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markanite
Apr 7, 2005, 6:38 AM
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Going to spend a couple at RM in May. First time there (for climbing) ...
What are the classic:
easy-moderate multipitch climbs (climb 5.12 sport; 5.9 trad)
or classic backpacking hikes
THANKS!!!!
Mark
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markanite
Apr 7, 2005, 6:40 AM
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Also looking for partners by the way ... (out of college extended roadtrip) ... so if you are a local or happen to be going through here GREAT
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mother_sheep
Apr 7, 2005, 2:28 PM
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Registered: Jul 18, 2002
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Mmmmmmm RMNP ALPINE. . . Here are a few that I know of:
Longs Peak East Face, Casual Route (Haven't done but want to)
Hallets Peak, Culp Bossier (Got spit off due to weather) and Great Dihedral (Done)
Spearhead, Northridge (done) and Sykes Sickle (really want to do this)
Sharkstooth, South Prow (done)
The Petit Grepon, South Face (not done but doing this year)
Another great looking climb is Black Star on Cathedral Wall. I wouldn't call it a classic, more of a hidden gem that doesn't get a lot of attention. I'm climbing it this spring/summer.
Have Fun!
If you need a partner for the Park when you get here, I'll climb with you at Lumpy and if we're a good match, I'll climb in the Park with you. Drop me a line when you get in.
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edge
Apr 7, 2005, 2:32 PM
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The Culp-Bossier is a great climb on Hallett's.
Do it!!!!!
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zozo
Apr 7, 2005, 2:44 PM
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In reply to: The Culp-Bossier is a great climb on Hallett's. Do it!!!!!
Cologman!! Does this sound familiar?
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takeme
Apr 7, 2005, 3:03 PM
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All the alpine climbs mentioned so far are good. If the Diamond excites you, but you don't feel like tackling the Casual Route, try Kor's Door, a 5.9 on the lower east face that doesn't get done very often but has excellent crack climbing. Other good ones that haven't been mentioned so far are Flying Buttress (5.9), S.Ridge of Notchtop (8 or 9), and the Barb on Spearhead (essentially 5.9, with one move of mid-10 that could be aided if necessary). Many routes on Hallet are good as well, if you hike up there and find Culp-Bossier occupied.
On Lumpy there are loads of good 5.9 and under routes on nearly every major formation. Some of my personal favorites include Pear Buttress, Wolf's Tooth, Kor's Flake, and Sidetrack but there are loads of other good ones. Be sure to do something on Sundance Buttress.
For backpacking I like the Wild Basin area, as well as the west side of the park (especially the East Inlet), neither of which see the crowds that the Longs Peak and Bear Lake areas get.
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ambler
Apr 7, 2005, 3:37 PM
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In reply to: Going to spend a couple at RM in May. First time there (for climbing) ... |
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maldaly
Apr 7, 2005, 3:55 PM
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Ditto what ambler said. may is early and this year there is plenty of snow. All the approaches will be wet, muddy slogs and most of the route will have some water. Best 5.9 multipitch on Lumpy is Mainliner on Sundance Buttress (http://www.climbingboulder.com/rock/db/lumpy_ridge/sundance_buttress/mainliner.html). It's a beautiful line on the largest formation on Lumpy. Some great face routes on the Crags (http://www.climbingboulder.com/rock/db/the_crags/lower_great_face/) that are bolt protected but not sport routes. Nun Buttress on Deer Ridge is probably the best 5.8 splitter in the park. It faces north but stays pretty dry even though it's semi alpine.
Mal
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leinosaur
Apr 7, 2005, 4:10 PM
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What about the last week of June? I'm planning to head over there around the 23rd. Is that near the end of mud season, or what? We were thinking Osiris or Pear Buttress at Lumpy and then maybe the south face of Petit Grepon a few days later.
p.s. I can't find "Grepon" in my french dictionaries - anyone? anyone? Beuller?
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zozo
Apr 7, 2005, 4:13 PM
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In reply to: p.s. I can't find "Grepon" in my french dictionaries - anyone? anyone? Beuller?
It's the mustard rich people have in their limo's.
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takeme
Apr 7, 2005, 7:06 PM
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Registered: May 7, 2003
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In reply to: In reply to: Going to spend a couple at RM in May. First time there (for climbing) ... All the posters so far have recommended high-country routes, but note that many of those routes, and also their approaches, are likely to be pretty snowy and/or wet in May--that's early season up high. Lumpy Ridge is more accessible at that time of year, particularly if you're new to the region.
Good point. I totally missed the "May" part. That would make some of the west-side backpacking more problematic as well. Some of the south-facing alpine routes could still be doable (with mt. boots on the approach) if we get a warm spell, but then again maybe not. In one of the recent low-snowpack years I even did the Casual Route on June 6th, but this isn't one of those years.
I'd second Maldaly's Nun's Buttress rec as well, I thought that was a great route and nobody ever seems to climb it. Another good obscure spot is the Deville Three Pinnacle on Twin Sisters.
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wilcox510
Apr 7, 2005, 7:28 PM
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whoever mentioned osiris - almost everyone i know who has done this (with the possible exception of takeme, who has a fondness for routes that i generally dislike :wink: ) thought this route was not so fun for being a 3 star classic. kinda fun squeeze to start, then a fun corner up high, and a bunch of junk elsewhere. pear buttress is awesome, first 2 pitches of melvins wheel is great (you can then rap or deal with a funky last pitch that not many do) and many others are a better use of limited time than osiris in my opinion.
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wilcox510
Apr 7, 2005, 7:30 PM
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whoever mentioned osiris - almost everyone i know who has done this (with the possible exception of takeme, who generally has a fondness for routes that i dislike :wink: ) thought this route was not so fun for being a 3 star classic. kinda fun squeeze to start, then a fun corner up high, and a bunch of junk elsewhere. pear buttress is awesome, first 2 pitches of melvins wheel are great (you can then rap or deal with a funky last pitch that not many do) and many others are a better use of limited time than osiris in my opinion.
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takeme
Apr 7, 2005, 8:00 PM
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In reply to: whoever mentioned osiris - almost everyone i know who has done this (with the possible exception of takeme, who generally has a fondness for routes that i dislike :wink: ) thought this route was not so fun for being a 3 star classic. kinda fun squeeze to start, then a fun corner up high, and a bunch of junk elsewhere. pear buttress is awesome, first 2 pitches of melvins wheel are great (you can then rap or deal with a funky last pitch that not many do) and many others are a better use of limited time than osiris in my opinion.
Now Justin...you'll note that did a very good job of holding back on that one. As much as I like that route, I'm aware of how much animosity it inspires in certain...uh, well, many...ok most people.
And although I do like it very much, it definitely doesn't make my Lumpy top 10. It also occurs to me that I like it cause its 5.7. If there were a 5.10 version of Osiris somewhere, I'd probably hate it.
Oh wait, there is, and it's called "The Pit and the Pendulum". And I did hate it!
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holmeslovesguinness
Apr 7, 2005, 8:14 PM
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LOL - I liked Osiris quite a bit. The only part that's kinda junky is the very end (after pulling the last crux above the Fang) - I thought the rest of it was good stuff. Not as good as Pear Buttress by any means, but still worth doing.
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wilcox510
Apr 7, 2005, 8:55 PM
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yeah i admit im a bit jaded against osiris for some reason. but i have several friends who did osiris as their first lumpy route due to the guidebook description and they all now think lumpy sucks (their loss i guess). charles - ahh yes, i will always remember and cherish the "I hate you!!!!" Pit and the pendulum incident. its making me laugh (and making me nauseous and afraid) right now!
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rockprodigy
Apr 7, 2005, 9:04 PM
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Registered: Sep 10, 2002
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I'll add that if you're coming straight up from tex-ass, you're going to need some time to acclimatize to the altitude. Running up to the Diamond right away could be a great way to get yourself into trouble.
One rule of thumb is 1000 ft per day about 10,000 ft. so following that logic, you wouldn't want to try the Diamond until your 5th day or so.
As for the Petit Grepon, I believe it is named after another formation in the french Alps that is named "the Grepon", this is a smaller version of it, I guess.
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nthusiastj
Apr 7, 2005, 9:37 PM
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Registered: Sep 3, 2002
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In reply to: The Culp-Bossier is a great climb on Hallett's. Do it!!!!!
CHOSS!!!
Just kidding.
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nthusiastj
Apr 7, 2005, 9:38 PM
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In reply to: The Culp-Bossier is a great climb on Hallett's. Do it!!!!!
CHOSS!!!
Just kidding.
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pt
Apr 9, 2005, 2:26 PM
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Registered: May 29, 2003
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Lumpy should be good in May. I would go for Pear Buttress then do Loose Ends for something a little harder. If that goes well then you have to do Fat City to Cheap Date. For the Park you may be able to get on Days of Heaven for a shorter sub-alpine route (one of the best 5.10 crack routes anywhere in my opinion). The Diamond probably won't be so good in May.
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