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climbaholic
Apr 12, 2006, 7:16 PM
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I’m hoping to climb Epinephrine this spring but it’s been a while since I’ve done any long chimneys. Can anyone recommend some front-range chimneys that might be comparable in difficulty? I need to get some practice so I don’t pee myself.
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crankenstein
Apr 12, 2006, 7:31 PM
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I haven't done Epinephrine, so I don't know what would be the best simulation along the front range. However, I do know that Lumpy Ridge has two great chimney lines in Wolf's Tooth and Tiger's Tooth, both on the Twin Owls formation.
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rock_gizmo
Apr 12, 2006, 7:47 PM
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Lumpy Ridge definitely has its fair share of chimneys. Check out the, Book End: Corinthian Column (5.9), Bombay Chimney (5.8), Sicilian Defense (5.9+) are just to name a few. Sundance Buttress: Grapevine (5.8+, but the chimney is 5.6). If you really want some big stuff check out Vedauwoo. Reynolds area at Vedauwoo has the Labyrinth (5.9).
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climbaholic
Apr 17, 2006, 4:42 PM
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Thanks for all the info. I didn't realize that there were so many chimneys on the Bookend. I guess that is the place to head next weekend.
Are there any large chimneys near Boulder? I could try to get some after work sessions in on them if there were.
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schveety
Apr 17, 2006, 5:06 PM
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I just got back from Red Rocks and doing Epinephrine and I would definitely recommend doing Tiger's Tooth on the Owl. If you can do that slippery thing, you can easily do Epi. I also recommend hitting up Beulah's Book (below Solar Slab) in Oak Creek Canyon at Red Rocks before doing Epi, that chimney is also a 5.9, but much more awkward than Epi's chimneys. And whatever you do, don't underestimate the seriousness of Epi's descent, if there hadn't been a guide climbing behind us, we would have been screwed coming off in the dark. It's not technically difficult, easy 4th and 3rd class, but the top part before you get to Frogland is waaayyyyyyyyy longer than we expected and not a good trail at all (in the dark anyway, even with the full moon and a headlamp). Took us about 2 1/2 hours to get off, which was fairly quick....
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healyje
Apr 17, 2006, 6:15 PM
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We did Epi with no previous chimney experience and frankly found them to be the least interesting of the climbing. As for the descent. There's no reason this time of year to be doing it in the dark. Start early. As for the top, you are basically just following the canyon ridge back to the entrance to where you can look back down on the parking lot. Again, you are making your way back out of the canyon, just doing it up on top so it is a bit of a longer walk than you might think reading the descriptions. Follow the cairn's - if you don't see one for more than a few minutes then stop and really look around - you've probably gone wrong some where and may need to back track to the last one and try again. Should be no problem at all in the daylight and not all that bad at night if you are paying attention. If you think you'll be up there at night be sure you have fresh batteries.
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schveety
Apr 18, 2006, 3:50 PM
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Yeah, we would have preferred not to come off in the dark too, but it took us longer than expected to climb, and it was our first grade 4. We're used to climbing at the most, 6 short pitch climbs. We got up at 3AM, started climbing as the sun was coming up and still came off at dusk...... and I didn't think we were climbing that sloooowww, but maybe not the fastest - we were at the top of the Black Tower by 11AM. And I wouldn't say the descent should be not that hard in the dark if you pay attention, unless you've done it in the dark, it is hard.... especially if you're tired. But that said, healyje it appears you have been climbing for 30 years (far longer than I've been alive) and so descents like that are probably easier for you who can read them better, I'm just a young'un who has been climbing for almost 2 years now so my descent finding skills have yet to be fully developed..... so I guess it all depends on your experience - certainly climbing in new places can be difficult when you're not familiar with the fractures and shapes of the canyons and such - anyway, I hope I don't sound like too much of a noob, we all have to learn sometime, and I'm learning slowly but surely - and I agree that the chimney climbing on Epi wasn't as hard or interesting as I thought it would be (given I was seconding, but my leader thought so too).......
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climbaholic
Apr 19, 2006, 7:41 PM
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Finding out Bealah's Book is less straightforward than the Epi chimneys is reassuring.
I heard about how epic the descent can be...especially by headlamp. I'll be packing extra batteries. Thanks for all the info.
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healyje
Apr 20, 2006, 10:01 AM
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schveety,
My partner and I did it on 11/19 and so the days weren't long. We also got on it at first light and were at the top of the tower about 10:15. We (I) then slowed down abit and it was just getting dark after we topped out and made it all the way back along the ridge to the point where you can see the parking lot. We then did the downhill section in the dark which was a bit challenging but the cairns were all there and when there was a bit of a distance between them or when we had to combine our lights to find the next one we built another intermediate one. Given a choice I'd rather navigate the downhill section in the dark than the ridgeline. If you are doing the ridge in the dark - just keep going as it's likely going to be longer than you think in the dark. Again, if you go very long without a cairn, particularly on the downhill stretch, you're probably off track somehow. Here is a shot of my partner Jim Tangen-Foster scoping for the next cairn at the end of the ridge looking down on the parking lot:
http://www.rockclimbing.com/...p.cgi?Detailed=44582
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schveety
Apr 21, 2006, 4:11 PM
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healyje - I certainly agree that I wouldn't mind doing the downhill section in the dark, but the ridge would be kind of challenging, especially because there is some crazy loose stuff up there. I've read a few trip reports online where people were doing some crazy things when they got off route on that top section. Like rolling a rock into a crack to rappel off of. It took some other guys seven hours and seven rappels to get down.........
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healyje
Apr 21, 2006, 9:35 PM
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I read those stories too. I think the key to doing the ridge day or night is basically to "just keep going". As I said you're basically going back to the entrance to the canyon but doing it on top instead of down in the creek wash. In the daytime you should keep going until you get to that point where you are looking down at the vista in the photo above that sweeps more or less for 180 degrees from North to South when looking East. At night keep going until you essentially run out of ridge to travel - at that same point you should be able to see the sweep of LV lights - definitely don't head significantly down to the left ever and don't be suckered down to the right before traveling the whole ridgeline back to the entrance.
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schveety
Apr 21, 2006, 10:21 PM
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Sorry to keep going on this topic of the descent, but thanks for that description healyje - my poor 3D disabled soul now sees the descent in a new light....... :lol: You're walking back to the opening of the canyon, duh, just like walking in on the creekbed and don't stop going til you see the panorama of the city lights......... that's the best description you could give anyone!!! I guess I was so tired and focusing my sight on keeping up with the descending guide that I didn't even pay attention to the landscape...... I tell you what, sometimes I'm dense but my mind somehow didn't even think of comparing the descent to the ground approach and such.. Anyway, you can roll your eyes now, yes I am completely direction and descent-impaired but, things are getting clearer ----- :shock:
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