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El Rancho

5.13a, Sport, 55 ft (17 m),  Avg: 3.1 from 7 votes
FA: Erik Durgin, originally equipped by Jay Petzbolt
Colorado > Durango > Cascade Canyon > Futurescape Wall (Roo…
Warning Access Issue: Private Property DetailsDrop down

Description

Peanuts, sticky floors, cheep beers, and girls looking to make bad decisions. You'd be hard pressed to find a climber in DGO who hasn't had a night of fun and fornication at this classic dive bar.

With no defined crux and zero fluff climbing, this route comes down to pure endurance. Expect big, thuggy moves on mostly good holds with little opportunity for rest. Begin by squeezing your way out the prominent arete feature. Fight your way into the underclings in the roof and transition onto the beautiful headwall of bad slopers and incut edges. With a little traffic, I think this will clean up into a four star route.

This is the old abandoned project listed in the guidebook as a 5.13 project. Based on the condition the route was in when I started working on it, I do believe I made the first free ascent. Just to make the route safe and climbable, I had to add one bolt, move two exiting bolts, and move the anchors down about 15 feet. If anyone has more information on the history of this route, I would love to know.

Location

This route begins up the very prominent arete feature smack dab in the middle of the Roof Wall, 20 feet to the right of Huffy.

Protection

7 bolts with fixed anchors. Knee pads are very helpful.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Marcus sticking the long toss before the roof.<br>
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Photo by Erik.
[Hide Photo] Marcus sticking the long toss before the roof. Photo by Erik.
The last few hard moves of the headwall.<br>
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Photo: Keith Ladzinski.
[Hide Photo] The last few hard moves of the headwall. Photo: Keith Ladzinski.
Leaving the slopers on the headwall. <br>
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Photo by Erik.
[Hide Photo] Leaving the slopers on the headwall. Photo by Erik.
Dynamic.
[Hide Photo] Dynamic.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Erik Durgin
Salt Lake City, UT
  5.13a
[Hide Comment] Thanks so much for the update! I love knowing the history behind DGO climbing areas. Jun 17, 2013
Ben Kiessel
Durango, CO
 
[Hide Comment] I have no idea where I could haven gotten a kneebar on this thing. Nov 10, 2014
Tortilla
Fakeville, USA
[Hide Comment] When you have your hands established on the slopers of the headwall, there is a small, right foot chip that you use to smear your right knee under a small belly of rock. One of the pictures shows me using the foothold, just after removing the kneebar. Duct tape is compulsory, because you have to press and pull on it quite a bit. Good luck, let me know how it goes! Nov 26, 2014
Ben Kiessel
Durango, CO
 
[Hide Comment] I'll have to try the knee bar next time I'm on it, although I have a hard time finding motivation to try hard if I've already hit something. I'll probably never get on it again. It's not about the joy of climbing, it's about the tick list and the points. NEXT! Dec 17, 2014
[Hide Comment] Anybody sent it since the middle fell off a coupler winters ago? Aug 27, 2020