Photos:          |  |
| Photos: a.  b.  c.  d.  e.  f.  g.  h.  i.  j.  k.  | Photo descriptions: a. The route description in most guidebooks says to climb a 5.10 crack above the pool in Black Velvet Canyon. This is the crack shown in the left in the photo. This crack is quite sandy and insecure and does not take good pro for the first half. Personally, I don't recommend climbing it.... b. Instead, a safer and more mellow alternative is to climb the 5.7ish chimney to the left of the pool. This is the corner system behind Dow in the photo. c. Pitch 2 climbs a juggy 5.7 finger crack. Nothing incredibly notable about this pitch. d. After a Pitch 3 bushwhack, Pitch 4 is where the better climbing on the route begins. Here, Dow is at the beginning of a 5.8 crack. Black rock is usually a sign of good climbing in Red Rocks. e. The crux of the route is on Pitch 6. It is a well-bolted (4 bolts) 5.11 on smooth face. f. Pitch 7 features a 5.9 off-width. In addition to a normal rack, we one each of #6, #5, and #4. We used them all on this pitch. Dow and I both enjoyed this pitch, but found it a bit stout for its grade, even considering that it is an off-width. g. Looking down while climbing the #6-sized section of Pitch 7. h. The route ends with a steep 5.9 corner, which was probably my favorite portion of climbing on the route. Dow strung together Pitches 7 and 8, but due to rope drag on this top pitch it is probably best to keep them as separate pitches. i. To descend, we rappelled from the top of the tower. After a short (20ft) rappel to a rap anchor below, we made 5 rappels back to the ground. We rappelled on double ropes, but most of these rappels were about 25m and a single 70m would have worked with intermediate anchors. j. The route has a great view of climbers on Epinephrine. k. Indian Paintbrush on the hike out, an appropriate ending to our day climbing a route called "yellow rose". |
| Photos: a.  b.  c.  d.  e.  f.  g.  h.  i.  j.  k.  | Photo descriptions: a. Looking up from the base of Black Velvet Wall Left. The climbers in the photo are at the belay at the top of Pitch 1 of Dream of Wild Turkeys (which is also Pitch 1 of Prince of Darkness, which is the route these climbers were on). The obvious diagonal crack is Pitch 2 of Dream of Wild Turkeys. Pitch 3 is the crack that goes straight up from the end of the diagonal crack. b. Looking up the diagonal crack of Pitch 2, which is a longish pitch with a mix of sustained 5.9 crack and face climbing. The other climbers are on Prince of Darkness. c. Looking up the beginning of Pitch 3, which heads up the 5.9 crack until the crack ends, and then... d. ...when the crack on Pitch 3 ends, you make an exciting traverse (protected by 4 or 5 bolts and good feet) to gain a crack system to the right. e. Climbing near the top of the crack of Pitch 4. The slabby 10a crux is where the crack peters out and you step left to the belay. f. Pitch 5 is an exciting 5.10a climb past a line of bolts to a crack system to the left. This pitch also marked the end of the sun on the route for us. g. Pitch 6 follows a crescent-shaped corner up right, and then jogs back left (some bolts) to an anchor. We had two ropes which came in handy for eliminating rope drag on this pitch. h. Dow leading off Pitch 7, which follows a fun 5.8 thin crack straight up to a nice ledge. i. A climber on the last pitch of Prince of Darkness. Prince of Darkness and Dream of Wild Turkeys are quite close to each other the whole way up, so you can pretty much have a conversation with the party beside you for the length of the climb. j. Looking up at Pitches 8-10 of Dream of Wild Turkeys. Most climbers stop at the top of Pitch 7 and rappel. I always like the idea of "getting to the top" and would have liked to continue onward, but Dow (who had climbed these upper pitches before) made a good point about the rock up there being a bit more friable (since it is not climbed as often) and the high volume of climbers on the route below us that we definitely didn't want to hit with any rock bombs from above. So we stopped at the top of Pitch 7 like most climbers. k. Five double-rope rappels got us back down to the ground. |
