Derek F > Comments

Aug 9, 2026 Independence Pass > Ptarmigan Creek… > Greg's Cliff No Guts, No Glory 5.12c ● No fluff on this shortie. Elegant moves on a clean panel of overhanging granite with exciting exposure from… View Comment
Aug 9, 2026 Independence Pass > Ptarmigan Creek… > Greg's Cliff Twice Baked 5.11c ● The second bolt has been replaced, so no gear is necessary as of 8/8/26. A large tree has fallen over, howe… View Comment
Aug 3, 2026 Independence Pass > Wild Rock Area > Big Wild Boulder Xenolith Warrior Princess 5.12b ● Nice addition, Zach! I eyed this line for years but wasn't sure if the top part of the wall after the bould… View Comment
Jun 8, 2026 Independence Pass > Upper Boulderfi… > Pitbull Cliff Hot Dog 5.9+ ● The grade on this one probably depends on your height and if you tackle the overhang directly. Turning the… View Comment
Jun 8, 2026 Independence Pass > Upper Boulderfi… > Pitbull Cliff Jungle Boy 5.12a ● This thing offers worthy roped bouldering just a few minutes from the car, and it deserves new bolts. Thank… View Comment
Jun 8, 2026 Independence Pass > Upper Boulderfi… > Pitbull Cliff Little, Black Book 5.11a ● Similar to Jungle Boy, the 35-year-old bolts on this one are less-than-inspiring. Even with new bolts, the… View Comment
Apr 27, 2026 Rifle > Rifle Mtn Park > Anti-Phil Wall Ride The Snake 5.11a ● It's called Ride the Snake for a reason: it weaves left/right/left/right, and you'll have a better time if… View Comment
Nov 10, 2025 Rifle > Rifle Mtn Park > G3 Satch 5.12a ● This route deserves more traffic and is very worthy of two quicklinks on the anchor, so that the carabiners… View Comment
Nov 3, 2025 Independence Pass > Upper Boulderfi… > Upper Boulderfi… > Demon Dog Demon Dog V4 ● I've done a few variations on this one. The best is what is published here, and I've found the grade to be… View Comment
Oct 6, 2025 Independence Pass > Outrageous Over… > Olympic Wall False Start 5.11d ● The 5.11d rating still seems fair. I didn't notice any spot where a missing hold presented an inordinately… View Comment
Jul 3, 2025 Rifle > Rifle Mtn Park > Meat Wall The Long Arm of the Draw 5.11a ● Thanks for your work on this, guys. It's evident that you took pride in the effort and even had fun with it… View Comment
Jun 3, 2025 Independence Pass > Grottos Day Use… > Gollum's Cave Choke Hold V9 ● In response to the comment about people grading this V7, I'm acquainted with a few of them and, though they… View Comment
Jun 2, 2025 Independence Pass > Upper Boulderfi… > Gem Stone Area Cubic Zirconium 5.8+ ● While the rock is interesting, this line felt very contrived. The anchor location does facilitate a toprope… View Comment
Jun 2, 2025 Independence Pass > Upper Boulderfi… > Gem Stone Area Gem Stone 5.10c ● On the second pitch, there's an easier variation up and right that keeps the grade at 10a. Either way, this… View Comment
Jan 15, 2025 N America > Cayman Brac > Sector Seahorse Flying The Colours 5.11c/d ● You can fully top out the cliff on this one. It's a long pitch that meanders around blocky roofs and corner… View Comment
Jan 15, 2025 N America > Cayman Brac > Heritage Wall Rolling Calf 5.11c/d ● Cool boulder problem, though the finishing holds are sharp and hard to read, as with all the top-out routes… View Comment
Jan 15, 2025 N America > Cayman Brac > Heritage Wall Anansi 5.13a ● If you can catch this route in dry conditions, it's a good ride, offering two bouldery cruxes with varied m… View Comment
Sep 30, 2024 Independence Pass > Monitor Rock > 5b. Summit Dome Perfect Weather 5.10c ● Beware that the 2023 Indy Pass guidebook incorrectly lists this as 5.10a. My brain was screaming "sandbag a… View Comment
Jul 15, 2024 Independence Pass > Grotto Walls Area > Lower Grotto Wall Pea Brain 5.12c R ● A cool boulder problem that's very memorable. The grainy rock in the middle is a bit rough on the skin, esp… View Comment
Apr 22, 2024 Southeast Utah > San Juan County > Indian Creek > Beach Rip Curl 5.10 ● This is a great warmup for the experienced climber, as you get to dabble in all the sizes from #4 Camalot d… View Comment
Apr 18, 2024 Ten Sleep Canyon > Mondo Beyondo > Downpour Wall > EKV: Exo-atmospheric… (5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b) Eddie testing out the enduro style ● RIP, Eddie. We miss you. View Comment
Nov 15, 2023 Southeast Utah > San Juan County > Indian Creek > Broken Tooth Unnamed (Left side, Fingers in Tight Flare) 5.11+ ● This short little route packs a punch. Thinking outside the box shaves some difficulty from the sandy tips… View Comment
Oct 6, 2023 Independence Pass > Lincoln Creek > Sunset Boulder Sunset Cruise V6 PG13 ● I received word that my original rating of V5+ was a heinous sandbag, and it appears there's a baseline con… View Comment
Sep 18, 2023 Rifle > Rifle Mtn Park > Ice Cave Walls > Upper Ice Caves (Feli… Ledged Assault 5.11d ● Beware that a thank-God jug after the crux - a protruding horn on the left - is flexing without much force.… View Comment
Sep 18, 2023 Rifle > Rifle Mtn Park > Ice Cave Walls > Upper Ice Caves (Feli… Butte Nougat 5.11a ● Regarding the grade comparison to Feline: that route is more of a polished, enduro pump-fest while Butte No… View Comment
Oct 9, 2022 Rifle > Rifle Mtn Park > Sno-Cone Cave Footlong 5.12+ ● It's a nice boulder problem on nice rock, but the main crux (and detraction) for many people is a mandatory… View Comment
Oct 3, 2022 Rifle > Rifle Mtn Park > Well-Dunn Wall Can’t Stop 5.12c ● With good footwork, the mono isn't too bad and you only have to bear down on it for about two seconds. I th… View Comment
Sep 12, 2022 Independence Pass > Ptarmigan Creek… > Jungle Wall Dark Horse 5.10b ● The 2006 guide gives this 10b, which I think is fair. There are about two powerful pulls around the third b… View Comment
Sep 12, 2022 Independence Pass > Ptarmigan Creek… > Hurricane Wall 1000 Hurricane 5.12b/c ● Tempted to give this four stars, but the bottom half of the route is pretty grainy, and the sit-down rest d… View Comment
Sep 12, 2022 Independence Pass > Ptarmigan Creek… > Hurricane Wall Cherry Bomb 5.11d ● Solid two-star climbing, minus one star for the mandatory traverse on guano to start the route. A worthwhil… View Comment
Aug 8, 2022 Rifle > Rifle Mtn Park > Sapper Cave Cooler World (Extension of Cool World) 5.12b/c ● Intricate moves on a thin face with lots of air around you. The difficulty depends on your reach and if you… View Comment
Jul 25, 2022 Leadville > Hell's Gate/ Ha… > Hell's Gate Spoon 5.8 ● True, this pitch features lots of awkward movement on buttery smears, but the rock quality and laser-cut fi… View Comment
Jul 25, 2022 Leadville > Hell's Gate/ Ha… > Hell's Gate Ripple 5.11c/d ● This pitch would be worthy anywhere—near perfect granite with engaging moves from the moment you leave the… View Comment
Nov 16, 2021 Grand Junction… > Colorado Nation… > Grand View Spire Southwest Defile Route 5.8 C2 ● There is a new crux to the route now! I unwittingly discovered this a few days ago. I was surprised tha… View Comment
Oct 11, 2021 Gunnison > Black Canyon of… > N Rim Routes > Aretes Ghost Dancer Arete 5.10+ ● I honestly feel that this route deserves an R rating until the ancient bolt on pitch 3 is replaced. Plenty… View Comment
Sep 13, 2021 Rifle > Rifle Mtn Park > Kubrick's Jack Torrance 5.10b ● One of the cruxes is getting off the ground, and the rock is of the slippery variety—a stickclip is not a b… View Comment

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Derek F > Comments

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