Day five On this day, we walked back into Black Velvet Canyon. I had daydreamed in Tokyo about taking a run at Epinephrine, but the fact is I'm just not fast enough yet to climb a route that size in a day. So, "How about A Dream of Wild Turkeys (5.10a)," says Cody. Well, yeah - my helmet and I could be persuaded... Above is the walk in. The Black Velvet Wall is the dark area of rock in the lower center of the left-hand formation. The bottom portion of the wall is not visible in this shot because of an intervening rise, but I think the shot below gives the full effect. |
To give you an idea of the scale, most people rap down from the large ledge at the top of pitch 7 (arrow). This is also the top of the adjoining route, Prince of Darkness (5.10b), which the the Supertopo guide calls 1,200 feet high (about 370 meters). Sizable. We followed custom and rapped after seven pitches, but the book says the fine climbing continues above. So I guess I have a date to go back. Not to mention the fact that Chris and Jim were climbing next to us on Prince of Darkness, which looks to be another stellar route. Add that one to the list as well. |
Here I am, following the second pitch of Turkeys. The ground already looks way down there! |
The route features gear pitches up to 5.9, and bolted slab and face up to 5.10a. Not horrifying, but definitely enough to hold my attention. Here's me on a belay anchor partway up. The look on my face says, "What country am I in again - and by the way, what the heck am I doing up here?" |
Once again, Cody had my camera for a lot of this route, so I don't have many pictures of him. Next time, I'll try to make sure both of us carry cameras for the longer routes. (Hey Cody, how about following your idea and duct-taping some webbing onto one of those disposables...?) For perspective, the shot to the right is taken across at Jim, belaying on Prince of Darkness. I think the shot makes their route look a bit steeper than reality, but it's still pretty damn steep. Although not really visible in this shot, Jim came equipped with big wall knee pads, and you can see that his shoes are off. That or a butt bag looks like a good idea for all the semi-hanging belays on P of D. |
Here's me again on the left, leading the bolted traverse on pitch 5. And below, following one of the upper pitches - probably pitch 6. Oooooh, now that's airy! |
Cody gets out of dodge... |
...And Cody and Chris - happy campers back at the base. |
Day six With Chris' elbows and tips hurting, and Cody wanting to gather resources for a shot at a hard sport redpoint, they both took the day off. Meanwhile, two friends of Jim's had driven up from Arizona and were eager to do some climbing. They were Janet and Chris (a different Chris - Janet's fiancee and an optical engineer). Janet was set on celebrating her birthday with a climb up Geronimo (5.7), and Jim and I were lucky to have the chance to play ropegun for two very pleasant, competent companions. We climbed as two separate teams of two - Jim with Janet and me with Chris - and paired our ropes for the rappels. |
This shot across at Juniper Creek Canyon, location of Geronimo, was actually taken the following day, with a slight ovecast. On Janet's birthday, we had perfect weather. Sunglasses and sunscreen were the order of the day. |
The guidebook calls Geronimo five pitches, but with 60 meter ropes, the third pitch (50 feet of 5.3 scrambling) can be run on from pitch 2. On the left, Chris cruises guidebook pitch 4 (our third pitch). |
Jim on top of Geronimo. |
Day seven Cody and Jim headed for the sport routes. Chris and I found out later that Cody sent Sweet Pain, for his first 5.12 redpoint. Way to go Cody!! Meanwhile, Chris and I were headed for altitude. The Supertopo guidebook calls Crimson Chrysalis the best 5.8 at Red Rocks. Well, yeah, guess I'd like to climb that... Chris was willing, and off we went. |
But is wasn't quite as simple as that - Chris was a man with a plan. From experience, he knew that the best way to climb Crimson is to be first in the line of parties that gun for it on any good weather day. When the loop road gate swung open at 5:45, we were the third car in line, bags packed and bottles filled. By the time we reached the Pine Creek parking lot, we were first. (Chris was driving Cody's F150. In Tokyo, we drive on the opposite side - I kept my eyes shut.) Jump out, throw on the packs and bolt. The next car was pulling in as we cinched our hip belts, but with the pace Chris set on the approach trail, I was following the first pitch by the time they reached the base. The Cloud Tower is the column of beige rock in the center of the photo to the left, with its lower section split in half by a visible groove, and its upper three pitches turning deep red and then dark brown in color. Crimson Chrysalis follows the right hand side of the groove on plentiful crack and face holds, then tracks straight up the Tower to the summit (arrow). Nine pitches of gear and bolts. 1,000 feet (305 meters). |
And Chris and Janet on top. Happy birthday, Janet! |
Here's me (and my helmet), casting off on lead on (I think) pitch 2. |
A close up of Chris at one of the mid-level belays. |
And Chris again, comfortable on the lead somewhere in the middle pitches. |
"Stop screwin' around with that camera and get your butt up here," says Chris. "It's your turn to lead!" |
Here's me again, following the final pitch. Can you say, "exposure?" |
... And on top, with the Rainbow Wall as my backdrop. Pretty freakin' SWEEEEEET!! And Chris, master rope handler, got us down the famously rope-eating raps without a single hangup. On the final rappel (from the second belay to a stance twenty feet off the deck, with easy downclimbing to the ground), he pulled the full length of one of our 60 meter twin ropes without a single touch on the cliff. I watched a giant sine-wave roll up the full length of the cord and flip the end cleanly off into space. Damn, I want to learn to do that! |
Day eight A final day of sport climbing concluded one of the best climbing trips of my career to date. We headed for the second pullout and started at the Stone Wall, then moved to the Wall of Confusion. I don't know the names of all the routes that I did, because they're not in my guidebook (which truthfully is Cody's old one, which he gave to me - thanks Cody!!). I'll need to invest in a new one, one of these days. |
Here I am on a 5.10d that may be Haunted Hooks (or maybe the one on the other side of Rotohammer, that I don't have a name for). This is the only pitch of the whole trip for which I forgot my helmet. Sorry, Mom - but it's a neat picture, isn't it? |
And here again on Rotohammer (5.10c), with helmet firmly back in place. My belayer is a guy named Jeff who we met in the parking lot, looking for partners. Based on what he said, you can look for his name as an assistant editor of Outside Magazine's most recent gear guide issue. Hi, Jeff - it was nice climbin' with you! (I also got on another 5.10d and a 5.10b on Stone Wall (names unknown) and Runaway (5.10b) and American Sportsman (5.10c) on the Wall of Confusion. Fun stuff - I'd recommend any or all of them in a hot minute.) |
Here's a final sequence of Cody on a Red Rocks sport classic - Fear and Loathing (5.12a). |
And right there is where I ran out of film. Not much more to report. I knocked the tent down, packed up and checked into a hotel to shave and shower, hoping to avoid a cavity search by airport security the next morning. (It worked.) Then the whole gang assembled for goodbyes, margaritas and a final, glorious mexican restaurant pig-out. |
Eight straight days of climbing. 45 pitches. My helmet and I were tired. (At least I'm not visibly drooling.) |
Great company, great weather, great climbing. Hey, Cody, Chris, Jim, Cherryl, Janet and Chris (and Jeff too, if you ever see this), all I can say is: Thanks folks, it was awesome! |
Oh, and a quick postscript: The next day - back to work. As for the helmet, what can I say? It's a jungle out there. |
Red Rocks 2003 page two |
Even the cacti on the belay terraces were decked out to celebrate Janet's birthday! |
Here's Chris again, stylin' on pitch 5 (our 4). |
