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The Free Grand Traverse
5.11+ YDS 7a French 24 Ewbanks VIII UIAA 24 ZA E4 6a British
Avg: 4 from 1
vote
Routes in The Diamond
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Ariana T 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a |
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Beethoven's Honeymoon T 5.13- 7c+ 29 IX+ 29 E7 6c |
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Black Dagger T 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c |
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Black Death T 5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a |
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Bright Star T 5.11+ 7a 24 VIII 24 E4 6a R |
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Casual Route T 5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a |
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Curving Vine T 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c |
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D1 T 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a |
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D7 T 5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a |
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D7 Variation T 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c |
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Dunn Westbay T 5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b C3 |
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Dunn-Westbay Indirect T 5.13a/b 8a 29 IX+ 29 E7 6c |
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Enos Mills Wall T 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a A2 |
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Eroica T 5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b PG13 |
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Forrest Finish T 5.10c 6b 20 VII 20 E2 5b |
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Free Grand Traverse, The T 5.11+ 7a 24 VIII 24 E4 6a |
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Full Dunn-Westbay (aka Dunn-Westbay Direct or The Direct Dunn-Westbay) T 5.14- 8b+ 32 X+ 32 E8 7a |
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Full House T 5.12 7b+ 27 VIII+ 26 E6 6b |
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Gambler's Fallacy T 5.13b 8a 29 IX+ 30 E7 6c |
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Hearts and Arrows T 5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b |
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Honeymoon is Over, The T 5.13c 8a+ 30 X- 31 E7 7a |
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King of Swords T 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a |
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Obelisk, The T 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c |
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Pervertical Sanctuary T 5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c |
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Yellow Wall T 5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c R |
Order Wrong?
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| Type: | Trad, Alpine, 1000 ft (303 m), 7 pitches |
| FA: | Pat Ament & Bob Boucher, 1964. FFA: Ryan Montoya & Dylan Cousins, 2019 |
| Page Views: | 3,308 total · 53/month |
| Shared By: | Dylan Cousins on Aug 27, 2019 |
| Admins: | Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC |
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Access Issue: Closures
Details
Seasonal closures Feb. 15-July 31. Per the Denver Post:, the Cathedral Wall and all areas above the Loch Vale-Sky Pond Trail are closed to off-trail travel! Per this RMNP website, "Initial closures now occur in Feb. 15 and April, when raptors return to the region and scout for nesting sites. Areas containing general habitat preferred by raptors are closed during this time. Once raptors have selected nesting spots, the initial closures are lifted or adjusted. The specific areas which raptors choose for nesting sites are closed."
For additional information about raptor closures, please visit the Rocky Mountain National Parks area closures website.
General NPS climbing regulations for RMNP posted here.
For additional information about raptor closures, please visit the Rocky Mountain National Parks area closures website.
General NPS climbing regulations for RMNP posted here.
Description
This is a high-quality route that is certainly worth doing. Expect a bit more lichen than D7, but the cracks that are just as good (just not as polished yet).
The free climbing history of this route is somewhat convoluted. Consult Bernard Gillett’s excellent guidebook if interested. Bernard free climbed the majority of this route, but his toprope inspection of the headwall cracks revealed rotten and unprotectable rock above Table Ledge.
With Bernard’s recommendation, Ryan Montoya and I rappelled into the headwall and cleaned the next crack system to the left (and just right of Eroica). We found solid rock, great climbing, and a nice traverse over to the top of the original line (which has good rock at the top). The next day we sent the route in its entirety.
P1. There are three options. See the photo. 1a) original route, 10c roof, a vegetated crack. 1b) this is the route we took: A-frame roof with a bolt, stiff move off the deck (~10a), and trend right, then make a long, rising, leftward traverse. 1c) start in a left-facing corner at the left side of the D1 pillar. Make a rising leftward traverse (5.9). Belay at some tat.
P2. Climb the excellent corner with good pro. There’s some lichen near the top, but it’s not too bad. Belay where the Casual Route traverse joins the crack system, 5.11.
P3-P4. Climb the Casual Route to Yellow Wall bivy ledge, 5.8.
P5. Climb the slot pitch of the Casual Route, and combine this into a traverse ~40 feet right (pass the belay for Yellow Wall headwall and a fixed pin) to belay at a very large but detached block. This is the same belay as after the crux pitch of Eroica, 5.10-.
P6. Climb thoughtfully above the belay and straight up the crack (not to the left, that’s Eroica). Climb the excellent crack to a section of crux face climbing that uses holds out right and stems to the left. I left a couple of specific fixed wires in this section, but you’ll want to place a few more. Continue to a belay stance in some dark rock. This pitch is pretty long and continuous (~50m). The belay requires 2x #2 Camalot OR 1 x #2 and 1 x #1. See the photo. 5.11+.
P7. The “A3 Traverse” - similar in nature but with better protection than the A4 Traverse on the Yellow Wall. Climb above the belay, and then traverse up and right on good rock (a little runout ~5.8) to the base of some flakes. A seam to the left of the first one takes RPs, and the flakes take wires and small cams (fixed wire at the top of the second). Make a committing and fantastic move right into the left-facing corner, and jam to the top of the wall (mostly hands, other pro options), 5.11-.
The free climbing history of this route is somewhat convoluted. Consult Bernard Gillett’s excellent guidebook if interested. Bernard free climbed the majority of this route, but his toprope inspection of the headwall cracks revealed rotten and unprotectable rock above Table Ledge.
With Bernard’s recommendation, Ryan Montoya and I rappelled into the headwall and cleaned the next crack system to the left (and just right of Eroica). We found solid rock, great climbing, and a nice traverse over to the top of the original line (which has good rock at the top). The next day we sent the route in its entirety.
P1. There are three options. See the photo. 1a) original route, 10c roof, a vegetated crack. 1b) this is the route we took: A-frame roof with a bolt, stiff move off the deck (~10a), and trend right, then make a long, rising, leftward traverse. 1c) start in a left-facing corner at the left side of the D1 pillar. Make a rising leftward traverse (5.9). Belay at some tat.
P2. Climb the excellent corner with good pro. There’s some lichen near the top, but it’s not too bad. Belay where the Casual Route traverse joins the crack system, 5.11.
P3-P4. Climb the Casual Route to Yellow Wall bivy ledge, 5.8.
P5. Climb the slot pitch of the Casual Route, and combine this into a traverse ~40 feet right (pass the belay for Yellow Wall headwall and a fixed pin) to belay at a very large but detached block. This is the same belay as after the crux pitch of Eroica, 5.10-.
P6. Climb thoughtfully above the belay and straight up the crack (not to the left, that’s Eroica). Climb the excellent crack to a section of crux face climbing that uses holds out right and stems to the left. I left a couple of specific fixed wires in this section, but you’ll want to place a few more. Continue to a belay stance in some dark rock. This pitch is pretty long and continuous (~50m). The belay requires 2x #2 Camalot OR 1 x #2 and 1 x #1. See the photo. 5.11+.
P7. The “A3 Traverse” - similar in nature but with better protection than the A4 Traverse on the Yellow Wall. Climb above the belay, and then traverse up and right on good rock (a little runout ~5.8) to the base of some flakes. A seam to the left of the first one takes RPs, and the flakes take wires and small cams (fixed wire at the top of the second). Make a committing and fantastic move right into the left-facing corner, and jam to the top of the wall (mostly hands, other pro options), 5.11-.
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