What was your first climb in Eldorado Canyon?

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TWP

Trad climber

Mancos, CO

Jul 19, 2013 - 01:23pm PT

Bastile Crack, 1976.

Arrived on road trip from Wyoming. Stepped from car seat to first pitch. Immediatly impressed with steepness of El Dorado Canyon, having just climbed in the Tetons, Winds.

I ran into Kevin Worral living out of a VW van, as I remember. We didn't talk. He was a climbing GOD; I was just another "Chuck Climber" - and I still am. I was traveling with a great Brit, Paul Bell, who was amidst a two-year round-the-world walkabout. He left England with $700 in his pocket and indeed stayed on the road for two years. After two days in Eldo, we drove to SLC and Little Cottonwood Canyon, then Yosemite.

philo

Trad climber

Is that light the end of the tunnel or a train?

Jul 19, 2013 - 01:28pm PT

My first climb in Eldo was out of the car. It was all up hill after that.

Patrick Oliver

Boulder climber

Fruita, Colorado

Jul 19, 2013 - 04:04pm PT

Those are two climbs with which I'm not familiar, "Out of the Car"
and "All Uphill."

philo

Trad climber

Is that light the end of the tunnel or a train?

Jul 19, 2013 - 05:12pm PT

LoL good one Pat.

dee ee

Mountain climber

citizen of planet Earth

Jul 19, 2013 - 10:03pm PT

Bastille
Crack 1977, with Jim Angione.

I would have rated it 5.8+.

Patrick Oliver

Boulder climber

Fruita, Colorado

Jul 22, 2013 - 01:08pm PT

Yes it's definitely a good 5.8 route, probably the crux being
the first pitch. But if you do the lieback (right variation)
at the top, then that's the hardest part.

philo

Trad climber

Is that light the end of the tunnel or a train?

Jul 22, 2013 - 01:10pm PT

Pat I love the classic pic of you in your youth leading the 2nd pitch of the Bastille Crack.

mcreel

climber

Barcelona

Jul 22, 2013 - 01:21pm PT

I arrived there for the first time after having led a few 11s and thinking I was pretty badass. Stepped up to Supremacy Crack, and got humbled.

Patrick Oliver

Boulder climber

Fruita, Colorado

Jul 22, 2013 - 03:00pm PT

Philo, yes I ran those first two pitches together, thinking that
was how it was supposed to be done. And as I said I didn't put
in any protection. I guess that's what makes it such an
interesting photo. Cleve McCarty took the photo from across the
canyon....

Supremacy was strangely difficult, especially if you didn't have
any experience at hand cracks. I had to teach myself how to
hand jam and how to use footwork to take some of the weight off
my hands. Later, though, the climb just got easier, what with
nuts and Friends to easily slide in. I've seen people climb the
Web, a 5.13 to the left of Supremacy and then not be able to
figure out Supremacy. One day I was ambling through the canyon,
not thinking I would climb, and some people were trying Supremacy.
They were swinging off and hanging around, and water was
dripping out of the crack -- which made it much more difficult.
I walked up and at one point casually made a suggestion about a
technique they could try. The guys looked at each other, and
one said, "Maybe you'd like to give it a try." I was in my
hush puppies, not very good for crack climbing. "Ok," I said. They
smirked and were prepared to teach this old know-it-all a
painful lesson. I did manage to climb it, even though it was
easily 5.12 with the slimey water. They were quite amused
and mystified.

mike m

Trad climber

black hills

Apr 15, 2014 - 11:20pm PT

I don't know the history that well but my brother thought we did a bunch of your routes this week in Eldo and Boulder Canyon. We did an 8 on Elephant buttress that was really great, a route on the Dome to the left, and a few routes in Eldo. All were really great crack routes from top to bottom. I am definitely taking my son there for an extended stay just need a place to crash(anyone willing to put us up in the back yard would be greatly appreciated}Eldorado is such a great place this thread should really be a huge feature on Supertopo. I think a lot of people don't post pictures or stories because so many great climbers go there and not too many new routes get put up, but it so chock full of classics it should be a long lived highly posted upon thread.

Evel

Trad climber

Nedsterdam CO

Apr 16, 2014 - 12:20am PT

I'll trade yard space in CO for yard space near Custer.

mike m

Trad climber

black hills

Apr 16, 2014 - 12:28am PT

I'm about an hour and a half from Custer but if that is close enough you got a deal. We are only an hour from devils tower though. I can hook you up with som good free spots down by Custer as well.

fluffy

Trad climber

Colorado

Apr 16, 2014 - 01:40am PT

Pics are standard route 5.7

This mean the 3rd buttress has reopened?

Here's a pic of my dog on the first pitch of pseudo sidetrack last week

Reilly

Mountain climber

The Other Monrovia- CA

Apr 16, 2014 - 01:51am PT

Took the SO up something called Wind Ridge or Windy Ridge? I recall a fun 5.4 or 5.5?
Then the Brit said, "There's got to be something better 'n that 'ere!"

Spanky

Social climber

boulder co

Apr 16, 2014 - 10:37am PT

Mine was calypso to reggae in 1995. I was 18 and plenty gripped but eldo is awesome!

Steve Grossman

Trad climber

Seattle, WA

Apr 16, 2014 - 09:00pm PT

Pretty sure mine was the very mellow Wind Ridge with Brad Udall about 1974.

mike m

Trad climber

black hills

Apr 16, 2014 - 09:18pm PT

Bastille Crack then, long john wall, and the yellow spur. Not bad for a complete newb just coming off the flatlands. I think I met Pat Ament in the Boulder Mountaineer where I purchased the history of North American mountaineering. One of my favorite books of all time. Pat told me about watching the first pitch on the Bastille as a lot of people didn't protect it and grounded from about 20 feet up. It was good advice.