Nicaraguan Nut Butter, 5.10, 12 Pitches

Overview/Approach

By far the biggest walls found in South Platte are Big Rock Candy Mountain’s west and south faces.  Supposedly the locals compare this objective to the Diamond and/or Black Canyon of the Gunnison which is going a bit far.  However, these walls do offer committing full day climbs for sure.  Nicaraguan offers almost a 2000’ day and utilizing our finish variation, is relatively consistent at 5.9.  I say variation, but in reality, Nicaraguan’s original line only consists of the first five pitches.  The Faers published their own preferable finish from existing routes for the last six pitches for a total of 11 pitches as they laid out in the guide.  But once we achieved the “forested” ledge, the obvious finish, which we could not find published anywhere, was the beautiful looking massive right facing corner on the headwall (start pictured on the left).  We took three pitches to climb the headwall, starting in this corner.  The middle of these three pitches (pictured on the right) is where the 5.10 rating comes from.  The rest of the route is mostly 5.8-5.9.

From our camp along forest road 550 in the Buffalo Creek section of South Platte, it took a 2-hour drive.  Thirty minutes on paved roads through Deckers and 1.5hrs on dirt roads that pass Turkey Rock and continue at a slow pace from there through coveted (among jeepers) 4x4 terrain.  High clearance and low four-wheel drive are mandatory (2024) to reach Big Rock Candy Mountain without additional hiking.  The best parking location is at a camping spot directly below the short north face (where you will be rapping).  Then you continue descending the road you came in on by foot down to the river, approximately 15 minutes.  Follow the river north for about 30 minutes to reach the far-left side of the west face.  There is a decent climbers trail for most of it until near the end.  The first pitch is obvious, photo provided.

Route Description

1st Pitch- 200’-5.7/ The FA reported that you climb to the base of the “vertical crack” in 220’, but in reality, it is more like 250’ to that belay.  The 2nd pitch would be short if you did that.  It is easier, and avoids simul climbing, if you stop the first pitch on a comfortable ledge atop the initial wide chimney/crack.  Locate the obvious low angled deep seam at the far north end of the west face.  Start up the unprotected, but easy, slab on the left side and eventually start stemming across the void or even entering it until you can stem out of it and start placing your larger gear for pro.  Continue stemming to the top and belay on a ledge out left.

2nd Pitch- 125’-5.8/ Move up and left through easy off-width to reach what the FA refers to as a “hidden vertical crack”.  In reality, it is not that hidden or vertical.  Climb a chossy and vegetated wide crack running up fragile rock that eventually narrows to fists.  Belay on a ledge atop it. 

3rd Pitch- 115’-5.9/ Why the Faer calls this pitch 60’ is a mystery, it is twice that long.  Continue up to the massive roof and start placing gear in the hand and fist under-cling as you traverse right on mossy and potentially wet slab (see photo).  There is a bolt down low on the face that serves little purpose and is the only fixed hardware on the entire route that we found.  Rather stay high and traverse the slab directly rightward.  As it starts to trend downward it will more than likely be wet. You land a grassy small ledge just to the left of the next (truly hidden) pitch, which is a slightly overhanging left facing hands corner.

4th Pitch- 135’-5.9/ The FA calls this 80’ and maybe they stopped lower down but most all of their lengths are considerably off.  I led this when it was a running waterfall on most of it after a two day old heavy rain. Downclimb or tension over to the bottom of the crack, which if not out and out wet, will have tons of moss on it. Start with large gear but quickly get good fists and hands and pull the short overhang to a hand crack.  Climb trending right to avoid the worse rock, water, moss and vegetation above, but beware of several suspect blocks.  Hand rail the better blocks up to a large flake and set up a slung belay on blocks at a stance right in front of a massive chossy flake.

5th Pitch- 115’-5.9/ This is the crux pitch of the lower wall. Do not try and “scoot” on the right side of the pillar as suggested by the FA.  The rock quality is horrific.  This is not a right facing corner (as stated in the guide) you are following either, but rather a massive left facing corner.  Move back out to the corner proper and continue up the corner avoiding the moss and water drainage further left.  Enter the steep off-width on the right side of a massive protruding feature with a flake for assist on the main wall.  This flake is not long for this world.  This section is 5.9R unless you bring a #7 or #8.  We had neither but one of those sizes will protect this chimney/OW.  Stay to the outside avoiding the worst of the squeeze, utilizing the chossy flake.  Once you stand on this flake, you get decent chicken wings as the vertical aspect eases.  Belay on top at the start of a massive low angled slab in a crack that peters out.  There is a fixed rap up and to your right for another route that finishes onto the rest of this route.

6th Pitch- 150’-5.7R/ Climb the slab at the grade up and left aiming for an entry into the big gully to your left.  Make an awkward step down into this gully and continue up, trending right to find decent cracks avoiding the wetness and vegetation.  Traverse back left into the gully to belay in a small shaded alcove.  The Faers discuss climbing the main system, but it was a flowing drainage when we climbed it in September after a rain two days prior.

7th Pitch- 115’-5.8/ Scramble up through the brush to a large chockstone and pull over it on its right side at the only move at the grade on this pitch.  Continue up to belay at a tree.

8th Pitch- 220’-5.6R/ Traverse out right on the slab following the shallow foot rail indention to reach the wide crack way out right.  Follow it back up and left and hike past the first large tree against the wall on the left and belay at the next one which provides good shade.

9th Pitch- 115’-5th/ Scramble up to the massive treed ledge. 

This is where the Faers notes are a bit odd.  Any finish will not be part of this FA.  You are going to use another route regardless.  They recommend that you coil the rope and hike up 200’+ to the right and climb a 5.9RX squeeze somewhere.  However, right in front of you is an obvious corner system that offered the best climbing of the day for us, three pitches consistent with the 5.9 grade.

10th Pitch- 220’-5.9/ Climb the massive right facing corner.  In trends up and right.  There are two dead trees that have to be climbed around in this crack system.  Good crack climbing on the best rock of the day.  Belay in an alcove below a steep OW.

11th Pitch- 125’-5.10/ To the left climb the immediate OW, 5.9, and then climb the OW on the left side of the slightly chossy small tower above at the grade.  A pair of #6’s or if you brought a #7 for the 5th pitch, a #6-#7 will be helpful for this crux section.  But it takes plenty of other gear as well.  Near the top, facing left, are the few crux moves.  Once atop this pillar, follow a finger crack out right to land a decent belay ledge. 

12 Pitch- 215’- 5.8/ Climb up and move out right following cracks.  As you continue you will see twin cracks up and right. Start the left one and switch to the right one (crux) which offers great hands to the top of the formation.  There is a single bolt in the floor used to protect access to the backside raps where you can belay.

Climbing Sequence

Descent

Use the single bolt atop the route to protect downclimbing to the 1^st rap chains.  Make two single rope raps down the north face to dirt.  Hike back east to your car in 15 minutes max.  Stay kind of high at first, along the ridge, until you can see your vehicle.

Essential Gear

The Faers, in the local Fixed Pin guide which is the only published account of this route as of 2024, break down needed gear per pitch which I always find odd.  They have you taking a boatload of gear up this route, and it does take a lot but we led the whole route with a single to #6 and doubles to #3.    If I were to climb it again, I would not take any micros or wires.  I would take a #7 however to help with pitches 5 and 11 as I have laid out above.   Therefore, I recommend a single from #.3 to #7, doubles from #.5 to #3.  At least ten 60cm slings and two 120cm slings.  70m rope will help on several leads.  If you would rather go with a 60m, you can do the descent raps easy but will have to simul-climb or break up the pitches differently.  This route is rather committing with little to no fixed gear worth rapping off, therefore a 70m is always a wise choice on a 2000’ route without much development around it.  Although west facing, we started the route at 9am and did not see the sun until the top of the 5th pitch in September and then found shade for the belays the rest of the way.