[Hide Comment] Antoine, can you please add some more info about this route? Oct 8, 2016

[Hide Comment] I do believe the name of this route is Via Alpina. Nov 12, 2016

[Hide Comment] I found the crux climbing to be on pitch 7. The crux moves are not bolt protected. Without a few cams, you are facing a pretty significant runout over 9+/10- climbing. Sep 10, 2017

[Hide Comment] I agree, pitch 7 is a grade harder than the rest of the climb. 12 quickdraws and two 0.4 Camalots was all we needed for the whole route. The 70 meter rope got us down in 5 rappels. We got lost on the approach. It's not 250 yards from CO Highway 145, more like 250 feet. It's right across from the old metal mining buildings, where the slabs come almost down to the road. From the road, it's a 30 second approach. Jul 22, 2018

[Hide Comment] I recommend taking loose, comfortable climbing shoes or approach shoes up most (or all) of the climb. I wore tight climbing shoes and got blisters and sore toes when walking and scrambling down the long sections between rappels. Apr 3, 2020

[Hide Comment] This route looks shitty from the road but actually links some awesome rock up this face! Definitely a spectrum from 1 to 4 star pitches, but the last two pitches (which easily link with a 70) are classic and make the route for sure worth doing, IMO.

Ben's approach and gear beta is right on (I brought a 0.4 & 0.5) and a couple more small pieces would be nice for a novice leader. Pitch 5 takes a little gear. After clipping endless bolts on 5.7 and easier terrain, be ready to commit to insecure 9+ above your gear on bullet rock. Link 2&3, 5&6, and 7&8.

All in all, highly recommended date route! Jun 22, 2020

[Hide Comment] Climbed the first half of this in July 2021, and one of the bolts on the 2nd anchor is completely loose - I tried tightening it a little but the entire bolt spins in the hole. If anybody local has the know how, I'm sure others would appreciate it!

Edit: Came back to add a link to the video of the first half of the route! youtube.com/watch?v=BC7eYqP… Aug 4, 2021

[Hide Comment] That one's super fun! The last two pitches make it classic. Iirc we linked pitches 1&2 and 4&5. It's really easy climbing and the placements are so sparse that rope drag isn't really a concern.

I agree with the gear beta... a 0.5 and a 0.4 are strongly recommended for the crux on the 2nd to last pitch... which is the crux of the whole route. Aug 17, 2021

[Hide Comment] Very fun route. While the climbing is mostly bolted, do not expect a super closely bolted sport route. This is a stellar adventure climb with the hallmarks of a good alpine route; loose rock, runouts, and tricky route finding at times. Aug 22, 2023

[Hide Comment] At the end of the first hike (after the 1st pitch), the 2nd pitch is the bolted arete to the right. There is a bolted pitch to the left that consisted of shallow grooves that we accidently did thinking it was pitch two. If you make this same mistake, be prepared! It was at least a letter grade harder than pitch 7 and was a lot headier as there were only 7 bolts in 90-100'. It had great climbing but was quite thrilling edging and pulling on thin edges well above the last clipped bolt. The pitch we mistakenly did may have been Groovin' ( mountainproject.com/route/1…) Sep 10, 2023

[Hide Comment] Responding to Rich Kelly's comment: VA's 2nd pitch starts down and to the right when you get to the top of the steep fixed line trail. NOTE: Groovin' can be done as a harder alternate pitch for Via Alpinista (skipping VA's 2nd and 3rd pitches and cutting out some 5.6/5.7 climbing). Groovin' starts up and to the left from the top of the fixed line. From the top anchor of Groovin', climb up and right on 5.6 slabby ledgy terrain (optional trad placements thru here), to the anchor on top of VA's 3rd pitch. This can be done in one long pitch, or broken up into two pitches by stopping and belaying at the Groovin' anchor. Sep 28, 2023

[Hide Comment] Climbed this a few days ago and thought I would add a pitch by pitch explanation and some more rappel beta. We carried 2x 0.3s, 1x 0.4, and 1x 0.5 and used 'em all but didn't feel we needed any more gear. Top to bottom took us sub-5 hours, and the rappels took an hour+ of that.

Approach is ~200 feet from car, look for slabby dome. The climb is on the left side of the dome. If you go around to the right, you can use a fixed line to get to the top of P1. The bolts are hard to see until at the base. From the top of pitch 1, follow fixed lines up.

P2 starts with fixed lines up then right at the corner. Grooving (5.10+) starts if you only follow fixed lines up. P2 climbs a corner with horizontal cracks/holds on a nose feature to slabs above.

P3 is short to just before a grassy ledge. It is easier than other 3 pitches.

P4 3 bolts. Don't move the belay. Start walking up slabs looking for bolts. Do a left-angling fingertip layback to trees above.

P5 move belay up following fixed line. The climb starts on a rocky ridge with the first bolt behind a bush ~20 ft past anchors. Climb up and right. You will want gear otherwise the steeper section is ~30 ft between the last bolt and anchor. I placed a 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5. The cracks could take more gear but not bigger than 0.75. hanging belay.

P6 tricky start, We protected the leader with a 0.3 just above anchor. A tricky slab move between bolts 1 & 2. 4 bolts follow the slab right of the dihedral.

P7 follows fixed ropes to move belay to start pitch right of big tree at slab. This is the crux pitch with insecure slabby moves. We placed 2x 0.3s and a 0.4.

P8 climb up and right to the airy arete. Extend the first draw. Rappel climber's left side directly to the anchors. Don't rappel the route.

We only linked rappels for pitch 6 & 5 with an easy 5th Class downclimb into a gully and were unsure if it saved any time. We walked off climber's right from base of 2nd pitch to the bottom. Aug 14, 2024

[Hide Comment] I hadn't done this route since 2016 or so and had forgotten most of it, but attempted a few days ago and made it up two pitches before getting rained off. So I can't comment on the crux, but will say regarding pitch 2 we were led by the last rope to the left and mistakenly went up Groovin'. Maybe it was because I was telling myself it was only 5.7, or maybe because I just like slabs but it didn't feel like .10+. I'd say more like 5.9+/10- and a very fun pitch! Lots of smearing and tiny crimps, and plenty of bolts. There are also a couple more anchors to the left, but looked like TR routes. To stay on Via Alpina proper, hike straight up under the last yellow rope instead of letting it push you left. 2 days ago