Colorado Climbs, 1982. Eldorado Canyon. New route activity continues in Eldorado Canyon, although not at the feverish pace of the 1981 season. The canyon still refuses to be “climbed out”, the same core group of locals, along with a variety of partners, being responsible for most of the new lines, namely: Carl Harrison, Sandy East, Jim Stuberg, Bob Horan, Skip Guerin and Chip Ruckgaber. On Quartzite Crag, Harrison and Stuberg found an interesting two-pitch line, Little Egypt (5.10). In the Pleasure Palace area, Harrison soloed two new routes, The Snoz, (5.8) and Willie The Pimp (5.6). Harrison and Nowell Harrison put up two good routes. Desperados (5.9, 1 pitch) and Esquinita (5.9, 2 pitches), both face climbs with little protection. On the West Ridge, Harrison and East found two new routes in the Inverted Vee area: Office Hours (5.9, 3 pitches) and S.N.F.S. (5.9, 2 pitches). Harrison and Stuberg climbed the arête immediately right of Positively 4th St., and called it Coniferous Types, (5.10). On the recently discovered Midway Rock, located between the north end of Hawk Eagle Ridge and the Wall of a Thousand Eyes, Harrison and Stuberg have put up a dozen or more routes. The rock, although only 50 feet high, has some worthwhile climbs. All ascents were done solo. Of the more notable are Batjam (5.10, undercling to offwidth), Geronimo (5.9, face-climbing on solution pockets) and Kornturner, (5.8, handcrack). Flatirons. On the north face of the Matron. Harrison with Mike Brooks found No Stranger To Danger (5.9), a one-pitch route 250 feet west of the east-face route; it follows a poorly protected water groove. Harrison, with A1 Torrisi, did Pasta Man, (5.9), aline beginning just left of the north-face route. On the west face of Satan’s Slab, Ruckgaber made the 1st free ascent of the Doric Dihedral (5.12). Ruckgaber claimed the coveted “second-could-not-follow” award for this one, since he refused to belay off a No. 3 R.P. The climb has since repulsed several strong parties, including Ruckgaber himself, and remains unrepeated. Ruckgaber and Guerin also found Slaughterhouse (5.12), a crack and stemming problem, left of Inferno. Horan and John Baldwin made the 1st ascent of Fire on the Mountain (5.12) and Lightning in the Sky, both on the next ridge west of Satan’s Slab. Boulder Canyon. On Broken Rock, Harrison and Torrisi added Turkish Revenge (5.10), a deceptive layback right of Momentum Operator. On Bell Buttress, Harrison and Torrisi put in two new lines. Eat The Rich (5.10), a one-pitch overhanging dihedral, right of Tears and Christmas in LA. (5.7, 1 pitch), right of Wrinkles. Dry Sobs (5.10), a strenuous layback right of Tears, was added by Torrisi and Alan Bowman. Estes Park. Bad weather in the mountains restrained most of the new-route activity to the sub-alpine regions this season, with many new lines being added on Lumpy Ridge and the Crags. On Thunder Buttress, Scott Kimball and Carl Harrison found Straight Arms (5.10), a two-pitch slab route, the crux being a mantle over a roof. Another two-pitch slab climb, Three’s Company, (5.7), was added by Kimball and Annegret Wroblewski; the second was seven-months-pregnant at the time. On the Book, Malcolm Daly and partner added Deadboy Direct (5.11), a thin-crack start to Dead Boy. Doug Snively and Bill Nickleson added a handcrack variation to the 1st pitch of Possum Hang on Alligator Rock. On the Bookend, Mark Wilford and Joseph put up Static Cling (5.11); it climbs a steep slab and roof right of Winds of Fortune, and is poorly protected. Honkidori, (5.9), a crystal handcrack, was added to Lens Rock by John Harlin. Two new routes were climbed on Checkboard Rock: Non-Aligned (5.10 + ), a layback flake right of Crystal Catch by Kimball and Joe Hladick, and Tim’s Troubles (5.10), a right-curving crack left of Broken Wing by Tim Hansen and Hladick. At the Crags, Junk Pile (5.9), a vertical crack right of Treasure Island was put up by Kent Lugbill and Kimball. Rubble Rouser (5.9), two pitch cracks and dihedrals left of Midrib Route was added by Snively, Kimball and Mike Kennedy. Flesh Flagellation (5.9), a classic comer crack left of Consumption of the Ages, was done by Kimball and Lugbill.

Carl Harrison, International Alpine School