Fresh off a  two-month sport climbing trip to Spain, I spent a few days in Red Rocks, climbing for a few days with Elizabeth Miller. Our goal was to get on some fun moderates, with Crimson Chrysalis—one of the area’s most iconic routes—at the top of the list. Often called the “best 5.8 in Red Rocks,” this north-facing classic follows a mix of crack and bolted face climbing up a striking 1,000-foot pillar. Like many of the area’s classics, it was established by Jorge and Joanne Urioste. I had previously climbed it back in September 2015.

The name “Crimson Chrysalis” comes from the deep red color of the rock and the tower’s resemblance to a giant butterfly cocoon.

The first 500 feet follow a broad crack system that splits the lower portion of the pillar. Higher up, the crack tapers off and the climbing shifts to face terrain all the way to the summit. Despite its intimidating look from below, the climbing is quite reasonable. Many of the wider sections can be avoided by using face holds alongside the crack, and the steeper upper pitches are well featured with positive holds. Protection is generally solid, though some of the easier face climbing can feel a bit runout. There are plenty of bolts, along with opportunities for gear placements, keeping the route firmly in the trad category. That said, there are definitely stretches where a fall wouldn’t be ideal. As expected for a world-class classic, it sees plenty of traffic.

I was glad to lead the entire route. We climbed it in six pitches by linking P3+P4, P5+P6, and P8+P9. Two other friendly parties were on the route—we passed one and caught up to the other near the top, which made for a perfect spot to have photographers. The rappels took longer than expected, but that’s part of the deal on such a popular climb. Another party was starting up as we rapped back down, so there were at least four parties on the route on a sunny early April Tuesday.

All in all, it was an excellent day: great climbing, beautiful weather, and genuinely friendly climbers along the way. The shade kept things comfortable in a light long sleeve, though it got a bit windy near the top. If anything, the route was even better than I remembered.

This page includes an overlay, time stats, and pitch-by-pitch photos of the climb.

Single rack to #3, 14 draws, 70m rope (needed for rappels). I never used more than half of the cams on any given pitch or pitch link, but at some point all cams were used at least once. I had just enough draws on a couple of the linked pitches, but would have wanted a few more if I had placed any more cams on these links.