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The Arch of Titus

5.8, Trad, Sport, 140 ft (42 m),  Avg: 2.6 from 18 votes
FA: Bernard Gillett
Colorado > Lyons > St Vrain Canyons > S Fork of St Vr… > Arch of Titus
Warning Access Issue: MM 23-29.5 - now ended daily CO 7 highway closure/delays DetailsDrop down

Description

This is a very high quality route in terms of rock quality and movement, and it's a nice long pitch. The "5.7+" rating is from the first ascentionist. I would call this climb solid 5.8. Once this route cleans up, it will rival quality mixed routes up and down the Front Range.

Climb the starting slab past two bolts, then pull the easy roof on the left. Continue up a thin crack to a rest, make one tenuous move and clip the next bolt as you smear left towards another quality crack. More crack and face moves above, then clip a last bolt on your way to the two bolt anchor.

We used a 70m rope and a single rap to get off this climb, but a 70m will not get you all the way back to the start.

This is a great pitch that's full value for the grade.

Location

This is on the left side of the crag. It is the longest visible line. Look for two bolts directly above two toothy flakes jutting upwards.

Protection

A standard rack with emphasis on smaller stuff.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

The Arch of Titus goes over the roof and follows thin cracks to the 2 bolt anchor.
[Hide Photo] The Arch of Titus goes over the roof and follows thin cracks to the 2 bolt anchor.
The Arch of Titus starts with clipping two bolts.
[Hide Photo] The Arch of Titus starts with clipping two bolts.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Kevin Wieczorek
  5.7+
[Hide Comment] Rope soloed this today using a small tree at the base and a clove hitch on the draw on the first bolt for the bottom anchor. I would say the suggestion for a standard rack is off. Gillett suggest up to a #2 Camalot, I have no idea where you would place this. I had one bomber #0.75 in a pod, otherwise it was all RPs and small C3s (sizes 00, 0, and 1). Bring only small gear and maybe double up on 00s and 0s if you want to sew it up. Overall it was fun but a little mossy in spots. Sep 3, 2011
Tony B
Around Boulder, CO
  5.8
[Hide Comment] This still could use some cleaning - the finger cracks up high are excellent, but it needs to be a little more dug out. If/when that happens, this will be a climb with multiple options for line and difficulty, but it's going to take some work.

A 70m rope gets one to a nice ledge 10' of the starting ledge and 10' with a nice 20 second walk-off to the packs. Aug 16, 2013
Jim Clarke
Fruitland, UT
  5.8+
[Hide Comment] Fun easy roof, but then definitely thin, finger crack slaboneeringÂ…felt harder than 5.7 after fiddling all those small wires then launching the move to the bolt. Felt dicey as hell for 5.7 as was the traverse over to next crack which still has some dirt in it above. Felt like a lot of bolts at this crag were put in poor/awkward places above where better stances exist. Aug 9, 2014
Petroclimbsagain
Colorado
[Hide Comment] In my opinion, this is a fine route, long, interesting (crag bacon), adventurous (lichen, chiggers, ticks, 7-year itch that lasts 8-years), well-protected (RPs) but not obvious placements and an interesting feature. Thanks for finding this one, Bernard! May 20, 2021