Dow Williams - Sep 17, 2020 3:47 pm Date Climbed: Sep 5, 2020
Center Route, 5.9+, 3 Pitches
With Liba. I led all three pitches. Outstanding climb for the grade, as mentioned, one of the best 5.9 trad climbs in CO. My notes:
1st Pitch- 110’-5.9/ Excellent warm up pitch to the sustained 2nd pitch. Start up a perfect finger corner in the alcove. Traverse up and right to the right facing flake finger crack with hand pockets here and there. Climb it right to left as it forms the main corner of this climb, left facing, and opposed to the massive right facing corner. The 2nd half of this first pitch eases off to a small slung rock that you traverse left around and up to a chimney like shaded (before noon) stance for a small gear belay.
2nd Pitch- 105’-5.9+/ Climb the steep and twin crack deep corner with a small amount of chimney start. As the cracks merge into one, you climb over a bulge, what some think is the crux, but quite positive hands. Continue up the corner to another crux section where it widens just a bit pass an ancient hanger (2020) out right, the only fixed hardware on the route, and not needed. Mantle up into the base of a much tighter short chimney section. You can belay here without hanging (and often in shade). Medium to large gear belay.
3rd Pitch- 75’-5.9/ I led all three pitches, and both of my partners this day felt the start of this pitch was the crux of the climb. But for more experienced off-width climbers, this last pitch is similar in difficulty to the first pitch. Chimney and OW up the short wide section with a hand splitter on the left wall (variation). Continue up the wide and mantel up on top of the summit shoulder and fixed rap chains (2020).
Two double 60m rope raps to the ground, on a route skiers left of the route or rap on the next route skiers left with a single 70m rope.
Single 70m rope or double 60m ropes. Single from micro to #3. Doubles from #.75 to #3. A few off set cams or set of wires. Mix of slings and draws. Route can be quite warm due to full southern exposure, but the 1st and 2nd belay and 2nd pitch climbing remains shaded until afternoon in early September.
Dow Williams - Sep 17, 2020 3:47 pm Date Climbed: Sep 5, 2020
Center Route, 5.9+, 3 PitchesWith Liba. I led all three pitches. Outstanding climb for the grade, as mentioned, one of the best 5.9 trad climbs in CO. My notes:
1st Pitch- 110’-5.9/ Excellent warm up pitch to the sustained 2nd pitch. Start up a perfect finger corner in the alcove. Traverse up and right to the right facing flake finger crack with hand pockets here and there. Climb it right to left as it forms the main corner of this climb, left facing, and opposed to the massive right facing corner. The 2nd half of this first pitch eases off to a small slung rock that you traverse left around and up to a chimney like shaded (before noon) stance for a small gear belay.
2nd Pitch- 105’-5.9+/ Climb the steep and twin crack deep corner with a small amount of chimney start. As the cracks merge into one, you climb over a bulge, what some think is the crux, but quite positive hands. Continue up the corner to another crux section where it widens just a bit pass an ancient hanger (2020) out right, the only fixed hardware on the route, and not needed. Mantle up into the base of a much tighter short chimney section. You can belay here without hanging (and often in shade). Medium to large gear belay.
3rd Pitch- 75’-5.9/ I led all three pitches, and both of my partners this day felt the start of this pitch was the crux of the climb. But for more experienced off-width climbers, this last pitch is similar in difficulty to the first pitch. Chimney and OW up the short wide section with a hand splitter on the left wall (variation). Continue up the wide and mantel up on top of the summit shoulder and fixed rap chains (2020).
Two double 60m rope raps to the ground, on a route skiers left of the route or rap on the next route skiers left with a single 70m rope.
Single 70m rope or double 60m ropes. Single from micro to #3. Doubles from #.75 to #3. A few off set cams or set of wires. Mix of slings and draws. Route can be quite warm due to full southern exposure, but the 1st and 2nd belay and 2nd pitch climbing remains shaded until afternoon in early September.