Clear Creek Mixed

Any know the name/grade/FA of this dry tooling line? Climber's left of Red Stripe/Mickey's Big Mouth in CCC. We hopped on it for a bit yesterday. Super fun with opportunity for a stein pull + huge reach and figure 4 to get past the blank overhanging section.

Hey John,

I eyeball that route every time I climb at Mickey's but have never climbed it because it always looked a bit out of my league. Did you lead it on gear or set up a TR? I don't remember it having any bolts. I would be curious what you thought of it and if you plan on adding it to the database. No clue on the FA.

There are no bolts. Some tat around the tree up top indicates that there's been activity on this route or something nearby in the recent past. Since it is fairly chossy, we just top roped it. Feels about like M5-6 based on my very limited experience climbing mixed. My beta was to lock in a stein pull, reach really far to a small ledge past the overhang, figure 4, and pull good holds to the top. SUPER fun. The overhanging section is pretty much completely void of anything to front point IMO. I would like to try it on lead now. Gear looks decent, less than ideal in spots. A fixed pin would be nice to have at the crux (pulling past the blank overhang). Would that be kosher?

There are obviously several different lines here. One in our group went far right and bypassed the blank overhanging section. There's also some fun looking stuff to the left. I think after a little cleaning/gardening it could be a pretty decent route.

Sounds like a fun little dry tooling line to practice mixed technique. I will have to give it a shot next time I climb there, knowing that I can at least set up a TR and run a lap on it that way. I have found at least one old pin on Red Stripe/Mickey's and CCC is generally a place that is ok with bolts and the occasional pin, so I don't think it would be an issue, that is, unless the FA objects.

I can't remember where it turns from Jeffco to the Clear Creek County but remember Jeffco has a bolt approval process (I think it would be the same for a fixed pin).

thanks for the feedback guys. the route is in jefferson county. I took a look at the bolting guidelines. doesn't say anything about fixed pins so I shot them an email. i'm guessing the same fixed hardware application applies though.

Parker Wrozek wrote:I can't remember where it turns from Jeffco to the Clear Creek County but remember Jeffco has a bolt approval process (I think it would be the same for a fixed pin).

I may be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure Jeffco Open Space operates the entire Clear Creek open space area (regardless of County lines). The bolt restrictions are for the entire creek.

Sean McAuley wrote:I may be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure Jeffco Open Space operates the entire Clear Creek open space area (regardless of County lines). The bolt restrictions are for the entire creek.

Got on the route over the weekend for a bit. Managed to get up it without hanging on TR. Thinking about giving it a shot on lead.

If anyone has been on the route please let me know!

I sent this route on lead a couple weeks ago. Hoping more people will try it. Took the liberty of giving it a name. M7 seems about right to me but I'd really like other opinions. Here's the database entry:

Maharaja

Thanks Craghead for giving it a shot. You should go back and try the roof move! Let me know if you want a belay on it.

I submitted a fixed hardware application in May 2017, but never heard back from them. I'm thinking I'd still like to bolt it since climbing the route on gear is not ideal and I think more people will try it with bolts. Thoughts? Will try to get in touch with Jeffco and see if I can get a bolting permit for the route. Again, anyone with previous FA info please let me know. One time when I was at the route I spoke to dude from Golden Mountain Guides about it. He said he'd seen people TRing it before but never a lead.

It still needs to clean up a little bit but I think any loose rock is gone for the most part. Hoping more people will try the route! Cheers.

Nice work on the send John! Personally, I think that this route would be spicy as a trad mixed lead, but then again, I am not leading M7 right now, bolts or no bolts. I guess it's your call whether or not you want to go through with trying to get the approval to bolt the route. The left side might be feasible with gear, but I would much rather trust a new bolt to the fixed pins in the roof section of the main line.

On another note, and not to try to hijack this thread, but anyone with info on the bolted mixed line to the left of the second pitch of Mickey's, please speak up. I would love to see this route entered into MP since it is a distinct drytooling/mixed line separate from the ice pitch.

Wow I had no idea there was a bolted dry route up there. What's it like? I'll be checking it out soon!

John Alcorn wrote:

Wow I had no idea there was a bolted dry route up there. What's it like? I'll be checking it out soon!

I want to say it's about M4 or 5 and like 4 bolts. Pretty big holds with good rests on the lower part and a short slab section on top with very few good holds until the chains. I have only played around on it and have not led it yet. It looked like in the past it may have had more ice on it or at least a thin coating of ice on top which might make the top section easier. Anchors look like homemade hangers.