On September, 26th Eckhard & I went climbing at Eldorado Canyon. It was a little chilly in the morning, but it turned into a beautiful day. Towards the end, there was a thunderstorm, but we managed to avoid being struck by lightning or getting caught in the rain.
We started off at Whale’s Tail. We climbed the West Crack (5.2) and West Dihedral (5.4). We also practiced simul rapping…which was a bit clumsy. I liked the West Dihedral climb, there was ample places for gear, and a fun lieback at the top.
Next up, we ambled over to the Wind Tower (SW Face) to do Breezy (5.5). Before launching up Breezy, we ran into Stan, whom we had seen motor up The Bastille Crack, earlier that morning.
Here’s Stan getting her done:
And, here’s Stan in person:
And, here’s Eckhard on Breezy…
I think he did the 5.6 variation start, to be accurate. As a side note: I totaly agree with Eckhard on the assessment of this climb: the best part is up high. The first pitch does not have the best quality rock, and it’s a little boring. Up high, rather, it is more vertical, and offers more engaging moves.
By the time I got up high, clouds were building. I was in the middle of working out a stuck hex, (gotta love booty!), when the crashing started. It rattle my nerves enough to decide to leave it. But, at least it wasn’t completely burried anymore-I’m sure the next climber will be the lucky winner of that piece of pro!!!
The thunderstorm seemed to be receeding, when we got back to the ground…but it was still looming. So, we wandered on down to Calypso (5.6). The first 20 feet seemed rather sparse in terms of gear placement, and not being a fan of slab, I encouraged Eckhard to romp up it. And, ROMP, he did.
There was more thunder when he got up high on the climb, but even with the extra pressure, his gear placement was steady and solid. Given the circumstances, I think his onsight commendable! Judging from this picture, he was happy too.
Tags: Eldorado Canyon, Rock Climbing