Mountain Project Logo
To save paper & ink, use the [Hide] controls next to photos and comments so you only print what you need.

Invisible Wall

5.12a/b, Trad, Alpine, 500 ft (152 m), 6 pitches, Grade IV,  Avg: 3.3 from 3 votes
FA: Kor and Dalke, FFA: Roger Briggs and Chip Chase
Colorado > Alpine Rock > RMNP - Rock > Long's Peak > Chasm View Wall
Warning Access Issue: Closures DetailsDrop down

Description

This is a great addition to the wall. The crux pitch is short and needs some traffic, but the rest of the route is phenomenal. The start is a fun, aesthetic warm-up, and both the 5.11 pitches are stellar with the second being my favorite.

Pitch 1, 5.9. A left-angling ramp that is longer than it looks eventually slabs out at almost exactly 200' for a gear belay of small cams.

Pitch 2, 5.8. Step high to protect your second, and traverse left for 50 feet to the base of the giant, yellow corner. There is a gigantic, nice, grass ledge.

Pitch 3, 5.11. Go up the easy crack to the corner. Surmount an initial overhang to get established in the corner, and work upwards. The corner eventually disappears just before the obvious crux pitch. Some spicy face moves, protected by a knife blade backed up a few feet lower by a yellow Alien, get you into the arching crack. 10 feet up set a gear belay at the obvious ledge, hanging but comfortable room for 1, 110'.

Pitch 4, low 5.12. Place a cam high, and then fire the crux. It's a short, arching pitch to the left, you go up maybe 20' and over about 50'. There is bomber gear every 10' from good stances. Don't blow it as you are probably coming back into your belayer at the crux if you fall. This pitch needs a bit of traffic to clean it up as the occasionally exploding foot or handhold may add extra excitement. When the arch ends, step up into the next corner, and set the gear belay. There was a fixed nut or piton when we where there at the belay.

Pitch 5, 5.11. Great stemming up the corner leads to a roof pulled with some sloper trickery followed by more great stemming. At its top, set a belay, 110'.

Pitch 6, 5.9. Go straight left into the left-trending crack system. Do some neat hand traverses as you keep heading hard left get you the final fixed gear anchor/rappel anchor of Babies R' Us. It likes to fall out every season, so it might be in the grass.

Descent: climb the rest of The Diamond, and then pick your poison, but if you had enough, walk over and rap Crack of Delight, alternatively, and not really recommended rap Babies R' Us (double ropes).

Location

It is 100' up the ramp from Babies R' Us, 100' down from Directissima.

Protection

Singles to a #3, doubles to a #1, 8 Yosemite draws, nuts, and RPs are not necessary.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Every single route on the east face of Long's Peak. A full caption is in comments.
[Hide Photo] Every single route on the east face of Long's Peak. A full caption is in comments.
Looking down the stellar, final 11 pitch, pitch 5, working the sloper bulge between corners.
[Hide Photo] Looking down the stellar, final 11 pitch, pitch 5, working the sloper bulge between corners.
Pitch 2 slab.
[Hide Photo] Pitch 2 slab.
Looking back on the crux pitch from the anchor.
[Hide Photo] Looking back on the crux pitch from the anchor.
This is the start to pitch 1.
[Hide Photo] This is the start to pitch 1.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

alix morris
Bishop, CA
  5.12a
[Hide Comment] This route is ALL TIME. It may be a little dirty and exfoliating but is already pretty darn clean and will clean up even better. It seemed on par with its neighbor in difficulty and excitment. Every pitch is stellar though! What a gem! I would recommend maybe another 0.5 and/ 0.75 if you like to place gear, since every anchor is gear. Some clutch pieces are needed and often used in anchors. Aug 2, 2017
Chris Weidner
Boulder, CO
[Hide Comment] Chip Chace was an equal to Roger on the first ascent team. It should read FA: Roger Briggs, Chip Chace. Sep 2, 2017
Ken Duncan
Ft Collins, CO
[Hide Comment] FA: Kor and Dalke, FFA: Briggs and Chase. Jun 24, 2018
Daniel Dunn
Chattanooga, TN
 
[Hide Comment] This is a quality line that should get done more often. There are still a few flaky feet, especially on the crux pitch, but overall the route was quite clean. Good gear where you need it (except for the spicy "10a" traverse) and stellar movement. The pitch 5 stemming and corner switch were a highlight. We brought a healthy double rack with extra finger-sized tricams for belays and were happy with that. Sep 8, 2020