April Eldorado Canyon with Dave

 

Kenton and Dave celebrate at the top of the Naked Edge

On Friday April 7, 2023 I flew to Denver to climb with Dave. It was an early morning flight which landed me at 8 AM, so we still had the full day to climb. For Friday we chose to climb The Yellow Spur (5.9+). I had been thinking I had never climbed this before, but Derek reminded me later that I climbed it with him a few years ago. We did the standard start on the right, which is now missing a key hold and has therefore turned into a bit of a highball boulder problem. Pitch 5 felt very difficult to me - above the last bolt I was climbing what felt like hard 5.10 before I began to traverse left on chossy rock up the arete. Dave finished the last pitch which was completely run-out for us.

The next day we got me back on The Naked Edge (5.11b). Although I still didn't climb it cleanly this time, Dave at least got us to the top, so I could experience the entire climb. We did Touch 'N' Go (5.9-) to start, with Dave leading pitch one and me on pitch two. P1 was fun all by itself. P2 was tricky exiting the cave.

I led P1 of The Edge. I fell three times or so, so this wasn't my best performance, having just climbed this pitch cleanly a year or so ago. Maybe I need to use the left side of the arete more at the crux move. Also it might be helpful to have a more sporty shoe for these small finger cracks - the TC Pros just can't fit in small cracks and also don't lock down on small edges quite as well.... Dave pointed out that I also made the start harder than it needed to be. Finally, I need to remember to finger jam by weighting my fingers downward rather than applying sideways pressure. 

Dave led P2; this one felt tricky coming around the wall from right to left and then especially above that in the final stretch. 

I led the P3. No way is it 5.8. The transition around the arete from left to right was totally insecure and poorly protected: there are no feet, and a fall would lead to a big swing back left. I belayed in the valley/alcove on some static lines wrapped around a large horn and with a cam as a backup.

Dave led P4. Stemming and very small finger jams. A high right foot allows you to work your way up into the chimney. There is a fixed nut above your head when leaning out from the chimney. To escape the chimney, reach out right and find some slopey but positive holds and work your feet out right. 

Dave also led P5. The move at the start wasn't too bad: you finger jam the left hand and traverse far right to some jugs. Carefully work your way up and over a small ledge, then you end up in an overhanging hand and fist crack. This crack destroyed me. I probably fell five times here before I managed to work my way through what I felt was the crux. It was difficult to do straight-in hand jam technique, because the feet really weren't there for this. Instead after moving up a short ways I turned it into a lieback with feet smearing on the left wall. This was a major grunt fest. 

I finished us up the slab to the very top. We could have escaped to the right earlier but ended up going all the way to the peak of this formation. Then we downclimbed a bit to skier's left to the East Slabs descent. We kinda fumbled the slabs descent. We didn't go to skier's left early enough and ended up sliding and rappelling down some fixed lines that were in place for some SAR training. Next time I'd like to get better beta for this descent or to have it dialed in.

On Sunday we went sport climbing on the backside of The Slab in the The Flatirons. I did five routes with Dave but only led the first and last myself.

Hippopotamus (5.11a) - Steep and sequency. Fingers got cold on the rock.

Sick For Sleeping (5.11b/c) - Was thin holds and jugs interspersed, the key jugs at the top were all wet.

Shalohsh (5.12-) - Not too bad until the last five moves or so, then it really kicks it up a notch. After moving onto the big underling, match on the rail up and right, get a high left foot, then reach up and left onto the other wall to find two small holds to finish off with.

Film Noir (5.12c) - Couldn't do the crux, I was just too short. I pulled on a draw to move through this face. The rest of the climb was crimpy and fun. I missed a big jug rail out left near the top and fell here too.

Prime the Pump P1 (5.11c) - Juggy and relatively easy, but I was tired by now and wasted a lot of energy fixing a back-clip on the 2nd draw above the ledge. So, I slipped after pumping out and fell near this draw, scraping my ankle on the ledge below. I finished easily after that. Dave climbed both this pitch and the second pitch above in one long pitch.