New Routes Around The Roaring Fork Valley

It’s been awhile since we’ve posted up any new routes, but that doesn’t mean things have been quiet. The usual suspects have been out in force, adding new climbs to existing cliffs, and ferreting out new crags for all of us to enjoy. Here are some of the more notable additions to the local climbing scene that you can still visit, until we get buried in snow:

The Narrows

Despite being known as a summer hang, the Notch area is still climbable this late in the season, as it gets good sun until about 2pm.

1. The Health Issue, 5.11b
Climb the arete left of Chiroptophobia. Climb past three bolts to a thin crack above a block (000 TCU and/or tiny Stopper). Follow the crack (good small cams or nuts), shifting left around the arête a couple of times, clipping a lone bolt on the left side (easily visible from the base) which protects moves onto a ledge. Scramble up ledges to another bolt, clip it and move left into cracks. Follow discontinuous cracks, staying on the exposed arete, to two bolts and a two-bolt anchor. Seven bolts, medium and small nuts, 3 or 4 purple (00) TCUs, single rack of TCUs and C4s to #1. 35 meters, 70m rope required!

Mojo Area

Approach by heading to the Notch. Drop through and pass Red Faction. Just past Red Faction you’ll reach a short, clean, steep wall on your right with 4 routes.

2. Mojo (5.12b) 3 bolts
Climb the center of the clean wall. Short, but really good. Perfect rock.

3. Bumper to Bumper (5.12a) 4 bolts
Left of Mojo. Traverse left along crimpers to start. Alternatively, match in the distinctive slot and make a hard move to the sloping rail. This direct start is V6 or 7.

4. Biodynamic (5.13b proj) 6 bolts

5. Beyond Organic (5.11c) 7 bolts
Traverse the arête starting far left.

6. Kurt Albert Point (5.10d) mixed
This is the obvious triangular-shaped clean face/spire closest to the highway, visible from the Avocado Gully/Gash parking area. Park at the Penny Hot Springs pullout. Approach by heading to the Notch (see Narrows guide). Drop through and pass Red Faction. Just downhill from the Mojo wall, scramble up a short gully with a fixed rope and access the base of the face. Exposed belay. Climb the crack to 5 bolts and an anchor. Great position. Rack: Big nuts, single set of C3s and C4s to number 2 (yellow).

The Upper F-Pan

Yonder Area

This area is located at the very top of the crag, about an hour from the car. The exceptional, steep rock, great climbing and comfortable hang that stays dry in the rain makes visiting here worth the effort. You can also approach this area by hiking the popular Ruedi Overlook trail. Park about two miles higher up at the pullout by the campgrounds entrance. Cross the road and find the trailhead. Switchback up through pines and aspens for about 50 minutes until you reach some powerlines that cross the trail. Head left (downhill) following the power lines to the edge of the cliff by an old shack. Go left along the edge of the cliff till you spot an easy scramble that takes you to the base. When approaching this way, the first route you’ll encounter will be Gone Beyonder (see below). This hike takes longer, but is significantly less steep, and much shadier.

1. The Strang 5.12b (s)
Walk almost to the top of the crag and climb this sculptural testpiece. Perfect rock, great moves. One of the best lines at the crag. In memory of Lathrop Strang.

2. Cinco de Mayo 5.12b/c (m)
Climb the bolt line just right of The Strang. A 2 inch cam protects a runout to the last bolt.

3. Chickenheads (s) (5.11a)
Climb the incipient cracks right of the Strang and exit through the chickenheads. Bolts.

4. Lightning Shack 5.10+ (s)
Climb the bolt line right of Chickenheads. An optional medium nut protects the 5.8 runout to the first bolt.

5. Shiva Skunk #9 5.12c (m)
Start in the dihedral around the corner and right of Lightning Shack. Need a green C3 to start, then 5 bolts.

6. The Majigger 5.13 (m)
Two bolts through the thin seam. Turn the roof, then climb the V8 headwall.

7. The White Tornado 5.11b (m)
Climbs the splitter roof crack at the top of the crag. Three bolts protect the start, and one protects the top out. Best steep crack at the Pan. Cams to #2. Two .5s helpful.

8. Arete Project 5.13+? (s) Open Project
Steep, green arête right of White Tornado.

9. Gone Beyonder 5.12a (m)
Climb the right-angling bolt line with a crux by the first bolt. Eases way off after the crux. Fun and steep. A #3 Camalot protects the start, then 5 bolts.

10. Party Hat 5.10+ (s)
Last route (or first route if you approach via the Ruedi Overlook trail). Great warmup.

Pup Tent

A couple of excellent, longer new routes here.

1. Tooth or Consequences, 5.11.
Climb the face left of Puppy Love, up to an immaculate, gently overhung headwall. Exciting all the way to the chains. 9 bolts.

2. Unnamed, 5.10
Climbs the prominent arete to the left of the free standing pinnacle. Scramble up the loose gully to the base. 8 bolts.

3. Unnamed, 5.10c
Just right of Girls with Guns. Start up through grey rock with pockets. Cruxy crimping takes you through the small roof and into the techy corner above. Bolts.