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Inca Gold
5.12b,
Trad, 110 ft (33 m),
Avg: 3 from 1
vote
FA: Patrick DeZonia
Colorado
> Estes Park Valley
> Big Thompson Ca…
> Palisade Mountain
> Skull Rock Area
> Skull Rock
Access Issue: Access issue - Monastery, Cedar Park, Combat Rock, etc. - open since 2023
Details
Update: per Bruce Hildenbrand: the area has been open since 2023. Per
JF M: as of May 2022, there is no signage on-site, nor information on the USFS webpage for the Cameron Peak Fire (nor on their published map of closures) that indicates the area is closed.
Per
Bruce Hildenbrand: it appears that the Forest Service has closed access to all the climbing areas accessed via Storm Mountain Road (Monastery, Cedar Park, Combat Rock, etc.) until they can clear all the dangerous dead trees from the Cameron Peak fire.
I worked this issue with Eric Murdock at the AF, and it looks like the Forest Service picked Devil's Gulch Road as the southern boundary even though all the climbing areas on MP.com were not burned.
Description
Start left of
Skull Fracture below three bolts 15' up on a slab. Climb up easy terrain and clip the first bolt. Climb sustained 5.12 slab climbing to the third bolt. Work your way left several feet at third bolt and then up to a jug where angle eases and a red Alien or nut is possible to place. Continue left several more feet to first or second bolt on
The Temple depending on where you traverse. Climb
The Temple to the second roof. Stay under roof and climb the crack up and left to a shallow, left-facing corner and a stance. Keep your balance as you clip a bolt on the arete to your right. Climb a couple moves up corner, clip another bolt out right, and the make a big move out right onto the face. Climb straight up the face moving up and right at the last bolt.
Location
It's easiest to descend by scrambling off to the west and then back around to the south face.
Protection
A standard rack with some extra quickdraws. After pulling over the steep face, work your way up and right to the top. We make an anchor on thin gear about 5' from the top. There is not a bolt anchor up top as of yet so have some extra gear for an anchor.
[Hide Photo] This shows Inca Gold and its friendly neighbor, The Temple.