk Miller
Catalina, AZ and Ilwaco, WA
  5.11
[Hide Comment] Kipp.fo,
Sorry it took so long to respond to your post.... The bailout is near the second to last bolt, if you cut left there the final crux can be avoided, but you end up so far to the left, it becomes difficult to clip the final protection bolt. If you've climbed right up to the final bolt and clipped it, you're on route for sure! Sep 4, 2012
Mark Rolofson
  5.11c/d
[Hide Comment] A great 5.11 steep slab. The difficulty varies a bit depending on how much the climber wanders and zig zags. If you follow the bolts and climb a direct line, the route is 5.11c/d. Oct 24, 2012
JonW
  5.11b/c
[Hide Comment] Found this route to be very well protected with clean falls. Bolts are well placed. Aug 9, 2013
Clay Hansen
Colorado
  5.11c
[Hide Comment] Thin crimps, fun movement. Aug 16, 2013
Abram Herman
Grand Junction, CO
  5.11c/d
[Hide Comment] I agree with Rolofson, the direct line certainly felt like 11c/d. Super thin climbing! Sep 8, 2014
fm364 JM
Reno, NV
 
[Hide Comment] Really fun route, feet are actually pretty good, even on the thinner, smeary crux. Keep looking for small, hidden hand holds. Oct 17, 2014
Jason Antin
Golden, CO
  5.11b/c
[Hide Comment] One of my favorite lines in CCC. All clips are solid. The climbing is great! Go do this route, you won't regret it! Apr 24, 2015
Alan Rader
Wherever my Van is.
  5.11c/d PG13
[Hide Comment] Loved the route. Start from the bottom, and don't use that cheater stone stack. Figure out the boulder start, itgoes even for short climbers ;). Sep 30, 2015
aikibujin
Castle Rock, CO
  5.11c
[Hide Comment] I can see why this has 4 stars, it was a fun route with a very noticeable crux. The rest of the route wasn’t easy, but at least the holds were obvious, so I didn’t have trouble seeing the moves. Then I got to the crux, and it was like hitting a blank wall (literally). It took me two or three falls to figure out a sequence that worked. All I can say is, it’s all about finding the right edges to balance your way up. Precision is important, I fell off on my second attempt, because I went into the crux sequence too dynamically and blew off my foothold. I went straight up the bolt line after the crux, it was slabby and balancy but not nearly as hard as the move you had to pull to get there. There’s a jug below and slightly to the right of the anchor to clip from, my favorite kind of finish! Oct 6, 2015
Gabriel Huie
San Francisco
5.11+
[Hide Comment] The route felt like a 11+ especially for the OS, where there some bomber crimps that were crap since everyone just smeared a hurdle of chalk around the wall. I'm just wondering why people are rating this 11b or lower? I felt like Reefer Madness was a little easier than this, since this had a consistent, sustained, crimp face and was only 60 ft high. Aug 15, 2017
Nick Ferguson
Denver, CO
[Hide Comment] I've gone back and forth a lot on the grade. In Clear-Creek-specific terms, I'd say .11c is just about right, but I've encountered .11d and .12a routes that don't pack quite the punch WWAG does. Either way, this is stout 5.11 crimping at its finest and one of my favorite routes anywhere. Thanks, Kirk. Nice to see you at Canal Zone today. Oct 29, 2017
Michael Kimm
Free Soil, MI
  5.11a
[Hide Comment] I'm probably in the minority here, but I feel like this thing is incredibly soft. It's a phenomenal route, but even giving it 11a is generous. Don't let the grade put you off; if you're touching 11s, get on this one, and have a blast! Jul 23, 2018
Ryan Marsters
Golden, CO
[Hide Comment] Great route for pushing the grade! Thin, technical crimps with some sequential spots. Aug 1, 2018
Latvian climber
  5.11b
[Hide Comment] Here is my take on the grade. Maybe I'm just used to thin granite edging in California, but the feet on this all felt quite big for a 5.11+ edging route. In addition, there was a rest stance at almost every bolt, so you always have time to shake and consider your next sequence. I think 5.11c is fair, but 5.11b is my personal opinion. Oct 21, 2018
Weston Hamilton
Denver, CO
[Hide Comment] Great climb, technical but not pumpy or incredibly physical. Honestly, this one is all in the fingers, and up until this route, I've never used a full crimp with my thumb lol. Felt at 11b to me climbing it for the first and second time and the feet are better than some 11a routes I’ve climbed but the crimps are smaller so… Slightly harder than Reefer Madness, slightly harder than the Scientist, easier than Strange Science - makes it 11b Jul 11, 2019
Chris Ham
  5.11b/c
[Hide Comment] All around wonderful climb. Can't see myself getting out to Canal Zone often, but I will be hopping on this every time I'm there from now on.

Exciting onsight attempt for those looking to test their mid-11 skills. Great project for those looking to push the grade.

Agreed with Weston. This isn't pumpy by any means, highly technical. Those breaking into 11+ will find this tough to send in 1 session. First attempt for onsight felt 11c while the second attempt did feel closer at 11b. Either way, I think this earns solid 5.11 if we're using the plus/minus scale. Aug 5, 2019
Maximilian Dunham
Portland, ME
  5.11a/b
[Hide Comment] Very nice route. Some of the best crips I've pulled on outside. A little soft for the grade as is often the case in CCC. Pretty straightforward but more slab than it looks. Has a "classic" feel to it. Oct 7, 2019
Taylor Lytikainen
Denver, CO
  5.11b/c
[Hide Comment] This climb is all about the feet! Commit to those tiny lil nothings, and you'll be set. Classic, for sure!! Mar 8, 2020
Branty
Boulder, CO
 
[Hide Comment] This climb is super-good! Do it! Aug 16, 2020
Rachel Pisula
Louisville, CO
 
[Hide Comment] Probably my new favorite climb! I thought it was pretty easy getting to the 5th bolt. The moves around the 6th bolt were a little tricky, but I was able to rest after basically every move from there on out while I figured out each next sequence. Do this climb if you like crimps and fun movement! May 21, 2021
Daniel Kaye
Denver, CO
 
[Hide Comment] I'm not sure how to grade this thing. The first time or two I tried it, it felt like desperate 5.11++ climbing, especially in the sunm, but now that I've got my beta down and can rest at almost every bolt, it just feels like a tricky but fun 5.10 - I now find it easier than a lot of the other mid-10s at this crag. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Kind of hard to explain, but a super awesome line either way! Jun 16, 2021
Rodent Bair
Aurora, CO
 
[Hide Comment] I jumped on this thinking it was Ivy League as my guidebook has only two routes between Beasto and Ivy league. I spent the whole time wondering on what planet this route would be considered a 5.10a. Great little surprise as it was a wonderful route that I would love to do again and again. Jul 22, 2021
Iain Macdonald
LA
  5.11c
[Hide Comment] You just gotta not think about the feet your clipping off and zone out, don't let that scare you off. I'd recommend this climb to anyone trying to push into 5.11. Fantastically sustained with a few key rests, it's an excellent route. Best 5.11 in Clear Creek. Sep 22, 2021
Robby Purple
Boulder, CO
  5.11
[Hide Comment] Really cool climb that makes you think and balance. I'd give it four stars if it didn't make my fingers really sore. Aug 1, 2022