Shelf Road and clear creek route suggestions?

[jonfrisby]

Hey guys. I'm looking for some mid to upper 12s at both crags for a mid March trip. Any suggestions?

[MarkAnderson]

Oooh, you're in for a real treat! Both places have a ton of great routes in those grades. Here are some suggestions:

Shelf (more or less in order of awesomeness)
Ejection Seat .12b/c (overhanging pockets)
The Gym Arete/Direct .12a/c (slightly overhanging pockets & edges)
Tits Up .12b (pocketed vert face)
Head Cheese .12d (huge roof on jugs)
Surreal Estate .12c (pocketed vert face)
My Generation .12d/.13a? (overhanging pockets)
The Hurricane .12b (edges on vert face)
Hot Beach .12b (pocketed vert face)
Sparkle in the Rain .12c (overhanging pockets)



Clear Creek* (less sure on the rank order)
Ken T'ank .12c (slightly overhanging face)
The Gauntlet .12d (overhanging stemming to stellar bolted finger crack)
Ten Digit Dialing .12c (I haven't done this, but it's considered ultra classic.  Thin face)
Anarchitect .12d (needs to be cold to enjoy this.  Slightly overhanging slopers and edges)
Y2K .12c (huge roof with massive jugs)
Monkey Bars .12b  (steep jughaul)
Quartz Sports .12b (more unique than awesome, but the best mid-.12 in the vicinity.  Slab to cruxy roof pull)
Sucking My Will To Live .12c (I hate this route, but many consider it the best .12c in the canyon. Short slopers on slight overhang)

*I haven't climbed a ton of .12s in Clear Creek, so take my suggestions with a grain of salt

[MarkAnderson]

Some other thoughts... Weather will be a big factor that time of year. It can be very volatile in March--windy with a lot of precipitation (for Colorado). Shelf will be too hot for climbing hard in the sun, but all of the routes I listed get shade at some point in the day. You will probably want to visit Cactus Cliff or The Bank in the mornings, and then head to The Gym in the afternoons. There are some crags that get all day shade, but I didn't include any routes at those crags because the best routes are kind of obscure and hard-ish to get to.

Clear Creek is generally ideal in March, but we will surely get some big snow storms that may shut things down for a day or two. Usually the snow is quick to melt though. Wind could be annoying depending on route selection (most of the routes I suggested are relatively sheltered, but keep wind in mind if you're considering any multipitch routes). Some crags (like Primo Wall, The Armory, Crystal Tower) are best approached by tyrolean traverse, so be prepared.

If I were you I would probably go to Shelf first, when it's more likely to be cooler. Also, Shelf is just better than Clear Creek in the 5.12 range--only a couple routes on my CCC list would make the Shelf list. Arriving at Clear Creek later in March will slightly increase the chances of avoiding major snowfall (but not by much). Shelf has plentiful camping, both free and pay options, whereas there is no good camping near clear creek (there is a ghetto trailer park-style campground in Golden). Shelf is relatively isolated, but Canon City, about 20 minutes away, has everything you need.

EDIT TO ADD: You should post the same question on MP.  I would be interested to hear what others think.  

Let's get out in Clear Creek when you get here!
Mark

[jonfrisby]

Looks awesome. We're there from the 16th-22nd and we should be at Clear Creek that weekend of the 21st if you're around!

[Drew H]

Excellent, thanks for the response Mark. My wife and I will be in Denver April 3 through 11 and should be peaking that week. We live in NC and regularly hit up the New River Gorge. I'll be getting on as many 12c's to 13a's as I can handle (right now my hardest redpoint is probably 12a/b so we'll see if the training works!).

Do you have any suggestions for other areas to hit up while we're there? Our buddy that we're visiting will probably have that week off so we're thinking of also driving somewhere with a 6-8 hour radius. Any recommendations for great or must-hit areas with sport routes in my range, and also my wife's range (mid to hard 5.11)? We're considering areas in Utah or Wyoming (weather dependent of course!).

[MarkAnderson]

Well, The Killer Cave at Sinks Canyon is perhaps the best sport crag in the rocky mountains, especially in that grade range. It's usually in pretty good shape that time of year, but you never know, a big snow storm could make it tough to get to.

In the Colorado Front Range, the other place to check out (for sport climbing) is The Flatirons. Some good crags for a quick visit would be the Slab or Dinosaur Rock.

[Drew H]

Right on, thanks again Mark!

[PME]

In my opinion, Shelf Road is a far superior sport climbing area than Clear Creek. There are some really good routes at Clear Creek though. Also, don't forget about Boulder Canyon people! It generally has a lot more trad routes, since it is granite, but most crags have sport routes sprinkled in and some are primarily sport crags. Some of the better sport climbing areas in Boulder canyon in my opinion are Eagle Rock, Easter Rock, the Sport Park. Dream Canyon has some really nice sport routes too, some are multi pitch.

[jonfrisby]

Hey Mark, it looks like we're considering staying the whole week at Shelf, but I'll let you know if were going up your way. Given that, I think I'm going to spend mornings on: Tits Up, Hot Beach, The French are Here, Hair Trigger, Surreal Estate, Sparkle, and Future Fossil, with afternoons on Lockdown, Ejection Seat, My Gen, Gym Arete Dir., and maybe the Example. The problem is I haven't been outside since November and at least my hang board, campusing, and indoor bouldering grades reflect improvement, but I have no idea how much. Also, I've heard that pump resistance and power endurance are less meaningful at Shelf than a lot of places. Is this pretty true? If so, what's required to send hard?

[slimshaky]

kevlar skin, good footwork on small holds (often toeing into pockets), and the willingness to yank on small pockets. for the most part the routes you listed have definitive cruxes. a few of them have substantial endurance components though (tits up, hot beach, the example). your list is really good though - some really good, representative shelf routes in that list.

[MarkAnderson]

What slim said. Obviously it depends on the route, but generally power and low-rep PE is the name of the game. The Example is quite pumpy though. Most Shelf routes are more about crimping than pockets, but we've directed you to some of the more pocketed routes, because they seem to be better.

[jcm]

Mar 11, 2015 14:27:15 GMT -7 jonfrisby said:

Hey Mark, it looks like we're considering staying the whole week at Shelf, but I'll let you know if were going up your way. Given that, I think I'm going to spend mornings on: Tits Up, Hot Beach, The French are Here, Hair Trigger, Surreal Estate, Sparkle, and Future Fossil, with afternoons on Lockdown, Ejection Seat, My Gen, Gym Arete Dir., and maybe the Example.

This looks to me like a really excellent Shelf Road ticklist at the mid to upper 5.12 range.  You should have a great trip.  Shelf is a beautiful crag, the camping is great, and it is a great place for 5.12 vertical face climbing.  The routes on your list are all excellent.  Ejection Seat, The French Are Here, and Tits Up were, in my view, especially good routes in the mid-5.12 range.  Of the harder 5.12s, My Generation is probably my favorite; it is a bit steeper and more physical (as opposed to just heinously crimpy) than the average Shelf 5.12+.  It is pretty solid at the grade, though.  A few other notes:

--Don't miss the Gem Wall (a section of the Vault).  It is easy to get to (right behind the outhouse you pass on the approach to Cactus), the climbing is excellent, it is rarely crowded, and--best of all--it gets pretty much all-day shade.  The best routes are more in the low-5.12 range than the mid-to-upper-5.12 range, but they nonetheless are worth checking out.  In particular, 14 Carats (12b) is a must-do, with continuously engaging technical climbing on a blunt prow of bone-white rock.  There are also two neighoring 12a's (Ewetopia, Jewel of the Wild) that are quite fun as well, and would be good routes for an onsight attempt, especially if you are seeking shade.

--On that note, don't neglect the 12a's.  I think that 12a is one of Shelf's best grades, with a much large number of really great routes.  If 12a is in your target onsighting range, you'd can have an absolute blast there trying to onsight these routes.  I've found that Shelf is a good crag for onsighting, since the sequences usually aren't too wierd, and the rock is reasonably easy to read.  I'd reccomend mixing in some good onsight attempts with those upper-5.12 redpoint projects. There are some great 11+ routes too; make sure to to Lats Don't Have Feelings.

--If you are in the shade in March, crowds generally are not a problem.  It seems like the masses go to Shelf mainly to work on their tan, so if you are seeking out good conditions it'll be pretty quiet.

--As Mark notes above, Shelf is a much better destination than Clear Creek for an out-of-town visitor.  The climbing at Shelf is generally better and more concentrated, the camping situation is much easier and more pleasant, the view is awesome, and there is no road noise.  It also has better weather in March. Spending the whole trip at Shelf, as opposed to trying to also check out Clear Creek, is probably the right call. There is plenty to keep you occupied at Shelf for the whole week. If you do end up in Clear Creek for a day or two, The Great Escape, Ten Digit Dialing, and Ken T'anks would be good routes to seek out. All are at the low end of 12c and would be good options for attempting a quick redpoint.

[dano]

So, how'd the trip go?

[jonfrisby]

The trip was awesome!! No big sends to report on but I two hung Ejection Seat and am hoping to go back in a couple weeks to finish it off. Thanks for the advice everyone!