Since I moved to the front range 2 years ago, I've learned that good climbing whether it be trad, sport, alpine, etc can be had every month of the year here. With 300 days of sunshine and objectives ranging from hard bouldering all the way to long technical routes on 14'000 ft. peaks, you're guaranteed to have many top notch outings in the vertical world. And as much I enjoy trad climbing in the world famous eldorado canyon or scrambling up east faces in the flatirons on sunny 70 degree days, NOTHING is more rewarding than a long challenging day in the high alpine. It is my absolute passion. The sole reason I relocated from the debilitating smog of Los Angeles. According to a few local guys who've climbed this range up and down for 20+ years, this fall season has yielded the best high country ice conditions in the past decade. I've only had one other fall/winter ice season while living here and this years has put last years to shame so far. I guess some good things can come from catastrophic flooding... If you climb ice, that is.
I figure I'll make this first post a recap of the past month or so of climbing so it'll probably be a bit lengthy. It's been a fantastic fall season thus far and one where I have really been trying to push myself to climb harder in the mountains. Routes that I wouldn't have dared lead a year ago suddenly seem within reach, as long as my head stays clear while on the sharp end. Climbing long technical routes on big mountains is about as committing as climbing can get. Factor in long approach hikes, generally unstable weather, sometimes dicey protection with more run outs, and complex descents, and you have yourself a big task ahead. I still cannot fathom what it's like doing this in one of the worlds greater ranges and I also cannot wait to find out. Constantly being on edge while climbing hard mixed terrain is extremely mentally draining yet it can evoke pure bliss at the same time. That feeling of anxiety induced bliss is what constantly reassures me that I truly love the sport and I'm not wasting my time. It's mostly a mental game, and one that I've slowly been strengthening, but while maintaining a healthy sense of fear and humility. The reward and feeling of accomplishment is always more than worth it. Most importantly though, the views and pristine beauty are unmatched, and thats the number one reason I climb.
Despite the horrible recent floods that plagued the front range, the long period of rain worked wonders up high. Legendary ice climbs that I've only read about and never seen have been forming up to be nice and fat. Most notably the Smear of Fear that forms on the lower east face of longs peak. Although the grade (WI5 M6 R) is pretty serious and intimidating for an intermediate climber like myself, hearing about the current condition of the climb had me ecstatic to give it a go. However, after some serious thought I figured it was best to start on something a little easier like Alexanders Chimney, THE classic ice and mixed route on longs peak. If smear of fear was in great shape that could only mean alexanders ice was in FAT. Figuring everyone else in the front range would be on alexanders, I started out by heading down to Pikes Peak to climb the super classic route "total abandon" on the north face.
TOTAL ABANDON
The 12 dollar a person fee to drive up the pikes peak road seems awfully excessive. I'm hiding in the trunk next time and then 6 bucks a person isn't so bad. After paying the stupid fee, Steve and I continued up 16 miles of scenic road along golden aspen groves with sweeping views of pikes rugged north face and did the short traversing approach to the base of the climb. I was excited/nervous to lead the crux pitch which is graded WI4+ M6. The M6 part scared me. I try not to overanalyze grades too much and end up going into the climb expecting something way too specific. Too many times i'll end up finding something far different than the grade suggests. Alpine conditions can be extremely fickle. I hadn't lead anything harder than M4 at the time but Steve had climbed it a few times before and said it wasn't too bad. He was keen on my ability to lead it, so I agreed. Steve took the first lead up a fun and easy mixed pitch with some decent ice on it. A great warm up. The kind of terrain you want to climb all day in the mountains. The second pitch was the crux: A vertical icefall in a chimney with a tough mixed move around an overhanging chokestone(the part I was nervous about) at the top. I arrived at the belay eager to get on lead. The pitch was an absolute blast. Once you're on the ice you have a nice rock wall against your back so you feel super secure as you swing and kick your way up, and the protection is decent enough. I made my way up the ice and passed the chokestone with minimal struggle and let out a yell of satisfaction. This pitch was proof to me that I am capable of leading harder stuff than my head allows me to. Although the the M6 felt more like M4 or M5. Whatever, grades are grades. The climbing was stellar and thats all that matters. More low angled ice took me to the base of a second funky rock crux. This one was in fact a little harder than the first one involving pulling around a small ice dagger frozen to the rock with barely anything positive for your feet. I built the belay directly above it, took steve up and he continued over one last chokestone, which again ended up being spicy, and up a snow gully where we traversed off. GREAT route, although I wish it was longer.
Arriving at the top of the first pitch.
Mid Crux
Looking down the second crux and Steve arriving at the belay
Pulling over the final chokestone
FIELDS CHIMNEY
My good friend Ryan and I awoke at the ungodly hour of 2:30am(still too late for a day trip to longs! Leave the house by 2) to make the hour long drive to the longs peak trailhead followed by the awful, grueling 4.5 mile hike into the cirque. This is my least favorite approach hike I've ever done. And I'm sure most will agree. Thats probably because its all uphill and 90% of the time I'm doing the hike in the dark, half asleep, and after getting only 2-4 hours of sleep. As soon as we arrived at the trailhead we noticed several other cars parked. We dreaded seeing a line of parties waiting to climb alexanders chimney, but we had a few back up objectives just in case, both of which I was a little nervous about, one of them being the smear of fear. Finally after 2.5 hours of tedious hiking we arrived at chasm lake right as the first rays of light were illuminating the diamond on longs. NOW I was excited and remembered why early wake ups are worth it. After skirting chasm lake, which still wasn't frozen, and scrambling up the boulder field we noticed a party of 3 ahead of us at the base of alexanders chimney. We threw our packs down and grabbed a quick bite and drink hoping they would be quick up the first pitch. After 20 minutes and no progress on their end we decided on Fields Chimney instead, but first we stopped by the smear of fear to give it a look up close. Once at the base of the smear we realized the first 40 or so feet of climbing would have been completely unprotected. NOPE! Maybe some other time or maybe never. I'm not ready and may never be ready to "solo" inch and a half thick ice up a slab with no gear. Balls aren't quite Mark Twight size. The name smear of fear suddenly made so much sense. The ice above the initial 40 feet looked amazing, though.
Sunrise on the diamond and Ryan approaching the smear of fear
Finally we started up fields chimney in the warmth of the sun. I started up the first pitch which was fairly easy mixed snow covered rock. After a few awkward bulges I built a belay with 2 ok pitons and a bomber #3 cam. Ryan took the next pitch, but figured he didn't need the ice screws since we didn't see any ice thick enough on the first pitch. once above the first rock step he realized the direct line was covered in fat blue ice, but since he left the screws with me he went up and left towards a variant of the regular route. It was an awkward upward traversing pitch with a few insecure moves. Decently protected though. He belayed me up from a hanging belay and I continued upward passed the belay. This 3rd pitch was very insecure snow covered rock with a few committing moves but the protection was all there, I just had to really look for it, sometimes digging through snow to find cracks. The ice was a mix of nice sticky white stuff as well as rotten airy crap. Slightly scary, but I loved it. Finally after belaying Ryan up, we both looked up at the crux vertical rocky chimney ahead of us along with snow that had just started falling and decided to bail. The last 2 pitches took longer than expected. It was getting late and the weather was worsening. 2 long rappels and we were hiking back to the car after a great day. I couldn't wait to come back. Oh and the absolute worst part of a day on longs peak is the hike back, even more so than the hike in. It feels infinite and just when you think you're near the parking lot you still have a mile or so to go.
Ryan starting the second pitch and at the hanging belay
Me at the start of the third pitch. Chasm lake is below
Chasm Lake on the hike back
FIELDS CHIMNEY AGAIN
2 weeks later I found myself back at fields chimney, this time as a group of 4 and with the goal of being back in boulder by 8 PM so I could finish a night shift at work. i don't recommend it. I'll keep this short since i already described the route in detail. Basically we climbed the direct variation this time and bailed again below the overhanging M6+ crux mainly because of time constraints. Steve insisted that I lead the second pitch which proved to be much harder than it looked. The difficulty caught me by surprise and gathered all my attention in an instant. It started with a fat vertical pillar of blue ice which then turned to thin airy ice and mixed rock finally ending with an overhanging chockstone that I managed to make harder than it was by climbing it with very poor technique. Good thing the move was protected with a solid cam. My biggest problem in climbing is when dynamic and gymnastic movement come into play. I fail miserably at it but am striving to improve. Anyway, the pitch was stellar and my adrenaline was flowing. Alpine bliss! Steve fiddled around with the crux move on the third pitch but we all soon realized we'd be finishing in the dark and I wouldn't be getting to work on time, so we headed down. Maybe next year i'll actually finish the route. I think I'm done with fields chimney for a while.
Gordon took this pic of 3 of us on the route from afar. Look closely. The people to the left are waiting for our obnoxiously large party to hurry up the first pitch.
Martin leads the first mixed pitch. The diamond looming above.
Me on the steeps of the second pitch
Stemming rest!
Steve starting up the third pitch. he climbed to the base of the roof above but we ended up bailing. He ended up finishing the route the following week with Gordon.
Such a stunning wall.
ALEXANDERS CHIMNEY
Another 2 weeks passed and sure enough Martin and I are doing the dreadful hike back up to longs at 4am for my 3rd time in a month. At this point I almost wished the ice would melt out so I didn't have to do the approach anymore. But the climbing is SO good up there it has a gravitational pull on me! We were pleasantly surprised to see that no one else was already on alexanders and we had the route to ourselves. The route was in amazing shape and every pitch was nothing but pure enjoyment. Never desperate, but with a little spice here and there. Great protection the whole way up and great anchors. There was so much ice on the route, the supposed dry cave crux didn't even feel like the crux because it was flowing with ice as well, making the moves much easier. We climbed the 4 pitches, rappelled off, and were back in boulder by 4:30 pm. So happy to finally have climbed this RMNP classic. It was everything I hoped it would be and more and a great route to conclude my longs peak climbing for the fall season. I'm done with that approach until summer!
The usual sunrise show at chasm lake. so ugly.
Starting the first pitch. a short mixed step.
Following the awesome WI 3 gully second pitch.
The cave "crux" didn't feel so cruxy with the ice smears coming out of the cave.
Martin popping out of the cave pitch
Since the straight month of great climbs in the alpine, I've been getting on steep ice elsewhere in the park with Steve and training in the flatirons with my main rock climbing and overall adventure parter, Marques. The Flatirons always have so much great exploring to be had and combing scrambling up east faces with trail running is a great way to work the lungs. Steve and I hiked out to Odessa gorge to climb the notorious "Hot Doggies." Put up by the climbing guru Alex Lowe years ago, it has a reputation. It was H-A-R-D, even on top rope. I'll let a few pics tell the story. Cheers until next time!
flatiron exploration
trail running through the scorched shadow canyon
high on the south devils wing. a seldom climbed flatiron
Steve crushing hot doggies
topping out
me on the spicy approach pitch to hot doggies.
shaking out at the top
