Avocado Gully – We’ve gotten spoiled the last couple of years, as it’s come in big and fat. Not so this year, back to it’s somewhat thin shape, with an exciting section on the second pitch.

Dancing in the Moonlight – Reported to be in great shape, thin start.

Three Sisters (Tomato Chimney) – Lots of ice in this zone, worth a trip. The second pitch of Tomato is said to be rotten.

Redstone Pillar – Big and hacked out.

The Drool – Second pitch is fat, first pitch is trying to form again after falling down.

Hays Creek – Sun damaged but holding together, good sno cone fun.

Marble Falls – In.

Curtain Call – Getting close.

Single Parenting – Huge. And somewhat wet.

Glenwood Falls – Somehow is getting climbed despite all the sunshine.

Have fun out there!

There’s no doubt that winter is closing in on Colorado. In Rifle yesterday there was ice on the shady and wet walls. Tonight it’s supposed to snow, and the days just aren’t as warm as they were even a couple weeks ago. We were fortunate to chase summer south last week, spending much of it in Red Rocks, and the weekend in Indian Creek. As rock climbers we long for the good weather to last year round, but reality dictates most of us stay grounded in one spot year round.

It’s easy sometimes to get depressed this time of year, realizing it wont be warm enough to wear shorts around here for probably five months at least. But as I’ve said before, I prefer to look at the different opportunities the change in seasons brings. There are some new winter crags I’m psyched to check out, and maybe some new routes to put up. I’m motivated to train more than ever before, and might even actually go ice climbing this year, as opposed to packing my bag and leaving it by the door all season.

And when time and money allow, I know that it’s summer somewhere out there, and maybe I can sneak away for a taste, even if just for a couple days.

Notably absent from the Climbing.com list was perhaps the mother of all 5.8′s, Crimson Chrysalis in Red Rocks. Of course, the route has been hyped to death, and so they opted for Frogland, another excellent moderate from the area. A perusal of the Mountain Project entry for Crimson will reveal a few haters in the comments, but after finally having taken a trip up this mega classic two days ago, it has my vote for the best 5.8 route I’ve ever done. Almost 1000′ long, the kind of steep you usually only get on 5.10 and a variety of fun moves make this thing a blast that’ll keep a smile on your face the whole way to the top.

However, just like the Force, there is a dark side to this geologic marvel. For one, it attracts crowds the likes of which are rare to encounter outside of a Saturday in September at the Gunks. And we’re not crowd haters, but the issue here is that what goes up, must come down, the exact same route, and if you or anyone you know has done this climb, they probably have a horror story of having seven or so climbers all at the same hanging belay, in a cluster of ropes and humanity. Another rarity for a route of this grade, most of the belays are hanging, which starts to wear on your hips after a while. And speaking of rappelling, like many raps in Red Rocks, the potential is high for snagging your rope on the many flakes and chicken heads on the way down.

Somehow, all this doesn’t stop folks from lining up like teenagers at a Justin Bieber concert, and on any in season weekend you’ll want to stay as far away from this thing as possible. But just like a Justin Bieber concert, that’s not something you really want to be a part of anyway. Hit it on a off day, however, and you’ll find an incredibly fun romp up a beautiful feature the likes of which can’t be matched anywhere else in the world.

Best 5.8 in the universe? It gets my vote, but don’t blame me if your ropes get stuck, your hips are sore or you get stuck behind a slow party (or ten) and ending up being on the route well into the night.

We’re back from a couple of days in Southern Idaho with some great friends. More posts coming this week!

Fast forward to this spring, when we finally got to check it out on a recent work trip to Arizona. We only had one day to spend there on our way back north, but it was well worth the visit. Driving in as dusk settled over the landscape, we passed through picturesque meadows and stands of Ponderosa pines that held a dreamlike quality in the fading light. Occasionally we’d catch a glimpse of elk herds moving through the forest, giving us a passing glance before returning to their grazing. This serene atmosphere couldn’t have been more different from the tourist trap town of Williams where we had just grabbed a quick bite to eat. It was like stepping into some kind of magical dreamland, untouched by the excesses we had just witnessed.

We arrived at the trailhead with just enough daylight left for a quick recon mission. Walking to the rim, we happened upon the only other climbers in the canyon, and chatted them up for a while. It turned out they were from Prescott, where we had just spent the last three days. They were heading down into the canyon for a quick evening climb, so we set off to see the rest of the place.

It was pretty easy to get oriented, standing on top of the cliffs. This was the Pillow Wall, there was the Davidson Wall, and the obvious Sine Wall with its distinctive curves. The Gold Wall glowed even in the failing light, the bright orange stone standing in stark contrast to the black waters gathered in the pool below.

Walking back to the car, we were excited for the next day’s adventures. As camping is no longer permitted at the trailhead, a quick drive down the road brought us to a nice campsite, nestled on the edge of a clearing among a stand of towering pines. The stars were brilliant, outlined against the dark silhouettes of the trees.

The day dawned bright, blue and warm, with a gentle breeze swaying through the Ponderosas. It felt like summer, which was a nice change from the spring weather in Colorado. (Everyone around here has a waterlogged look in their eyes that two months of mostly wet weather tends to do to a climber.) A quick breakfast and we were off.

We warmed up at the Pillow Wall to get a feel for the rock and the grades on the shorter climbs there. It felt just like Indian Creek, although the stone was very smooth, and very polished in places. After a few routes, we headed over to the Prow to check out some of the longer climbs.

This is what we had come for, long cracks on perfect stone. We sampled a few of the classics, which were absolutely phenomenal. One thing that quickly became apparent was that you had to work a little harder for the jams here, as unlike in the Creek, there was zero friction between your skin and the smooth rock. It made things feel a little more strenuous for a given size, and Tracy found that taping was nice, not as protection, but to add some friction. Unfortunately, we had only brought enough tape for her, so I didn’t have that advantage. It was a bit strange to jam a green camalot crack, without tape, and not have a single gobie afterwards. That certainly wouldn’t have been the case at IC.

A couple other thoughts on the area. The grades were stout, as they are known to be, and certainly stiffer than those found at the Creek. Not a big deal, as long as you know that going into it. And the climbs were steep! Probably even more so than your average Creek pitch, these routes were all dead vertical at the least. Also, it’s a very top rope friendly area, as you approach from above, and can easily sling some trees or set some gear anchors and then rap down to the base. It also seemed like it would be a great spot for families, with a short approach, mellow hang on top of the cliff, and the ability to simply lower in and climb back out if you so desired. Kind of like the crack version of the Ouray Ice Park.

Unfortunately, the day waned too quickly, and life called us north, back to the responsibilities that lie there. We reluctantly left the beautiful canyon, knowing we’d be back again sometime, hopefully with a few more days to spend exploring the cracks and corners of this wonderful place.

Paradise indeed.

The setting sun lights up the Cliffs of Insanity after a passing storm.

The time has sadly come to bid farewell to the desert until the cool weather of fall settle’s back in. We were blessed with several great trips, including watching our friend crush 40 pitches in a day for his 40th birthday. We also had some good personal breakthroughs, and we’re looking forward to putting it all together when the sun gets low in the sky again.

On that note, having made the switch to rock climbing year round, it’s cool how there is always something to look forward to, and it gives each season a different perspective. In the winter, we chased the sun, which feels kind of like cheating since most of the year we run from its harsh stare. Now that’s it’s warming up (sort of), we turn our attention to the local choss haven of Rifle, and the incredibly fun climbing there.

The first couple days felt a little strange, like being a teenage boy at a high school dance, but the familiarity of the movement is returning, and we’re looking forward to a lot of learning (read: falling) on the blocky limestone walls. It’s also super fun to have a cliff that you see all your friends at every weekend, kind of like walking into the bar on Cheers.

But maybe the best part of year round climbing, aside from the fact that the fun never stops, is that the end of the season at one venue is merely the beginning at another.

Starting a 1000′ climb, at noon, with a party of 3, is fine, just make sure you’ve replaced your headlamp batteries recently or you could get lost on the decent. Unless, of course, your internal homing beacon happens to take you right to where you stashed your packs along the approach trail.

Whoever says the grades at Red Rocks are soft hasn’t spent much time climbing in the Canyons, where the ratings tend to be in line with many other trad areas across the county, and according to one friend “5.8 means something very different back here than it does at the 2nd pullout.”

Climbing long routes as a group of three is slower, especially when you are getting the rust out, but it’s way more fun. You have someone to talk to at belays (besides yourself), and as the leader sketches up the next pitch you can give them twice the verbal abuse they’d normally be getting.

Red Rocks isn’t Yosemite, and making monkey calls the whole way up the wall just makes you sound like an idiot.

Black Velvet is THE reason to visit Red Rocks. Sure there is plenty of the other fun stuff, but once you experience the incredible varnished rock there, you’ll be hard pressed to repeat something on the soft white stuff. So long Angel Food Wall!

While a winter of climbing in the gym is good for the forearms and technique, it doesn’t do piss for your calves. I spent all week shaking out my calves, not sure I ever had a pump in my arms.

Along the same lines, sport climbing in Indian Creek doesn’t do much to prepare your nerves for the runouts often found on the trad lines. It’s not uncommon to go 15, 20, even 25 feet above your last piece on terrain you don’t want to fall on, which is something that takes some getting used to after spending the last couple trips on the plug and chug terrain of the Creek.

I’ve always heard people say that if you can take two weeks for a trip, do it, as the first week you’ll spend getting used to the rock, and the second week is when you can really get after it. Life usually only allows for week long getaways, but if I had the time, I could see how this would really come together. Just as I felt like I was getting in the groove, it was time to head home.

We have a great time every trip we take to Red Rocks, and at some point we think we’d like to live there, as it’s surrounded by world class climbing you can access year round. The heat is a big concern to some folks when we bring this up, but as we found this past trip, 90′s in Vegas means perfect temps in the shade back in the canyons. Add to that some high altitude limestone for when it really heats up, and you have one of the best year round climbing spots in the world. And way less of this grey/cold/snowing in April stuff!

Cybernetic Wall from paul jung on Vimeo.

The Road to the Nor’easter with Sonnie Trotter & Russ Clune from NE2C on Vimeo.

Ever since moving to Colorado, I’ve wanted to get back for a visit, and things finally lined up this fall. My wife had some work to do in the northeast, which would give us a couple days of climbing at the Gunks. Here are some initial impressions from my first visit back in 10 years.

Maybe the biggest change I’ve noticed are the bolted rap stations everywhere. When I left, a couple had been put in, but now it seems like every popular climb has bolted anchors on the first pitch, allowing for a much more relaxed, cragging type experience. Before, you had to commit to going two pitches up for most of the routes, now you can simply crag to your heart’s content. It changes the feel of the place for sure, but makes for some rather convenient climbing!

For a place with fairly frequent rock fall (thanks to all the loose pebbles on the ledges), a lot of folks aren’t wearing helmets, and we saw more people sitting down while belaying than a busy Saturday at Wall Street. Ok, maybe not quite that many, but people must not fall a lot around here, because almost EVERYONE was belaying on their ass.

I remember climbing my first route here, a 5.4 called Bunny, and the guy I was with said it would be 5.7 out West. Now that I have some perspective, I do feel that most of the routes here are about a letter grade or two harder than the equivalent in Colorado/Utah.  And if it has a “+”, tack on about 3, so 5.7+ could be equivalent to 5.10-. This is a rough scale, but seems to be pretty accurate so far. That being said, the grades feel somewhat inconsistent on the climbs we’ve done so far, so we’ll see how it shapes up by the end of the trip.

I think last time I was here, it was $7/person/day to climb. Pricey, but still within reason. It’s now $15/person/day. So for two of us to climb 4 days is $120! Highway robbery! Now, I don’t have a problem with paying a small fee here and there to climb at a place that offers a lot, but I’m not sure what I get for that at the Gunks. I mean, for what it costs me to visit a National Park for a week, there is a only one bathroom along the entire length of the cliff, the camping is ghetto, and there aren’t any signs designating the various climbing access trails off the carriage road (which would be super helpful, esp for visitors.) Obviously, if you live close by you can get an annual pass, and easily make up the difference, but as a visitor, it’s a bit steep. We ended up buying an annual pass for $145, which is 5 days of climbing for two people. Plus we are covered if we come back next year. Still, it’s probably the biggest obstacle for visiting climbers. In my younger days we used to come up with all kinds of ways to avoid paying, since we were broke college kids, but now I’d just feel funny jumping the fence and playing hide and seek with the rangers.

It’s a lot of fun being back here, as the place holds a lot of dear memories for me, of being a dirt bag college kid eating pop tarts for breakfast and climbing every day until dark. It’s a little unnerving climbing 10 to 15 feet above your gear on an average PG rated pitch, but on the flip side sport climbing is going to feel wonderfully casual when we get back to Colorado!