TR: South Face of Wind Tower (Eldorado, Colorado)
billw...@my-deja.com
Here's a trip report about climbing in Eldorado Springs Canyon just
south of Boulder, Colorado. This occured in early May, 1999.
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Trashman and I got to Eldo around 9 a.m. with our sights set on the
dreaded South Face of the Wind Tower. This face offers some great
climbing, but all the routes are rated at least S (for severe fall
potential) or VS (for very severe fall potential). In the 80+ days I
have climbed in Eldo over the past six years, I have seen climbers on
this face less than a handful of times - despite the fact that it has
the second shortest approach in Eldo (the Bastille is the shortest) -
at only a couple hundred feet. This is not an indication of poor rock
quality (it is generally very good) or poor climbing (it is sustained,
airy, and interesting), but rather a measure of the lack of quality
protection.
Previously, I had only done two routes on this wall. A few years ago, I
attempted King's X with John "Lord Slime" Byrnes. I fell off numerous
times but eventually finished the lead of the first pitch (5.10d). John
backed off the lead of the second pitch (also 5.10d, but much more
continuously and more poorly protected). We ended up doing Diffraction
(10a) that is right of King's X, but left of the Yellow Traverse. This
pitch is rated 10a and it leads to the ramp belay halfway up the face.
I then led Metamorphosis (10a S) to the top of the wall - falling at
the second and third cruxes. Metamorphosis is a super classic, but a
serious route.
Later I came back with a big gun...Eric Winkelman (he did the first
free ascent of Cerro Torre.) I again led the first pitch of King's X (I
still fell off it once). Eric cruised the second pitch. Following I
didn't come off, but I was as close to puking as you can get. The upper
section of this pitch is very physical stemming and pushing moves as
there aren't many clear handholds or footholds. I led a short 5.8 pitch
to the ramp belay and then Eric led Disguise (5.10b S). This is another
scary, airy pitch.
Now I was back with the Trashman. My goal was the diagonal line just
under the roof which separates the lower south face from the upper
south face. This line is an old Kor route called Blackjack. It is rated
10a S and looks intimidating, scary, and hard. It was all three. Trashy
led a easy pitch to the top of the lower triangle buttress where
Blackjack starts. The first few feet are shared with another South Face
classic: Scotch and Soda (11b/c S). Five feet above the belay I got in
a three cam red Alien. At this point I am lying in a sort of diagonal
chimney. Unfortunately the chimney doesn't continue as it peters out to
just hollow groove. I inched along until I could clip the first of
three ancient fixed knifeblades. All three pins were within five feet
of each other and all moved when tugged. This is the only gear that
protects the crux moves. I swung out onto the face and hand traversed
into a stem. The climbing up the groove looked extremely hard and
completely unprotected. I contemplated my future for quite awhile.
Three ancient pins. One was bound to hold. I climbed out past the crux
moves to another stem rest. I'm seven feet out from the last pin and
the climbing above looks much harder and completely unprotected still.
What to do. I notice a horn well to my left which is on the lower
Yellow Traverse route. I stretch my left foot way out and get on it.
I'm now in a very wide stem with a good right hand hold. My left hand
can't find anything to pull over with. I remain in this position for
almost ten minutes. The fall from here could be injurious. I could
climb back a ways and fall off. If the pins held that would be
completely safe. This is always a tough decision to make. I don't want
to do something foolish, but I'd hate to back off a route if the move
and the risk was reasonable. I finally found a purchase for my left
hand. It was horrible, but I could pull on it slightly. The wall is
vertical. I move my left foot even further over to make room for my
right foot. I move my right foot over to a tiny smear slightly closer
and then I crimp a quarter inch edge in front of my nose with my right
hand. Now I can move my right foot over next to my left foot. I'm
committed now, but I no positive holds. If I lose my balance, I'm off.
I stretch my left hand around the corner for a sloping arete hold and
carefully step down another ten inches to another good foothold. From
here I can stretch further left and place a marginal stopper. I'm safe.
I then climbed straight back up to the Blackjack groove - placing
another stopper a few feet above and then a two cam red Alien. I was
now at the start of Metamorphosis, but I needed to traverse further
left to get to the belay. None of the gear that I placed after the
traverse is bomber and my concern was for the Trashman. I stemmed out
onto the start of Metamorphosis and placed a bomber red Alien (my third
on this pitch). With this done I completed the traverse to the belay.
Trashy's turn.
My mood at the belay is buoyant, as it frequently is after a very scary
lead. Now that I'm safe it is such a relief. The mood at the other end
of the rope is completely the opposite. Because of the traversing
nature of this route and the horrible gear it is almost as dangerous to
follow this pitch. Trashy dispenses with the initial groveling section
quickly. He's now looking at the crux and eyeing the crappy final
knifeblade. Once he pulls the quickdraw on the pin he is looking at a
damaging, pendulum fall well to his left. And the crux moves start
immediately. He hesitates and considers his options. He could lower
down to the Yellow Traverse and pull the rope from the fixed sling on
this pin (signs that others have bailed at this point). He plays with
the initial moves until he finds the key hold. Now he unclips and goes
for it. He moves solidly to the stem before the step around move. He
searches for the tiny pull over hold. Once finding it he is dismayed.
It sucks. Yet he completes the sequence with seeming ease. Soon he is
at the belay.
We mulled over our options. Initially we wanted to finish on
Metamorphosis, but that is a serious route and our mental resources had
been seriously depleted by the last pitch. Eventually we sucked it up
and I headed off on the lead. First I reversed my moves back to the
start of Metamorphosis where it goes over the roof we had been
traversing under. These moves aren't too bad, but they are airy. The
whole pitch from here on is nearly vertical and very exposed. I place
another small cam and, after deciphering a tricky move step up to
another roof. Just below I place a bomber stopper. Good thing too
because it will be my last piece for twenty feet. This is a very
psychological section. The holds are fairly large, but they all slant
and are rounded. I crank the roof move and step onto good footholds.
The wall is very steep here. Another lieback pull and I'm up another
five feet. No gear, of course. Another leaning move to more footholds.
Eventually I arrive at a big, new bolt and clip in. Whew!
Now I'll move up and right completely across the face. The next crux
involves a long reach off a fingerlock with not much for the right
foot. I fell here last time, but now I feel solid. The gym work has
paid off in giving me more lockoff strength and I can reach the good
hold without using a poor intermediate hold. The crux move is well
protected by a stopper, but once done you must again go a long ways
before you can get gear. When I can finally place gear, I place two
cams. One for insurance. More run-out climbing follows on nearly
vertical rock. With my feet eight feet above my last piece you get to
the final crux - the exit move from the face. I fell here last time
also. Poor holds, poor footholds, and a bulge. I make a blind RP
placement over the bulge. I can feel the crack, but I can't see how the
RP is seating. I tug on it, but it won't seat. I think I have it and I
unclip the biner (in order to place a quickdraw on it), but then the RP
falls straight to the gound! Damn. Must have been the wrong size. I now
place a large RP (#4, I think) and it sticks. I crank the moves solidly
with another long reach. Soon I am on easy ground and shortly after I'm
at the comfortable belay at a new bolt. What a pitch! Constant
excitement and challenging moves. One of the classics in Eldorado.
The Trashman followed quickly and with apparent ease, but did mention
the hard second crux where he made a semi-dynamic move and commented on
the very awkward and difficult exit move. Trashy led off toward the
summit and when all the rope had run out I started simul-climbing. We
went clear to the top of the tower, picking up a number of booty slings
and a #3 Tricam (with initials stamped on it) en route. After
descending back to the packs, we ate some lunch and thought about what
to do next. It was overcast and threatening rain, but the clouds
weren't too dark. We figured we had time for another route. I wanted to
try the Yellow Traverse. This route is rated 5.9- VS. Rossiter
describes it as completely unprotected except for a #4 RP near the end
of the pitch. Yummy!
Trashy again led up to near the top of the lower triangle buttress and
I started out on the lead. five feet from the belay I placed a marginal
RP and a black Alien that stuck out perpendicular to the rock. Together
they probably had a 35% chance of holding a fall. I would have been
frightened to aid off these pieces. Five feet further I got in a two
cams of a blue Alien, which was worthless, and right above that two
cams of a red Alien which actually seemed pretty solid. Now I faced the
crux. A stretch to the left for a reasonable hold. Some roundy
footholds and handholds allow me to stand up and I place a marginal RP.
I can now reach a solid, deep pocket. It is a great hold, but I also
discover that a #1 Camalot fits in it. The piece is not bomber, but it
looks pretty good. It does eliminate the hold from use, but that hold
isn't necessary. Four feet further left and up I get in two more
extremely marginal RPs. One is a #1 RP. Ten more feet and I'm placing
the small stop that Rossiter calls the one piece of pro on the route.
By the time I got to the belay I had placed ten pieces on this section.
Five of which had a good shot at holding a fall. This route is scary
and serious, but it isn't any harder than its rating of 5.9- and seemed
a lot less scary than Blackjack. You just need to be patient, work in
the gear, and, most important, don't fall.
I'd recommend this route and indeed Rossiter does. He lists the Yellow
Traverse/Metamorphosis linkup as one of the classics of Eldorado. Since
we had already done Metamorphosis, we finished with Left Out. This is
the 5.8 version of Metamorphosis and is a little known gem. The route
hugs the left edge of the south face and has tremendous exposure and
some runouts. There is some loose rock and care must be taken, but the
moves are tremendous and position superb. Trashy led this pitch and
looked quite solid. The crux is early on over a steep bulge with a long
runout, but the exit move is also non-trivial. This is a cool route but
not recommended for a 5.8 leader. You should be solid on 5.9 before
getting on this route. This was my second time up this route.
Recommended.
We descended with some beginners from the new two bolt anchors on the
lower West Face of the Wind Tower. This was a mistake as it was an hour
before we got our rope back. Oh well. We then did the fun bouldering
traverse along the base of the South Face before heading for home.
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