TR: Marathon Eldo Day
billw...@my-deja.com
day at Eldorado Springs Canyon near Boulder, Colorado.
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Eldorado Marathon
July 11, 1999
Recently my friend, John Blackberries, did a marathon climbing day at
Lover's Leap in California. He even prepared a fixed rappel line to
speed up the descents. His goal was to do 3000 vertical feet of
climbing - an "El Cap" day. He succeeded wildly and it inspired me to
finally try my own marathon day at Eldorado Springs Canyon near
Boulder, Colorado - where I live. I had thought about this feat for a
couple of years but had never tried it.
I couldn't find a partner willing to go for the entire day…so I lined
up two! I didn't have a specific goal for pitches or vertical feet or
routes. It was a bit amorphous, but I wanted to climb until I couldn't
climb any longer. My regular climbing partner, The Trashman, would take
the morning shift and Homie would take the afternoon shift. The partner
switch was scheduled to occur between noon and 1 p.m.
I met Trashy outside of the park at 4:50 a.m. and we consolidated into
my car because he didn't have a permit to park in there. We drove into
the canyon and surprise, surprise, we were the first car there. We
geared up in the parking lot. We would both do every approach, every
route, every descent in our climbing shoes. I was wearing a pair of
original Fires that had been resoled about 7 or 8 times. These were my
comfy shoes for long, alpine days. Since the crags are distributed
throughout the canyon we wouldn't have benefited from a fixed rappel
line and didn't do a single rappel all day. We had to downclimb
(usually 4th class and some actual 5th class) off of every climb.
We left the car at 5:10 a.m. and headed for the recently dreaded (see
recent Rock & Ice magazine) Calypso on the Wind Tower. Most of the
approaches are fairly short, but the approach to Calypso took us less
than 5 minutes. Trashy led off on the first pitch (5.6), climbing by
feel in the dim light. He moved quickly nonetheless and soon I was
climbing. A quick change over and I headed up the Reggae variation
(5.8). Reggae has some nice, steep climbing on it. I ran out most of
the rope, combining the next pitch. Trashy finished things off to the
summit. The first route had taken us 34:01 (39:01 from the car). We
downclimbed the descent and made our way over to the start of the Bulge
on the Redgarden Wall. This took 12 minutes.
My turn to lead and I put the first two pitches of the Bulge together
in about 9 minutes. Trashy followed the led the third, and normally the
crux of the Bulge (5.7). I found this pitch a bit tricky. I hadn't done
it in a number of years. I led the 5.9 variation finish and then across
the slab to the gully. Trashy followed and this route was climbed in
45:58. We descended again, but this time back to the car for food,
water and some larger cams.
Now we did the 100 yard approach to Werk Supp. The descent, break and
approach had taken just under 20 minutes. We had been going for
1:56:41. Trashy led the long first pitch (5.8) and I followed quickly.
I led the awkward, and a bit burly, crack which is the second pitch
(5.9) and then I combined it with the last pitch of March of Dimes
(10c). Of course, I fell off this desperate technical edging/finger
pumper pitch. Damn! I got it the second time and setup a belay. Trashy
cruised it! He should have been leading. We did this route in 55:40. We
definitely lost some time with my fumbling around.
We descended back to the car once again. After the food and water, we
took a fanny pack with us containing the guidebook, some food, and a
liter of Gatorade. We had a relatively long hike over to the West Ridge
and this descent, break, and approach took us just under 40 minutes. We
were headed for Handcracker Direct - one of the best crack climbs in
Eldo.
Trashy put the first two pitches together in fine style. These are both
5.9 crack pitches and involve turning bulges and roofs. I found them
quite hard following. I put the next three pitches together. I know
this sounds ridiculous, but that's how Rossister lists it in his
guidebook. The first is a 5.7 approach pitch to the crux, 10a
overhanging hand crack, and then some 5.6 climbing to the summit.
Trashy followed without problems. This route took 54:41.
We downclimbed off the back side and over to the west face of the
Redgarden Wall. We had planned on doing Grand Giraffe, but that was in
the sun. We opted for the Yellow Spur because it was in the shade. We
started up this route less than 15 minutes after topping out on
Handcracker Direct. Trashy led the 5.9 first pitch over the roof. I put
the next two pitches together and caught up to another party. Willow
and Mark from Albuquerque offered to let us pass before I even finished
the pitch. They were very nice and we chatted amicably while Trashy
followed and then put the fourth and fifth pitches together. I followed
and then led the beautiful sixth pitch with the 5.8 traverse to avoid
the 10b direct finish. This traverse is very runout and exposed, but
the climbing is excellent. I tacked on the seventh and final pitch ,
which is the runout 5.6 arete. Trashy topped out 1:11:55 after he
started - a new record for me on this route.
We did the long 3rd/4th class slab descent and took a break at the base
of Tagger on the Wind Ridge. Eventually, Trashy led the very technical,
continuous, and tricky first pitch (5.9+). Before following, I
tightened up my floppy Fires in an effort to get more control for the
next pitch. I led the second pitch over the big roof (10c) and once
again fell off it numerous times. Damn! I've done this route four times
now (led it three times) and I always get my ass kicked. I just can't
do this route…maybe I should give up. I combined the third pitch up to
the walk-off ledge, but the combined drag, heat, and ass kicking made
this section feel hard. I was dripping in sweat. Trashy cruised this
pitch! It was supposedly the first time he hadn't fallen off it. He was
climbing great today and didn't fall a single time, but this was it for
him. This route took us 1:06:53.
By this time Homie had arrived and watched me floppy all over the big
roof. We descended to meet him and to switch partners. Trashy and I had
done seven routes and 25 pitches in 7 hours and 37 minutes. Trashy
commented that we had done more than two normal days worth of climbing.
It was 12:47 p.m. We went back to the car to eat and drink and switch
partners. Trashy would drive my car out of the Canyon to pick up his
car. Homie would take me out at the end of the day. Homie joined me in
doing all the approaches in his climbing shoes. At 1:15 p.m. we started
up the West Chimney on the Bastille. This three pitch route starts up
the first 50 feet of Blind Faith and then breaks left along some loose
flakes. This is very exposed climbing. Once again I combined pitches
and did the second pitch also. This pitch has a classic 5.5 offwidth on
it.
Johnny followed and I took over the lead again, as I would for the rest
of the day. The next pitch is very steep and quite challenging for the
5.7 rating. John followed without trouble and we did the descent back
to the base. This route took 46:36.
We had hoped to get on the Bastille Crack, but of course it was queued
up two parties deep. Instead we hiked over to the West Ridge again and
did the five pitch Long John Wall. I had only done this route once
before we my friend, Opie, a number of years ago. The descent and
approach took us a bit over 30 minutes. The first pitch of this route
was covered in poison ivy and I had to climb the unprotected slab on
the right. Once up to the roof, I was back on route. This first pitch
is quite a tricky one as it goes left through the roof via an awkward
slot, but then back right on unprotected face climbing right above the
lip of the roof. I tacked on the second pitch (5.8) and brought Homie
up.
I combined the next pitch and a half to a small stance. I wasn't sure I
could make the next belay and didn't want to be caught on 5.8
liebacking with Homie simul-climbing the 5.8 roof below. Homie followed
and I finished off the route. This climb has a lot of fun, hard
climbing on it and took us 1:17:50. We were completely out of water now
and I was starting to fade. We descended the backside and headed over
to the west face of the Redgarden Wall. We hiked down to the base of
the West Face of the Lower Ramp. We rested for about ten minutes and
then I started up. Our plan was to do this pitch to the top of the
Lower Ramp, then the first pitch of Rover to reach Ruper. Because of
the traversing nature of these next pitches, my pitch combining days
were over.
I led up to Ruper and Homie followed. We pulled the #4 Camalot out of
the fanny pack and I started up this burly pitch. Ruper is a famous
wide crack in Eldorado and it takes some effort. This was my 36th pitch
of the day and I found it challenging as did Homie, but neither of us
fell off. Next came the classic, exposed Ruper Traverse pitch. The
skies were threatening rain, but we decided to continue. I led up to
the Upper Ramp and Homie followed and then led across the ramp.
We planned on topping out via Upper Grand Giraffe since I had never
done these pitches. These pitches would be the only new pitches of the
day for me. This route works up a very steep wall and is quite runout.
I led up over exciting 5.7 terrain and eventually got to a shiny single
bolt belay. I continued up over hard, unprotected, vertical climbing.
Thirty feet out, I found a succession of three old pins. I clipped the
first in desperation. I couldn't clip the second because of the
location of the pin's eye, but was able to clip the third pin. I
backcleaned the first pin to reduce tremendous drag and led up to a
small stance were I set up a belay from a couple of stoppers.
In a testament to how hard this climbing was, Homie called for tension
three times while following this section. This was probably mostly due
to fatigue and dehydration. He had much less water than I had and I was
dehydrated. The next pitch was just as steep but the jugs were bigger
and after 100 feet I topped out, completely exhausted. Homie followed
and we completed this seven pitch route in 2:46:48 - by far the longest
any route had taken us today. This was due to fatigue and no pitch
combining.
We descended the slabs once in just under twenty minutes. We had
planned on doing the Bastille Crack, it was open, and I knew it was
high on Homie's list since he had never done it before. But I couldn't
oblige him. I was too tired and thirsty. It would have to wait. I ended
up doing 40 pitches of which I led 29. I had been climbing/hiking for
14 hours and 16 minutes. I had logged about 4600 vertical feet. We had
done tons of 5.7 and 5.8 pitches, seven 5.9 pitches and three 5.10
pitches. Homie had done 15 pitches worth of climbing. Without any
defined goals, I considered this a successful marathon day.
Routes done:
Calypso/Reggae (5.8, 3 pitches)
The Bulge/5.9 finish (5.9, 4 pitches)
Werk Supp/March of Dimes (5.10c, 3 pitches)
Handcracker Direct (5.10a, 5 pitches)
Yellow Spur (5.9, 7 pitches)
Tagger (5.10c, 3 pitches)
West Chimney of the Bastille (5.7/8, 3 pitches)
Long John Wall (5.8, 5 pitches)
West Face of the Lower Ramp/Rover/Ruper/Upper Grand Giraffe (5.8, 7
pitches)
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Mongo
Nice trip report. It sounds like you had an awesome day. I especially
liked the two-partner strategy. I'll have to try that. I usually end up
burning out single partners when I try marathon days at Seneca.....
"Waaaah, I wanna go drink beer." "No! we've gotta keep climbing.
Besides, we've got headlamps....."
Have fun.
Mongo
billw...@my-deja.com wrote:
>
> What follows is a static laden trip report about a long speed climbing
> day at Eldorado Springs Canyon near Boulder, Colorado.
>
> ----------------------------------------
> Eldorado Marathon
> July 11, 1999
>
> I couldn't find a partner willing to go for the entire day…so I lined
> up two!
> Routes done:
JKVawter
Mongo wrote:
> Hey Bill:
>
> Nice trip report. It sounds like you had an awesome day. I especially
> liked the two-partner strategy. I'll have to try that. I usually end up
> burning out single partners when I try marathon days at Seneca.....
> "Waaaah, I wanna go drink beer." "No! we've gotta keep climbing.
> Besides, we've got headlamps....."
Or you could try it without partners. No one to whine except your feet. A
couple of weeks ago I tried an "El Cap day" at Tahquitz to get ready for
Dark Star (rained out last weekend). White Maiden Direct, East Lark, North
Buttress/Uneventful combo, the Maiden Direct (again) and finally the Long
Climb with the 5.8 start. I started about 8:30 and was done by about 4:00,
including five descents of the north gully, lunch and a nap. About 35
"pitches" in all. 'Course, the harder stuff is out of bounds so it's not a
true "El Cap day."
JKVawter
Kris Nuttycombe
potential. Do, for example, every route on the 1st and the 3rd 5.8 (0r
whatever) and under in a day. Anyone who's willing to figure out how
much vertical distance that would be, just counting guidebook routes?
Olmott
>What follows is a static laden trip report >about a long speed climbing day at
Eldorado >Springs Canyon near Boulder, Colorado. >>
Bill, either you are in great shape or you love pain. Or both. May your
bottle of ibuprofin never empty! Great TR.
Omott