PRINT: Rock Climb Rainbow Ridge, Estes Park Valley

Rainbow Ridge

5.5 PG13, Trad, 700 ft (212 m), 3 pitches,

Avg: 2.3 from 4 votes
FA: Chip Salaun and Doug Allcock, 1980
Colorado > Estes Park Valley > Fall River Rd (… > Rainbow Rock

Description

This is a quick route for end-of-the-roader types. It probably gets very little traffic and starts in the shade. The description from guidebooks may be a bit hard to follow, but the route essentially travels the right side of this modest crag in 2-3 pitches. The description here may be a variation of the actual line, but it works.

P1. Ascend a slab with light protection opportunities. Perhaps 50-60 feet up, you have to choose to go up lichened slab or traverse right to the edge of the crag. We went right. One could stop here ~110' up or continue leftward gaining a nicely featured face with knobs somewhat reminiscent of the golden knob pitch on the Grand Teton's Upper Exum Ridge. ~230' up is a good flake below a stump.

P2. Angle right to the edge and into the sun. Continue up the edge on slightly gritty rock to a ledge ~220' up.

P3. Continue up the edge, pass an ET-reminiscent horn. The terrain soon flattens out passing a couple 4th Class descent options. However, you may continue upward to tag the top of the crag ~260' up. If you go this way, the descent is a walkoff.

Location

This starts on the right side of the crag just right of a pine needle filled groove on a slab.

Protection

A light rack to a #3.5 Camalot, wires, and a few hexes work. We used a 70m rope, but that is not essential.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Deb pauses on her scramble of P3's ridge.

This shows some of the terrain from ~60' up on the start we used.

Deb gets into the sun on P2.

Deb climbs on the 2nd half of P1.

This shows Deb (red helmet) at the start the climb.

This is the odd-shaped flake on P3.

This is the approximate line of the route.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Andy Hansen
Longmont, CO

5.5 PG13

Follow the ridge directly for the best rock and best position. The description here is egregiously wrong in terms of pitch lengths.

Start at the nadir of the ridge. Follow this more or less straight up. Protection is adequate and belay stances are mostly comfortable.

P1: 5.6 150' Follow the ridge to a semi-hanging stance left of the ridge on #2 & #3 Camalot.

P2: 5.5 150' Follow the ridge up to a featured face. When in doubt, stay on the ridge, and aim for the trees.

P3: 5.4 150' Follow the ridge. There's a section of rock that is a bit deteriorating but still climbs well. Stay on the ridge.

P4: 5th ~100' Follow the ridge. Low angle but huge exposure.

All in all this is a great route and is well featured. If you've climbed a Flatiron before you'll be well prepared for this route and the nature of the climbing and protection (or lack thereof). Have fun, enjoy. Walk off right to the trail back to the TH. Jun 17, 2020