Black Christmas

Black Christmas (named for the 1973 horror movie) is the straight-up/right-trending mega-line on the Outer Dark wall.

Begin down and left at the toe of the wall about six moves into Outer Dark. Move up past a sloping hueco and continue generally up and right along rails, crimps, gastons and sidepulls. Super-continuous climbing with only a couple shakes, and the crux at the top. Finish out over the slab for full value.

I imagine you could - in theory - boulder this out, with lots of pads and willing victims (er, spotters) lining the big slot. However, the moves are gymnastic and a too-wild fall at the end would probably spit you past the ledge and into the 40-foot dropoff.

As it is, a good TR - if you fall or hang, be sure to press off the slab behind you. Best short power-endurance climb in the Flatirons?

East side of Fee, 75 yards due west of Bidoigt across the big gully.

100 feet of static line, toprope rope, gear for the anchors. I scrambled around right and came back down the ramp to rig.

We put in two separate anchors, one for each strand of the static line.

• South anchor had purple (#1) Metolius Master Cam, a #1 Camalot, and the tree stump tied off.
• North anchor had #4 Camalot, #9 Metolius, #2 Camalot, and down below (in the vertical crack) a #6 Metolius Master Cam.