Minerva's Way
5.8 PG13,
Trad, 350 ft (106 m), 3 pitches, Grade II,
Avg: 0.5 from 2
votes
FA: Scott Allen, Tim Gale, Don Silver
Colorado
> Eldora
> Eldora Summer Slab
Access Issue: Road Cut access
Details
The Eldora Slab sits above heavy steel netting to prevent erosion. Be mindful of rock fall onto the road.
Dedication & Description
This route was inspired by and named for Minerva Canavan, 1928-2015. Min was an avid climber of 14er's, skier, hiker, and birder who knew these local hills well as a counselor at Camp Shoshone in the 1960s.
First ascent, I 5.6 A1 of pitch 1 rope solo ground up by Scott Allen in July 2015.
7 bolts were placed mixed with gear. The opening 3 bolts are 1/4" buttonhead, next 2 bolts are also 1/4", next 2 bolts are 3/8" x 3.5", and the anchors atop pitch one only are 1/2"x 4".
Most of the pitch is 5.6 once past the first 20 feet.
First free ascent of entire face:
II 5.8 PG-13
Led by Tim Gale on Oct. 17, 2015.
Pitch 1: locate the Black Canyon like start with three 1/4" bolts protecting the opening 5.8 moves. Then traverse hard right, and find the shattered lime dike leading to the galaxy of green crystals. Follow bolts and gear up and right through a loose hip-roof to the solid anchors.
Pitch 2: move the belay up 25 feet to the next headwall in the trees, and climb straight up to more trees (short lead of 50 feet).
Pitch 3 starts off clean but ends very runout and loose. Find a way upwards to the safety of small trees and belay (a long pitch, 150').
Location
Minerva's Way is located on a separate crag from the Eldora Summer Slab. Find a marbled black and white pegmatite dike 300 feet left (east) and uphill from the Eldora Summer Slab.
Approach
This is another short 'n' nasty loose talus fight above CDOT retaining fence.
The best line starts at the far west end of the fence and quickly gains slab, shrubs, trees, and such (avoiding the loose talus field directly below the start of pitch one.
Descent
From the summit, walk east and find surprisingly pleasant grassy slope down into an aspen glen and gully to the highway.
Also possible to descend from top of pitch 1 via rappel or pitch 2 via down climbing but not recommended due to loose talus and falling rock onto vehicles on highway below.
![Tim Gale leading pitch 2.]()
[Hide Photo] Tim Gale leading pitch 2.
![Veteran highway men, Don, Tim, & Scott refusing CDOT sponsorship for their ascent.]()
[Hide Photo] Veteran highway men, Don, Tim, & Scott refusing CDOT sponsorship for their ascent.
![Scott Allen following pitch 1.]()
[Hide Photo] Scott Allen following pitch 1.
![Don Silver on opening moves of pitch one, 5.8 on first free ascent.]()
[Hide Photo] Don Silver on opening moves of pitch one, 5.8 on first free ascent.
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I think that the first pitch is dangerous and should be rated R. There are a few places from which a fall would put you onto the ground, and good gear placements are hard to find in the long runouts among the bolts, five of which are only quarter-inchers. I placed red, brown and blue Tri-cams and red and yellow C3s, among other cams and stoppers. I still faced lots of committing runouts on often-loose rock. Look at all of the first pitch from the ground before attempting to lead it. I should have.
Btw, the approach is horrendously loose. I was almost swept down in a rock avalanche. After climbing pitch one and rappelling from the anchor, we rapped twice from trees to descend to the road and still knocked rocks onto the road. Jul 13, 2018