Type: | Trad, 200 ft (61 m), 2 pitches |
FA: | T Beaman and S Woodruff, 1975. |
Page Views: | 1,177 total · 7/month |
Shared By: | Tony B on Mar 20, 2011 |
Admins: | Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC |
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Use onX Backcountry to explore the terrain in 3D, view recent satellite imagery, and more. Now available in onX Backcountry Mobile apps! For more information see this post.
Access Issue: 2023 Seasonal Closures - lifted
Details
Update: as of 6/7/23 per Mike McHugh, ECSP: all closures have been lifted within Eldorado Canyon State Park, including Continental Crag.
Crags on Eldorado Mountain, such as Mickey Mouse wall and Cryptic Crags, are outside of park boundaries and may still be subject to Boulder County closures.
Previously in 2023: per M. McHugh, ECSP: the upper loop of the Rattlesnake Gulch Trail, above the Crags Hotel Ruin, & the
Continental Divide Overlook, is closed effective immediately. This included Continental Crag.
These areas are closed to all activities, including rock climbing & hiking, through 7/15 or until further notice, to protect nesting golden eagles on the S side of the canyon.
Golden Eagles are protected by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service under authority of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. A conviction of nest disturbance can carry a fine to $5,000 & one year imprisonment.
See the map in the photo section for terrain closure.
Previous years: per Dustin Bergman, CO State Parks Officer #770, ECSP:
Seasonal Raptor Closures
Check Park site for current closures:
cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/…
For more info visit:
cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/…
Double check prior to venturing there. Thanks!
Crags on Eldorado Mountain, such as Mickey Mouse wall and Cryptic Crags, are outside of park boundaries and may still be subject to Boulder County closures.
Previously in 2023: per M. McHugh, ECSP: the upper loop of the Rattlesnake Gulch Trail, above the Crags Hotel Ruin, & the
Continental Divide Overlook, is closed effective immediately. This included Continental Crag.
These areas are closed to all activities, including rock climbing & hiking, through 7/15 or until further notice, to protect nesting golden eagles on the S side of the canyon.
Golden Eagles are protected by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service under authority of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. A conviction of nest disturbance can carry a fine to $5,000 & one year imprisonment.
See the map in the photo section for terrain closure.
Previous years: per Dustin Bergman, CO State Parks Officer #770, ECSP:
Seasonal Raptor Closures
Check Park site for current closures:
cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/…
For more info visit:
cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/…
Double check prior to venturing there. Thanks!
Access Issue: 2017 Raptor Closure Lifted
Details
As of 7/16/17:
Per Mike McHugh: Shirt Tail Peak is re-opened!
Previously:
Per Mike McHugh
Park Resource Technician
Eldorado Canyon State Park
Shirt Tail closure is in effect as of today through July 15th, 2017.
Update: as of July 16, 2016, from Mike McHugh, the eaglet has fledged. The closure has been lifted.
Update: as of March 17, 2015, per Mike McHugh the raptor closure on Shirt Tail Peak has been lifted!
Update: as of February 2015, Colorado Parks & Wildlife announced that Eldorado Canyon State Park has closed Shirt Tail Peak to all uses, including rock climbing, through July 15 or until further notice, to protect nesting golden eagles.
Golden Eagles are protected by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service under authority of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. A conviction of nest disturbance can carry a fine up to $5,000 and 1 year imprisonment.
Per Mike McHugh: Shirt Tail Peak is re-opened!
Previously:
Per Mike McHugh
Park Resource Technician
Eldorado Canyon State Park
Shirt Tail closure is in effect as of today through July 15th, 2017.
Update: as of July 16, 2016, from Mike McHugh, the eaglet has fledged. The closure has been lifted.
Update: as of March 17, 2015, per Mike McHugh the raptor closure on Shirt Tail Peak has been lifted!
Update: as of February 2015, Colorado Parks & Wildlife announced that Eldorado Canyon State Park has closed Shirt Tail Peak to all uses, including rock climbing, through July 15 or until further notice, to protect nesting golden eagles.
Golden Eagles are protected by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service under authority of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. A conviction of nest disturbance can carry a fine up to $5,000 and 1 year imprisonment.
Description
As I wrote the description for the variation called Moriarty's Mistake, and this route is mostly common to that one, I am pasting the relevant text (mine) into this route, and then changing the end as appropriate.
From the big tree, climb the seam up and left (5.9) to reach the trees. This slanting seam/crack is 5.9 and would be difficult to protect, so make sure the belayer has been firmly anchored into the great dihedral. Sling the rightmost tree and then head up the fun and interesting handcrack (great jamming in Eldo- a rarity) for about 30' before its abrupt end. This is 2-2.5" cam sized, which you will need again later, so take extras in this size.
From the end of this crack, look up above. There are two options across a section of unprotectable, vertical face. Either one will reach a new seam or crack after 10-15' of 5.9 face climbing. Either one could produce a spectacular fall if ill-considered or executed. This is the route's physical and mental crux. I chose to aim for the leftmost of the two cracks, as the right most had some dirt and grass in it. This paid off, as after some insecure moves, I once again placed gear and moved up on good stone, continuing on easier moves up and occasionally stepping left or right before reaching the roof. There were a few other runouts, but none were severe. With extra 2.5" cams, it would have been less exciting.
If you have a 60m rope, you may continue. If you are bound by a 50m rope, belay under the roof in an uncomfortable and dubious position.
Moriarty's Mistake is a variation route goes up and right under the roof and onwards to the summit. To do the original route, Moriarty's Revenge, head left under the roof, around its left end (5.9 again) and up and left above the roof before doubling back slightly right and on to the summit. This is slightly harder than Moriarty's Mistake.
From the big tree, climb the seam up and left (5.9) to reach the trees. This slanting seam/crack is 5.9 and would be difficult to protect, so make sure the belayer has been firmly anchored into the great dihedral. Sling the rightmost tree and then head up the fun and interesting handcrack (great jamming in Eldo- a rarity) for about 30' before its abrupt end. This is 2-2.5" cam sized, which you will need again later, so take extras in this size.
From the end of this crack, look up above. There are two options across a section of unprotectable, vertical face. Either one will reach a new seam or crack after 10-15' of 5.9 face climbing. Either one could produce a spectacular fall if ill-considered or executed. This is the route's physical and mental crux. I chose to aim for the leftmost of the two cracks, as the right most had some dirt and grass in it. This paid off, as after some insecure moves, I once again placed gear and moved up on good stone, continuing on easier moves up and occasionally stepping left or right before reaching the roof. There were a few other runouts, but none were severe. With extra 2.5" cams, it would have been less exciting.
If you have a 60m rope, you may continue. If you are bound by a 50m rope, belay under the roof in an uncomfortable and dubious position.
Moriarty's Mistake is a variation route goes up and right under the roof and onwards to the summit. To do the original route, Moriarty's Revenge, head left under the roof, around its left end (5.9 again) and up and left above the roof before doubling back slightly right and on to the summit. This is slightly harder than Moriarty's Mistake.
Location
Shirt Tail Peak is comprised of two main walls split by a massive dihedral/gully, which is climbed via "The Mountaineer's Route." The left hand wall contains the popular classic Gambit, and the right hand wall is generally the less solid rock.
Starting from up into the Mountaineer's Route, you can reach a very large pine tree after some distance. This is obvious from the ground below. About 40' past the big tree, up the gully/dihedral, you can see 2 small pine trees side-by-side on the left hand wall, 15' from the big dihedral. A left-leaning crack and seam leads up to these. This is the start of two great routes, Moriarty's Mistake and Moriarty's Revenge.
Starting from up into the Mountaineer's Route, you can reach a very large pine tree after some distance. This is obvious from the ground below. About 40' past the big tree, up the gully/dihedral, you can see 2 small pine trees side-by-side on the left hand wall, 15' from the big dihedral. A left-leaning crack and seam leads up to these. This is the start of two great routes, Moriarty's Mistake and Moriarty's Revenge.
Protection
As described above, the route is fairly runout in a few sections, particularly between the cracks, on P1. I would advise only SOLID 5.9 leaders to attempt this route. The first crux move was about 8' above decent gear and was insecure. There were several other technical moves without nearby protection. The best way to do this route by far is in a single long pitch, so perhaps you should even carry a large rack overall and lots of slings considering the left-right action required to finish it. Take a standard rack with several hand-sized pieces. My notes to myself in my book suggest that 3 cams total between 2.5-3" (yellow Camalot) would be beneficial in the continuous zig-zag crack prior to the runout.
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