Doug and I made the most of one of the last nice weather weekends of 2020. A nice highlight to an abysmal year, we really enjoyed Beyond Redlining, an 11 pitch, 510+ climb. Coincidently, another set of friends decided they wanted in on the action too. There was even a third-party that showed up to climb the route. Also there with two other parties on the route the right of us (Mile High Club, and descent route), it made it a busy weekend, especially with one of the parties on MHC getting injured.

If you took away three of the early pitches this would be a four-star classic route. The many cruxes along the route were very thought-provoking and put you off balance each time. The route is also completely bolted along with being quite long. I ended up getting the odd number pictures, that meant I had more and slightly harder cruxes, and somehow Doug ended up with the money pitch: P6. The last crux was very memorable with super dicey face climbing that barely seemed possible. Also after rappelling MHC, I can’t wait to climb that route. It will be a while before I get the chance though. Less than a week later after the climb I severely broke a finger at work and will be out for sometime. Now, please go away quietly 2020.

All the more precious is each weekend.

A great adventure, with amazing friends, to unfamiliar places, my first trip of retirement was spectacular!

I had just sent my mixed project, retired from my 30+year career, then split to Montana to try a big route (Montana Centennial Route) that my friend Jess Roskelley had recommended to me. A difficult, higher altitude route, we would need to acclimate to the rarer air and rugged nature of the Montana Rockies climbing. What unfolded was one of my favorite trips for the year, and ended up with dozens of micro-stories.

MCR day 1: 9 mile approach to camp at Elbow Lake

MCR day 2:First mistake: Off route p1, and later p10. Next up, we continued up with the threat of thunderstorms, and had a 2+ hour rain squall hit 1 pitch below the summit. To top that off, we didn’t take the time to find the raps, and took the wrong way down. For me, the place had e-p-i-c written all over it.

It also had some real fun, tough climbing on it! The Hooven Leo variation was the start we elected to try. I kept trying to cut right at the beginning chimney, but should have stayed patient, and went higher up to the obvious right hand exit. the rest of that variation was great, and when we joined the regular route, the extreme fun continued. The crux was wild!! A 10+ overhang stared off wet, then went wild into the 11b crazy crux. I got it clean(no falls), but was surprised to do so. Then there are some run-out prows, and another wild 10+ hand crack, before it backs off for the last 2 (still wild!) pitches. I also got off route at p10 and did a couple of aid moves instead of going right.
MCR day 3: 9 mile deproach.

A full value route, sustained difficulty, MCR is a highly recommended adventure for the expert trad alpine climber. Steph’s report pretty much lays it all out. The pitch numbers are confusing with the 2 starts. Thanks to Sterling Ropes again, for making such great products that help us up these crazy climbs!! Thanks as well to Lane, Jenn, Ben, Bekah, Rustin, Kristen, and all of the nice locals I met.

8-2 Lost Horse Canyon, Mountaineers rt 3p 10b+1 10c tr

8-3 Gallatin Canyon, Black Line 10b+10c tr stout, old school

8-5 Montana Centennial Route, Einie Butt. IV+-5-11b-a1 w/Lane

8,7-8 Refrigerator Canyon, Warm up Wall 8p to 11b/c Sweeeet limestone climbing with good friends.

James and I had a rather intense 19 hour day going after another second ascent in the Washington Pass area.

I must divide the experience into two categories to tell the story.

One category would be the amazing climbing and setting of this astounding climb! 8 of the 9 pitches we did were fantastic! P3, 5, 6 and 9 are particularly interesting. We added the 4 bolts recommended by the FA team too!

The other category would be the sheer terror of the 4th pitch loose rock section that came with a warning in the first ascent report. I felt grateful to survive pulling on the large loose blocks with nothing solid to step on either. Also, unique to our trip, was a horrible descent down to reach our packs at the base. 6 hours down a vast and terrible gully with 10 rappels on tiny trees. Did we take the wrong way down the right hand of the 2 gullies?? No help having contrary descent beta between the AAI FA Report and the Herrington Cascade Climbs descent beta.

Q: Ok, what’s up with the VS in the rating?

A: Very Serious is an additional rating I am using to describe a part of a climb that is or has a very serious section along the way. I rarely, if ever invoke such concepts into an already serious pursuit. The “Kitty Litter”  pitch #4 on this climb is full-on terror for 30 feet! If the 30 feet of this route disappeared, it would be a fantastic addition to the hard core list of routes at WA Pass for sure. Unless it was turned into a safe lead or via ferrata, we, the second ascent team, would not support this rock climb being offered as a “Select” climb in any list or book.

We did do our part in making this climb better by adding 4 bolts to the finish pitches. This made the finish downright fun.

Beta tweeks that vary from other reports: p2 is easier than p3 for sure. P3 is pumpy, and a damn crazy pitch! P6: don’t keep going up the finish dihedral, instead, step right around the prow to the low belay after 20 meters. Easily combine p6,7 and belay at my first bolt? watch for rope drag is all, or P7 is really short traverse right, a little then up to the exposed ledge on the prow, where I placed the first of 4 bolts. I belayed there and backed the single bolt up with the second bolt 20 feet higher (strange tactic, but would make sense to add a second bolt to make a legit belay). I then went to the summit in a 60m lead from there, unrigging the complicated belay en-route! Hilarity for sure.

Lastly, I have no idea where the FA Team came down that awful area just West of the Half Moon, but don’t take it lightly and avoid the horrendous gullies if at all possible(see photo)

click photos to enlarge

The climbing community is exploding in numbers, but also too should be our involvement in the infrastructure and our influence. I spend most of my time pursuing my own agenda and pushed on by my “tick list”. I do try to get involved through a couple of volunteer activities, as well. Last weekend I drug Doug along into my scheme to spend Saturday working (still ongoing and needing help)on the eroded base of a prize crag in Mazama. He was promised a few pitches that day. However, he got so into the work, that we came back to task again moving huge rocks to the wall. This time we got to work with Big Givers themselves; Bryan B., Mark A, Lowell S, Jeff T, and many others. Somehow Bryan and I hadn’t met prior, but quickly formed our mutual admiration party.

For Sunday, Doug was promised a run at Bryans impressive route on South Early Winter Spires, S.E. route called: the Passenger.  In perfect weather, up at 4:30 am, we began the long day of hiking up and doing its 8 great pitches. So many memorable moves on this climb, starting with p1s undercling. Right away getting you into tricky moves, I was able to figure out the double undercling again on p2. This left Doug with the sustained p3 and its tough move at its end. I did the crux p4 in the same style falling on the 5.11 friction and aiding the 12 boulder problem. Added bolts on the 10d block mantle make the following pitch less dangerous. Further up, the spicy 5.9 section is a bit  pg rated? The rest of the climb was fun including the direct finish! The place was almost deserted too.

It was my second go at the route and I was able to eliminate a point of aid for myself and great to not have to lead all pitches too!.

Thanks to Doug, Mark, work crews making our crags better, Sterling Ropes, WCC, and the AAC for putting together this awesome weekend!

Stephs reports:

My prior ascent:

click to enlarge photos

“Does climbing ever get anything less than terrifying?” Asked Eric, a local who was doing Yellow Spur on follow for his first outdoor climb ever.

” I wish I could say it does, but isn’t that the sweet spot between abject terror, and fun/excitement? I dont go on the kiddy rides at the amusement park.” I offered.

“I do, ”  said my belay sharer.

“Well, the Spinning Teacups are pretty bad-assed too” I mused.

That, and my vacation itinerary included some of the most astounding climbing I could have imagined. I hope all of Colorado climbing isn’t this sandbagged. I hope Lane and I did a half dozen of the most underrated(in terms of difficulty) climbs in the state!

Of course I have gotten used to the wild grade fluctuations in my hometown paradise crag called Index. I think that just because the Colorado and Index scene grew so fast and spectacularly in their respective histories, limits didn’t seem to apply. It was purely creative and subject to the artists own interpretation. Also, there were some incredible climbers back then, as there is now. They did the same terrifying stunts with shittier gear.

About half of our experiences felt like a scene in a movie starting right off the bat.

Itinerary:

Friday 8-10-18 Arrive at Sea-tac just as a plane is hijacked and flown to its dark conclusion. 

8-11-18 Arrive DIA at 4 am, sleep in car until too hot. Shop and drive to Estes Park

8-12-18 Lumpy link-up 6p 10c w/lane Loose Ends, Visual Aids, Loose Ends, Cheap Date, Outlander, All outstanding pitches!!

8-13-18 S.Face Petit Grepon 6p 5.8+ Deserving classic.

8-16 : 4am, Lanes back goes out while getting ready for the Diamond. Rest at high camp.

8-17-18 Casual Route, Wrong (Fields Chimney )start, Longs Peak 12p 5.10a/d.

Things went bad for us several times during this climb, some not easy to talk about, as we are supposed to be a savvy, and experienced climbers. Lanes spinal issues improve, but near the top of the ice(at the wrong start), he slipped and went down about 80 feet before hitting the scree below. He lost large chunks of skin on his thumb, shredding his clothes, and beating himself up in general. I was shocked to find that he wanted to continue. I threw him a rope, and he mini-traxed himself up the rope. Another party came up on our off route line, and had a worse slide down than Lane!! They too were wanting to continue behind us(The wrong way up  the Fields Chimney). I threw a rope to the traumatized moths headed to the next flame. I’ll let mt. project do the talking about the chimney experience that leads to the base of the Casual Route.

Perhaps the opposite of Casual, this steep, amazing line made me impressed with it’s climbing and all of the many parties that compete for its chains each day of the very short 6 week season. We got behind one party and barely in front of another. After enjoying the sweet climbing, we reached the last pitch just the lightning, rain and hail storm hit. I raced across the vertical traverse as it picked up, making it across just as water, and hail poured down the face. Poor Lane lost a few slings following, pulling a back rope through the fixed gear. His self preservation, and years of experience paying off again.

8-18-18 Cosmosis, Boulder Canyon 10a/d Stout, fun!!

8-19-18 Yellow Spur,  Redgarden Wall, Eldorado 6p 5.9+/5.10c Some of the most amazing climbing I have done. Enjoy some pics, some are from Lane, thanks.