Colorado, 1983. About 10 miles west of Colorado Springs at Green Mountain Falls, Harrison Dekker climbed Sex Axe (50 feet, 5.12a), an overhanging crack starting as thin fingers and gradually widening to fists. On the main cliff below Sex Axe, Bob D’Antonio and I climbed Golden Shower (150 feet, 5.11c) with three short leads. The crux (50-foot) pitch is a strenuous diagonal finger crack. On Turkey Tail, Harrison Dekker after several attempts, free climbed Jello Party (50 feet, 5.12c), formerly an aid pitch leading to Spider Lady. The pitch now involves very thin vertical face climbing, protected by two pegs. On Sheep’s Nose, Bob D’Antonio and I led, with joint effort to place protection, Psycho Babble (40 feet, 5.12a), a shallow, thin diagonal crack. I have published a topo guide called The Hard Stuff—A Climber’s Guide to the Turkey Rock Area & Other South Platte Crags. Also in the South Platte Region is 11-Mile Canyon which has a small guidebook by Dave Bamberger and Robert Glaze. The guide is mainly designed for beginning climbers and will not be much use for climbers looking for 5.9 to 5.12 routes. All the same, several excellent 5.10 to 5.12 climbs have been done during the past few years and the approaches are the most convenient of anywhere in the South Platte. On the Sports Crag, (about 5 miles up the canyon), a good selection of climbs was done in 1982 and 1983. In 1982 Russ Johnson & John Delong climbed Fiddler On The Roof (50 feet, 5.10d) which follows a strenuous hand/finger traverse under a roof (with 3 pegs). Immediately left of this, in the fall of 1983 D’Antonio and I climbed Shock The Monkey (50 feet, 5.11d), with sequential jamming over a 15-foot roof. Left of this, after several attempts, Chris Peisker climbed in 1982 Albatross (50 feet, 5.12c), involving finger locks and a dynamic face move along a thin overhanging crack. On the left side of the crag, D’Antonio and I climbed Moonage Daydream (50 feet, 5.12a/b) with a crux boulder problem start (past a bolt) involving B-l stemming up a near blank dihedral. On the Indulgence Crag, Shawn Wilson and I climbed Way Stoned And Snarling (70 feet, 5.11b) a lie-back comer followed by a 5-foot roof. Steve Cheyney, Kevin Murray and Robert Warren climbed Tree Beard (90 feet, 5.10a), a hand crack, finishing with crux face moves out right. Right of this and leading directly to the same last moves, I climbed Crimes Of Fashion (80 feet, 5.12b/c), starting with a strenuous 40-foot tips lieback, followed by easier vertical face climbing (5.11a). A fixed peg, fixed wire, and bolt were placed on lead, on aid. Then after several attempts I freed the pitch.

Mark Rolofson