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Grug
Trad climber
Golden, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 20, 2006 - 01:51pm PT
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PR. I have to tell you, one of the reasons rapping Roofer Madness was so exciting was that, from the top of the roof pitch, a rope will be hanging out in space some 40 feet from the wall. Actually had to down-aid the roof pitch in order to get down.
Another thing about Roofer Madness, you can ascend some ledges from the top and gain access to the climb just below the crux pitch.
P.S. The Roofer Madness buttress is north-facing and the cracks on any FA will probably require some extensive cleaning.
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Grug
Trad climber
Golden, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 20, 2006 - 02:53pm PT
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OK. Last pic. This is a view of the northern part of the Black Wall from the base of the Road Warrior Buttress. Rusty Dagger goes up the orange-colored rock on the left of the photo. Parallel Universe is to the right of that. On the far right (not easy to make out the lines) are Coffee Achievers (love that name) and Espresso (derivative).
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Grug
Trad climber
Golden, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 20, 2006 - 03:19pm PT
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Zardoz. It is actually with some trepidation that I started this thread, and I'll probably get some sh#t from a couple of my friends. This area has felt like my own personal playground for a long while now. But, I figure after 15 years of doing those FAs with no formal writeups or topos, and the fact that the Black Wall still sees hardly any traffic, it's time to let some others in on this fantastic climbing area.
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Andy D
Trad climber
Colorado
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Jun 20, 2006 - 03:22pm PT
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Just to fill in the blanks, Cameron Tague and I tried Rusty Dagger back in '98, and freed all but the last pitch at 12a. On the last pitch (my lead) I had to hang a couple of times but its probably 12-, just a bit damp, slimy and wide (as were the previous 2 pitches. The anchors were sufficient. Rack: rps up to camalot 5.
The real excitement came about 4 feet below the summit, after all the difficulties were behind. I mindlessly pulled up on a huge flake, which cut loose with me following. Ended up dangling back below the top roof with what turned out to be a broken trocantor major (top bit of the femur). Managed to frig my way back up to the top, but Ive never had the urge to return and clean up.
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flamer
Trad climber
denver
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Jun 20, 2006 - 07:41pm PT
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Grug,
No worries RW just isn't the easiest route to fing partners for...I might be up for RM though, let me know when you have some time.
Andy...last I heard the anchors on RD where a bad mix of old bolts and leeper hangers? I've check the top anchor and planned to replace it for sure. So what did you see for the anchors? Thanks for the info on Freeing RD!!
josh
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
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Jun 20, 2006 - 07:45pm PT
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Josh-
try Clint Dillard. He's due for a rematch.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Jun 20, 2006 - 11:29pm PT
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I agree with Zardoz about us just wippin' out the goods and sharing here in the forum.
BVB said essentialy, with regard to posting about Gran Trono: "hey it's an open source forum, bust with the info".
Sure, we have lurkers, but I think there are not that many of us and the campfire analogy fits. When the stuff drops from the page, its pretty much gone, and we will be soon enough gone too so let's share now (except I bookmark all the tasty stuff and save entire threads to CD).
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Phantom Fugitive
Trad climber
Misery
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Jun 21, 2006 - 12:07am PT
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grug-
I once spent a summer running, bouldering, and climbing at least two days a week on Evans. Funny though, I never climbed on Black Wall. I really wanted to find the cherry unplucked line, but never was satisfied with what I found.
I contacted everyone I could about routes in the chicago lakes basin. Even talked to the ranger who had been climbing there for 20+ yrs on Mt Evans as well. Decided on a few lines on Mt. Warren(just across from Black Wall). It summits around 13,000, and on it's west flank has a few lines that were worth it, and some fun cragging up high.
Here's the approach:
Looking across at Black Wall:
First Pitch of 9 pitch 5.9 called Wild At Heart (Paul Chambers climbing):
Up higher on same route:
It is a fun place to play, but the logistics can be a bit more obnoxious than the user friendly Black Wall.
One Route in particular was really great- a crack line above the second Chicago Lake- 6 pitches with the fun bit a sustained 10+ corner on a pronounced buttress.
-P to the F
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Grug
Trad climber
Golden, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 21, 2006 - 09:53am PT
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So we got a (nearly) free ascent of Rusty Dagger - good job! I figured there had to be some activity up there through all of these years. I wonder about the other obvious lines, like Cannonball Corner and Cary Granite...since they weren't written up, surly somebody must have done them - maybe even thought they had a FA?
I've done a little climbing at those cliffs above Chicago Lakes PF. Didn't realize there was anything that good there.
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Phantom Fugitive
Trad climber
Misery
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Jun 21, 2006 - 10:26am PT
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Grug-
Certainly nothing better than Black Wall. It was much exploring before finding something worth roping up for.
Rusty Dagger was on my "to do" list before moving back east. Never got to it...
Do you know of anytyhing on the east facing white pillar around the cirque from Black Wall? I always thought that looked promising, but never went to the base.
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Grug
Trad climber
Golden, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 21, 2006 - 10:30am PT
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East-facing white pillar? I'm not tracking. Is is north or south of the Black Wall? The Black Wall pretty much faces due east.
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Phantom Fugitive
Trad climber
Misery
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Jun 21, 2006 - 10:34am PT
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It is west of the B Wall, climbers right. If you were to walk up from the p lot and look over the basin, you'd be looking straight at it.
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Grug
Trad climber
Golden, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 21, 2006 - 10:39am PT
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OK sure. Overall, it's rather broken, but it does appear that you could do some one to two pitch routes on some of the more compact sections. Last year, I hiked over there from the valley to do some recon. I actually broght a pencil and paper and drew up some of the more promising lines. There's no sign of activity there.
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Phantom Fugitive
Trad climber
Misery
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Jun 21, 2006 - 10:45am PT
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Cool!
There really isn't any other place with simpler access at it's altitude. I was always surprised to have it to myself.
Fantastic photos! Thanks for posting them.
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Andy D
Trad climber
Colorado
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Jun 21, 2006 - 12:22pm PT
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Josh
I dont recall the anchors being an issue. Most of the belays we built ourselves - there may not have been anything fixed. I remember thinking that the top pitch could do with some cleaning - theres some nasty stacked blocks under the top roofs. Have a blast
Andy
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Grug
Trad climber
Golden, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 21, 2006 - 12:47pm PT
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A little story about Roofer Madness. It ended up taking something like 4-5 attempts before finally completing the FA (unlike Cary Granite, Espresso, and Cannonball Corner which went on the first try). I tried it I think 3 times with Clare Dunning. Basically, we kept getting rained off. On the last attempt with Clare, I had just freed the crux roof pitch and while Clare was following, it began raining. By the time Clare got up, it was pouring with lightening crashing all around us. From that exposed belay, there’s no way that you can rap straight off, as your rope is some 40 feet from the wall, hanging out in space. Luckily for me, I elected to down-aid the thing, which immediately got me out of the rain. Poor Clare got soaked. The conditions were surreal with the lightening and thunder. I remember feeling absolutely exhilarated – the fact that we failed didn’t matter.
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Kevster
Trad climber
Evergreen, CO
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Jun 21, 2006 - 02:12pm PT
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Hey Flamer (Josh W?) I might be able to get out on Sunday for a run up RW, always looking to improve my OW skills. Send me an email if you want to try and get up there. Also good job on the Black linkup...sounds like someone else had got to my stashed H2O on Pigeon?
I remember that the anchors at the top of Rusty Dagger were a bit wierd, but I don't remember why. Looks like a cool line though, I have some ASCA hardware that I would contribute to a replacement effort.
The line I was scoping was to the right of RD, a pewter colored left facing corner which looked steep and clean down low and wide and nasty up high. Know the one I am talking about Grug?
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Grug
Trad climber
Golden, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 21, 2006 - 02:27pm PT
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I would assume the line is visible in my post that starts off "OK last pic". Basically, the general vicinity but maybe not actual line of Parallel Universe, I'm thinking.
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Kevster
Trad climber
Evergreen, CO
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Jun 21, 2006 - 04:44pm PT
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Yea, I am thinking that is it to the right of the black streaks and left og the big roofs. The bottom 1/2 of the route was much more distinctive than the top if I remember. I guess I better just shut up and go check it out! :)
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flamer
Trad climber
denver
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Jun 21, 2006 - 06:11pm PT
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Kevster,
I'm in for sunday. But I'm not The Josh you're thinking I am. Not even close!!
I hiked out the crags just North? of the Black wall last summer with some Bino's. I picked out a couple of lines that looked quite promising. In fact there is also a face below that that looks as if a few 1-2 pitch routes would go and be quite good. Some of that area reminds me of the infamous "hot pocket" in RMNP...which is still super secret and a wicked good place to tune up for high altitude hard rock.
josh
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